This isn’t a straightforward period in which to release and promote new music.
With retailers shutting down all over the world at the behest of governments in response to COVID-19, both physical record sales and public performance income have fallen considerably.
What’s more, streaming volume appears to be down in key territories such as the United States – where President Donald Trump declared a state of national emergency on March 13 – not to mention Italy, where a government-mandated quarantine was brought into force on March 9.
With all of this taking place, global stars like Sam Smith, The 1975, Lady Gaga and Alicia Keys have postponed the scheduled release of new major albums in the coming weeks.
Amongst all the concern and uncertainty, however, may lie opportunity for those artists and labels who release music with a carefully tailored strategy during this period.
“Now is a good time to maintain that contact with fans and bring your projects to life from home, all in the spirit of kindness.”
Believe‘s Creative Marketing Playbook
With this in mind, Believe has created a new ‘Creative Marketing Playbook’ for its clients, full of guidance to help them make sure said clients’ music gets noticed (and appreciated) out there.
Paris-headquartered Believe is one of the world’s biggest distribution/services companies for independent artists and labels. It also owns DIY distribution platform TuneCore, while its family of labels includes Nuclear Blast, Tôt ou tard and Lobster.
“Music is an incredibly powerful force for good, uplifting the soul and the imagination,” reads the book. “Creating art in these times is key. We at Believe want to make sure you, as artists, are supported and give you all the tips and tricks you need to connect with your fans.”
The Playbook offers tried-and-tested advice to artists in areas such as social media best practices, as well as streaming and playlisting strategy – all supported by real-life case studies.
And guess what? MBW has asked Believe’s team if they might allow our readers to have the Playbook – and Believe, in the spirit of things right now, has very decently said you all can.
As Believe writes in the Playbook: “More and more people are working from home around the world and we are already seeing traffic across all digital channels increase significantly; social networks, video platforms and streaming platforms.
“Being social is very human. Folks at home still want to connect with their friends and family, but also to their favorite artists. Now is a good time to maintain that contact with fans and bring your projects to life from home, all in the spirit of kindness.”Music Business Worldwide
