06-07 Tools HypeAuditor BROUGHT TO YOU COURTESY OF 08-09 Campaigns , , Trolls, Lego Duplo 10–14 Behind The Campaign- Darkoo ™ AMP

IN ASSOCIATION WITH sandbox APRIL 15 2020 | Music marketing for the digital era ISSUE 250

UNDER-THE-RADAR LOVE The power of smaller playlists Songtrust has the world's largest and most accessible network of direct global publishing relationships.

Our easy to use platform enables you, and our 300,000+ clients, to register and collect performance and mechanical royalties directly around the world, without giving up any rights or any other revenues.

ACCESS WHAT YOU'RE DUE

SPONSOR PAGE

SPONSOR PAGE COVERFEATURE

“Tracks on there [NMF] have a very high skip rate,” says Amelie Bonvalot, a freelance digital business executive. “It’s nice to get on there, it’s a nice ego thing: the editors at are showing their support. But I think New Music Friday really isn’t what is moving the needle. Featuring on other, smaller playlists is a good way to work your way up and find your audience, especially if you are a new artist. Some people don’t understand that it can work against you and it can be difficult to convince them.” With this in mind, Music Ally asked three playlist experts to point us in the direction of the best under-the-radar playlists that UNDER-THE-RADAR you should be pitching to in 2020. ➜ Chartmetric

Chartmetric’s contribution comes in LOVE two parts: firstly, the Chartmetric team revealed what they see as the most interesting playlisting/curation “brands” at the moment; secondly, they used the new Chartmetric Playlist Journey tool to identify “small playlists which seem to have The power of smaller playlists an uncanny ability to add tracks prior to the tracks appearing on some of the largest Getting a track on the behemoth streaming playlists can get you in front of millions of potential listeners. Spotify playlists”. If they actually listen, however, is another matter entirely. Beyond the enormous playlist brands lie a “ Journey tool is looking for tracks that land on small playlists before multitude of small but powerful playlists – many of them from third-party creators or brands – that can really they are added to a large editorial playlist get things moving. They also operate as an early warning system for the big hitters on the DSPs. Rather than – and we specifically look at the number of jostle for attention from the biggest playlists, go niche. Here we explain why big is not always best. days before a track is added to the larger playlist,” says Chaz Jenkins, Chartmetric’s chief commercial officer. “So, 90% of n a world where the playlist is king, it is 8m people worldwide, including the vast that apparently happened to one global tracks currently on Baila were hardly surprising that getting on New majority of the Western music industry. star’s new song earlier this year on New previously added to New Reggaeton IMusic Friday (NMF) has become the be-all And yet perhaps it shouldn’t be. Getting Music Friday – and some marketers have Friday [2020] before they first appeared and end-all of music streaming marketing, your song to 8m people isn’t so great if they even started to warn managers and artists on Baila Reggaeton, in some instances an opportunity to get your track in front of immediately want to skip it – something off their NMF addiction. by as much as 87 days in advance. And

1 | sandbox ISSUE 250 15.04.2020 COVERFEATURE

an impressive 337k followers. He also operates the more modest Ibiza Classics playlist, with 2,669 followers. You can only submit tracks to Field via his website – simonfield.no – which proudly proclaims: “Submission to Ibiza 2020 is not on Submithub, PlaylistPush or any other services.” To do so, you have to follow him on Spotify – which seems entirely logical – and he claims to listen to every submission he receives, even if he doesn’t give feedback.

Songpickr ➜ LINK

New Dance Music 2020 - New EDM 2020 Colors ➜ LINK . It has 12.2m subscribers on - Electronica Now - Reddit EDM adds Biggest playlist: Colors - All Shows YouTube and over 5.4bn global views. On tracks as much as six months before they 171,489 followers Spotify, MrSuicideSheep operates nine first appear on Mint.” What it is: a “unique aesthetic music playlists at the time of writing, with the platform showcasing exceptional talent MrSuicideSheepFavourites being far and Chartmetric’s most interesting from all around the globe” best known for away the most popular. Users can submit playlisting/curation brands its hugely popular – 4.3m subscribers and their music and artwork via a dedicated Indiemono ➜ LINK 1bn total views – YouTube channel, where submission portal. MrSuicideSheep also Biggest playlist: Regeton [sic] 2020 Exitos artists perform in front of a background runs the label Seeking Blue Records, home del Verano 2020 of one distinct colour. Its Spotify presence to the likes of Jaron, Echos and Dead 381,905 followers mirrors this: its main playlist features all Battery, while the online MrSuicideSheep Biggest playlist: 2020Songpickr - Indie, What it is: An independent playlisting the recordings from its YouTube channel in store offers a tasteful range of Folk, Soul, Americana, Blues, Rock monster which works “to bring you the their exclusive glory, while Jade (smooth), merchandise. 128,772 followers most special stuff we find, those hidden Ruby (the Function), Amber (groove) and What it is: “Playlists curated with love. I little gems that still can get you all hyped Cream (rhymes & beats) playlists showcase Simon Field ➜ LINK try to find a warm, organic, timeless sound up and kept unnoticed all the time”. Indie/ different types of music. Colors has its own Biggest playlist: IBIZA 2020 in today’s music,” according to founder alternative music is its core, but its top submission platform. 336,656 followers Holger Christoph. His most popular playlist is a reggaeton hits round up, while What it is: Simon Field is a DJ/producer playlist (2020Songpickr - Indie, Folk, Soul, among its 160 Spotify playlists you will also MrSuicideSheep ➜ LINK from Norway. More interesting for our Americana, Blues, Rock) gives you a good find everything from melodic house to “sad Biggest playlist: purposes, however, is the fact that Field idea of what to expect. He also operates chill hop”. It also has a presence on Deezer, MrSuicideSheepFavourites launched what he claims was the first Ibiza Jazz Café; Americana & Alternative YouTube and . Indiemono uses 315,749 followers playlist on Spotify, a playlist currently Country - Songpickr Guide; and SXSW its own free music submission tool, as well What it is: MrSuicideSheep is a popular operating under the SEO-friendly name 2020 What We Missed This Year on as a “quick submit” for those who support Canadian YouTube channel that covers of “IBIZA 2020 Deep House Mix, Ocean Spotify; and Best Songs 2020 - Songpickr it on Patreon. It also runs a digital label and new, mostly electronic, music with a Beach, Nassau Beach, Amnesia, Space Guide (Americana, Folk, Singer-, curation service. penchant for elaborate artwork and wavy Ibiza, Ushuaia, Chill House”, which has Indie, Soul, Blues) on Apple Music.

2 | sandbox ISSUE 250 15.04.2020 COVERFEATURE

“All Songpickr activities are 100% independent,” Christoph writes. “Music picks and featured artists reflect my personal taste (which is not for sale).” He recommends getting in touch via (//) and submitting music via Submithub. His Submithub pages ask for English- language music exclusively, adding, “No commercial , designed for the charts. No , no live versions, no instrumentals. I prefer uplifting, positive songs vs sad songs.”

La Belle Musique ➜ LINK Biggest playlist: La Belle Musique/ YouTube (Uploads Compilation) 51,465 followers crossover with some of Spotify’s largest What it is: A French YouTube channel, playlists. “Whether these playlists and occasional influence Spotify playlists directly is almost that likes “discovering... young talented impossible to say – and the only person artists and new fresh music that we like”, playlist (9.9m followers) and 68% crossover who can answer that question is the editor principally in the realm of downtempo with ¡Viva Latino! (10.6m followers), which of the Spotify playlist in question!” says electronica. Their YouTube channel is makes it of significant interest for anyone Chartmetric’s Chaz Jenkins. massive, with 1.76m subscribers, 515m operating in those fields. “What is more interesting is whether lifetime views and a penchant for vertical Got Dembow is a US operation that these playlists: 1) indirectly influence lyrics videos and their biggest Spotify claims to be “the home of Reggaeton’s the Spotify playlist as part of wider playlist reflects the selection on YouTube, rising stars, unsigned hype and promotion; or 2) accurately predict what albeit with far fewer uploads. You can underground artists”. It operates a will land on a playlist, and thereby be submit music by Submithub or music YouTube channel with 145k subscribers, useful as an A&R trigger, or a source of promotion service Soundicate Promotion SoundCloud and website (gotdembow. investment insight.” Group. Other Spotify playlists include net) alongside its 22 Spotify playlists. Got Best Of The Week (15,942 follows) and What it is: Got Dembow wasn’t one of Dembow says you can submit music via its Rap Caviar Summer Memories (7,182) and they also the curation brands identified by the website contact page although that doesn’t 25% crossover: Fire Emoji: Daily Hot New operate an official SoundCloud account Chartmetric team. But the brand’s New appear to work. Its email (gotdembowyt@ Rap and Hip Hop ➜ LINK with 166k followers. Reggaeton Friday [2020] playlist showed gmail.com) might be a better bet. 23% crossover: Iceberg Radio ➜ LINK up twice in the reports of their Playlist 22% crossover: RapNieuwsTV ENG See also... Journey tool, which identifies the playlists Playlists from the Chartmetric ➜ LINK that have a significant crossover with Playlist Journey tool Got Dembow ➜ LINK Spotify’s largest playlists. Got Dembow’s In this exclusive research for Music Ally, ¡Viva Latino! Biggest playlist: Top Reggaeton [2020] New Reggaeton Friday [2020] has a 90% Chartmetric used its Playlist Journey tool 68% crossover: New Reggaeton Friday 18,059 followers crossover with Spotify’s Baila Reggaeton to identify playlists that have a significant [2020] ➜ LINK

3 | sandbox ISSUE 250 15.04.2020 COVERFEATURE

Baila Reggaeton 90% crossover: New Reggaeton Friday [2020] ➜ LINK 73% crossover: Trap Reggaeton ➜ LINK 63% crossover: Novedades Reggaetone 2020 ➜ LINK

Get Turnt 22% crossover: NEW MUSIC 2020: /Club Hip Hop ➜ LINK

Hot Country 62% crossover: 2020- US-Country-Music- actively pitching to third-party playlists, YouTube, with 4.3m subscribers and 1.9bn Charts & Top-Songs (American Country) we would be drawing up targets of third- lifetime views. It also has its own record ➜ LINK party playlists that were 80+.” label and sells a fairly charming range 48% crossover: New Country 2020 Top He outlined two of the most interesting of merchandise. Its main Spotify playlist Hits Weekly ➜ LINK third-party playlists for Music Ally. reflects – but doesn’t mimic – its YouTube Mint playlist and is updated weekly. It goes big 46% crossover: New Dance Music 2020 EDM Hits 2020 ➜ LINK on Kaytranada and Mura Masa. You can ➜ Amelie Bonvalot’s guide - New EDM 2020 - Electronica Now - 209,310 followers submit music via a dedicated form. “Not to the biggest under-the- Reddit EDM ➜ LINK What it is: A collection of the biggest EDM everything that Majestic Casual adds to radar playlists from Spotify hits, curated by one Christoffer Brants, their YouTube playlist goes onto Spotify,” and Apple Music that is updated weekly. At the time of says Barker. “So when pitching to them, ➜ Justin Barker, writing, the list is home to Kygo, MEDUZA you should be having a cross-platform Amelie Bonvalot, Slice Music and Martin Garrix, alongside lesser-known conversation.” In total, Majestic Casual now a freelance acts. Music should be submitted via runs 18 playlists on Spotify but none even digital business Barker is the founder Brants’ Instagram or Facebook. Brants also come close to the popularity of its main executive, has of Slice Music, which curates three more playlists on Spotify: playlist. a decade of offers streaming Ibiza Lounge 2020 (8,340 followers), Avicii experience in strategy consultancy - TIM (30 followers) and Summer 2020 (42 Label playlists the digital music, for the music industry, followers). Barker also recommends label playlists. including three as well as a former group director of As for Brants himself, not a great deal “It might be slightly counterintuitive, but years as senior streaming strategy at PIAS. He has worked of public information exists: he lives in actually many labels, especially dance director of digital accounts for Kobalt with playlists for the best part of a decade. Gothenburg and works, if LinkedIn is to be labels like Anjunabeats , Armada and Music and, most recently, head of digital at He focused on third-party playlists in believed, as an engineer on Gothenburg’s Ministry Of Sound operate in-house Domino. his recommendations. “The way to look at trams, after graduating from university in playlists that do have space for tracks that She listed the most important under- third-party playlists is basically the same 2014. aren’t on their own labels,” he says. “Some the-radar editorial playlists on Spotify as looking at editorial playlists, in the sense have space on their main playlists and and Apple Music by genre, focusing on UK that there won’t be any one playlist that Majestic Casual ➜ LINK some operate separate ‘recommended’- lists but adding a number of interesting will take everything to one huge streaming 466,063 followers style lists that are more specifically playlists from around the world. level,” he says. “It is a question of getting on What it is: Majestic Casual is one of the geared to other labels’ tracks – though not “As a new artist you should be thinking as many of them as possible. When I was biggest channels for on exclusively, obviously.” about other territories,” she says.

4 | sandbox ISSUE 250 15.04.2020 COVERFEATURE

Pop Easy ➜ LINK 367,300 followers

New Pop Revolution ➜ LINK 166,761 followers “They are very good and accept a lot of new artists. They have a lot fewer followers [than New Music Friday], but they do drive a decent amount of streams and usually they are also where editors watch.” months. And you can see a spike in streams. See also... If your work fits in the mood you can fit on Off Pop (DE); Pop Edge (AU) Indie the playlist. The only downside is that it is a more passive listen. It drives streams, but Hot New Bands ➜ LINK it’s not the best way to find an audience.” 45,999 followers See also... The Other List ➜ LINK Apero (FR); Weekend + Friends (AU) 114,393 followers Apple Music playlists Transistor ➜ LINK Loops (Electronic) 79,833 followers “In the UK it can be quite hard to get See also... Untitled (Alternative) access to these playlists but you have some It’s Lit (NL); Vibes (NL); Soul N The City Midnight City (Indie / Alternative) See also... in the Nordics that work well.” (NL) Mood playlists Breaking Dance Gegen den Strom (DE); Indie du Kender Groove (Dance / Electronic) (DE); Melancolia Indie (MX); Indielandia Certi (Nordics) ➜ LINK A Perfect Day ➜ LINK Breaking Pop (MX); Indie Shuffle (Singapore) 136,232 followers 691,923 followers

Dance/electronic The Most Beautiful Songs In The Altar ➜ LINK World ➜ LINK 209,350 followers 2,124,474 followers

The Dance ➜ LINK Running UK ➜ LINK 27,851 followers 280,710 followers “The Dance Tent has pop, electronic, dance tracks that are usually working well Your Office Stereo ➜ LINK In My Room (Pop / R&B) around the festival season. So I don’t know 168,813 followers Mellow Days (Pop) what will happen to it this year....” The Plug (Urban) “You tend to stick in these playlists for a lot New Fire (Urban / R&B) See also... Liiit (Nordics) ➜ LINK longer than you would in a genre or new The New Rock Top Shelf Electronic (AU) Urban / R&B / Soul 77,889 followers release playlist. You can stay for up to six Kebab On The Night Bus (Alternative/Rock)

5 | sandbox ISSUE 250 15.04.2020 TOOLS HypeAuditor

We covered HypeAuditor in sandbox influencer and you can also opt to say if early last year, but some significant your search should only surface accounts updates since then made us decide that’s of people or brands. On top of that, there’s it’s worth revisiting. an audience feature that allows you to define demographics as well as the market HypeAuditor has become a key tool in coverage of the influencer in terms of the identifying fraudulent influencer accounts; percentage of their audience that is based in now it has added a new influencer discovery a certain market. For example, you could say tool, enabling those frequently working that a minimum of 10% of the influencer’s with influencers to promote artists/releases audience should be based in Germany. and to more easily find the right fit. Depending on which platform you want The platform says it has a database to focus on for the influencer search, you of 11m+ influencers across Instagram can then further define certain values that and YouTube, scraping information from are specific to the influencer’s account on publicly available accounts using AI. The either Instagram or YouTube. intuitive interface will then allow you to For Instagram, you can define so-called start your influencer search and narrow “quality filters”, such as the number of down results using assorted filters. followers and the minimum engagement rate The first filter allows users to include (ER). It should be noted that this follower up to three categories for one search (e.g. filter doesn’t only serve to find the biggest makeup, travel, sports). In this first step, and greatest of influencers; it also helps you marketers can define which audience to ensure you’ll find the right individual more segments the influencer campaign will easily, whether you’re looking for nano-, target and in what content types the artist micro- or macro-influencers. and their music will be presented. As the sector has evolved, many now Keyword filters help to be more specific understand that one post with huge reach in that you can search for influencers and not much engagement or authenticity based on what they actually write about is actually worth less than working with instead of focusing on just their broad a selection of smaller influencers to get category. The keyword search scrapes volume, variety, better engagement and the influencer’s bio, posts and hitting different audiences. to find results, with HypeAuditor’s When it comes to ER, HypeAuditor business development manager Nadya recommends that you only engage with Markovskaya recommending, “The more influencers who have an ER of at least 2%. potential keywords, the better.” There are some successful influencers who With the next filters, you can define the boast ERs of 5%, but anything at 2% and location, gender, age and language of the above is good.

6 | sandbox ISSUE 250 15.04.2020 TOOLS

of subscribers, average views, average limited features. While you can filter by reactions, average comments, comments category, keywords, location, followers/ and reactions rate. subscribers and engagement rate, more Once you’re happy with how you have advanced features such as AQS and growth set your filters, you’ll get to a results page rate are not included. with those accounts meeting your criteria. With the Pro account costing $599 a Here, HypeAuditor provides the contact month for the full suite of HypeAuditor info of the influencer – as long as this is features, it becomes clear that this will be publicly available information – so that you more accessible and useful for those music can start reaching out immediately. You can marketers who work with influencers on a also filter these results by metrics and you’ll larger scale. be directed to their respective Instagram or Other solutions in the market include YouTube profile. You can then choose to add InData Labs, a platform that enables influencers you find interesting to lists that marketers to integrate its API into their can be created on the platform. existing platforms and search influencers HypeAuditor’s Audience Quality Score to become one of the top tastemakers – HypeAuditor offers a one-month free across not only Instagram and YouTube but (AQS) dissects how healthy an influencer’s but before they are so big that they get trial for its discovery tools, providing users also Twitter, and TikTok. account is, basing that assessment on the offers from all sides and the shine of their with the top three results rather than the For those who have a smaller budget to number of fake followers and engagement authenticity is dulled. full list of eligible influencers. The starter work with, Music Ally will feature a new they have. This is where HypeAuditor is Similarly, when looking for YouTube tier is priced at $299 a month (including startup (due to launch in a few weeks) in a leveraging its existing features which helps influencers, you can filter by number the platform’s other tools) and comes with future issue of sandbox. :) to filter out all low-quality accounts. Markovskaya provides some context here and explains that an account should at least achieve a score of 50/100 to even be considered. She, however, recommends working with influencers who have an AQS of at least 70/100 to avoid marketing to an audience of bots. What’s more, you can define that you only want to see influencers whose last post was no more than, say, three days ago to ensure you’re only surfacing influencers who post actively, based on how active you’d like that to be. Even more interesting is the feature to filter by an account’s audience growth rate within the last seven days. Let’s say you’ve decided to work together with a bunch of nano- or micro-influencers, this can help in finding those accounts that are growing the quickest and are therefore poised

7 | sandbox ISSUE 250 15.04.2020 The latest projects from the digital marketing arena CAMPAIGNS BOOK SMARTS: DOLLY PARTON LAUNCHES THE GRIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’: ARTIST BEDTIME YOUTUBE SERIES OFFERS VIDEO AND TRACK UP FOR REMIXING

In 1996, Dolly Parton set up Canadian singer and producer Grimes and they will be pulled together on a the Imagination Library in released the video for her track ‘You’ll Miss curated playlist on her YouTube channel. Sevier County, Tennessee, Me When I’m Not Around’ on 1st April – Another competition for where she grew up. Free but what she was doing was not an April the single followed a week later with books – paid for through Fool. a different partner, focusing on the charitable donations – were audio this time. On Native Instruments’ sent out to poorer families The video consists of her performing community platform, Metapop, the files to encourage reading and to in front of a green screen and you can were made available. Everyone entering improve literacy. occasionally see the edge of the set and the by uploading their remix gets a $25 Native wind machine whirring away in the corner. Instruments voucher and a month of free Parton’s own father grew up illiterate and Back in October 2017, she She added in the YouTube description samples/loops from Sounds.com. she wanted to give others the opportunities appeared on Bedtime Stories that she had shot five different videos to he was denied. “Because if you can read, on CBeebies (the BBC’s create visuals for the campaign for her you can educate yourself,” she told CNBC in children’s channel) where a fifth , Miss , which 2016. The initiative spread across the US and vast array of famous faces came out in February. arrived in the UK in 2007 and then Australia – including Rosamund “Anyhow - Because we’re all in in 2013. By February 2018, Imagination Pike, David Hasselhoff and lockdown we thought if people are Library had given out its 100 millionth free Josh Homme from Queens bored and wanna learn new things, we book. Of The Stone Age (yes, could release the raw components of Responding to the coronavirus crisis, really) – all took turns to one of these for anyone who wants to Parton has taken the love of reading online read stories for the young try making stuff using our footage,” she by setting up Goodnight With Dolly on the viewers. posted. Imagination Library’s YouTube channel. The “Encouraging children This “open call to creatives in isolation” There are other prizes of Native first episode, lasting nine minutes, went out to develop a love of books from an early to remix the video using the footage is part Instruments software and hardware but, on 2nd April where she read The Little Engine age is very important to me,” she said at the of a partnership with WeTransfer who according to the competition, “in the That Could. time. “I hope my songs and stories inspire the are making what it terms the Grimes Art spirit of DIY creation, there will be no “, I’m Dolly Parton – the book lady CBeebies audience.” Kit available. It includes links to the raw judging”. Instead, winners will be selected from the Imagination Library,” she begins, Goodnight With Dolly takes that idea and footage, cover art, audio files and lyrics. at random. sitting on her bed, reading spectacles on runs with it as she is an effusive and engaging Anyone making a video is asked to We have seen many remix competitions and book in hand. As she reads, the relevant reader. upload it to YouTube using the song in the past but this one stands out precisely pages with the text and illustrations appear This is not selling or marketing anything. name in the video title along with the because it draws in two different sponsors on screen so that children can read along. Not that it should. It’s just another example of accompanying #GrimesArtKit and is aimed at two very different creator It’s a simple idea but that doesn’t stop it Parton’s altruism, philanthropy and all-round (thereby ensuring these uploads are audiences (audio and video) by setting being absolutely wonderful. excellence. “automatically approved”). them tasks that require very different Grimes will select her favourite entries skills.

8 | sandbox ISSUE 250 15.04.2020

The latest projects from the digital marketing arena CAMPAIGNS BLOCK-ROCKING BEATS: LEGO DUPLO ROCK ’N’ TROLL: SPOTIFY’S HARMONISER FOR TROLLS WORLD TOUR CREATES SING-ALONG EDUCATION SERIES Trolls World Tour Justin Timberlake. is the sequel to And that, if you Things, the argument goes, happen in parents and friends to connect and sing 2016’s Trolls hadn’t already threes. So following on from Dolly Parton along together.” movie and works seen this coming, and the Trolls World Tour examples this The videos will be hosted on the as a multi-genre is because he is a issue, Lego is the final piece in the child- Moonbug Kids’s YouTube. Its Cartoons & jukebox musical. major presence centric music marketing triptych. Kids Songs channel has 2.7m subscribers The general plot throughout the and its Cartoons & Nursery Rhymes is that two of the original soundtrack channel has 1.7m subscribers. They will lead characters, for the film. also be hosted on Lego’s official site. Poppy and Branch, Still, you get “Our goal for the new, original songs discover that there pretty decent was to ensure that they are as singalong- are Trolls in six recommendations: able and accessible as possible,” said Edwin different countries alongside the Cox, the CEO of West One Music Group. – each one devoted inevitable burst “To support this, multi- to a particular of tracks from the lingual production genre of music – OST, one attempt has been a key focus. and they have to by Music Ally to This enables children unify to counter create a playlist Mixing well-known songs to learn the songs the evil Queen Barb and her brought up ‘Disco Inferno’ by with brand new compositions, not only in their own father King Thrash (they are The Trammps, ‘Funky Jam’ Lego Duplo has linked up with language but also in defined by hard rock, FYI) by Primal Scream and ‘One production music company West other languages such who want to turn all the More Time’ by Daft Punk. One Music Group and content as German, Korean, Trolls into rock zombies. The idea is presumably creation platform Tongal to make Russian, Chinese and that users – well, kids a series of education sing-along Polish.” To launch Trolls World Tour, mainly – will try this multiple videos for young children. The videos uploaded Universal Pictures partnered times to see what different The songs will be grouped so far include ‘Old with Spotify to create a results they get, generating around three themes – Happy MacDonald Had A Trolls-themed Harmoniser a multitude of playlists and Birthday, Lullaby Songs and Farm’, ‘Wheels On that riffs on the “music tribes” theme of the also having chunks of the OST served up to Nursery Rhymes – and 21 videos The Bus’, ‘Itsy Bitsy film. There are five genres to play around with them. in total will be released in the coming Spider’ and ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees & – techno, pop, rock, funk and country – and The film obviously cannot open in cinemas months, starting on 9th April. Toes’ (it goes full-on rave around the 1.45 by using the slider beside each one you are until lockdown in different countries ends, “The animations and songs are designed mark which is nothing short of incredible). delivered a tailored playlist. but it was made available for home streaming to ignite fun and imagination, as well as The audio for the songs will also go to It doesn’t matter how much you slide from 6th April as the emphasis shifted to inspire creativity and engagement,” said DSPs from 24th April – assuming parents up on some genres and down on others, digital marketing to do the heavy lifting for Lego in a statement. “They are educational have not been driven to distraction from you’ll always get a track by (or featuring) the film. and the aim is to encourage children, repeated plays by that stage.

9 | sandbox ISSUE 250 15.04.2020 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN DARKOO BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNDARKOO

British songwriter and rapper Darkoo was discovered and signed at lightning speed after her track ‘Gangsta’ began to go viral. It started to gather momentum on and that is where the intense early focus was. MICHAELA BROWNE, digital campaign manager at Virgin EMI Records UK, explains how ‘Gangsta’ was able to grow at its own speed on Triller before bleeding onto other platforms – most notably TikTok. She also talks about how influencers in markets like France, Nigeria, Ghana and the UK were woven into the campaign, where female and male remixes significantly extended the life of the track and how things were being set up for the next single, ‘Juicy’, to capitalise on what ‘Gangsta’ had achieved.

Signing Darkoo and we got a homepage brick. Our Darkoo had a couple of releases prior to first UGC video from Triller hit 1m ‘Gangsta’. She was a fully independent views at that point on Twitter alone. artist and dropped ‘Gangsta’ with One We marketed our UGC dance from Acen before she was signed. She did a Triller in our advertising and social dance move in the video and it really promotion to engage the fans – and by took off. 21st November #1 in the UK It came to our attention and she on the platform. signed with us just a matter of weeks after the record had come out. We had Engaging influencers from jumped on it quickly, but it was very multiple countries apparent that she had already engaged It was great that we were able to a really young audience. show people that we had the stats,we There were videos online of people had the videos and we had so much doing the dance and much of it was organic user-generated content across coming from Triller. We recognised that every platform with hundreds of quite early on, even though she’d only thousands of views, as well as all of our posted once on her own account there. success at that point on Triller. It was Her first post on Triller was on 20th undeniable. October and by 2nd November she had After ‘Gangsta’ hit #1 in the UK on the second-biggest profile in the UK on Triller, we made the decision to then the platform. start to engage influencers. We sat She hadn’t engaged on TikTok at all down with the Triller team and put a at this point. We decided to just keep it list of creators together. where it lived for that moment as there We made an active point to ensure was some magic happening on Triller; a lot of the creators had a European, she was clearly making massive waves if not a fully international, profile. We on the platform. had a lot of French influencers, US Around 18th November was influencers, Nigerian influencers and when the promotion started to kick Ghanaian influencers – as well as the in. We worked with Triller and got ones from the UK. We ensured our top placement across all the playlists take-off was synchronised with the

11 | sandbox ISSUE 250 15.04.2020 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNDARKOO

Throughout the campaign, we were utilising the assets that we had. We were using more UGC footage as our advertising assets and we were driving really high rates on our advertising. We noticed quite quickly that the DIY organic content was working perfectly. It had a very big influence on our traditional marketing. It was our Spotify Canvas, it was in our advertising assets. It’s everywhere where we can drive people from traditional platforms to DSPs. We made it as visually prominent as possible on those platforms and joined all the dots.

Keeping the ‘Gangsta’ momentum going record being added to the top of playlists We did two remixes. One was a female in the UK, Nigeria, Ghana, Ireland, South remix and one was a male remix. They Africa and France for maximum impact. both dropped on the same day – 27th There were already signs of it being December. popular in those countries and Triller was The female remix featured Br3nya able to feed those insights back to us. and Ms Banks. Darkoo definitely wanted We wanted to maximise where the fires a strong female remix. The male remix were already being lit. featured Davido, SL and Tion Wayne. Alongside the playlist additions in ‘Gangsta’ hit #4 in France, #2 in the UK She did new videos for each of the all our focus markets, we also had an and #4 in the US. Very shortly after, our remixes. Visually the videos tie into each app push notification in all those focus challenge became the top challenge in the other: where one leaves off, the other one markets surpassing 35m people. Then 24 UK. We entered the new year with over picks up. hours later, ‘Gangsta’ had a worldwide 3.5m views on the challenge and gained Both remixes featured a wealth of homepage challenge feature placement well over 32k new followers on Instagram incredible artists. Darkoo really wanted and a homepage brick. The playlists, in just seven weeks. to make sure that these artists were notification, worldwide homepage Darkoo was engaging with everybody authentic to the record. She was really placement and influencer activity was who posted on the dance challenge and involved in the process. planned and set up to go all within two was reposting people left, right and centre, The remixes are very different from days of each other. making sure everybody felt involved. The each other. On the female remix, Br3nya Within 24 hours, ‘Gangsta’ jumped UGC ripped from Triller that she has is super melodic and Ms Banks has a from #39 to #28 on the platform globally. engaged by posting it on her socials alone glamorous style to her. On the male remix, Darkoo was the #1 profile in the UK and has had over 6m views – with the biggest there’s Davido, there’s SL, who’s typically a we entered the global leader board at #95. single video having over 2.5m views so far. drill artist, and there’s Tion Wayne. Two weeks later, we were the #1 record That shows how important that UGC was It was amazing that Darkoo was able to on the platform globally, as well as seeing on socials. create two unique remixes for the record

12 | sandbox ISSUE 250 15.04.2020 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNDARKOO that visually told a story. The audience was very organically, but then we pushed the also able to engage with both of them for button and engaged the team to see how different reasons. We played up to it all, far we could go with it on TikTok . asking fans to vote for the one they liked On the tail end of ‘Gangsta’, we saw better and there was a “girls versus boys” some sudden traction in France. Although aspect to some of the marketing around we were internally planning ‘Juicy’, we it. The videos dropped within a few hours didn’t ignore it and planned some in-app of each other. promotion specifically in France. We We wanted the audience to engage with reacted and secured a #1 homepage brick both videos separately and understand placement, a #1 playlist placement and that they each served different purposes a push notification that went out to all – not just being Remix 1 and Remix 2. That app users in France. In a matter of days, was a massive turning point for us in terms ‘Gangsta’ was #2 on the Spotify viral chart of the chart position. We jumped 60+ in France. positions up the chart after the release of those two remixes. Following ‘Gangsta’ up with ‘Juicy’ There was obviously a lot of traditional We began by teasing ‘Juicy’ on Triller – not as promo as well. There was some elite an official audio piece, but rather as a Triller plugging being done at radio, she was doing video featuring the first clip of the song. a lot of radio promo and carefully selected We had also locked in a massive press, as well as getting extremely strong worldwide promotion with Triller streaming support. The whole team felt surrounding that record. We were in sync and worked really collaboratively, continuing to work with ‘Gangsta’ until we with every element being integral. swapped the two records over and ‘Juicy’ Another massive viral moment for her officially came out. was going out on other people’s shows We already knew that a viral social contrived as we knew it wouldn’t connect and performing ‘Gangsta’. She went out media audience was going to be really at all with her audience. on AfroNation in Nigeria with Tion Wayne important for her as an artist. We launched ‘Juicy’ with a homepage to perform ‘Gangsta’ and the entire crowd We were confident enough to let it banner on Triller across the whole of were singing it back word for word. That happen organically. ‘Gangsta’ was still the UK and Ireland and we did a push was a really important piece of UGC that we having a bit of a moment on TikTok and it notification across all of the UK and Ireland used in our advertising and in our plugging. launched our first in-app promotion with a was catching up there. But we didn’t push on launch day. We had full Triller playlist Everything was lining up perfectly for her ‘Gangsta’ banner. Up until that moment, we it; we just let it happen. additions. On launch, the ‘Juicy’ Triller at the time. We had a massive viral record were keeping an eye on it and waiting for it Triller is where Darkoo is. She has a video on Darkoo’s account was the third and we were working hard on continuing to to happen organically – and it did. massive profile there. It felt like Triller was most popular video in the UK and was on push it further and further until we got it to We were at well over 45,000 videos the place for our main campaign for ‘Juicy’. nearly 200k views. On top of this, Darkoo a global scale. after the first week of promotion. We were We weren’t pushing Darkoo [on TikTok] was the #1 profile in the UK whilst also The track also started to cross into still using that content on social media to at that point because we figured things being in the top 5 in Ireland and Nigeria. TikTok. We had over 35,000 videos made drive more UGC. would happen naturally if they were going During our ‘Juicy’ campaign, we peaked at to the non-official record, so we switched When we look at the kind of UGC that’s to happen at all. She will amplify it and #21 record globally on the platform. that over and then we started promoting it. being made on TikTok, it’s a different kind participate as and when it feels natural It felt like it connected a lot right off the In January, we engaged the teams and we of audience. It happened for a long time to her. We all agreed not to do anything bat. We kept marketing on the platform.

13 | sandbox ISSUE 250 15.04.2020 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGNDARKOO

record – but we did still see that ‘Gangsta’ needed to continue to encourage that and continues to grow on the platform. collectively be ready to react effectively. Towards the end of ‘Gangsta’, we were Her posting and reposting so many not spending as much on it because we people making content using her music is were getting ready for the next record. just encouraging even more people to make That meant a lot of the tail end of content to her music. She’s lit this fire. The ‘Gangsta’ was really organic. We never more and more we were reacting, posting While still in the early days of the campaign, asked people to stop making content and the more and more we were pushing A&R meeting. She just comes with it. The we launched a lot of influencer activity on or started taking down content. It just the right content, it felt hotter and hotter stats speak for themselves in how well it Triller. Some of it was paid posting, but it naturally switched over. as a record. can act as a part of her fabric. ‘Juicy’ has was mainly much more organic. The minute Darkoo announced that she We have got some new music coming completely cemented her position in her It was specifically on Triller as that’s had a new record and she started teasing – but there’s nothing that’s going to be own lane. :) where we felt like we were getting a lot it in the same way that she was teasing announced or teased imminently. We of engagement and connection. It then ‘Gangsta’, her fans just naturally got really are still working with ‘Juicy’ and it’s still a naturally bled into Instagram and Twitter. excited for it. It came quite quickly after massive, growing record for her. WANT TO FEATURE IN ‘Juicy’ is about Eva [Apio], who is a ‘Gangsta’; it was just the perfect timing. Hardy Caprio, who’s a featured artist BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN? supermodel and contains the lyrics “brown Leading into ‘Juicy’, Darkoo started her on the record, has also just dropped his Marketing people: do you have a campaign you are working skin like Eva”. She is really good friends own profile on TikTok, so we were messaging own record [‘XYZ’]. No doubt, we’ll find on that you would like to see featured in Behind The Campaign with Darkoo and was pushing it on her outside of Triller and she was making content that the new record is going to take people in a future edition of sandbox? If so, send a brief synopsis of it platform. We also had lots of Triller and on both platforms. One of our biggest back and remind people of ‘Juicy’ as well. to Eamonn Forde for consideration and your work (and your Instagram influencers following suit – all learnings from ‘Gangsta’ was just how Darkoo is pretty unstoppable. She’s words) could appear here. carefully selected talent. All of our efforts well that super-organic, authentic, artist- just got this magic that you can’t invent in Email: [email protected] had switched to ‘Juicy’ as our next big led content performs – and how we just the boardroom. You can’t invent it in an

14 | sandbox ISSUE 250 15.04.2020 ABOUTSANDBOX

CONTACT  Boat: Holly, Holborn Studios 49-50 Eagle Wharf Rd N1 7ED

 www.MusicAlly.com

[email protected] Published by music ally. :) SUBSCRIBE TRAINING Registered company number: 04525243 music:)ally helps companies market music To subscribe to music:)ally, begin a music:)ally trains labels, agencies and better, and helps create more sustainable corporate deal or add subscribers to an management companies across over VAT number: 858212321 careers for everyone in the music industry. existing corporate subscription, please 30 countries. Training is available as: © Music Ally Ltd. For the purposes of We accomplish this by researching and contact Anthony Churchman on n In-house workshops and innovation personal, private use the subscriber publishing news and the latest trends on [email protected]. sessions n Material creation for corporate may print this publication or move it digital change, startups and strategy, by L&D programs to a storage medium; however, this training companies in what we know, and To learn more about our training, n Team-level / department-level best publication is intended for subscribers by running campaigns to learn as much as learning and development, and practice structuring only and as such may not be redistributed n Internet-based learning options without permission. we can and drive excellence in our industry innovation workshops, again please also available forward. contact Anthony Churchman on Subscribers agree to terms and conditions [email protected]. set up on the music:)ally website, We also produce events to facilitate except where a separate contract takes precedence. has taken all international discussion, planning and For digital marketing and music:)ally music:)ally has provided online and in reasonable endeavours to ensure the networking around digital change and campaign-level services, please person learning and development to labels, validity of all items reported within this digital strategy. contact Patrick Ross at agencies and management companies document. [email protected] in over 30 countries. Our educational Clients include: Spotify, Red Bull, We do not assume, and hereby disclaim, materials and experts are available as: an any liability for loss or damage caused , Music Group, If you have a digital campaign online learning hub with over 30 certified by errors or omissions. In particular , Beggars Group, related story for sandbox, modules in: the content is not intended to be relied Facebook, Amazon, Google, Domino please contact Eamonn Forde on n In-house workshops and innovation sessions upon in making (or refraining from Recording Co, AEI, Anjuna, Songtrust, Blue [email protected] n Material creation for corporate L&D programs making) investments or other decisions. Raincoat Music, Chrysalis Records, The n Team-level / department-level best We cannot be held responsible for the practice structuring Orchard, the MMF, the BPI, Berklee College contents of any linked sites. n Internet-based learning options also of Music, BIMM and more. available

15 | sandbox ISSUE 250 15.04.2020