Welcome back! It's Friday, and we're here to kick off the weekend with another edition of Promoed. We'd like to extend a heartfelt hello to all the fresh faces who have joined our community this week.

In this edition, we're taking a look Spotify’s new Clips and Countdown pages which have been made available to select artists.

Also, in this week’s edition:

• Instagram's One-to-Many Messaging.

• Spotify's Supremium Subscription.

• AI Advancements: Radio's Evolution Continues

• Master Meta Campaign Objectives.

Spotify’s Countdown Pages and Clips… so Far

Back in March, we covered the rollout of Spotify’s new features for artists. During the 2023 Stream On event, the DSP announced some new features that would offer artists the opportunity to add more content and more meaning to their releases on the platform.

Clips and Countdown pages have been made available to select artists, and this week we’re taking a look at how they have been used to amplify new releases.

grentperez

Australia’s grentperez used Countdown Pages to unveil acoustic snippets of a selection of tracks from his ‘When We Were Younger’ EP. The record, which was inspired by carefree childhood creativity, was unveiled on 2 June.

On release, grentperez took the Now Playing feature, where he shared his own visualisations and Storyline to help fans explore the meaning behind his tracks. Below the album track list on Spotify, users can find 6 self-recorded short videos from grentperez.

In the Clips, he talks about the meaning behind the EP tracks, and shows his drawings for each of them.

They’re simple, but effective videos that add a personal piece of content for fans to connect with. These were also promoted via Spotify’s social media.

Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran’s “-“ album, released on 5 May, became the most pre-saved album of 2023, after the UK superstar utilised Countdown Pages. During the pre-save campaign, Sheeran shared a total of 36 Clips to his Countdown Page, sharing the album’s inspirations.

The documentary-style Clips together form ‘The Stories Behind ‘-‘ (Subtract)’. During the Clips, Sheeran delves into topics such as mental health, relationships, and grief.

The personal explanations add a layer of meaning to each track, and act as a fantastic example of how Clips can be used to deepen fan’s listening experiences.

Additionally, Sheeran shared 12 merch items, including an exclusive item for his top fans.

Asake

We saw Africa’s first instalment of Countdown Pages, from Nigerian singer-songwriter Asake.

Taking a more cinematic approach, Asake unveiled an exciting teaser trailer to help build anticipation during the pre-release campaign for ‘Work Of Art’, released 15 June.

As these new features are still only available to a selection of artists on Spotify, we’re excited to see more great examples of artists utilising Countdown Pages and Clips.

^{Written by Olivia Gliku}

In Other Marketing News

Instagram's One-to-Many Messaging: Instagram has announced the global rollout of Broadcast Channels, offering artists an exciting new way to engage with their followers. These public one-to-many messaging channels enable creators to invite all of their fans and share various updates, including text, videos, and photos. Think of it as a group chat tailored specifically for artists and their devoted supporters.

Once creators gain access to Broadcast Channels and send their inaugural message via Instagram's inbox, their followers will receive a one-time notification, encouraging them to join the channel. While anyone can discover these channels and access the content, only those who actively join will receive regular notifications whenever new updates are posted.

To further boost participation, creators can leverage the "join channel" sticker in their Stories or pin the channel link to their profile, enticing followers to jump on board and be part of the action.

💡Insight - In the quest for direct fan engagement, Broadcast Channels present a clear opportunity. Treat it as a modern mailing list, offering incentives to join and keeping fans engaged with exclusive content, giveaways, and more.

Spotify's Supremium Subscription: Spotify is apparently getting ready to drop a new subscription tier called ‘Supremium’, as insiders spill the beans. This forthcoming plan is expected to be the platform's priciest option, offering a HiFi feature that was initially teased by the company in 2021. Despite numerous appeals from various music industry leaders, Spotify hasn't budged on raising its individual subscription price of $9.99 per month.

💡Insight - With competitors like Apple Music and Amazon already providing HiFi listening as part of their regular subscription, the selling point of Spotify's upcoming Supremium tier becomes a bit fuzzy. Also, the demand for this enhanced listening experience remains uncertain. Our gut feeling tells us that the vast majority of music enthusiasts are content with the current audio quality.

AI Advancements: Radio's Evolution Continues: The radio industry is experiencing a wave of innovation, and AI is at the forefront of this transformation, as we highlighted earlier this year. Live 95.5, a popular radio station based in Portland, Oregon, made an intriguing announcement on Tuesday. Their midday host, Ashley Elzinga, will now have a cloned version of her voice, aptly named ‘AI Ashley’, broadcasting to listeners every day.

Addressing concerns about job security, Live 95.5's parent company, Alpha Media, reassured that Elzinga would retain her position and receive the same salary. Instead, when AI Ashley takes the airwaves, the original Ashley may be engaged in community activities, managing social media posts, working on digital assets, or handling other aspects of the job.

💡Insight - As we discussed back in April, the rise of RadioGPT is hardly surprising. Hopefully this technology can contribute to improved efficiency without jeopardising employment in the sector.

Learn

Master Meta Campaign Objectives: When it comes to running effective Facebook ads, selecting the right campaign objective is key to achieving your ultimate goal. Not only does it set the stage for your entire campaign, but it also presents the first opportunity to make a mistake that could have far-reaching implications.

Fear not, for this great article aims to unravel the mysteries and nuances of each objective. Enjoy.

ICYMI

Catch up on our recent stories:

• A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Boy & Bear's Independent Album Release

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

• Behind Arlo Parks’ ‘My Soft Machine’ Release

Lead Writer - Olivia Gliku
Editor and 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.}