Greetings and welcome to another edition of Promoed! It's a pleasure to have you with us again, and welcome to our new friends reading for the first time.

In this week’s edition:

• Pink Floyd’s epic listening party.

• Instagrams new music feature.

• How to find what is trending on TikTok.

Inside DMA'S Winning UK Album Strategy

This week we break down the marketing tactics that propelled ‘How Many Dreams?’, the latest album from Australian band DMA'S, to #3 on the UK album charts.

We'll explore the strategies they employed to engage fans, from limited edition vinyl releases to intimate live performances, and talk to Johann Ponniah, Founder of I Oh You, for insights into their success. So let's dive in and explore the campaign that helped DMA'S conquer the UK market.

Release Week Drops

‘How Many Dreams?’ was released on March 31, with the release week jam-packed with limited and exclusive product offerings that contributed to the album's chart success. Fans were given the chance to get their hands on never before heard songs, demos, and live recordings.

On April 1, the band released three variations of cassettes - one for each band member, signed by the respective member. Just 300 copies of each cassette were made available, which created a sense of scarcity and exclusivity for fans.

On April 3, just three days after the official album release, the band shared an extended edition of the album on CD that included a bonus song called ‘The Tamers’, the first song the band ever wrote together. The extended edition also featured demos of four other tracks.

Finally, on April 5, the band released an extended edition of ‘How Many Dreams?’. It came as a digital download with four live intimate and stripped-back recordings recorded during their show at Liverpool's iconic Cavern Club the previous week.

When asked about the quick release turnaround from live performance to digital release, Johann Ponniah stated, "Being a show at the Cavern Club, we had always planned to record the show and we used a person named Chris Snow who we’ve used in the past and knows the band well. We had spoken to him earlier that there may be a need for us to turn them around quickly and he was up for the challenge! Approvals were quick and being a digital release, it was a relatively simple turnaround."

Vinyl Variants

Another strategy that DMA'S utilised was offering fans a range of unique collectible records. They released three vinyl variants - a blue, white and standard black edition. Offering up multiple variations of the same release is a great way to serve a range of artists’ fans. From super fans who might buy all variants, to fans who are looking for something different and unique to add to their collection.

When asked about the demand for these exclusive releases, Ponniah replied, "There was definitely an appetite for these. The cassettes and CD in particular seemed to peak people’s interest."

Pre-order Incentives

To encourage pre-orders, DMA'S offered fans a chance to win a signed DMA'S guitar and turntable. All fans had to do was pre-order the album, which helped to drive pre-order sales and build buzz around the album release.

Ponniah expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of this strategy, saying, “It’s nice to be able to offer fans an opportunity to win something that is truly unique and high quality."

Grassroots Touring

DMA'S have always taken a grassroots approach to touring in the UK, visiting cities that other bands tend to overlook, such as Aylesbury, Cambridge, Wolverhampton, and Exeter.

When asked about the importance of visiting these secondary and third markets, Ponniah responded, "These markets have long been important to DMA’S. The band have been playing secondary and third markets in the UK for sometime now and developed loyal audiences in them. I think people appreciate the band showing up in their town and their sound also resonates in these places.”

During release week, the band had a strong presence across the UK, where they announced a stripped-back "Record Store Tour" that allowed fans to see the band in small intimate spaces and gave the band another opportunity to sell records. In some cases, pre-orders of the album were required to gain access to the shows.

Regarding the feeling at the record store shows, Ponniah said, "Without being over the top… it felt really special. The passion we felt off the punters who came out to them was really invigorating. I think people appreciated that they were getting a different kind of experience at these shows… Doesn’t hurt that the band are very good in a stripped-back mode too."

Fan Listening Parties

For fans who couldn't make it to the shows, DMA'S hosted listening parties called "Happy Hours" in the UK and Australia. These events allowed fans to come together to listen to the new album and celebrate its release.

Ponniah added, "This was more just an opportunity for us to give something back to our audience. When you’re constantly asking people to support and buy things, I think it’s nice to offer something back… even if it’s just a few drinks at a decent bar. The idea was also centered around community and bringing our audience together. Hopefully we’ll do more.”

Big Promo Looks

DMA'S also made several high-profile promotional appearances during release week. They dropped in to see Jack Saunders at BBC Radio 1, gifting him a DMA'S jersey, and performed a live session for Absolute Radio. They also made a national TV appearance on Sunday Brunch, one of the UK's flagship mainstream TV spots.

Why It Worked

The success of this campaign can be attributed to the effective use of proven strategies that creatively engage fans. DMA'S approach involved providing fans with a diverse collection of exclusive and collectible merchandise, incentivizing pre-orders with an exciting reward, and using a combination of grassroots touring and high-profile media appearances.

These tactics collectively contributed to the success of the campaign and demonstrate the power of engaging fans through innovative yet proven methods.

DMA’S album How Many Dreams? was released via I Oh You, Mushroom and Virgin Music (UK) and the band is managed by FRNDS MGMT.

^{Written by Nick Lynagh}

In Other Marketing News

Bandsintown x Shopify: Bandsintown, the go-to destination for discovering live music events, has struck a deal with e-commerce giant Shopify. The duo is joining forces to help musicians boost their merch game and expand their online sales.

Through this partnership, Bandsintown artists can seamlessly showcase their Shopify store merchandise on their Bandsintown Artist Page, creating a one-stop-shop for fans seeking tour info and the latest swag.

Songs in Photo Carousels: Instagram is currently testing a new feature that allows users to add songs to photo carousels on the platform. Unlike the existing feature that lets users add songs to individual photos, this new feature enables users to add songs to a carousel of photos.

With this feature, fans will be able to listen to a song while swiping through multiple images, creating a more immersive experience. With the new tool, music marketers can showcase their content in a visually engaging way, creating a new opportunity to promote their music on Instagram. According to Mark Zuckerberg, Meta CEO, the feature is already available in a few countries and will soon be rolled out to more.

Want to know what is trending on TikTok? Here’s how. As a music marketer, staying on top of the latest trends on TikTok is crucial if you plan on effectively promoting your artists on the platform.

Here is some great suggestions via Symphonic.

ICYMI

Catch up on our recent stories:

• The Future of Radio: Navigating the Threats and Opportunities of AI and Streaming

• The Secret Sauce of JVKE's TikTok Success

• Introducing Medallion - A New Web3 Platform for Artists

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Lead Writer - Olivia Gliku
Publisher - Nick Lynagh

Promoed is created and published by Habit Music Pty Ltd.

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^{We acknowledge the Turrbal people, the Traditional Owners of the land on which we stand, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.}