05 Tools Interlude 06-07 Campaigns TLC, Trevor Jackson, Beatie Wolf, Fall Out Boy 08-10 Behind The Campaign The Vamps JANUARY 28 2015 sandboxMUSIC MARKETING FOR THE DIGITAL ERA ISSUE 125 RICH’LI$T HOW PLAYLISTS ARE RESHAPING MARKETING COVERFEATURE Playlists were mainly used, in the early days of Spotify, to hook in users or – to deploy the eloquent phraseology of investor Sean Parker – grab them “by the balls”. But with streaming’s inclusion in the charts in numerous markets, playlists offer a marketing channel that is growing in power at a rate of knots. We speak to those placing hefty bets on the sector about what works, what doesn’t work, how they can make careers and where they need to evolve next. RICH ’LI$T HOW PLAYLISTS ARE RESHAPING MARKETING “ laylists,” George Ergatoudis (head of on Spotify. Even before that deal went music, BBC Radio 1) tweeted back through, all three major labels operated Pin July 2014, “are the future.” He their own sub-brands for promoting continued, “Make no mistake. With very playlists on streaming services, in the few exceptions, albums are edging closer form of Playlistme (WMG), Filtr (Sony) to extinction.” and Digster (Universal), while numerous Playlists, of course, had been on playlists from indie labels such as 4AD and the music marketing agenda for some Domino were to be found on Spotify et al. time, largely thanks to their popularity “We’ve certainly seen a shift in in Scandinavia. But this was gears when it comes to playlists being the moment they really went considered as a key part of the marketing mainstream, prompting an mix,” Playlists.net CEO Kieron Donoghue avalanche of think pieces on the explains, mulling over the past year. death of the album and the rise of “For example at Warner Music, our this new musical format. global playlist brand is now Topsify Clearly, though, [Playlists.net Ergatoudis was bought a collection not alone in his of Spotify playlists thoughts. In October curated by 2014, Warner Music Topsify in January bought British 2014] and we’re startup Playlists.net, in the process of which aggregates rolling this out and recommends to all territories playlists created that we operate in 2 | sandbox | ISSUE 125 | 28.01.15 COVERFEATURE and where Spotify also has a presence. an early boost in April 2013 when Sean It’s a very important part of the global Parker added it to his popular Hipster marketing mix for us, especially as we’re International playlist, which at the time seeing strong growth in streaming. So had more than 800,000 subscribers. we’re investing in that area.” “The moment Lorde’s ‘Royals’ was added to Sean Parker’s popular Kill ‘list: what makes Hipster International playlist on Spotify, a playlist fly or fail? we saw an immediate reaction around the world,” Lava Records CEO Jason Flom told Matt Allard, Universal Music UK’s head of Forbes. “Six days later, ‘Royals’ debuted streaming, says, “We have put a fair bit of on the Spotify Viral Chart. The plays just effort into to creating credible playlists, kept growing as word of the track spread trying to become a trusted source of across their network.” recommendation, to help to drive music Will Tompsett, 4AD’s head of online discovery. Playlists aren’t necessarily a curated playlist with a clear context and towards sales figures in most territories.” communications, says, “Lorde is always new format but they are a good starting good mix of music builds over time and What’s more, this effect is not just referenced [in terms of playlists breaking point and discovery tool.” increases in importance to break new limited to one country, with the biggest an act], but there are plenty more In fact, so big has the shift towards artists,” he says. playlists helping new artists to break on examples that feed into wider promo and playlists been in the UK music industry “Professionally curated playlists an international level, as Spotify’s Will exposure. For us [4AD], Future Islands that Donoghue believes the UK has are normally created with a very clear Hope explains. topped the Viral 50 chart following the largely caught up with Scandinavia – context and mood in mind,” Lagerlöf adds. “ A lot of our more popular release of ‘Seasons (Waiting On You)’, with the exception of the above-the-line “Professionally curated playlists can also playlists are popular on a global which definitely helped to contribute to marketing for playlists (for example on be updated and do not get old or out of level,” he says. “So suddenly you the immense buzz around the new record public transport and TV) that has become date. They increase in popularity over have a marketing campaign and their live performances, building relatively common in Sweden. time.” developing in other countries momentum into the album and building So what makes a good playlist? Spotify This last point brings two important without having to spend a follower base on the service.” (The director of label relations, EU and ANZ, advantages: firstly playlists can be kept anything band’s appearance on Letterman Will Hope says that it is important to fresh, whereas albums remain largely to get that artist into that and the subsequent sharing of the distinguish between “lean back” playlists – static (even with the current trend market. ” YouTube clip arguably, however, did those designed for radio-style background for deluxe and anniversary editions). As a recent example of this, he cites most of the heavy lifting at the start.) listening – and “lean to” playlists, where Secondly, playlists can be used to break Welsh/French pop folk band Shake Clearly, the reach of the playlist where the focus is on active listening and new acts, with artists benefitting from Shake Go , who he says have been your artist figures is important. So too introducing new talent. “What we often massive exposure when added to a well- building international attention thanks is the positioning of your track on that advise labels to do is think of established list, which then builds as other to Spotify playlists, with France being the playlist, with the earlier obviously being what type of consumers this playlisters adopt the track. first territory to pick up on the act. the better. Indeed, so important is the #1 [playlist] is for and what they Donoghue says, “If a track is seeded in a playlist slot that Sandbox understands want to use it for ,” he explains. lot of high follower count playlists then the Check ‘list: the career- there can be significant jockeying between Johan Lagerlöf, CEO of Sweden’s X5 viral effect of people listening to the song, changing power of a playlist label heads within the majors for their Music Group, identifies two key skills as well as seeding it in their own playlists, tracks to kick off record company playlists. in curating playlists: creating the right can help to place a track in viral charts The most famous example of this The other side of the coin is that no one context and keeping your playlists and then, ultimately, the official charts phenomenon, however, is probably Lorde: wants their tracks to go last on a playlist regularly updated. “A good, professionally – especially now that streaming counts her breakthrough track ‘Royals’ received and risk them being ignored by the “tl; 3 | sandbox | ISSUE 125 | 28.01.15 COVERFEATURE dr” generation with their short attention spans. This means that playlisters should shrug off the temptation to cram every last song onto their playlists: Donoghue AVICII... PLAYLIST PIONEER says that between 40 and 50 tracks is “the sweet spot”. With all this in mind, it is little surprise that labels are throwing their weight behind their own playlist operations. Tompsett says that playlists, as well as promoting acts, can help express the personality and voice of a label. Despite this, Tompsett says that artist playlists are “definitely” the most successful – “which is no surprise as fan conversion rate to artists online is always a lot faster and bigger than that for labels”. “We curate playlists as a label, like we do on other services too, and have a lot of fun trend. And while labels may have the just choose your music provider – Spotify, doing them,” he explains. “But like social slight disadvantage here of being obliged YouTube, Deezer etc. – and then add and media we appeal to a more niche audience to favour their own artists (although most listen,” he explains. “In this way it will be and it takes us longer to build an audience.” label playlists do feature music from other easier for media companies, labels and Avicii is not just a globe-straddling EDM star who’s disquietingly sources), their access to music and artists artists to market the playlists on the fond of the odd banjo; he’s also something of a pioneer in the Bucket ‘list: where next for should set them apart, with premiering internet, as the user does not need to have use of Spotify playlists to premiere his music. the humble playlist? new tracks on label playlists likely to a certain music service provider. The same In 2013, the Swede announced to his Spotify playlist become more prevalent as playlists grow playlist works for all of them.” followers that he would be premiering tracks from his debut For the moment, then, playlists are largely in influence. The next few months should be album, True, via the playlist, with his followers receiving mobile dominated by labels, streaming services Leo Nascimento, MD of Deezer Spain, fascinating for playlists, then, as the wider alerts as new songs arrived.