Welcome back, everyone! It's Friday, and we're ready to dive into the highlights of the week

In this edition we take a look at the new Spotify Showcase tool announced this week.

Also, this week:

• Blink-182's Teaser Campaign

• Olivia Rodrigo's iPhone 15 Pro Video

• WhatsApp's 'Channels' Go Global

• Why SEO Matters in Music

FEATURE

Introducing Showcase: Spotify’s Sponsored Recommendations

Spotify is offering artists and their teams a new way to promote releases - from new music to deep catalogue cuts.

Showcase is the DSP’s latest marketing offering, enabling mobile banners on top of Spotify’s Home.

How it Works

Reaching audiences in 30+ markets, Showcase campaigns will use mobile banners to target users who are most likely to stream artists’ releases.

The campaigns are capable of targeting groups like Previously Active Audiences and Active Audiences.

Within an artist's Active Audience, you’ll find three segments; Super listeners, Moderate listeners, and Light listeners.

Campaign budgets start at $100, and will run for either 14 days, or until that budget runs out - whichever happens first.

Showcase reporting will become available 24 hours after a campaign kicks off.

Spotify is promising the opportunity to track how campaigns grow three types of listeners.

These are; Amplified listeners, Reactivated listeners, New active listeners. Here’s Spotify’s rundown on those groups:

• Amplified listeners: Listeners from your active audience who intentionally streamed your promoted release for the first time after seeing your campaign.

• Reactivated listeners: Listeners who rejoined your active audience after intentionally streaming your promoted release.

• New active listeners: Listeners who joined your active audience for the first time by intentionally streaming your promoted release – including listeners who hadn’t streamed your music anywhere in the past two years.

The Takeaway

As part of the Showcase launch, Spotify shared that, “on average, 75% of a release’s first-year streams happen after the first month.”

And interestingly, “from 2020 to 2022, the portion of our Global Weekly Top Songs Chart represented by catalogue (18+ months) increased by 155%.”

As we discussed in our recent guide to music catalogue marketing, consumption of music catalogues accounted for a remarkable 72.8% of music consumption in 2022, up from 66% just two years prior.

The new tool has drawn some criticism for its limited capabilities and its focus on driving streaming numbers, rather than merchandise or ticket sales.

However, given the current popularity of catalogue music, we’re not surprised that Spotify is focussing on this revenue-generating opportunity to push older releases.

For artists, the chance to promote their music - new and old - holds some exciting potential, but for Spotify users, the inclusion of advertisements on the app is a new and potentially unwelcome feature.

As The Verge highlighted in their coverage of Showcase, these sponsored recommendations could potentially overcrowd users’ homepages.

We’re eager to see how well Spotify’s new recommendations integrate with the DSP’s existing layout, particularly for Premium users, who are used to an ad-free version of the platform.

^{Written by Olivia Gliku}

NEWS

The Headlines

Blink-182's Teaser Campaign

Blink-182 is generating buzz with hints of their upcoming music. Recently, Toronto has seen a handful of posters featuring the iconic band's logo.

These posters come with a QR code that directs fans to an official website. This site offers an option to pre-save their new record, a fan-made TikTok video, an official teaser video, and a tour highlights reel.

Additionally, fans have the opportunity to engage directly with the band. By sending an SMS to the provided number, they receive a link to Blink-182's Community.com page.

There's also a digital clock being shared on social media flashing “12:00”.

💡Insight - There's a lot happening here: cryptic posters, QR codes, pre-saves, SMS, teaser videos, clocks, and a random UGC post. I'm a fan of simple ideas done right. However, no doubt for Blink-182's fans, this might be a lot of fun! - NL

Olivia Rodrigo's iPhone 15 Pro Video

Olivia Rodrigo has unveiled a music video for her song "get him back!", shot using the latest iPhone 15 Pro.

This release comes just days ahead of Apple's major iPhone reveal. The video was directed by Jack Begert, known for his collaborations with music icons like Kendrick Lamar and Paul McCartney.

This project is in line with Rodrigo's tech partnerships, as she has previously collaborated with platforms such as Linktree, Adobe, and Instagram for the promotion of her second album, "GUTS".

💡Insight - Apple's teamed up with music stars before to flaunt their iPhone cameras. It's a win-win for both sides and definitely wows viewers with the video quality. - NL

WhatsApp's 'Channels' Go Global 

WhatsApp is rolling out its 'Channels' feature globally. This feature, distinct from the app's regular chats, offers updates from a diverse range of creators, brands, and organizations.

Meta, WhatsApp's parent company, revealed that 'Channels' will be accessible in over 150 countries, boasting participation from thousands of notable entities.

Initially piloted in Colombia and Singapore in June, the feature now includes enhanced capabilities, such as post-editing for admins and a refined directory for users to explore Channels.

Additionally, users can now react to Channel posts with emojis.

Among the prominent names leveraging 'Channels' are musicians Olivia Rodrigo and David Guetta, corporate giant Netflix, and renowned football clubs including Liverpool FC and FC Barcelona.

💡Insight - We've always stressed the value of growing your audience on platforms you control, like email and SMS. Just something to think about before diving into WhatsApp 'Channels'. - NL

LEARN

Why SEO Matters in Music?

We don’t talk about SEO often in the music business. While SEO might not be the first thing music marketers think of, its importance in the music industry is undeniable.

We enjoyed this article here from BlackbirdPunk, emphasising the significance of SEO for musicians, highlighting its role in enhancing visibility on platforms like YouTube, which is owned by Google.

The article underscores that a well-optimised website can drive newsletter sign-ups, boost merchandise sales, and even generate income.

Moreover, effective SEO is crucial for advertising, ensuring that ads perform optimally and that the website retains visitors.

The piece concludes with a reminder that SEO should be a continuous effort, not just during new releases.

FAST FACTS

Impress Your Boss with This Fast Fact

👉 Spotify earns under $5 million daily from ads, while YouTube pulls in $84 million each day. Meanwhile, Meta rakes in a whopping $346 million daily. (Link)

Given the significant difference in daily ad revenues, it's understandable that Spotify is expanding its advertising inventory, as demonstrated by this week's launch of Showcase.

KEY FINDINGS

Our Top Picks This Week

• Affleck's Dunkin' Freestyle (Link)

• Bandzoogle Bought by DistroKid (Link)

• Sofar's Virgin Hotel Concerts (Link)

• Amazon Joins TikTok Link Test (Link)

• Deezer and Universal's ‘Artist-Centric’ Model (Link)

• Do All Artists Become Indie? (Link)

• SEC's NFT Crackdown (Link)

• Believe Applauds Deezer's Action (Link)

• OpenAI and Music Copyright Fight (Link)

ICYMI

Catch Up on Our Recent Stories

• The Marketing of Peach PRC's Chart-Topping EP (Link)

• Music Catalogue Marketing in 2023 (Link)

• Artists Nailing TikTok: Round 2 (Link)