As an artist your primary job is to make music. The goal of the team around you is to promote your music to the largest audience possible. Partnering with a music promotion and delivery service is critical to achieving that goal, but choosing such a service is rarely top of mind for the average artist. Certainly not as high on the list as finding management, for example
That’s understandable; management facilitates the creative process from start to finish, whereas music promotion and delivery services help to manage and deliver the final product to the right audience. Nevertheless, a service like Play MPE can be a powerful tool; in most cases, your first point of contact with the tastemakers and curators you’re hoping to reach with your music.
What do music promotion and delivery services do?
These are services that securely distribute broadcast quality, digital content to radio, the media, TV and film, in addition to other outlets. Beyond music that content is comprised of promotional material including photos, videos, contact information and press releases – ultimately any asset that helps tell the artist’s story.
Who uses music promotion and delivery services to promote music?
On the front end, anyone who needs to send and promote music securely; from artists and producers who just finished a track in their home studio, to major and independent labels, management and PR firms.
On the back end, receivers include radio and broadcast outlets of all descriptions, music journalists, bloggers, and companies for which music is a key part of customer experience, such as bricks and mortar retail outlets and live event venues.
In a nutshell… You supply the content while music promotion and delivery services get it out there to the people who want it.
How do I choose a music promotion and delivery service?
If you’re considering working with a music promotion and delivery service, consider the following:
Does the service promote content from all genres to all formats? Are they well established globally?
Internationally there are hundreds of formats and in excess of sixteen thousand of broadcast/cable outlets. More awareness, in more markets, at any level, is good. Your competition is global.
Will the music sound good?
The service you choose should be meticulous about sound quality and about ensuring the audio is optimized for each platform and format receiving it.
Does the service have the resources, network and tools necessary to deliver your content in a timely manner? And do they provide self-service and full-service?
The service you choose should offer both a self-serve and full-service option and have a dedicated and responsive release team in place to compile and format those assets.
Does the service make your content stand out?
Whether your content says ‘pleased to meet you’ or ‘hello again’ it should definitely say, ‘you don’t want to miss this’ to whomever opens it. Songs are your most important assets, but what surrounds them can make the difference between a recipient saying, ‘sign me up’ or never bothering with the content – audio and visual quality matter.
Play MPE can turn your content into powerful promotional marketing campaigns that can make your content stand out from the rest.
Is the service on the cutting edge?
Is their encryption technology rock-solid-secure? Can you access their services anywhere, on any device, and does their tech support operate 24/7? Are the tools provided user-friendly? If it’s cumbersome or complicated to upload assets, that’s trouble. If listening to, downloading, and adding tracks to a playlist aren’t straightforward for the service’s community members, that’s bigger trouble. The simpler that workflow the more likely you’ll be heard.
How much data can be accessed and shared?
Music promotion and delivery services aren’t PR firms, but they’re integral to your PR strategy and provide valuable data by tracking who opens your content, and downloads your content. Ideally they should log that information in real time. The more data you have, the more agile you can be about promoting your music.
Is the service evolving?
The pace of technological change is increasingly rapid. Has the music promotion service you’re considering optimized their player, mobile app and tracking tools for multiple platforms? Have they, historically, invested heavily in meeting those challenges? There’s often a trade-off between functionality and ease of use; a commitment to building tools and software that offer both, and a focus on expanding into new territory – technologically and geographically – is key.
Do the service inspire trust?
How does its community react to the content they receive? Do they open content more often than not? A service that’s well established globally will have delivered more songs that became a big deal, by artists who became a big deal, simply by doing what they’ve done, for so many, for so long. The more reliable and recognized they are, the more engaged their audience.
Play MPE is the only globally used music promotion and delivery service available in over 100 countries and trusted by the music’s industry largest network of local and international community of curators and tastemakers.
The more things change…
Music promotion and delivery service such as Play MPE provide a critical service in the music industry on a global level. Back in the day, when physical releases were ‘walked’ into radio, a programmer’s response not only depended heavily on the song and the artist performing it, but on their relationship with the messenger who delivered that music. Since, much has changed. But that hasn’t. Trust remains a quantity that’s on heavy rotation in the decision-making process in terms of who gets listened to, and, ultimately, gets an add.
Wanting to get your content to reach the right audience? Contact Play MPE’s Business Development.
