05 Tools WARM 06–07 Campaigns Vita Bergen, Courtney Barnett/ Kurt Vile, U2, Black Eyed Peas 08–11 Behind The Campaign- Cecilia Bartoli DECEMBER 6 2017 sandboxMUSIC MARKETING FOR THE DIGITAL ERA ISSUE 193 PLAYLISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE WHERE NEXT FOR PLAYLISTS? COVERFEATURE Playlists are the new albums/new radio [delete as applicable] and will only grow in power next year. We spoke to those building playlists and those pitching to them about how they have shifted the promotional centre of gravity for the record business and where they will move next. Is it just an Apple/Spotify duopoly? What are the other services doing to close the gap? Is the label-led playlist brand an exercise in futility? As algorithms become more refined, what will that mean for editorial playlists? And is everything going to be blown apart when smart speakers really hit the mass market? 2018 will be a critical year for the playlists and those hoping to dominate on them. f you want an indication of how labels contacted Music Ally to point out important playlists have become to the error. Imusic marketers, witness the almighty In 2018, a year in which paid streaming’s PLAYLISTEN kerfuffle at the start of November when “surge” phase of rapid growth in revenue a glitch in the Spotify system led to a and subscriber base looks set to continue, drop in follower counts for a number of the importance of playlist marketing is only the platform’s playlists. The technical going to increase, creating both dazzling WITHOUT gremlins were swiftly resolved, but not opportunities and nagging headaches for PREJUDICE before several rather nervous major marketers and DSPs alike. 1 | sandbox | ISSUE 193 | 06.12.2017 COVERFEATURE As 2017 draws to a close, sandbox spoke This has proven one of the more to label marketers, playlist experts and controversial questions around playlists in streaming platforms alike – some of whom 2017, with many labels claiming that the wished to remain anonymous – to get to big DSPs create an uneven playing field by grips with what the big playlist marketing heavily promoting their own playlists, while trends will be in 2018, from algorithmic label playlists are left to pick up the scraps. playlists to smart speaker controls. One of the things that marketers would most like to see from streaming services Will labels be pitching beyond Spotify and in 2018 is a spotlight on external playlists. Apple Music in 2018? Or will these two Whether or not that will happen is another remain the playlist kings? question. Even so, everyone we spoke The general feeling among most of the to agreed that labels should continue to people we spoke to is that the streaming service KKBOX; while René Andreasi-Bassi, Andreasi-Bassi explains. “Whereas with dedicate time to develop their playlists, albeit duopoly of Spotify and Apple Music, which head of digital marketing and promotion Spotify, Apple and Amazon, you need to send for rather different reasons. dominates in the Western world (albeit with at FUGA, says that Anghami is hugely in your pitches and they will decide. QQ and Justin Barker, director of streaming pockets of support for Deezer and Tidal), will important in the Middle East and Line Music many Chinese platforms are really open strategy at PIAS, says that label playlists are continue. is growing exponentially in Japan. The biggest to having direct pitches to a specific genre your direct route to market, a “Plan B in the “Spotify and Apple Music will continue global service, however, is China’s QQ Music, or playlist.” Andreasi-Bassi adds that the event that you don’t get editorial support to dominate but, as streaming continues whose numbers Andreasi-Bassi describes as superstar Western acts are already on from Spotify or, for emerging artists, possibly to grow, some of the smaller services will “ridiculous – they have 400m active users”. QQ , but he expects to see indie artists being before you even pitch for it”. undoubtedly grow their playlist repertoire, “They [QQ Music] have, like we have here pitched to and appearing on the service’s “There are a very limited number of too; so it makes sense to look at all DSPs in the West with the standard DSPs, a new playlists in 2018. slots on Spotify playlists and around 20,000 and all playlists, not just the big hitters,” says music space; they have genres spaces, they releases every week,” he adds. “In cold former Warner Music VP of global playlist are big on soundtracks and musicals, movie Should labels be putting more numbers that is the reality. You have to have strategy, Kieron Donoghue. music. Your pitch can be a bit more focused time and effort into their own another plan. It is dangerous just to rely on Our sources believe with those playlists and genres,” playlists in 2018? Or is it pointless? the support of DSPs.” that the service most Donoghue suggests that labels should try likely to challenge the a new tactic with their playlists. “ Instead Spotify/Apple Music of taking the blanket approach of stronghold in the West creating hundreds of playlists to is Amazon Prime Music. cover all genres/moods, I would Although most people rather laser focus on some niches think that this won’t that aren’t covered too much by happen in 2018. Spotify and fill the gaps. Spotify are On a more global scale, very much marketing their playlists as competition among streaming brands [e.g. RapCaviar], so labels should too.” services looks rather more Watson sees an opportunity for labels interesting. Lucie Watson, head to show off their tastemaker credentials of music at Platoon, mentions by using playlists. “I think smaller labels Saavn in India; X5 CEO Johan can build a genuine following from being Lagerlöf cites Claro Música in tastemakers – having a great reputation for South America and Taiwanese great music,” she says. “I personally follow 2 | sandbox | ISSUE 193 | 06.12.2017 COVERFEATURE playlists from labels and brands I admire “Since it [Release Radar] launched, getting “Spotify employs X amount of people like XL, Future Classic and Juicebox, because people to follow you on Spotify once again to do playlist editorial and they have to they consistently have good playlists. I don’t has a direct benefit,” says Barker. “You get maintain a lot of playlists,” he says. “They think it’s pointless as subscriber growth will your music in front of actual fans in a format must be super stretched across these continue next year. Now that Apple Music that’s easy for them to listen to. You will playlists. If they don’t have the time to focus have opened up their platform to have a see greater attempts by people to begin on certain genres, or perhaps when there profile with followers, I think all labels should to migrate their existing fanbase(s) from isn’t sufficient demand for Spotify itself to be making the most of this new feature and existing social media platforms – Facebook cover them, then I would like to see them should be making playlists on Apple Music.” or whatever – to Spotify.” throw their editorial credibility behind other, Deezer sees similar tastemaker appeal And how can labels do that? Baker trustworthy playlist brands that do cover in label playlists, particularly in the dance suggests three ways: they can give fans a those areas well. I would love to see genre. “One of the key projects at Deezer is gated incentive; encourage them to follow them hero playlists by users that our focus on how we present label-curated them on Spotify using more traditional are doing that really well – be they playlists in the Dance & Electronic channels marketing channels; or use a softer labels or regular people who have in particular,” says Sulinna Ong, VP of artist approach, like incorporating Spotify/ cool concepts. That makes the platform marketing at Deezer . “We wanted to streaming more into conversations with more appealing to users too, in an age where replicate the experience of crate digging in fans. they are increasingly expected to be a part of a specialist record store where you’ll often the process and are used to having their say.” search by label and so the label-curated How would marketers like to see The technical detail of the pitching playlists – updated regularly to keep them streaming services evolve their process is another area where marketers fresh – feature prominently, front and centre pitching processes for playlists? would like to see change. Lagerlöf wants on Deezer’s Dance & Electronic channels.” As you might imagine, marketers were to see “more opportunities for targeted not short of friendly advice here. Barker pitching to digital services”. “At the moment, If algorithmic playlists like Spotify’s speaks for many people in the music most pitching is focused on new frontline Release Radar are generating big streams, industry when he says that he would like music, but that is only a fraction of what what does that mean for marketers? to see the platforms “be a bit more open to is available,” he adds. Andreasi-Bassi, August 2016 saw the debut of Release other voices”. meanwhile, calls for the introduction of a Radar, a new algorithmically powered “If you make music that is a form of EDM centralised system for pitching that would customised playlist for each Spotify or hip-hop or pop, then there is a really huge save considerable amount of time and effort. user, that updates every Friday with amount of playlists to pitch for. However, “It would be really nice if there was a central new releases from artists that they have if your music is in a more niche genre, then system that you could use to manage all listened to and follow on the streaming maybe there are only one or two playlists these pitches, instead of having to fill in service.