06 Tools Facebook Native Video 07-08 Campaigns Rihanna, Shakira, Led Zeppelin, Jovanotti 09-12 Behind The Campaign Echosmith APRIL 08 2015 sandboxMUSIC MARKETING FOR THE DIGITAL ERA ISSUE 130 DIRECT MESSAGE HOW MUSIC CAN GET INTO THE HEART OF THE MESSAGE APP BOOM COVERFEATURE HOW MUSIC CAN GET INTO THE HEART OF THE MESSAGE APP BOOM DIRECT The messaging app market expanded by 148% between March 2013 and March 2014. At the moment, the music business views such apps as a marketing channel rather than a revenue generator, but plans are MESSAGE starting to coalesce that could see this sector monetised. Major acts are already planting flags here – from One Direction on Kik to Madonna on Snapchat and both Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift on Line – and services likes Spotify, Vevo and SoundCloud are also being integrated into Tango. This all offers a direct channel to fans and, while some of the biggest players are seeing the greatest engagement in Asia, it is what Facebook will do with both WhatsApp and its own Messenger service (with both tentatively looking at music) that could have the greatest impact globally. usic, according to moves into music. Snapchat CEO Evan The logic is simple, MSpiegel, is “the highest according to Sunny Kim, head frequency behaviour on your of Europe for Line, which phone” after communication. completed its acquisition of “That, in our view, makes it a Microsoft’s MixRadio music really interesting opportunity streaming service in March. and it’s something that we are “[Music] is an essential part thinking about,” he added at of many users’ daily lives and, an event held at the University therefore, music is one of the of Southern California earlier pillars of Line’s strategy for this year. growth in near future,” she says. Exactly what shape this thinking will “Never before has the speed of take is unclear, with Snapchat unwilling technological development been so fast; to make further comments on its plans to the rise of the smartphones and the rapid sandbox. But the company has already growth of 3G and 4G networks are rapidly demonstrated its commitment to music changing not only the way in which we over the last few months via the launch communicate, but our entire lives – including of its Discover platform, joining fellow the way we enjoy music,” she adds. “We messaging giants Line, Tango, KakaoTalk, chat daily, on the move, wherever we are Facebook Messenger and Kik in making and in the same way we enjoy music.” 2 | sandbox | ISSUE 130 | 08.04.15 COVERFEATURE What is striking about this crossover, however, is how diverse it has been, with the major messaging apps each taking different approaches to music and a number of bespoke music messaging services springing up, each of which has its own take on the theme. Meanwhile, artists, labels and managers have been using existing messaging services to their own promotional ends. Runners and riders: who is who in this increasingly crowded space? To start with Snapchat: it may have been Music will focus on one of the few big social networks.” linked to all sorts of musical ventures music markets where streaming has yet Among these, Taylor Swift may have of late – from buying Big Machine to to really make an impact – Japan – while the highest number of followers (17m), but starting its own label – but its concrete MixRadio will be able to profit from Line’s Paul McCartney has probably generated activity has revolved around Discover, 181m monthly active users worldwide. the most media attention, signing up 3.1m where Warner Music is a partner (US Line fans (still more followers than he only). The major’s Discover channel hosts Artists line (and Line) up has on Twitter) in just three weeks after videos for Warner artists that, in typical joining the service in 2013. Snapchat style, disappear after 24 hours. Line comes into the streaming game “Paul was the first Western artist to More recently, Discover played host to the with a relatively strong position in the set up an account on Line,” notes MPL world premiere of Madonna’s new video, “The acquisition of MixRadio will allow music space, thanks to its Line Official Communications digital manager, Steve ‘Living For Love’, a move that surprised Line to build on the brand’s heritage and Accounts, with the UK version of Line Ithell. “Working with Line made sense many people in the industry, who experience within the music sector and playing host to official accounts from for us as Paul had announced his first questioned whether Snapchat’s youthful move forward in the industry,” she says. “ Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, dates in Japan for 11 years and we were audience cared about Madonna. MixRadio provides a unique music Adriana Grande, Linkin Park, Maroon 5 and looking for a means of updating fans in Line, meanwhile, has concentrated its experience, based on its strong Axwell/Ingrosso. This may sound small the country on a local popular platform. musical efforts on streaming, launching curated 32m track catalogue beer when compared to the grand sprawl Line was recommended to us by friends at Line Music with Sony Music and Avex and we believe their social and of artists on Facebook or Twitter, but it Sony Japan and between us we were able Digital in December 2014, just days before personal music strategy and arguably puts Line ahead of its messaging to create a really exciting launch campaign it initially announced the acquisition of strength will enrich Android and competition. which included a set of eight stickers to MixRadio. Both services offer streaming, iOS users’ experience. ” “All these music stars can provide tie in with Paul’s Out There tour. We then with the former set to focus on Japan and And yes, you might wonder whether Line with exclusive ‘high-quality’ content, used Paul’s Japanese language account as the latter taking a more global profile. the world really needs another music exclusively for our users,” Kim explains. the official means of communicating with MixRadio will continue to operate under streaming service (particularly as South “On the other side, artists get a direct fans during the tour.” its own brand, Kim explains, with official Korean messaging app KakaoTalk channel to their fans – allowing them to The response, Ithell explains, was Android and iOS MixRadio services launched its own KakaoMusic streaming reach a larger audience, with a higher rate impressive. “We were pretty blown away coming soon. service in its homeland 2013). But Line of engagement compared with all other by how well Paul’s Line account did,” he 3 | sandbox | ISSUE 130 | 08.04.15 COVERFEATURE such as Rhapsody, SoundCloud, Spotify, song and lyric video” via Messenger. 8 Tracks and Vevo. Chang says more Doubtless, more musical apps will follow than 800k Tango users currently follow for Messenger, adding to a miniature wave musicians’ channels. of bespoke music messaging apps which As for Canadian messaging app Kik, it have sprung up over the last two years, may have made less of a concerted effort including PingTune, Rithm, Boomio , in music than its competitors, but it was Craaave and Stereotypes. actually one of the first messaging apps One of these is La-La, which allows to raise eyebrows in the music industry, users to “chat with song snippets instead thanks to its One Direction promotion of written words”, combining music, video with Sony Music in November 2013. This and selfies. Founder Jason Hadjioannou saw Sony launch a 1D Kik Card, allowing tells music:)ally that the app is going fans of the band to chat and share videos, strong some seven months after launch, photos and news about the band through with “hundreds of thousands of users Kik’s iOS and Android apps. around the world”. The giant awakes: how Facebook could dominate says. “He has continued to have a huge Chang, says that allowing users to share The case of Facebook, which owns both presence on the platform and shortly clips of their favourite songs means they WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, after launch became the first artist to can “engage in richer conversations”. is different again. WhatsApp is one of reach 10m followers. He’s still going “ Our members use Tango for the few messaging apps to have made strong with nearly 13m followers spread more than just a basic utility no effort to integrate music services across his English, Japanese and Spanish messaging app. Content plays an – although you can easily find various accounts and Line has become one of our important role in our messaging hacks online to allow you to send music most important means of communicating platform and is the pretext for via the platform – and the same was with fans.” conversation ,” Chang explains. true of Messenger until the company’s US messaging/VOIP service Tango’s Much as with Line’s official accounts, F8 conference at the end of March, when moves into music have also involved Tango introduced its own Tango Facebook announced it was introducing a streaming, albeit in a very different way Channels in June 2014 as a way to give platform to allow third-party developers to Line. In November 2013, it teamed brands, content providers and to make apps for Messenger. up with Spotify to allow users to share musicians an Among the first batch 30-second song clips with their friends official presence of apps announced was via a dedicated Tango Music tab, later within Tango. MuseAmi’s Hook’d , adding SoundCloud, Rhapsody and Vevo Musicians with which allows people to as musical partners.