Artists need to emulate stars like Justin Beiber.
That’s one of the many conclusions from #SMWMusicDay. The day started off with a keynote from Elizabeth Hausle, Executive VP Marketing at All Def Digital. Hausel recalled her days of receiving a budget of $100,000 upwards for printed materials for marketing. She also reminisced about street marketing for groups like Wu-Tang Clan. She’s seen a lot of changes since. Now tools such as Spotify, YouTube and Twitter are free. Hausle gave an example of Justin Beiber being a pioneer social media star. The singer uploaded many of his early performances on YouTube and was discovered on the site.
Packed room at #SMWMusicDay
It didn’t take long for the conversation to move to cutting-edge album launches such as JAY Z and Beyoncé. JAY Z announced his July 4th release of Magna Carta Holy Grail on a commercial during the NBA Finals in June 2013. The first million copies of the album were free to users who accessed it via the Google Play app from select Samsung smartphones. In December of the same year, followers of Beyoncé on Instagram saw news of her release available for purchase immediately on iTunes. The music business, like many industries, is giving heavy thought to its mobile strategy.
Panelists on #SMWMusicDay
After Hausle’s keynote, the music-themed day continued with sessions such as the business of touring, branding and how to finance the entertainment industry. A theme throughout the day was the need for artists to innovate how they market and monetize their art.
The day ended with the panel Triple Threat or Nah? Mobile Platforms, Distrubution and the Sharing Economy, moderated by Douglas Jekan of The Beat FM.