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Artist of the Week: Zach Braff and "Wish I Was Here"

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:41:41 -0700

When Zach Braff, the acclaimed actor/director of indie classic “Garden State,” initiated a Kickstarter campaign to help fund his next film “Wish I Was Here,” it generated no shortage of attention.

But with the campaign scheduled to end on May 23, the project now needs a new place to live outside of the Kickstarter universe and a new way to engage fans and keep them updated on the progress of the movie. And for that, Braff and team turned to Topspin.

This weekend, Braff added a free song to the movie’s website, WishIWasHereMovie.com, using Topspin’s email-for-media software and design by 2Anchors and the Topspin Creative Services Team. Fans submitting their email will be able to download the movie’s title song “Wish I was Here,” by longtime Braff collaborator the Cary Brothers. The band’s music was featured on the platinum-selling Garden State soundtrack, and this latest song was also used in the Kickstarter video.

Until the 23rd, fans entering their email address and collecting their download will be forwarded to the Kickstarter page where they can donate to the cause. Once the campaign ends, fans can continue to register their email, download the song, and share it with others freely.

This is an important step to keep the momentum gained through the Kickstarter campaign going as the film progresses, and illustrates just how direct-to-fan and crowdfunding tactics can complement each other.

The “Wish I Was Here” Kickstarter effort achieved two goals. First, it helped raise the money needed to make Braff’s vision a reality. He raised $2.6 million from more than 35,000 fans participating in the campaign, an amazing response that’s indicative of how large and loyal Braff’s fanbase is. Second, it generated an avalanche of awareness through the decision to use Kickstarter in the first place, the controversy surrounding that move, and of course the fact that a sequel to a popular film is now in the works.

And while 35,000-plus fans participating in the Kickstarter campaign is a fantastic turnout, there are likely far more fans interested in the project who would like to receive updates on its progress along the way, but who were unwilling or unable to help fund it. The email-for-media form now gives Braff and fans a way to stay in touch as production on the film progresses.

Collecting emails in exchange for a song-download is a great way to expand this artist-to-fan interaction, and Braff seems to be very focused on providing a great experience for fans who want to go along for the ride as he makes the movie. The crowdfunding effort with Kickstarter attracted the most committed fans, and now Topspin in powering the effort to engage the next tier of fans through direct-to-fan communication.

It just goes to show how artists today have many tools available to them to engage fans. And while the press may like to pit these tools against each other in a competitive way, the truth is these are complementary, interoperable features that ultimately serve to benefit both artists and their fans.

Free Music Friday: Gilbere Forté, Local Natives, Tiesto & Crystal Fighters

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:53:00 -0700

Happy Friday! Check out some of the rad free music that’s come out through Topspin this week:

Gilbere Forté - PRAY

Philadelphia MC Gilbere Forté is giving away his newest mixtape, “Pray” for free on his website. It’s intelligent, thought-provoking, well-crafted hip hop. Don’t sleep on his this guy.

Local Natives - Breakers

Head over to Local Native’s website and sign up for their mailing list in exchange for a free download of their new hit song “Breakers”. Their new album “Hummingbird” is already getting great reviews and is here just in time for Summer.

Tiesto - Club Life 3 Minimix

This Tiesto mini-mix runs the gamut from Testio’s stadium anthems to Tiesto’s stadium anthems - a perfect companion to this 7-minute, high intensity interval training workout.

Crystal Fighters - Cave Rave*

Crystal Fighters are throwing a party and you’re invited! The band has announced a very special performance to take place on August 29th in celebration of their second album “Cave Rave”, due for release on May 27th. The band will play a show in a cave in the Basque countryside outside Pamplona, Navarre. Crystal Fighters will perform live with special guests, and the party will continue through to the following morning. To coincide with this announcement, the band have unveiled another brand new track from their forthcoming album, ‘LA Calling’ available now for stream on their website!

*Not music, but if you live near the Basque Country go check out the Cave Rave!

By Reed Farrer (@reedfarrer)

Artist of the Week: erpb Films & Upstream Color

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:01:26 -0700

Upstream Color is the newest film by writer and director Shane Curruth currently, being distributed by erbp Films. The film, in which “a man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism” is being distributed in basically every format possible, and Topspin is helping on the backend.

If you want to watch the movie there are actually twelve different ways to see it: the options range from going to a theater, to buying it in a brick and mortar store, to buying it on iTunes, to streaming or downloading a DRM free copy via VHX.

erbp approached Topspin with a specific need: they wanted to sell bundles that included both physical products and a streaming copy of the film through a single buy button. This wasn’t something natively supported by Topspin, VHX, or anyone other service, but the Creative Services team at Topspin was up to the challenge.

Without boring you with details (trust me, it involves the technicalities of API Callbacks), Topspin and VHX developed a bespoke system to fit erpb films’ needs. Simply put, when you buy a package with both a physical product and a stream, Topspin’s servers automatically notify VHX’s servers and you get a receipt for your physical product and an email from VHX with information on how to access your download or stream.You can download an HD copy to watch in bed on your laptop that night while you wait for the DVD to arrive in the mail – we really are in the golden age of media consumption!

Although this is a unique project and feature that most people don’t need in their own direct to fan campaign, we were happy to work with erpb and VHX to push the platform and meet their needs at the same time.

GoDirect update: Tip Jars and multiple account admins

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:06:31 -0700

We just introduced two awesome new features to the GoDirect platform: an embeddable tip jar that lets fans send money directly to their favorite artists from anywhere on the web, and an admin tool allowing artists to invite additional users to join and co-manage their accounts.

Tip Jar
With the release of Tip Jar, every artist can now accept tips directly from their fans via GoDirect product pages, MTV artist pages, and anywhere else their tip jar is embedded around the web. Tip jars are free to all GoDirect users and are automatically activated upon creating an account.

Fans may tip any amount they’d like (starting at 99 cents), and tipping is made fast and easy by our integrated Amazon checkout. Even better, we’ve made artist tip jars available through our powerful ArtistLink API, meaning app builders around the web can now seamlessly integrate tip jars into their services. If collecting tips isn’t your style, don’t sweat it - we’ve added a simple “on/off” switch allowing you to activate/deactivate your tip jar at any time.

Multiple administrators for artist accounts
You asked - we delivered! GoDirect account users can now invite any number of team members (bandmates, managers, marketers, etc) to join and co-manage their accounts. The ability to create multiple logins for a single artist account has been a popular request from our users, so we’re stoked to see it built and ready to rock. Want to give it a try? Log in now, click “My Account”, and open your “Admins” settings. Every account has one primary user called an “owner” (the user who started the account). An owner may invite or delete any number of additional admins as needed, and may transfer his/her ownership to another account admin at any time.

Keep the great suggestions coming - we love building features our artists want and need!

Cheers,
Dave Widaman
(@davewidaman)

Free Music Friday: We Are The City, Kelis, Wrong (OST)

Fri, 10 May 2013 11:09:50 -0700

You made it through another week, so sit down with some free music to start your weekend off right. This Friday we’re pulling from around the world (well, USA, Canada, and France) and across genres (Rock, Rap, Electro) - so sit back and get your jam on.

Chris Carlson (@CLCmusic)

We Are The City

We Are The City have a new album coming out June 4th - sign up for their mailing list, and download “Baptism” from the forthcoming album Violent. Great for fans of: crooning harmonies, soaring guitars, and blasting music while driving fast. Their website is also a great example of how customizable our Bleach widget is - they’ve seamlessly integrated it into a custom email submission form - awesome!

Kelis

Kelis is back with a new album in September, and she’s bringing way more than Milkshakes. “Jerk Ribs” is the new single off the forthcoming FOOD - it’s produced by TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek and features a raucous horn section along with Keils’s signature soulful singing.

Wrong (OST)

Wrong is the new movie by French Director Quentin Dupieux. Not only does he make some amazing absurdist films (his last, “Rubber” revolved around homicidal actions of a psychotic tire), he also turns around and scores them under his electro moniker Mr. Oizo with the help of some amazing musician friends. Check out two songs from the soundtrack, both by Mr. Oizo & Tahiti Boy; one is perfect for the dance floor and the other is perfect for a Sunday pool party.

Best Practices: The YouTube Annotations Recipe Book

Thu, 09 May 2013 17:35:08 -0700

YouTube has been called the “biggest music service in the world” due to the way many fans use it to stream and discover music for free. Topspin has put together the following Recipe Book showcasing how artists can link their YouTube videos to their Topspin Spinshop stores to use this attention to sell music, merch, tickets and more. It includes details on the opportunity, implementation tips, and a technical how-to. Download the full doc here.

Artist of the Week: You Am I

Tue, 07 May 2013 09:03:00 -0700

Australian rock band You Am I are familiar faces around here. They first chose Topspin to run the direct-to-fan campaign for their 2010 self-titled album and subsequent tour. Now, they’re back again with another campaign supporting their “Hi Fi Daily Double” tour, in which they perform several of their reissued older albums in their entirety.

What’s interesting about this is how their direct-to-fan approach has evolved from campaign to campaign. Both used Topspin software to sell records, tickets, and reach fans with innovative product bundles. But this time around the band is offering their fans even more—three different exclusive packages, as opposed to just one.

This new tack lets serious fans choose the degree of their involvement based on how much they are willing to invest into something exclusive, rather than having just one option. And it pays off. The new, multi-tier option has resulted in a 123% increase in sales over the last campaign.

The 2010 campaign was a textbook direct-to-fan effort. They presented fans with several options from their website, all linking to a Topspin Spinshop, which consisted of:

a combination of products, including a tote bag, multiformat album (vinyl, cd, digital), and tickets to their tour.
bundled packages, including: a vinyl + digital download package; a ticket + preorder of the digital album; and a ticket + unreleased track digital download and a pick pack
an exclusive package that included their new album, a ticket to one of their shows, and the chance to have a pre-dressing room drink with the band.

The current campaign builds on these elements, but is more sophisticated in terms of product selection, pricing strategy and fan segmentation. The offer is broken down into three tiers, priced at $350, $200 and $150, respectively.

The most expensive pack is “The 2013 GBTFloU Pack.”

It includes:

a general admission ticket to a show
a 45 minute meet and greet where you can have a drink with the band backstage before the show
a limited edition 7” vinyl single (only available with these packs)
a You Am I watch
signed deluxe reissues of albums Sound As Ever, Hi Fi Way, and Hourly, Daily
a 32-page glossy full color commemorative tour program
additional items like a You am I footy scarf, guitar picks, stubby cooler, and stickers.

Next is the “The Fan Pack” bundle

It includes:

a ticket to one of their shows
a limited edition 7” vinyl single
signed deluxe reissues of albums Sound As Ever, Hi Fi Way, and Hourly, Daily
a 32 page glossy full colour commemorative tour program
a You Am I footy scarf

And finally “The Foreigners Pack” bundle

It includes:

a limited edition 7” vinyl
signed deluxe reissues of albums Sound As Ever, Hi Fi Way, and Hourly, Daily
a 32 page glossy full colour commemorative tour program
a You Am I footy scarf.

What’s particularly interesting about all of this is that You Am I is a fully self-service band, meaning they’re handling their own inventory, warehouse and fulfillment. That’s about as hands-on as you can get.

By Reed Farrer (@reedfarrer)

Infographic: SEO for Music Websites

Mon, 06 May 2013 14:31:32 -0700

Our friends at digitalmusic.org, a division of NARM which is holding their annual MusicBiz convention this week, today released an infographic counseling artists on how to best optimize their websites for search engine discovery.

Titled “Search Engine Optimization for Music Websites,” the infographic explains how search engines like Google and Bing work, and offers tips on site design, structure and content to best navigate those systems and get better search engine “hits.”

“Whether you’re an up-and-coming band, an established record label, or any other company in the music business, it’s critically important that people be able to find you quickly and easily, and chances are they are going to use a search engine to do it,” said Bill Wilson, VP of Digital Strategy and Business Development for NARM/digitalmusic.org.

Check out the infographic after the jump, or view the larger image on digitalmusic.org’s website.

Free Music Fridays: The Pixies, Amon Tobin, & Tricky

Fri, 03 May 2013 11:56:00 -0700

Happy Friday! Bring on the weekend with some free music from rock god’s The Pixies, electronic whiz Amon Tobin & OG trip hopper Tricky.

Chris Carlson (@CLCmusic)

The Pixies

The Pixies are sharing 4 songs from their 2004 Coachella performance (from back when the festival was two days, not two weekends!). If you like what you hear you can purchase the entire show from their website.

Amon Tobin

Head over to Tricky’s website for a free download of his new single, “Nothing’s Changed.” With Francesca Belmonte on vocals, this beautiful tune is sure to set the mood. Oh - and did I mention he was in The Fifth Element?

Best Practices: 'Send to Dropbox' with GoDirect

Thu, 02 May 2013 09:55:49 -0700

In a world where mobile is king, it’s crucial for artists to give fans the ability to interact with digital content as soon as it’s discovered. Unfortunately, not all mobile devices can handle file downloads as elegantly as their desktop counterparts.

This is where Dropbox fits in. With over 100 million users across a variety of operating systems using its mobile-ready file storage solution, Dropbox has proven itself as a staple of the modern cloud experience. For this reason, Topspin has integrated Dropbox into our GoDirect interface so artists can deliver new music directly to their fans’ mobile phones with little effort.

This integration solves the problems of mobile accessibility and media portability by allowing fans to have content delivered directly to their Dropbox account. Once the content reaches the Dropbox account, it is immediately available across any other Dropbox-synced device the fan owns.

Check out how easy is is for fans to download and engage your content with GoDirect and Dropbox on a mobile device.

Dropbox Compatable Audio Apps

Fans also have the option of playing media straight from the Dropbox app, or use any of the many multimedia apps and websites in the Dropbox ecosystem, which include:

TuneBox (iOS)
Droptunes (iOS, Mobile + Desktop Web App)
Audiobox (iOS, Android, Web App)
Notebox (iOS)
BoxyTunes (iOS)
DropBox Audio Player (Chrome Extension)

by Brian Moore (@briantmoore)

Required Reading: Phish-y Business, Quantifying Disruption, Rethinking Retail, D2C Journalism, Manufacturing Rebooted

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:29:00 -0700

Going direct-to-fan takes more than a website and an e-commerce store. It takes strategy, planning, and information. Below are a few stories we think are helpful for all three, as the latest installment of the semi-regular Required Reading column. Enjoy.

Compiled by Brad Barrish (@bradbarrish)

The Business of Phish (Priceonomics blog)
For an “unpopular” band, Phish sure makes a ton of money. They’ve been jamming for thirty years and have raked in over a quarter BILLION dollars.

What Everyone Needs To Know About Disruption (Intercom blog)
More than just a buzzword, disruption is something you can actually quantify and the fine folks at Intercom dig in to what it means and what it looks like.

Next-Gen Retail? Hointer, Bonobos, And Dollar Shave Club (Forbes)
As consumers increasingly shop for more stuff online, retailers are forced to not only rethink how they appeal to customers, but how to use their precious and expensive real estate more effectively.

Inside Andrew Sullivan’s Attempt To Turn The Digital Media Business Model On Its Head (Business Insider)
Andrew Sullivan is the poster child for direct-to-consumer journalism. Is it working and is it sustainable?

How the Internet Is Bankrolling the World’s Best Hoodies — And Rebooting U.S. Manufacturing (Wired)
Direct-To-Consumer is increasingly spreading outside of music and film and into fashion. This is the story of how American Giant are indicative of the future of fashion, and in this case hoodies.

Artist of the Week: Pretty Lights

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:52:00 -0700

One of Topspin’s most powerful features is the ability to bundle merchandise into packages, which can be sold to reach fans at multiple price points. For a fantastic example of what great bundles look like, see the pre-order campaign for Pretty Lights’ new album A Color Map of the Sun.

Although Pretty Lights had a team of managers and digital marketers to make this campaign happen, anyone can make their own campaigns more effective using the following strategies:

Start at Free
The digital version of A Color Map of the Sun will be available free on July 2^nd. The single “Around The Block” is free to download now in exchange for an email. This free tier is critical to Pretty Lights growing his email list: the centerpiece of any direct-to-fan focused artist. But there are paths to payment as well. The physical CD or vinyl carries a price. And anyone who pre-orders the album will receive it before the official release date… a nice incentive for fans to pay.

“It was a collaborative effort,” said Mike Fiebach from Fame House. “The artist working with us and working with management (Randy Reed and Adam Foley at Red Light), and the label manager (Kevin Wortis at Girlie Action). Everyone put their heads together to figure out what we want to offer the fans and making sure everything lines up with [Pretty Lights’] philosophy; essential that means giving the fans as much as possible.”

A Package for Every Price

The Pretty Lights page has 12 offers, ranging from a $5 digital download, to a $180 bundle with signed LP, CD, T-shirt, USB key, pin, and bag. The other offers are in $5 and $10 increments, hitting a wide range of price points, which gives fans both flexibility and options to get involved at the level they’re most interested in and comfortable with.

“We figured out what was the highest amount of money we wanted to charge people, and then worked our way from the bottom up & make sure at every point there’s an offer to buy,” said Mike. “And it works, because some people just want the vinyl, some just want the CD, and some just want to spend $60.”

Sell More than Music

While every bundle includes a copy of the album, it’s the extra content that really make these bundles special. Every paid bundle includes three bonus tracks and 13 live studio sessions, the CD and LP have a 26 page hard-cover photo book, and the USB drive includes a music video for every song on the album as well as the entire Pretty Lights back catalog.

“To make this thing to work, its all about having all the pieces put together,” said Mike, “making sure you can test as much as possible leading in to the launch.”

Product Shots are Priceless
If you’re taking the time to create different bundles, make sure you take the time to get some beautiful product shots for each one. Not everyone has access to a professional photo studio, but even doing little things like erasing the background brings focus to the products and makes for a better looking page.

A strong product bundle strategy is great for both artists and fans. The artist can increase revenue by selling premium packages alongside more traditional offers. And fans who purchase these offers are able to choose from a variety of options, engage more with the artist’s work, and receive some great merchandise in return.

According to Mike, the key to a successful bundling offer is properly communicating it to fans.

“It’s not just about the landing page,” he says. “Its not just about email or social media, its about pulling all of these assets together and utilizing each piece in its own way to its optimal effect…if we had just put up a landing page I don’t think we would’ve gotten nearly as much traffic as we did.”

By Dick Fink (@dickfink)

Free Music Fridays: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, ATO Records, Chain Swangaz

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:19:20 -0700

The free music just keeps coming here at Topspin. Hop on some artists’ mailing lists and enjoy some new sounds!

Chris Carlson (@CLCmusic)

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

If you like guitars, you’ll like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - and if you don’t like guitars, download their EP “Let The Day Begin” and you’ll learn to like guitars. Also, their website turns your computer into an awesome reel-to-reel player.

ATO Records

This one is a serious score. ATO Records is giving away a 16-song sampler with songs from My Morning Jacket, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Primus and the rest of their roster. You definitely want to be on this label’s mailing list; click “Download Now” in the player above to go do the deal.

Chain Swangaz

We’re happy to see Dirt Nasty back at it on the Topspin platform. This time, he has teamed up with Jack Splash for Chain Swangaz. They are giving away their EP for free on their website where you can learn more, if you dare.

Best Practices: Standout Ways to Package Your Music

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:43:00 -0700

One of the best aspects of direct-to-fan is that it gives artists an unlimited number of formats, products and other creative ways to engage their fans. On the surface, it may just look like product packaging. But when the artist is directly involved it can be much more. The packaging itself can become part of the creative process, and in doing so not only make the product more valuable, but ultimately create a new window into artists’ creative process, and connect even more deeply with their fans.

I should admit up front that I’m a FAB addict, a House Industries supporter and a NOTCOT.com drooler. In other words, I love creative and thoughtful design. And in my years at Topspin, I’ve seen some truly standout presentations of music. Here are some patterns and trends I’ve noticed that I found particularly inspiring, and hopefully will inspire you as well.

Beautiful album artwork is an instant head start

VICE Records launched one of my favorite limited edition packages on Topspin with TORCHE Harmonicraft. We’ve seen rad colored vinyl and skate decks before, but the original album artwork here really amps up this collection. The effect of the clear vinyl over the colored slipmat is awesome.

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30 Seconds to Mars created a modern masterpiece with their Damien Hirst-inspired Super Super Deluxe Box Set, on sale now through Jared Leto’s The Hive. Check out the multiple components that, although different in format and image, all adhere to a common theme so they wind up working together rather than clashing.

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Finally, there’s this wonderfully unique packaging concept from Ramona Falls’ last album Prophet, that takes the seemingly mundane CD booklet and reimagines it into an interactive work of art. Just watch the video from Brent Knopf to see what I mean…

Make it personal – and get your hands dirty

Remember when you made mixtapes for your best friends, and spent all that time lovingly making the covers? Some artists are putting in that kind of love and time for their fans.

With Circa Survive’s first self-release, Violent Waves, the band created eleven handwritten lyric box sets (with only one available for each song) and 100 vinyl editions that included sleeves hand-painted by band members. The preorder has ended and the limited editions are sold out, but you can watch video of the vinyl sleeve handpainting from their website.

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We’ve all heard about Amanda Palmer’s amazing Kickstarter project. But with so much focus on the total she raised, it’s easy to miss the details of what she made available. See for instance these painted record tables as part of her rewards for Theatre is Evil.

Think outside the box (set)

We’re all about custom bundles here at Topspin, and we we love it when artists surprise us with something innovative.

Take for instance Nicolas Jaar’s amazing “Prism” box offer, which was powered by Topspin but conceived completely by Jaar’s team. The first run sold out quickly, and was the focus of a Rolling Stone article for its forward-looking concept.

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SONOIO released his (incredible!) album on Topspin and included 200 special synthesizers he built himself called SuONOIO. Seriously, Alessandro built synthesizers and mailed them to fans. And they were beautiful.

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When Tegan and Sara ran their pretty cool Heartthrob preorder, they could have let label Warner Brothers do all the heavy lifting. But you can tell the artists had a lot to do with the packaging, including a Teenbeat-type zine, exclusive necklace and a girly set of custom colored pencils with the album’s song names embossed on them.

These are just a few of the many examples of creative work I’ve seen released lately. What makes each unique and special is that the concept comes directly from the artist, and is designed as an authentic glimpse into their art and/or relationship with fans. Hopefully, seeing these will inspire other artists to think differently about their packaging as well.

Now, I need to go find a place to put all this stuff!

by Nicole St. Jean (@stnic)

Topspin in the News: Fuse.TV Covers D2F Ticketing

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:24:00 -0700

Topspin was featured in a segment on Fuse.tv this week, focusing on how artists can and are going the direct-to-fan route for concert ticketing. The piece begins with a reference to a Pixies concert in November 2011 in LA, for which the band used Topspin to sell and distribute tickets to fans.

Among the highlights of that case study:

Fans saved an average of $12 per ticket due to the lack of surgcharges and extra ticket fees
Tickets to the event sold out in an hour
The Pixies raked in $60k in sales

The segment also features interviews with Pixies manager Richard Jones, Topspin’s VP of Product and Marketing Bob Moczydlowsky, and fans. Check it out below:

Artist of the Week: The Source Family

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:09:00 -0700

Topspin’s Creative Services worked with filmmakers Jodi Wille and Maria Demopoulos to create a fan acquisition experience as unique as their film, The Source Family.

The film documents the story of the 1970’s counter-culture commune led by Father Yod in the Hollywood Hills. But it’s more than just a film. The commune also formed a psychedelic rock band, which makes the documentary part music video as well. As a result, the marketing for this project incorporates tactics we’ve seen used by both filmmakers and musicians alike.

In anticipation of the film’s direct to fan release, the filmmakers have made available music, rare meditation tapes, and exclusive footage from the family as a free download in exchange for an email address. Specifically, it includes:

An alternate opening for The Source Family documentary featuring family home movies that don’t exist in the final film.
Two music tracks released between 1973-74 through the Source Family’s limited-run private Higher Key label: “I Can Read Your Mind” off the album All or Nothing at All by family band Father Yod and the Spirit of 76; and “Two” from the record I’m Gonna Take You Home by Ya Ho Wa 13
Two selections from Father Yod’s morning meditation classes on the nature of the soul vs. the “animal” in man and the mystical powers and proper use of the “sacred herb.”

Going further, the site also encourages fans of either the family or the film to share their own Source Family photos on Instagram with the tag #thesourcefamily, the result of which is a living collection of memories and experiences from family members, the filmmakers, and fans. Check ‘em out:

Visit: http://thesourcedoc.com/yahowha/ to see how it all came together. And take a look at the trailer for the film below.

Brian Moore (@briantmoore)

Free Music Friday, UK Edition: Little Boots, Frank Turner, Madness

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 07:54:00 -0700

Today’s Free Music Friday post features three acts hailing from the UK. Enjoy!

Chris Carlson (@CLCmusic)

Little Boots

Little Boots has a new album, “Nocturnes” out on May 5th - this is the single “Motorway” and you can preorder the album on the band’s website, too.

Frank Turner

Frank Turner’s “Four Simple Words” spends the first minute and a half gently teaching the listener the phrase “I want to dance”, before exploding in a rollocking, guitar-solo filled anthem. Download the song, and pre-order his new album “Tape Deck Heart”, in stores April 23rd.

Madness

You probably know Madness for their 80’s hit “Our House” - but they were making music long before that and have kept at it. Download a song from their 10th album “Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da.” Yup, that translates to “Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes”.

Stats on the Topspin, Artists.MTV Platform

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:37:00 -0700

Yesterday, Topspin announced an expansion of our partnership with MTV that allows artists with profiles on the Artists.MTV platform to submit their music for consideration for placement on MTV’s various TV, online and live properties.

Several news outlets picked up the story, and from those articles some interesting stats surfaced that we wanted to share.

Hypebot posted an interview with MTV’s SVP of Music Strategy Shannon Connolly, who related the following information on the hub’s traffic:

Combined sites drive 2 million visitors per month.
Those visitors spend an average of 4 minutes on the site.
Activity includes not just watching videos, but crosslinking to other, similar artists that share various characteristics (such as common hometown, or stage of career).

Additionally, Fast Company spoke w/ MTV Networks Group president Van Toffler, who said that more than 100 bands a day claim their own page on the platform. He also shared results from two sample bands that claimed their Artists.MTV pages:

Chris Woltman, manager for Twenty One Pilots, reports that since early January, the band has sold nearly 50,000 albums and singles, has experienced a 16% uptick in album sales during the campaign cycle.
Robert DeLong saw his total track sales increase by 30%, while Twitter chatter grew 111% and Facebook fans increased by 20%.

We’d love to hear from any other artists using the platform and hearing how its helped their careers. If you have stories to share, drop us a line!

by Antony Bruno (@AntonyNBruno)

Best Practices: How to Turn a Leak into an Opportunity

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 07:07:00 -0700

Months of work, planning, and anticipation around an album launch strategy can easily be dashed to pieces in the event of a leak. Today’s Internet moves at a lightning pace, and leaked albums spread quickly among fans, critics and the just plain curious.

The biggest challenge with leaks is that they can’t be stopped. Once a leaked album is out, it stays out. So the only recourse artists have is to react in the best way possible, and try to turn that leak into an opportunity. In many cases, streaming is the answer.

Tyler the Creator Wolf

Originally set for an April 2 release, the album leaked late last month. In response, Tyler put the entire album up for streaming on his site four days before the official street date, for free. The concept here is that since eager fans can simply download the leaked album (and many will for the opportunity to hear the new music ASAP), providing an “official” listening party of sorts at least allows the artist to control the interaction. In Tyler’s case, he used the streaming to draw attention to the other products available around the album, such as a Topspin-powered bundle that include the CD, a pair of OFWG socks, presale tickets to upcoming shows, and more.

Feist Metals

Feist used Topspin to turn a disappointment into an opportunity, by allowing fans to stream the leaked record in exchange for an email. Much as been written about Topspin’s “email-for-music” widgets, which predominately involved offering a track download in return for the email. But major label artists are less free to just give away music, so to do the same for a streamed file is an easier tactic. And for Feist, it worked like a charm. The album received critical acclaim, and despite the leak debuted in the Billboard top 10 (her first U.S. top 10 charting album).

Blake Shelton and Hank Williams Jr also used Topspin to engage their audience and foster direct connections with fans, setting up email-for-streaming players and listening rooms where fans could listen to the record ahead of the release date.

Though leaked albums have become a regular occurrence in the industry, these musicians have shown that all is not lost, and the event can be transformed into a huge opportunity for fan engagement. Because of this, every musician should have a plan-B in the case that their work should unexpectedly become available for free.

-by Nic Chang (@nic_hsc)

MTV + Topspin launch Artist Opportunities

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:51:00 -0700

Today, MTV announced the launch of a new platform designed to help artists submit their music for consideration across all its TV, online, and live channels, and Topspin is proud to provide the underlying technology.

This artist opportunities hub is an expansion of our deep partnership with MTV, which began last year. Through it, any artist who claims their page on Artists.MTV, Artists.VH1, or Artists.CMT can also opt into having their music placed into consideration for being showcased across MTV’s various properties.

This includes:

Music videos on MTV, VH1, CMT, MTV Hits, MTV Jams, VH1 Soul, CMT Pure and Palladia. MTV’s programming staff will monitor fan engagement on each artist’s page to evaluate potential placement.
Editorial coverage on MTV’s various outlets like Buzzworthy, Hive, EMT Edge, VH1 Tuner and more.
Booking for live events that MTV is involved in, such as the Hangout Music Fest and Hunter Hayes upcoming concert this June.

There are also opportunities to submit music for the soundtrack of specific shows, and in the future we’ll add brand and advertising partnerships, mobile tools, and other enhancements.

With programming reaching 100 million households, 165 million online fans, and accounting for over 100 hours of music videos aired every single day, MTV/VH1/CMT are opening the gates to an ocean of new fans.

Like our initial partnership with MTV, this artists opportunity hub is a direct reflection of the direction Topspin is taking to help artists both establish and manage their careers. Topspin has always been passionate about helping artists connect directly with their fans. Our tools have converted millions of listeners into mailing list subscribers, social media followers, and loyal customers for our artists.

Yet, for many up-and-coming acts, connecting with existing fans is only half the battle. One of the most frequently asked questions we receive from emerging artists is “How does Topspin help me gain more exposure and get my name out there?” This is one of the many ways we’re responding to that question.

Even better, opting into opportunities is free and easy. Head over to the artist opportunities hub to get started. If you’re not already a Topspin GoDirect user, you’ll be prompted to create a free GoDirect account so you can start publishing your music and videos directly to your official MTV/VH1/CMT artist page. MTV’s crack team of music programmers will be on the lookout for the freshest new artists, songs, and especially music videos. The more creative you get, the more MTV/VH1/CMT music programmers will take notice, and the more fans you drive to your artist page, the faster they’ll be able to find your content. Ready? Go forth and seize the opportunities!

Cheers!

Dave Widaman (@davewidaman)