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In this week’s edition:

• U2's global activation.

• AI Threatening radio jobs.

• Universal Music Group cuts back US radio promo.

The Secret Sauce of JVKE's TikTok Success

With 11 million+ followers and 169,000+ likes, JVKE is one of TikTok’s most prominent independent music creators. Over the past 3 years, JVKE’s TikTok has showcased some excellent marketing strategies. Today, we’re taking a look at how the creator has utilised TikTok’s capabilities to further his following and establish himself as a hugely popular new act.

Mum’s The Word

When JVKE first posted to TikTok, he told a small lie and it paid off. The first TikTok from the artist featured his mother, who he claimed created a beat in just 2 minutes. In reality, JVKE had pre-made that beat, and his mother acted out the process.

The video scored millions of views, and was the beginning of a series where JVKE remixed a number of already viral tracks. Eventually, JVKE began including his own vocals in his edits.

Once JVKE shared his ‘All TikTok Mashup’ video - his popularity continued to skyrocket. It’s now been used in more than 11 million TikToks, and an alternative version of the track was released officially.

Contextual Storytelling

Contextual storytelling is a critical aspect of JVKE's content. Contextual storytelling refers to the skill of crafting a narrative around your music, which helps your listeners establish a connection to your music. Videos of him performing to his childhood piano teacher or sitting with his mum watching him on TV for the first time are examples of this. The viewer is drawn in by the story first and foremost, with the music as the backdrop.

This is what JVKE does so well. Weaving a narrative around his music, offering real life context to his songs, and effectively generating a real sense of emotion between him and his viewers.

This storytelling has become a key part of JVKE’s marketing strategy and it’s paid off big-time.

Elevating Strangers

His videos feature people like his mum, his childhood piano teacher, and his friends. TikTok users love giving a platform to people who didn’t ask for it. They feel good about elevating someone who didn’t ask for the attention and would rather share this type of content than that of someone who is asking for it. JVKE leverages this phenomenon incredibly well.

JVKE has leveraged his viral moments into a thriving early career. He collaborated with Charlie Puth on an 'Upside Down' remix, achieved a Billboard #10 with 'Golden Hour,' and even appeared on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.

In Other News

Beautiful Day: U2's new album Songs Of Surrender has been released. To support the release Island has initiated a global marketing activation in 40 cities worldwide that are near and dear to the band's hearts. From Lima to Tokyo, Mumbai to Sydney, each city has been assigned to a specific song, creating a global moment for U2 lovers everywhere.

And it doesn't stop there - thanks to a collaboration with Google, fans can use Google Maps to locate these special geofenced spots, where only those in this location can find exclusive digital merchandise and selfie filters to share on social media. Island also partnered with 40 independent creators to make unique one-minute clips for each song, ensuring a diverse range of content that is sure to please fans.

Radio ROI: Universal Music Group, the largest record label in the US, has reportedly taken measures to cut back on radio campaign spending, according to multiple sources. This decision has been made amid discussions in the music industry about the best ways to invest marketing dollars and promote music, as traditional marketing channels such as airplay, TV appearances, and playlisting on streaming platforms may not always yield the desired results.

According to some label executives who spoke to Billboard, it is uncertain whether investing large sums of money in radio airplay campaigns is a worthwhile endeavor stating “The math is just not working".

AI Threatening Radio Jobs?: Futuri, a US-based company, has developed a product called RadioGPT that uses GPT-4-powered bots to automate much of the work of manning a radio station, including performing interstitial chats, fielding listener comments and questions, creating blog posts, converting live shows to podcasts, and social media.

According to Axios, the product will debut next month with Alpha Media and Rogers Sports & Media, who represent more than 250 stations across the US and Canada. Futuri CEO Daniel Anstandig says the product is designed to "save radio, not compete with it" by filling hours that stations cannot staff anyway, but concerns remain that it could lead to job losses in the industry.

Human Connection: The New York Times has launched a weekly newsletter called "The Amplifier" that aims to offer an alternative to algorithm-based music recommendations provided by streaming services. Edited by Lindsay Zoladz, the Times' current pop culture editor, the newsletter will feature music recommendations curated by the Times' music team.

The move is part of the Times' efforts to expand its coverage of music and offer readers a more personal and diverse approach to discovering new music. The Amplifier is available to Times subscribers.

Supercharge Your Ads: Found.ee, a music marketing platform, has introduced a new feature that enables automated follow-up remarketing audiences. This feature allows artists and labels to retarget people how have viewed their ads across multiple platforms to encourage them to engage further.

By targeting users who have already viewed an ad, the advertiser can run a secondary ad campaign that aims to increase conversion rates and brand awareness. According to Found.ee campaigns have seen "anywhere between 4x - 20x increases in ad engagement!"

Dishing Out Jazz: PizzaExpress, the UK-based restaurant chain, is launching its own record label. The label will focus on jazz and soul music, and feature performances recorded at the PizzaExpress venues. The move is part of PizzaExpress' ongoing efforts to promote and support live music in its restaurants, which have hosted jazz and soul performances for over 50 years.

Fast Facts

Impress your boss at the next team lunch with this quick stat:

👉 In 2022, a smaller number of DIY artists on Spotify earned more than $10,000 compared to the previous year. So, the odds of raking in $10,000 a year as a DIY artist on the platform are actually diminishing instead of increasing.

Statistically Speaking

JVKE's massive growth may have started on TikTok, but spread to all other platforms quickly.

ICYMI

Catch up on our recent stories:

• Introducing Medallion - A New Web3 Platform for Artists

• Australian Band Delivers a World-First Campaign

• New on Spotify: Short Form Video and Countdown Pages for Artists

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Lead Writer - Olivia Gliku.Promoed is published by Habit Music Pty Ltd.

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