As we all know the recording industry has been suffering ever since peer to peer file transfers reared their ugly little head. First, record labels tried to find ways to make albums more appealing. Then they tried to stop people from stealing and now they just have to embrace it and spin it into a marketing ploy. To put it simply, they don't make as much money as they used to so finding new revenue streams is their only hope. So what's a form of new media that can still generate a ton of money for music execs? Music Branding!
Music Branding - customizing the perfect sound/song for an advertisement campaign
This works because even if people download all their personal music for free, music still sells products and advertisers will always have to pay for their music. But the upfront cash from the licensing agreements isn't the only incentive. The country's obsession with new media has led to the actual discovery and promotion of several artists. Colby Caillat got a record deal because she was the most popular artist on MySpace, Feist has become a music phenomenon since her placement in the Apple iTunes commercial, and even Lifehouse got on the Billboard charts with a song written specifically for an Allstate ad.
According to Josh Rabinowitz, biweekly columnist for Billboard magazine, the Association of Music Producers (AMP) is fighting to add two new categories to the Grammy roster: best original song in a commercial and best original score in a commercial. Would this mean that the Grammys are selling out? It used to be an award show that would look down on the commercialization of music, but now it could be rewarding it.
I've personally sought out songs from different ads or brands, like Amos Lee in the AT&T commercial or CSS in the iPod commerical. I guess it can be an art form if done correctly, so why not reward the people who bring it all together?
2 comments:
Sorry to break the news to you, but the grammys sold out a long time ago. So no I have no problem with adding a commercial category.
I know, I generally avoid all music award shows except for CMAs because they only manage to enrage me. But in light of the industry's recent obsession with singer-songwriters, I allowed myself to watch the Grammys for the first time in years and it wasn't all that bad. And the commercial categories could rejuvenate the Grammys and keep them current with the recent changes in the industry.
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