Selling records appears to be very unlike any other product launch. All those of us that have done GCSE business studies (or a marketing degree) will at some stage have come across the development, introduction, growth, maturity model for products. And for a lot of companies, this is pretty much how it works.
Not so, it seems for the major record labels. It's either instant success, straight in at number 1, or you're toast, unceremoniously dropped or shelved after a couple of go's. This puzzles me. It seems to me that some artists grow mainly through viral marketing, eg. Eva Cassidy, or just a slow burn based on hard work - small gigs up and down the country, and relying on word of mouth, or the odd DJ endorsement. So why are they cast aside if they don't hit top ten single sales in their first week - dunno really.
I am just about old enough to remember when singles were released and climbed their way up the chart as their popularity grew. Nowadays, you hear a song for weeks and weeks before its 'official release date', with all of the promo and advertising truncated to ensure the highest possible entry point and quickest payback possible for the record company. In my mind, this is very much responsible for killing off the organic development of good music, has probably contributed to the declining single sales and is completely at odds with the business digital age, virtual communities twittering and facebooking, and the whole changing way we live our lives and consume music - spotify, owngig et al... Another frustrating example of the industry dragging its feet and hampering single 'sales' is not being able to legally download or purchase a single track on its own, for whatever reason - licensing issues, release date, whatever it may be - it's no wonder peer to peer is rife, and justifiable to some.
Instant hits is what record companies want, while instant access and availability for listeners, is still on the back burner...
Not so, it seems for the major record labels. It's either instant success, straight in at number 1, or you're toast, unceremoniously dropped or shelved after a couple of go's. This puzzles me. It seems to me that some artists grow mainly through viral marketing, eg. Eva Cassidy, or just a slow burn based on hard work - small gigs up and down the country, and relying on word of mouth, or the odd DJ endorsement. So why are they cast aside if they don't hit top ten single sales in their first week - dunno really.
I am just about old enough to remember when singles were released and climbed their way up the chart as their popularity grew. Nowadays, you hear a song for weeks and weeks before its 'official release date', with all of the promo and advertising truncated to ensure the highest possible entry point and quickest payback possible for the record company. In my mind, this is very much responsible for killing off the organic development of good music, has probably contributed to the declining single sales and is completely at odds with the business digital age, virtual communities twittering and facebooking, and the whole changing way we live our lives and consume music - spotify, owngig et al... Another frustrating example of the industry dragging its feet and hampering single 'sales' is not being able to legally download or purchase a single track on its own, for whatever reason - licensing issues, release date, whatever it may be - it's no wonder peer to peer is rife, and justifiable to some.
Instant hits is what record companies want, while instant access and availability for listeners, is still on the back burner...
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