Music Industry Promotional Techniques

This assignment delves into the complexities of the music industry. It analyzes various promotional techniques employed within the industry, examines its overall structure, and outlines methods for implementing successful promotional strategies within specific target markets.

ESSAY
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Table of Contents
MUSIC INDUSTRY........................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10
.......................................................................................................................................................11
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MUSIC INDUSTRY
Music is termed as an art that is a kind of cultural activity which basically provides a
source of sound and silence. It attracts the overall attention of listener who is listening the audio.
In music, presence of some common elements is highly necessary which includes pitch, rhythm
and dynamics. It involves different types of melody and genres which are generally based on the
set of elements as stated by Negus (2011). Similar to this, the report will provide information
about the roles and functions of digital tools which are used in music industry. In addition, it will
determine about several platforms and numbers of networks designed to promote independent
artist by using sources of self-promotion, commerce and intellectual property ownership. In the
scenario, promotional activity has to be defined in context of DIY which is an independent artist
launching its new music album in the music world. The effective medium of promoting music is
by increasing its overall trending and interest among the listeners as well as music lovers. This
can be only possible when an effective set of action plan is defined for the promotion and
marketing of music album.
Music has various types of genres and styles which can be used by the artist to make a
good set of sounds and audio. It is ascertained that music can be instrumental, vocal or both, but
it will have a particular genre on the basis of which overall music is prepared by the artist. The
styles that are determined under the aspects of music are pop, rock and electronic (dance music).
It has been explained by Wikström (2013) that an artist needs to assess the best type of music
genre to be used in order to create a goof form of audio or a set of sound. It is essential for DIY
artist, who is a rising composer of new kind of music and creates wide range of music based on
genres like pop, rock and electronic dance. He is likely to promote its music in its targeted
market and wants to increase overall market value. In that respect, they need to assess the list of
all the methods which are advantageous to the artist in attracting high level of customers and
followers towards its offered music.
According to Hracs (2012), it is assessed that every new element or any new creativity
needs the help of promotion and their methods for attracting a large form of public attention in
order to increase the demands and supply. This is highly beneficial for attaining better sales and
profitability to the individual or an organisation. Similar to this, DIY artist needs to address the
most appropriate medium of promoting its music in the target market. For this, artist needs to
create a marketing team who is efficient in promoting its album and set of music among the
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potential listeners. They are highly responsible to carry out the best way of allocating their
specific buyers who are capable enough and have high level of interest in the type of music
offered by the artist. The team needs to analysis the market condition and all the areas which are
related with the music industry in order to determine the forces that are opposing and supporting
the direction of promotion. Moreover, there are several ways that are assisting the flow of
direction of promotional and marketing processes as well as methods.
It is evidenced by Rogers (2013), that promotional techniques include various types of
activities that are extremely useful for music industry and their artists in encouraging their songs
and tracks in the targeted market. Similar to this, methods that are useful for DIY and their
promotional team for supporting their issued music in the market are spinnup, bandcamp, ditto
music, label services and CD baby. All of them have very effective set of promotional techniques
which are generally used by the music industry to increase their market share and overall
awareness at worldwide. Further, it has been evaluated that marketing team of DIY artist should
adopt all the methods of promotion to mark a great level of presence. On contrary Hull,
Hutchison and Strasser (2011), depicted that viewers, users and listeners of videos and music
files are generally attracted on the artist who is highly popular in the market. In that case, DIY
needs to raise its popularity for achieving greater attention from all the music followers. Youtube
is one of the most used social websites for uploading, streaming and viewing the videos as well
as music albums which gets high attention from the viewers when number of views and trending
percentage increase at a high rate.
In that context, Tschmuck (2012 stated that techniques like Ditto music and CD baby are
termed as the online music stores which are working as distribution companies and are
specialized in promoting the music of artists as well as musicians to the potential customers by
selling online CD's, offering music downloads and vinyl recording at various music stores like
iTunes, Amazon, VEVO, Spotify, Google Play, Beatport and eMusic. In addition to this,
methods like Spinnup and bancamp are determined as the best form of promotional activities that
provides a big platform to all the new and existing artist for boosting up the sales of their music.
These provide a micro-site or a base where all the independent artists can upload and share their
music with the other users. However, it is highly supportive for all the unsigned artists and new
musicians who can easily distribute their tracks worldwide through online servers and retailers
like Tidal, Rhapsody and many more.
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On the other hand, information provided by Percival (2011) has witnessed that thousands
of artists are likely to attain high number of public attention for which they need to develop a
strong public relation by featuring all their composed music tracks at online server and any other
medium. In that respect, marketing team of DIY artist needs to determine various ways to
develop an effective and healthy relations with the public. For this, the team has to build up a
better image of artist in the mind of audiences and followers. It is necessary to maintain a
continuous relation with the overall population at a worldwide level. Moreover, the team can use
the ways of linking their relation with all the potential buyers and listeners like organising event,
live concerts, conferences, etc. There are the best set of tools that are effective in developing and
maintaining public relations to a larger extent. It is mostly beneficial for introducing a new artist
or launching a new music album.
According to Ellcessor (2012), it requires higher level of investments whose impact can
be reduced by placing nominal price tickets for the public and their respective. The team should
also invite media, editors and news channels to gain large number of public attention. For this,
they can also adopt the method of EPK (Electronic Press Kit) which allows the press to know
about the information which they likely to promote in the market. Moreover, the artist can opt
the method of uploading their information about the personal perspectives and music albums on
online servers which are mostly cloud based or web developed platform. Similarly, DIY artist
will also adopt the techniques of placing promotional information on these types of web server
like DropBox, Wix, ReverbNation, etc. These give an opportunity to all the new musicians and
artists to manage their career goals and direction of their success.
Considering the current market scenario of music industry, information about the
promotional activities explained by Gourvish and Tennent (2010) has ascertained that the way of
generating QR codes is also a helpful method for linking the music or sound track files of artist
with different smartphone functions. It facilitates a user or listener to trigger a direct aim on
downloading or listening the music file composed by the artist. Along with this, the team of DIY
artist needs to address effective ways of marketing the album or track files to the potential
listener or follower. But, it is essential that marketing team needs to focus their efforts of
promotional tools on overall population. In that respect, marketing team should create a sample
track of music file or a teaser containing all the information about the music file and accordingly,
promote that video or audio in wider aspects of market. The team can upload the sample video
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on the social media websites like Facebook, Instagram, etc. In addition this, the artist can use
online server of uploading and downloading the track file that are highly popular among the
music lovers and listeners like Soundcloud, iTunes, etc. It is specified that these medium are
extremely useful in diverting the attention of users towards the new establishing musicians and
artists.
Moreau (2013) stated that promotional tools are efficient and profitable if these are used
in an appropriate manner and they specify a set of desired objectives. For this, the team needs to
identify the best form of available methods for promoting and marketing the artist and its music
in the target market. Furthermore, it has been addressed that marketing gets successive only if
high level of support and participation of media are available to the person or the organisation.
Likewise, the team of DIY has to maintain their relationship with the media or press. It is
considered that they provide perfect platform for newly established artist and assist them in
promoting their recently launching music. In that context, the team of DIY has to fascinate the
media by developing and maintaining their engagement with them. Media provides ways of
promoting the music and their composer to a large extent by encountering various audiences,
listeners and followers. DIY can promote their music CD's, genres and sound file via internet,
radio, podcasts and blogs which are extremely useful in attracting all the users towards the
music. On the contrary, information stated by Bernstein, Sekine and Weissman (2013) has
concluded that it is one of the best mediums of achieving the courtesy of large number of public
for the music offered to them. For instance, marketing team of DIY has to make a sample file or
a particular music which is mostly like by the listeners, then upload it at the stated media
sources. Along with this, an interview of the independent and new artist also assists in marking a
great level of presence in the targeted market.
Furthermore, promotional approaches like appointing the medium of creating a base or
platform for newly entering artist, bands, DJ's, labels and venues enable them to promote and
marketing their CD's, music, T-shirts, accessories and many other products. McRobbie (2013)
stated that all such techniques help all the emerging talent and artist to create a big group of fans
which is quite strategic and difficult task. The mediums available for DIY are Dixzzyjam and
Big Cartel which are web powered music search and merchandise stores. They act as an agent in
connecting the artist with their fans, followers and music lovers. Both of the sources provide a
strong platform which generally features band or artist merchandise without any in-house work
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by creating and completing trading requests. It will enable the team of DIY to appoint and design
a new range of merchandising products like T-shirts, hoodies, covers, etc. which are produced
and shipped by their websites i.e. Dizzyjam.
It has been ascertained by Negus (2013) that the ways of live streaming and online stage
performance are also one of the best methods for all the musicians and artists who are mostly
new in the music industry and are likely to increase their fan following. In that case, they need to
decide a particular place where they can host their function or event of live performance. It is
termed as the medium of linking a direct relation with the audiences and creating a group of new
followers. Contrary to this, Fiore (2010) explained that the team of DIY has to determine places
which include large number of music lovers and organise an event where artist can give a live
performance. This provides him an instrument to connect a link with all the audience and
develop a higher awareness for him in their mind. For instance, the team can organise a tour at an
international level where the artist is going to perform live in a concert. The team needs to
promote this tour at every aspect of social media and other profitable modes of marketing. Along
with this, the marketing team can adopt the set of promotional techniques like trending videos on
Youtube, motivating and attractive slogans, hash-tags on Twitter or Instagram, etc. All such tools
and methods help the artist in marking a worldwide presence and attracting large number of
population.
According to Preston and Rogers (2011), promotional activities are highly effective if
these are used appropriately as per the market conditions. In that case, promotional team is
responsible for ascertaining proper information about the market position and music industry’s
conditions. Accordingly, they need to define a particular set of action plan which must have large
number of capabilities in executing the promotional tasks and operations. Along with this, the
marketing team has to maintain a flow of all the promotional and marketing techniques which
are used to increase the overall value of the artist or the band. Likewise, the group of DIY artist
is extremely liable to evaluate the international market and situations of different aspects in
music industry. They need to develop a perfect strategy to determine the promotional plan by
considering all the promotional and marketing tools as well as methods to effectively promote
the artist presence and increase its awareness among the public. A promotional plan includes all
types of processes and methods which are generally used to boost the existence of the artist in
the targeted market.
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As per Caddick (2010), the step of defining the plan focuses on the attention of team
members by raising their overall marketing investments or funding level which is required in
implementing the plan and specified set of promotional activities. For this, the team needs to
assess the criteria of finance needed to execute the actions in a proper manner. All the marketing
processes require high level of investments which are to be addressed by the marketing team
members. Moreover, the team can adopt the ways of raising the level of funds like selling the
music album CD's, merchandising the range of products based on music themes, organising
events and concerts of the artist, holding interviews, etc. All such methods are highly efficient in
capital generation and increasing revenues for completing the marketing activities.
In addition to the specified set of marketing mediums, according to Hutchison (2013)
which provided information for encouraging the financial level in which he has been explained
that marketing team can opt for the mediums of promotion such as bandcamp, spotify, Bitevibe,
diggyjam, etc. They provide a base to the new artist for selling their videos, music albums, CDs
and other products. It is advantageous in context of DIY also as it facilitates the team to generate
good source of income which is only possible when the team prefers an effective set of
techniques. In that case, the team can implement the method of selling or merchandising the
products based on DIY or its musical theme. It will assist the team in drawing the attention of
large number of public towards the music composed by the artist. The option of promoting the
sample music or a video trailer is also a beneficial technique of attracting high form of
attendants, fans and followers towards the artist's album.
Being an independent artist, DIY and its marketing team have to define a perfect and
strategic marketing promotional technique which is highly profitable for them in accomplishing
better set of results. It has been evaluated by Carah (2010) that the main aim of a music
composer or musician is basically to have large number of fans who have enough potential of
participating in all his or her music concerts and events. Along with this, an artist needs to
increase the revenue generation capabilities in order to raise its market value and positioning.
Similar to this, DIY is also focused on creating a better form of followers which love listening to
his music and purchase every music file, audio set or album from the market. However, the team
has to also focus on raising their funds for launching the music album and implementing the
marketing activities. For this, they can prefer the option to raise funds through online with the
help of sponsors, music lovers, corporates, government and other prospects. The helpful
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mediums in executing the funding tasks are Kickstarter, Go fund me, etc. which help in
generating funds for independent artists, new musicians and band.
Considering the stated information by Negus (2011) about the promotional techniques
and methods, DIY and the marketing team can easily develop a perfect strategy to promote,
encourage and boost up the market level of the independent artist. The best method of increasing
the worldwide position of artist is to enhance its market level and overall value. The team has
many options for raising its overall business and market valuation at an international level. Thus,
they are responsible to define the set of promotional activities that are to be adopted by them. It
is essential that the team should assess the possible outcomes and accordingly, define the
strategic set of marketing and promotional activities. Along with this, Percival (2011) stated that
the marketing team should consider each and every aspect for creating a perfect strategy to
acquire high level of profits and attract large number of public. Thus, the report has been
provided information about the significance of promotional and marketing activities in context of
promoting an independent artist in the music industry. It has been concluded about various
promotional techniques, its structure and ways to implement it in the targeted market.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bernstein, A., Sekine, N. and Weissman, D., 2013. The global music industry: three
perspectives. Routledge.
Caddick, C., 2010. Review of NZ on Air's Domestic Music Promotion & Funding Schemes. NZ
on Air.
Carah, N., 2010. Pop brands: Branding, popular music, and young people (Vol. 11). Peter Lang.
Ellcessor, E., 2012. Tweeting@ feliciaday: online social media, convergence, and subcultural
stardom. Cinema journal. 51(2). pp.46-66.
Fiore, A. M., 2010. Understanding aesthetics for the merchandising and design professional.
A&C Black.
Gourvish, T. and Tennent, K., 2010. Peterson and berger revisited: Changing market dominance
in the british popular music industry, c. 1950–80. Business History. 52(2). pp.187-206.
Hracs, B.J., 2012. A creative industry in transition: the rise of digitally driven independent music
production. Growth and Change. 43(3). pp.442-461.
Hull, G. P., Hutchison, T. W. and Strasser, R., 2011. The Music business and recording industry:
Delivering music in the 21st century. Taylor & Francis.
Hutchison, T., 2013. Web marketing for the music business. Taylor & Francis.
McRobbie, A., 2013. In the culture society: Art, fashion and popular music. Routledge.
Moreau, F., 2013. The disruptive nature of digitization: The case of the recorded music industry.
International Journal of Arts Management. 15(2). pp.18-31.
Negus, K., 2011. Producing pop: Culture and conflict in the popular music industry.
Negus, K., 2013. Music genres and corporate cultures. Routledge.
Percival, J. M., 2011. Music radio and the record industry: Songs, sounds, and power. Popular
Music and Society. 34(4). pp.455-473.
Preston, P. and Rogers, J., 2011. Social networks, legal innovations and the “new” music
industry. Info. 13(6). pp.8-19.
Rogers, J., 2013. The death and life of the music industry in the digital age. A&C Black.
Tschmuck, P., 2012. Creativity and innovation in the music industry. Springer Berlin
Heidelberg.
Wikström, P., 2013. The music industry: Music in the cloud. Polity.
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