05-06 Tools Amazon Music for Artists 07-08 Campaigns LA Priest, Novelist, Erykah Badu, Trojan Records/Young, Gifted & Black 09–14 Behind The Campaign- Above & Beyond

APRIL 29 2020 sandbox ISSUE 251 | Music marketing for the digital era

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME Streaming and music’s new formats COVERFEATURE

formats and physical objects – is actually increasing. At the start of the millennium, THE SHAPE OF formats were largely limited to singles, EPs, artist albums, compilation albums and boxsets. This was a five-way divide that felt manageable, with just the odd mixtape and THINGS TO COME DJ mix CD to jam a spoke in the wheels. Then came the digital music era with Streaming and music’s new formats the single-track release, the playlist, the enhanced playlist and the digital boxset.

Justin adjustin’: the Bieber EP experiment

The album isn’t completely dead and the playlist isn’t treaming was meant to be the music Now Justin Bieber, of all people, industry’s final format, a musical has emerged to throw another yet the be-all and end-all – which means that artists are Spick ‘n’ mix that would put an end to curveball into the equation in somewhat creatively discombobulated in what is really a the arbitrary stylistic restrictions imposed the form of his new compilation curious transition period. But with that comes the scope to on music releases by the length of a side series. “Gonna be putting up experiment and push the boundaries. Justin Bieber could be of vinyl or the storage capacity of a CD. some compilations for you guys. the one firing the starting pistol for the way that a series of EPs Yet, strangely, this hasn’t been the case: Tuesdays and Thursdays,” he many young artists still clamour to release wrote on 24th March 2020, straddle the album and playlist worlds, containing elements albums, while the difference between the including a link to a five-track of both and yet existing in their own right. We look at how to mixtape and the album remains hugely collection titled R&Bieber . Nothing meet fan expectations with not only what you put out but also important in hip-hop. so strange about that, you might think. how you put it out, where to refine the frequency of releases In fact, in the digital world the number Except for the fact that R&Bieber – and why playlists may actually allow the album to be reborn. of formats – or perhaps that should be ostensibly a new release – was made up “formats”, given the historical link between of five tracks that had already appeared

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for the album format, with tours and new albums going hand in hand. Asked how much live agents and promoters rely on the album as a hook for tours, Blanket says this is “artist dependent”. “But very much so with some of our more established artists, whose agents would very much expect a tour to be around a new album release,” he explains.

Formats, fans and… fury? on Bieber’s new album, Changes, which says. “Whilst we’re living in a much more Whether consumers care so much about had been released just one month before. track-driven world, the majority of our formats is a tricky question. Certainly, the Subsequent EPs followed suit, essentially artists are still thinking in album terms. uproar among some Bieber fans when packaging up tracks from Changes into Even when we work on individual tracks or they found out that the “new” EPs would new configurations. EPs, they tend to still be part of a longer- contain previously released material The interest that Bieber’s plans elicited term album campaign.” Mute’s job, he suggested they do. One “@xoxoJahkeem” was a clear indicator of the continuing explains, is to then work out how to fit the tweeted “You put out a whole ass album debate around musical formats in the artist’s desires into the campaign. and you’re making EPs with literally the exact digital age. same songs that were on the same album for “Formats remain quite important for Legacy formats and legacy problems some boost on your album sales? No ma’am, music; I think they all allow the artist to The music industry, even now, is still built that is NOT it okay? [sic]” Arguably, though, convey things differently and also have a around the album: record label contracts this is more of a problem of communication lead up of different marketing plans,” says tend to be based on a specific number of than one of formats itself, with several Jeremy Erlich, co-head of music for Spotify. albums, while marketing cycles are largely fans pointing out that US girl group Fifth “I think a lot of what is happening in the constructed around the album release cycle Harmony successfully released five EPs in streaming world today has been inspired “On the label side, there are more six weeks in 2013 to help promote their by what hip-hop has done for a long time contractual things about what is an LP Better Together EP. with the mixtapes, with the way of having or an EP or a single; what constitutes an Erlich says that some fans will always half (54%) are listening to fewer albums artists be able to release a body of work album,” says Erlich, who previously worked prefer top 40 hits and playlists, while than they did five or 10 years ago. “This which isn’t necessarily their fully polished, for Interscope Records. “When artists others enjoy “having an actual body of is reflected in our streaming data, which fully marketed, fully prepared album or ask me what they should do, whether work they can dive into, then they can shows the UK’s album listening time is debut album or second album, which is a they should release a single or EP or LP, find the songs that aren’t the singles.” “I now lower than the 26 minutes daily milestone event.” generally I try not to answer the question. always look at the statistics of when an average worldwide – at just 17 minutes Neil Blanket, head of marketing for It gets me in trouble. But what I always album comes out and who is streaming a day,” he adds. “Instead, fans worldwide Mute, says that for artists, especially, tell them is: ‘It’s a lot easier to market the what,” he adds. “Even the deeper cuts on prefer hearing a mix of tracks from formats still count, with a reverence album as a body of work than it is just a the [hit] album have millions and millions of different artists.” towards the album format deeply ingrained single. You can market a single, but then streams. It allows users to go in and spend The reasons for the decline of the in musical lore. “We’re very much an artist- it’s just a track.’ The key to anyone being more time with the artist.” album, he explains, are that consumers first company, so it [format] really depends extremely successful is evolving from Nigel Harding, VP of artist marketing feel they have “too much music to choose on how our artists want to present their having a great track to having a great body at Deezer, has a slightly different view. from and a busy schedule”, a classic projects to the world. In the majority, that of work.” His company recently conducted a global example of the paralysing choice overload is still the traditional album long player,” he The live business has a similar respect study of 8,000 people which found over that marketers are often warned about.

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It’s tempting to wonder whether the at the time of writing; Ed Sheeran pioneered increased length of albums has something the double-single release, when he dropped to do with this: with the lingering death ‘Castle On The Hill’ and ‘Shape Of You’ on of the CD and its attendant physical the same day, in the run up to his third studio restraints, artists and labels have album, Divide ; and Ariane Grande released succumbed to the temptation to make her fourth and fifth studio albums, their albums ever longer. Rolling Stone Sweetener and thank u, next, within six reported in 2018 that on Spotify the months of each other, a pace of release that duration of the top five streamed albums would have been unthinkable for a major rose by almost 10 minutes over the pop act in the early 2000s. previous five years, reaching an average Somewhat confusingly, this rapid of 60 minutes. There is a certain cold- release schedule can be seen both as a sign blooded logic to this: more tracks equals of success – Grande striking while the iron more streams equals more chart success, is hot – and failure. with Drake’s 25-track opus Scorpion “If you don’t keep coming at the being a particularly notable example of this he explains. Erlich, meanwhile, believes algorithm with content, you are at a trend, passing 1bn first-week streams. there is no “real answer” as to how long an disadvantage,” says one music industry But what if consumers are turned off by album should be. “There is definitely too insider. “The music business tends to keep excessive length? Harding says that one in short and definitely too long. But there going and going [with releases] until 10 respondents in the Deezer survey said is a pretty big sweet spot.... a pretty wide something connects and then you pump the “artists don’t make albums like they used middle-ground,” he says. brakes and you work that.” to” – the kind of finding that will chill the That might sound like an intensive way music industry’s blood. Harding believes Pacing or pell-mell: getting the to work, but the same executive claims that that Drake’s mammoth albums are unlikely frequency of releases right the music industry might actually be moving to have put listeners off. “But Drake is the Added to this general sense of abundance is too slowly for fans. “If, as an artist, you move exception rather than the rule. Ultimately, the fact that many artists are releasing more too quickly, you lose the industry and you most artists are going to be better off music than in the three-year album cycles of lose media. Journalists can’t get their heads with a few tracks that stream a lot rather the 2000s. Justin Bieber has his EP series, around too many releases,” he says. “But if than a lot of tracks that stream a little,” which stands at six releases in three weeks you move too slowly then you could lose your audience. So who are you releasing comfortably within Deezer’s global average music for? The industry? Or your fans?” listening time of 26 minutes. Both Bieber and Def Jam have been The EPs’ titles (with the exception of quiet about the logic behind these EP Hailey’s Favs, presumably compiled by releases – and UMG didn’t respond to our Bieber’s wife Hailey Baldwin) – R&Bieber, questions – so we can’t say why exactly Work From Home, Biebs and Chill, Couple they have come about. But looking at the Goals and Party – also largely reflect those EPs’ lengths, titles and track listings allows of popular playlists. Spotify’s own Work us to speculate. From Home playlist has 559k followers, for Changes is 17 songs and 51 minutes example, while its Dance Party has 4m. long; all six of the EPs have five tracks Whatever Bieber’s reasoning, these apiece, with total run times of between EPs offer a neat crossover with playlist 13 and 17 minutes. That puts them all culture – a good look for the singer given

3 | sandbox ISSUE 251 29.04.2020 COVERFEATURE that 40% of respondents said release identity, which aids that they preferred playlists fans’ engagement and a more and mood mixes to albums in encompassing user experience,” Deezer’s research. The (almost) she says. “Even the addition simultaneous release of album of Spotify Canvases is a good and EPs neatly covers both example of this.” markets: the 17-song album Deezer’s Nigel Harding, works for fans who want a deep meanwhile, talks about the idea dive into Bieber; the five-track of the dynamic EP, a format EPs serve more casual listeners that is only really possible in who want a certain listening the streaming era. “Returning mood. artists tend to gather new tracks This may raise the hackles of together in a loose collection, music?’ ‘It really depends.’ And everyone the kind of music fan who sees often prior to the release of a fucking hates that answer,” says Erlich. the playlist as destroying the full album,” he says. “The first “Because they wish I could be like, ‘Release sacred album experience. But track is released as a stand-alone your first single on this day and not his day Erlich is more relaxed about the single, then subsequent releases you’ll be really successful...’ But you take two coexisting. “The playlist is more akin “At Spotify, we think: how can we give are added one-by-one to form a growing an Ed Sheeran: Ed Sheeran is completely to what radio listening was. It’s a discovery more tools to artists so that they can compilation of brand new music.” quiet forever until he drops an album and mechanic, a lean-back experience. You express their body of work in more ways? Erlich believes that artists will drive they are always really successful. And then put on a playlist when you don’t really We’ve done enhanced album, liner notes experimentation around digital formats you take a lot of hip-hop artists and they know what you want to listen to,” he says. and videos,” says Erlich. “That all goes back in the future, especially as they take are never really off cycle. They keep on “[Playlists are] a tool by which users can to the fact that most people at Spotify are, advantage of the freedom that online dropping music.” discover more and hopefully they go back deep down, music fans and we remember delivery allows. “It’s encouraging when Artists, Erlich believes, will be able to to the catalogue. I will listen to playlists those days when you used to buy a vinyl artists try new stuff; the more people can lead this experimentation because they and I will go, ‘Oh, I haven’t heard Florence record or CD and you could go through the find different ways to connect with their understand their fans better than anyone. + The Machine in a while.’ And I will click liner notes and the artwork on the physical fans, the better,” he says. “I think over time But they will not be alone, thanks to the on Florence’s artist page and listen to her pack. You spend more time admiring what what we are going to see is different ways power of data. album.” the body of work was.” to surround the music. Whether that is “The amount of data we give back to Without giving specifics, Erlich says our Canvas feature, video embedded in artists on Spotify for Artists , [you can] Playlists as the album saviour, that Spotify has been “seeing some results” playlists, whether that is liner notes... I had at least take the temperature of what not the album killer? around enhanced albums. “When there is a call from a major artist’s manager saying, the fans want,” Erlich concludes. “But Playlists may even offer an opportunity additional context, fans spend more time,” ‘We want to do this around the album.’ what I try to tell artists and managers is to rejuvenate the album format. Spotify’s he says. “Which is really exciting. Enhanced And it was... so insane that I don’t know if what matters most in terms of release Enhanced Album format – essentially albums were one step along the path and we we can technically do this, but we will try. cadence is momentum, rather than any playlists of album tracks plus extra content were continuing to work as to how you can Those calls are amazing.” other indicator. – have already had some success, with evolve that medium for the artist to have a “And you can kind of see when people Taylor Swift’s Love Taylor, Lover Enhanced bigger canvas to play on.” Momentum is all want more and you can kind of see when Album playlist on Spotify passing 1m Ignition Records’ head of marketing Already, the one-size-fits-all package into they are OK to take a little break. Or you’re followers in just a couple of weeks, a Clare Byrne says she expects to see more which labels have sometimes tried to at peak and you don’t want to overcrowd hugely impressive performance for an enhanced album playlist releases. “They squeeze artists is faltering. “When I talk the noise. It depends. They [formats] are all artist playlist. help ‘tell the story’ giving the artist/ to artists they ask, ‘How should I release pretty useful tools for an artist.” :)

4 | sandbox ISSUE 251 29.04.2020 TOOLS Amazon Music for Artists

On many levels, Amazon has already partnered with distributor CD Baby to albums and tracks. The Programming tab proven its worth in shaking up the music provide its artists with expedited access to is akin to the Playlist tab on other services streaming business – not least because the platform. and finally allows any artist to see when it offers the most diversified selection of Having one partner for the launch will they’ve been added to an editorial playlist subscription tiers to consumers. It also help the company to snag issues so they on Amazon Music. made headlines last year by propelling can quickly evolve the platform and make Although Spotify is still the only big Ellie Goulding’s Amazon exclusive (a cover it more widely accessible. For labels who Western DSP offering a direct pitching tool, of Joni Mitchell’s ‘River’) to the top of the do not yet have access, they will need to knowing where an artist has been playlisted UK charts, revealing what it can do when it contact their label relations person at on other services helps to provide a more really gets behind a track or an artist. Amazon to get this additional data to sit last 24 hours, the last seven days, the last complete picture and certainly helps to alongside the analytics they are already 28 days or use a custom date filter for any offer an alternative to the heavy focus on With 55m subscribers as of January receiving from Amazon. In parallel with period since 1st January 2018. Spotify that many independent artists have. 2020, the third-biggest streaming service the app, Amazon has created a website It should be noted that Amazon’s data The Fans tab, however, is a bit more globally has now finally launched its that explains how the most important tools is effectively being delivered in real time, revolutionary in that it shows the overall Amazon Music for Artists insights and data within the Amazon Music ecosystem work updating every couple of minutes. listener number for the artist but then app for iOS and Android. A desktop version and how to use them to grow an artist’s Some of the tabs are familiar from other breaks it down into ‘fans’ and ‘superfans’. will follow. audience on the platform. DSPs’ data offerings, such as Overview or With its own methodology, Amazon takes For the launch of this artist analytics The app itself features five tabs, with Songs, giving quick stats into listeners and into account factors such as how often a fan backend, Amazon has exclusively the user being able to look into data for the streams that can be viewed for individual listens to the artist, how long they listen for and whether or not they follow the artist on Amazon Music or via Alexa. By doing this, Amazon is effectively the first DSP to help artists, managers and labels understand the quality of a stream – although Deezer’s VP of artist marketing told Music Ally in February that it is also working on its own ‘fan algorithm’. While editorial playlisting can drive up the stream count for many artists to the extent that they feel they have a solid fanbase, this can sometimes be misleading and is no indication of how many of those listens translate into actual fandom that could be further monetised. The app currently only lets artists see these figures to understand the ratio between listeners, fans and superfans;

5 | sandbox ISSUE 251 29.04.2020 TOOLS but this feature has the potential to be combined with marketing tools that allows artists to reach and communicate with these fans, something that’s already being explored by other streaming services such as Spotify or Pandora. Kevin Breuner, CD Baby’s VP of marketing, adds, “[Artists and the industry alike are] so hyper-focused on Spotify that a lot of people haven’t realised what segment with voice technology for music, many of their fanbase is actually streaming on have noted how pronunciation can be a Amazon. That, for me, was a big realisation challenge. Breuner hopes that at some with this app – that Amazon has actually point soon artists will be able to report edged out Apple Music as the number two back to Amazon directly within the app streaming service that Small Town Poets about alternative pronunciations in order [his act] fans listen to music on.” to help better surface their music. The centrepiece of Amazon’s app, music consumption on smart speakers Amazon has noted that this incarnation though, is its tab dedicated to voice. This really is. Besides the amount of requests, of Amazon Music for Artists is very much provides data for the amount of ‘requests’ a Daily Voice Index compares the volume V1.0, so we can expect more features and and ‘requestors’ accessing the artist’s of voice requests of the artists compared functionalities to become available in the music via voice command – so via Amazon’s to other artists of a similar popularity on near future, especially against the backdrop market-leading smart speakers or other Amazon Music. The sliding scale moves of how Amazon integrates insights into the Alexa-enabled devices. That means people from Cool to Warm to Hot to On Fire. The different ways of how people are engaging who have explicitly asked Alexa to play that scale can thus provide actionable insights. with music. specific artist or their specific albums or For an artist on the cooler end of the scale, Breuner is bullish about Amazon’s tracks. it might be worth planning initiatives future within music streaming, pointing Breuner says, “This data shows they to grow engagement via Alexa – e.g. via to one of its biggest opportunities. “They clearly know your name, know your song educating their fans on social media that have your fans listed,” he says. “From our titles. If someone’s saying, ‘Play that song’, they can request their music via voice. understanding, those are people who something else is prompting that. Some of Breuner has looked into the data of his have engaged with physical products in a the questions I have as a marketer relate own band, Small Town Poets, on the voice way. They’re positioned to be the ultimate to what prompted them to say that. Did tab. “I thought it was interesting because streaming platform that actually drives real they see a Facebook ad? That’s a piece on they break it down,” he explains. “I thought music like, ‘Hey, play the song that goes like revenue for artists.” the marketing side that we have to figure they were just throwing voice into one this…’ as they know the hook.” He adds, “When someone is listening, out once this becomes very common. big pile similar to Apple Music’s Shazams, Amazon has a lyric-matching feature, within one click they can buy the artist’s Will a call-to-action soon just be saying not separating it out into anything more thanks to licensed lyrics from LyricFind latest T-shirt, CD or vinyl album and get something instead of clicking somewhere?” meaningful. They’re actually separating and MusixMatch. While The former has it shipped to them. People already have These voice insights are not only it out into people asking for artist name, licences with over 5k publishers and PROs their credit cards in there, so it’s a simple interesting from an individual artist’s song name, album name – even for lyrics. worldwide, any artist can easily sign up on way to convert streaming activity into standpoint; collectively it is the first My first thought was that lyrics are going MusixMatch and upload their lyrics (which streaming revenue. It’s still a long way to time that Amazon has allowed the music to become more important in the future, is key to discovery on voice). go, but Amazon is really poised to serve the industry to get a sense of how passive when more and more people will request Regarding the issues connected industry.” :)

6 | sandbox ISSUE 251 29.04.2020 The latest projects from the digital marketing arena CAMPAIGNS GENE SUMMONS: LA PRIEST REPLICATES MODULAR MACHINE ONLINE FAN, FICTION: NOVELIST CREATES MIXCLOUD SUBSCRIPTION

LA Priest is the recording have the skills and desire to, submit their name of Sam Dust (AKA Sam own “re-fixes and remixes”. The best of Eastgate), former lead singer these user-submitted versions will be of electroclash band Late included in the Nov Selects Vol 1, 2 & 3 Of The Pier. Ahead of the mixtape. release of GENE, his second “I’ll also be allowing my subscribers album as LA Priest, in June, exclusive access to some incredible he has created an online ‘insider’ conversations I’m having with replica of the analogue drum some incredible people AKA the man dem machine that he built from and gal dem,” he said about the jump into scratch and on which he subscription. recorded a significant chunk He also alludes to a whole flurry of of the new album. creative activity that will debut on his the stem-mixing Select account as it gains momentum. “I’m To access it, you have to go to a dedicated tools used in on this podcast ting, releasing musical website and either pre-save/pre-add the campaigns that we projects ting, Instrumental making ting album on Spotify/Apple Music or sign up to have seen in the past. and interviewing the people I got love his mailing list. From there, you get to an The fact that it will British rapper Novelist has launched and respect for ting,” he says, suggesting online replication of the drum machine as update with new a multi-pronged content offering on that this will be his primary channel for lead single ‘What Moves’ plays. singles as they appear gives the whole idea Mixcloud’s subscription tier, Select. producing a whole range of new content. By turning on or off switches and twiddling legs far beyond the single use that can often It is a bold move and one of the most around with a variety of dials and knobs, sink things like this. Normally sitting as a fully licensed home interesting testings of the subscription you can start to create your own versions of As John Peel used to say favourably of The for DJ sets, mixes and radio shows, potential of Select we have seen. Other the track. However, as you play around with Fall: “Always different, always the same.” Mixcloud created Select at the end of acts should be keenly watching how it, you realise that certain switches make 2018, allowing artists to charge fans content is released on Select and just how throbbing animations appear behind the (starting at £2.99 a month) for a variety of much over the long term remains exclusive drum machine. Turn too many of them on things. Novelist has taken the possibilities to the platform. simultaneously and – if you are anything here and run with them. like Music Ally – you will start to feel mild He is promising to let subscribers sit in motion sickness. and watch him on a live stream while he Domino, LA Priest’s label, says the plan produces new records and the resulting is to re-skin the website each time a new tracks will then be made available on single from the album is released so that his Select channel. On top of this, he will fans can come back and play with it anew. release the stems so that subscribers can It is a lot more involved than some of play around with them and, should they

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The latest projects from the digital marketing arena CAMPAIGNS GIFTED HORSE: TROJAN MARKS ‘YOUNG, BADU SEEDS: SINGER-SONGWRITER AND PRODUCER LAUNCHES HER OWN LIVESTREAMING PLATFORM GIFTED & BLACK’ 50TH ANNIVERSARY

Every artist in the second and $3 for the ‘Young, Gifted & Black’ by Jamaican duo world seems to third. Bob & Marcia turned 50 at the start of April have jumped on She is, however, and the half century of this pivotal record – livestreaming during very clear that this is one of the first major reggae hits in the UK integral lockdown – in part a dry run and should – is being marked by Trojan Records. The role in the as a way to let their be approached as song was a cover of Nina Simone’s ‘To Be development creativity out but such. “This is an Young, Gifted & Black’ recorded at the very of Jamaican also to remind the experiment,” she end of the 1960s and which became one of music, but also general public that, writes. “There’s the anthems of the Civil Rights Movement. significantly yes, they still exist nobody in between contributed and would like you me and that dollar. On a dedicated website, Trojan is getting to the Trojan to remember that. I realised there was fans to submit their memories of the track Records story, YouTube, Zoom, no social platform and explain what it has meant to them over writing, performing and producing songs Facebook and where you could the years. that were instrumental in establishing the Instagram have interact, choose “Join in the celebrations by uploading label as the world’s most successful and never seen as much what I sing, where a photo/video of yourself along with your influential reggae company,” said Trojan’s music being live streamed as they have in the I am when I do it, doing that, I had to create story which showcases black excellence,” Laurence Cane-Honeysett. “He will be past few weeks. my own paywall […] Instead of going through says the website. It adds that the best hugely missed by us all.” streaming services, who handle the payments submissions could make their way into a He adds, “In times of such uncertainty, Most of that music is being streamed for free from customers and pay me, the artist, 30 new lyric video for the song that will be the campaign builds on the important (embellished with the occasional ad), with cents or 10 cents, I could directly do business created in part from UGC to illustrate narrative the track encompasses, all whilst an option to donate to a nominated charity. with the people I am serving. It’s a magnificent the enormous cultural impact of the restoring faith in humanity and proving Erykah Badu, however, is using the boom in feeling…” song. Select entries are also highlighted on that music is a universal language used livestreaming to see if – finally – a large-scale Badu is also making tie-in Quarantine the website. to unite nations and sparking stories to subscription business can exist here. She will Concert Series merchandise available. There is a tie-in inspire us amongst difficult circumstances.” be hosting regular concerts live from her Hoodies are selling for $50 and T-shirts for #younggiftedandblack2020 bedroom in Dallas. $25. When Music Ally checked, a third of the hashtag for users to post She has called it Badu’s Quarantine line had already sold out. their memories of the song on Concert Series: Apocalypse, Live From As with Novelist, this is a time when acts social media. Badubotron which rather suggests this is a are testing the market willingness for direct The campaign has taken on workaround while live shows are cancelled subscriptions, in part because most of their added poignancy because Bob – but it could prove to have potential. other revenues streams are on hold. But they Andy passed away on 27th She has an interesting pricing strategy also serve as a reminder to consumers that March, mere days before the to get it all rolling. It cost $1 for the first not everything online has to be free and that single’s anniversary. concert in March, then rising to $2 for the good content is worth paying for. “Bob not only played an

8 | sandbox ISSUE 251 29.04.2020 ABOVE & BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN BEYOND BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNABOVE & BEYOND

subsequently uploaded to SoundCloud. Photo: Luke Dyson That has since generated 2.2m plays. Paavo [Siljamäki from Above & Beyond] has always had this interest in making more ambient piano-based music and it has existed within the Above & Beyond repertoire for years. After they released Common Ground [in 2018], which was a number three Billboard album, they went on a massive tour of America. But Paavo began to burn out. He was starting to fall out of love with dance music; he didn’t want to tour anymore. He turned to the piano and turned to music to find some comfort and he put Flow State together. This is what gave him some solace and reinvigorated his love for music.

Above & Beyond have included yoga sessions alongside their sets when playing live for a number of years, so it was only a matter of time before they created a yoga-themed album. For the release of Flow State in 2019, the challenge lay less with the fanbase and more with getting DSPs to work Setting up a yoga-centric album with an album mix rather than a series of playlist-pleasing tracks. GARETH AN: It all starts from the live side. Above JONES (label manager at Anjunabeats) and ANNIE NORMAN (of Involved & Beyond were at Burning Man in 2014 Management) explain how the album was set up, where they worked with and had an impromptu meeting with this yoga and mindfulness influencers, how a placement on the Calm app put amazing yoga teacher called Elena Brower . the band in front of a whole new audience, why the album itself got an They decided on the spot to do a artist profile on DSPs and how the next phase for the album campaign will sunset yoga session on the playa [festival see it go truly international through multi-lingual mixes. site] which was recorded and then

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other acts trying it. We’re lucky that do an hour of yoga. Then they have we have a fanbase that’s willing to a two-hour dance party and close it go with us no matter what. People with a meditation. It all finishes by come to our gigs to cry! Grown 9am and is part of the sober dance men in tears at the end of it, singing party community. along. They happened to be long-term When you decide you’re going fans [of Above & Beyond], so we to do a yoga album or piano album connected. but your organisation is a dance and It was this genius move where electronic music label, the challenge we were able to tour the record is in how you get attention on the without actually sending anyone project. We know how to release on the road. We had a series of a dance album and we events around the release know how to release week of the album where dance hits; we know different yoga teachers what the avenues for around the world led an that are. But what are hour-long yoga sequence the initiatives we need set to the album. We had to do to actually make our branding at all of the Photo: Luke Dyson this thing a success? events. It was an idea that was We announced the People would arrive generated by Paavo and that album on International at the yoga session and was then embraced by the rest Day Of Yoga [21st June then they would have a of Above & Beyond [Jono Grant every year] and we traditional dance party. and Tony McGuinness]. put out a three-track We sent Paavo to the sampler from the album. New York event as our Warming up the fanbase Obviously the album is mixed because it flagship album release party. He DJ-ed the for a new album flows – hence the title! – but there was a album and Elena Brower led the yoga class AN: We did large-scale yoga three-track sampler of radio edits. in Brooklyn on the rooftop of the William sessions to kick off parties We started encouraging people to be a Vale Hotel. It was quite an experience. at Steel Yard festival in Finsbury Park session on the Sunday after everyone had bit more mindful and to talk about mental [North London], the Gorge Amphitheatre been up to 1am raving. Paavo did his DJ set health, which helps on the human level of GJ: We were actually still releasing in Washington State, in Hong Kong and of this beautiful music [that became the this project. We also told fans that there is electronic music from Above & Beyond in front of 25,000 people in Huntington album]. It was around 18 months between a yoga bundle if they wanted to start doing during this campaign as well. The week Beach [in LA]. that yoga DJ set and us releasing the yoga at home and that they could get a after we released the album, we released A yoga session was already part of what album. custom-branded yoga mat and the gear our biggest electronic hit of the last five Above & Beyond were offering in their live When we did Finsbury Park and Hong with the album. years – ‘See The End’ by Above & Beyond experience, so it wasn’t a huge surprise Kong, it felt like there was a reason to and Seven Lions – that was a number that they were doing a yoga theme when [release it]. Above & Beyond always had AN: We did a partnership with Daybreaker one record in the US on the Mediabase the music came out. these piano-led and string-led moments – an American organisation who puts on Dance Chart. We can offer both sides of on their previous albums, so it doesn’t feel early morning dance parties. They have a everything we do. GJ: At the Gorge show, we did the yoga as discordant as it might do with some formula where they welcome everyone and We know we can take our own fanbase

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For us, it was just a case of seeing if we could spread the concept of Flow State as wide as possible because, ultimately, that would come back somewhere else along the chain. Somebody at some point would go to Spotify and listen to it who hadn’t listened to Above & Beyond before and maybe fall in love with them.

AN: Early on, while the music was still being finished, we put together a list of targets. We looked into who were the big players in the meditation app world. It’s Spotify want a self-contained three-and-a- Calm, Headspace and Insight Timer. half-minute version, but we’re releasing an Calm happened to be the one that album that flows together. So we have to we were able to connect with. They had do both. just done their deal with Moby and were For algorithm-based playlists there was looking to further activate that space. an issue. The algorithm is saying Above & Beyond are a massive trance act making GJ: On Calm, the Moby album [Long big rave music. Meanwhile we’re trying to Ambients 2] had been exclusive [for 30 align ourselves with Ólafur Arnalds and days before going on other platforms]. D2C and DSPs Nils Frahm. Not that it [an exclusive] goes against GJ: We have a really strong D2C music We’re here [point A] and we have to the morals of the project, but this was store so you could get the vinyl and a yoga go a hell of a long way [to point B] on the designed as something to help people. If mat as a bundle. algorithm! It took five months before we it is to help people, you don’t want to put On a DSP level , in effect CD 1 is got our first yoga Spotify playlist. This a gate in front of it. The intention was to the mixed 17-track album, CD 2 is the was through pitching and somewhat spread it as wide as possible. Calm listened 14-minute guided meditation from Elena engineering it. We have our own Above & and they were really accepting of that. We Brower set to the first 20 minutes of the Beyond yoga playlist with just over 25,000 did 3.8m listeners in the first month just on album and then CD 3 is the album in radio followers. Calm. So that’s 7.8m minutes of music. edit form with self-contained versions of It was about making sure that all the on this journey. It’s looking at how we take We took a token master [payment] on the the songs. music in there is all the music that we this outside of what we normally do. recordings – it was just a small licensing fee. That means any playlist editor can listen want to be aligned with. It was feeding the But Calm came in with extra marketing and to the album, love the journey but also get algorithm: so if you like Jon Hopkins, you’ll Releasing the album promotional support – and that is where the the edits to put in self-contained playlists. like this. It was just trying to get ourselves through the Calm app value was. There was Instagram I like to think that electronic music further away from dance music and further GJ: We made the decision very early on marketing, they had their mailing list and is ahead of the game when it comes to into the middle space. to offer the music pretty much for free if they put a push notification on users’ anything like this. It took a long time to turn the ship in the platform was the right fit for us. We phones saying that Above & Beyond’s Flow Dance music has evolved a lot in the the harbour around. It did eventually come own our own publishing anyway, so we State was out on the day of release. We last five years in terms of how to optimise and one day we woke up and there was could clear it straightaway and that made also got homepage placement when people your product for streaming. It’s applying a meditation playlist add with 670,000 everything a lot easier. opened the app. those little tricks. We know that editors on subscribers. And suddenly there was an

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add on the Yoga & Meditation playlist that had over 1.2m subscribers. In the dance genre, there are a few playlists that have big numbers but which don’t necessarily drive huge amounts year and then suddenly in the second year of streams. They’re maybe not the most it finds its home. lean-back listening playlists and you might As a label, we make sure we always dip into them once every month versus bring conversations, whenever we can, once every week. With a yoga meditation back to projects that we think editors and playlist, you can play that every morning. people would like. You are continuously The electronic Spotify network does meeting new editors while things like have one place called Brain Food . It has way out here in electronic land. Hopefully Miami [Winter Music Conference] and acts like Jon Hopkins and also us; we go next time we come to release this sort of ADE are great for just chatting business in there quite a lot with things like the product [again] we will be starting in more with some of the powers that be and then interludes that have been on previous of a centre ground. you can slip in an, “Oh, did you listen to albums that sat in this world anyway. In terms of numbers, the album did 13m this album?” Luckily the ones we know Maybe we were slightly better geared than streams in the first six months. For us, that probably load it up straightaway on their some artists would be if they decided to is really good! phones and go listen to it later. make this kind of shift. Even Common Ground, which got to Recordings, more than ever, do feel like a More recently, we’ve tagged Flow number three in the US, took a good year long game with some of these things. With State itself as an artist. We have a few to get there – and that was with one big this campaign as a whole, certainly on DSPs, more initiatives that we’re going to launch hit single. Those lean-back playlists just the trajectory of it feels like [it will last a long in this space. For Flow State the artist, stream so much more than electronic ones; time]. I have confidence taking these stats yes, it is going to have a really strong it’s that simple. to other artists who are worried that they association with Above & Beyond; but it’s In the Discovered On playlist section haven’t got 10m streams on the first week of also going to have a massive association for Above & Beyond on Spotify, three of a new album release and telling them that this with all of the other people we want it to the top five are yoga playlists. is actually the game we’re playing now – this be associated with now. That’s because it We see this on a lot of albums where We’ve had five or six massive successes long game that music takes. might be starting afresh but it’s starting our second-year numbers are often better with our catalogue where we didn’t get all Five years ago, your music would have in the middle, rather than starting all the than our first-year numbers. the playlists we hoped to get in the first fallen off a cliff by now because you would

13 | sandbox ISSUE 251 29.04.2020 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNABOVE & BEYOND have had that first burst of activity and on our big campaigns. They were great then you’re forgotten about until your at setting up events in markets that next album. But actually people do keep Daybreaker weren’t covering. If people discovering your last LP release and your reach out to us and want to organise these old catalogue. You never know what is going events, we’ll give them some marketing to be the next initiative that kicks it back material and we’ll put it out through our into action. As soon as that happens, then socials so they can go and do their own we jump on top of it and run with it again. events. As long as they play the album and do some yoga at the start of it, that works. Keeping the campaign rolling There’s a massive audience in South with influencers and America and we think we can get a multi-language editions lot more reach out there. Having the AN: We had an influencer campaign Portuguese and Spanish language versions around this, something we haven’t really is really going to help us there. It’s not new done before for other releases. We music, but it is a repurposing of the music targeted a number of yoga and fitness that already exists into something that influencers who, on release date, posted feels like a completely new composition. yoga content featuring music from the album or featuring the Flow State yoga AN: It does feel like a no brainer in terms of mat and record. the timing of release. It’s the kind of content We had a two-phase influencer that people crave and need right now. campaign. Initially, we had an invite-only yoga event where we invited members GJ: “Mental fitness” is the umbrella term of the press to attend and we got yoga that Paavo always uses when he talks influencers to come down. It was the about this. You go to the gym to work out Tuesday after Glastonbury, so we had your body, but do you take the time to keep people do a piece about coming back down your mind mentally fit? His approach to to earth after five days of raving. mental health is really interesting. Some of it [the influencer campaign] I think the mantra of the whole was paid content and some of it was just that we are getting Paavo to mix at the campaign is more fitting now than it was organic, with people getting involved in the moment. That will be on Spotify and Apple even a year ago. :) conversation. Shona Vertue was our heavy Music along with the international versions hitter influencer and she generated over 1m of the original talk and international impressions for the release day campaign. versions of a similar talk as well. That way I WANT TO FEATURE IN hope we can localise it to editors. BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN? GJ: Elena Brower had done an English We had really good coverage on Marketing people: do you have a campaign you are working spoken word version of this meditative talk NetEase in China when we launched this on that you would like to see featured in Behind The Campaign and we commissioned international yogis album and there definitely is a market in a future edition of sandbox? If so, send a brief synopsis of it to do a similar thing [for the Flow State there for it. They gave us front page to Eamonn Forde for consideration and your work (and your Meditations album that will be released banners on the site. words) could appear here. on 11th May]. There’s a Mandarin version, Arabic version. We had a Latin American marketing Email: [email protected] a Spanish version, a French version and an We are working on a new talk from Elena partner that we work with quite closely

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