Tag Archive for: featured-2

An Evening With Martina McBride

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An industry-packed crowd attended “An Evening With Martina McBride” this week at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Ford Theater. Presented by Republic Nashville, the listening party offered attendees a live performance of McBride’s upcoming CD Eleven slated for an Oct 11 release.
Following a cocktail reception, BLMG President & CEO Scott Borchetta, Republic Nashville Pres. Jimmy Harnen, and producer Byron Gallimore offered introductory remarks before McBride’s performance of each song.
McBride shared “behind the scenes” stories of how each song was chosen, offered creative insights behind the writing, and then performed with the song’s writers. One of the highlights included surprise guest artist, Pat Monahan, lead singer of Train, who performed the duet “Marry Me” with McBride.
During the intimate showcase, McBride took a moment to express her concern over the industry rumor that writers must write with the artist in order to get a cut. In an emotional dismissal of that thinking, she encouraged all writers to “go and write.”
The Warren Brothers joined McBride during the closing performances and fortunately for us, their mics were on. In true Warren Brothers’ style, nothing was off limits and McBride jokingly admitted she had completely lost control of her show.
McBride also performed her powerful new single, “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” written by Ben Hayslip, Sonya Isaacs, and Jimmy Yeary. The song’s writers shared the motivation behind the song and its emotional subject matter, cancer.
The song’s music video, directed by Roman White, features dozens of cancer survivors and supporters, including four well-known celebrities – Robin Roberts (anchor for ABC’s Good Morning America); Hoda Kotb (anchor for NBC’s Today Show); Grammy award-winning singer Sheryl Crow and ABC journalist Katie Couric – who each have very personal connections to the disease.

“I knew it was a song I wanted to record because of the strong message of hope that it sends,” says McBride. “I’ve heard so many stories about how music can change lives from songs I have recorded like ‘A Broken Wing,’ ‘Independence Day,’ and ‘Concrete Angel.’ I believe ‘I’m Gonna Love You Through It’ will offer hope and inspiration to so many people who are going through or have been through cancer and the people who love them through it. It takes a lot of strength and a lot of love to get through something like that. I think this song says what so many people want to express to their loved ones.”

Taylor Swift’s “Haunted” Featured In True Blood

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Rolling Stone is reporting that True Blood’s music supervisor, Gary Calamar, has confirmed this Sunday’s episode will feature Taylor Swift’s “Haunted.”

Calamar declined to disclose the specific scene of the Louisiana-based show featuring the song from Swift, but does describe it as “a racy, sexy scene.”

The article reveals that Swift’s camp initially refused to allow it but later agreed when the “singer came forward and said she wanted it to happen.”

YouTube video

 

Taylor Swift's "Haunted" Featured In True Blood

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Rolling Stone is reporting that True Blood’s music supervisor, Gary Calamar, has confirmed this Sunday’s episode will feature Taylor Swift’s “Haunted.”
Calamar declined to disclose the specific scene of the Louisiana-based show featuring the song from Swift, but does describe it as “a racy, sexy scene.”
The article reveals that Swift’s camp initially refused to allow it but later agreed when the “singer came forward and said she wanted it to happen.”

YouTube video

 

Charlie Cook On Air

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Too Few Songs Have to Stand Alone

I was listening to an AC station in the West Virginia radio chain that I work for and heard “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry. Of course, they also play “Need You Now,” selected Taylor Swift songs, Keith Urban, Shania Twain, Tim McGraw and even a recent Kenny Chesney. I was thinking how lucky they are to be able to play only the cream of the format.
As an AC station they also play P!nk, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars and a bunch of other stuff, some of which is pretty good. I like Katy Perry and an occasional Bruno Mars song, but let’s get back to the Country Music they play.
Just think how cool it would be to pick and choose what you wanted to play.
When a new record from (fill in the blank) comes out, you play it. It goes to No. 1 in 14 weeks and then the following Monday there is another record from the act on your desk. Tuesday you’re getting emails and phone calls telling that you should add this one out of the box because the last one was No. 1. You want to yell, “Please give the listener a minute to digest the last song.”
In Country Music there is a connection between one record and the next. It is not as strong as promotion people want you to believe, but it is there. It does not come in 14 week sections, but it is there.
Still, what if every record actually stood on its own?
I like the Band Perry. They are talented. They are good kids and I trust that they will be staples in our format for years to come. But they may never have another AC hit. And whether they do or not, “If I Die Young” is not diminished in the listener’s eye. This was their time on AC radio.
Here’s my point. I am saying that AC programmers get to listen to Country Music with a clean slate and chose the songs they think best fit their stations. Country programmers get hammered to play everything by a particular artist because either that artist has “earned a place” on their station (I have heard that more than once), or because it is on 40 stations (mostly played in the evening or overnight) and, “we are working this one all the way to the end.”
Good songs get lost in the shuffle because they are not on a major label or they don’t have tour support for the song’s airplay. I understand that if a newbie act is on a veteran’s tour and the label can provide tickets for the show, then the new act gets extra attention. Too few songs are forced to stand on their own in our format.
Some are obvious: “Remind Me,” “Honey Bee,” “Knee Deep.” Those are no-brainers. Some are not so obvious but there is often an entitlement argument from the bigger acts and the bigger labels. That hurts smaller label acts with good music.

ACM Announces $661,000 Endowment

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Honorees from “Girls Night Out: Superstar Women of Country” (Getty Images/Courtesy of the Academy of Country Music & dick clark productions)


The Academy of Country Music has announced a $661,000 endowment to ACM Lifting Lives, on behalf of the artists who participated in Girls Night Out: Superstar Women of Country. Ticket proceeds from the taping of the Las Vegas concert special in April benefited ACM Lifting Lives.
Honorees The Judds, Miranda Lambert, Loretta Lynn, Martina McBride, Jennifer Nettles, Reba and Carrie Underwood along with special performers Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Ronnie Dunn, Sara Evans, John Fogerty, Vince Gill, the JaneDear girls, Little Big Town, Pistol Annies, Rascal Flatts and Blake Shelton all participated in the taping, with more than 8 million viewers tuning in to the special on CBS.
“ACM Lifting Lives thanks these artists for generously donating their time and talent for the taping,” says ACM Lifting Lives Chair Gayle Holcomb. “We are grateful to them and for the opportunity to continue serving our many wonderful beneficiaries.”
ACM Lifting Lives is the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music dedicated to improving lives through music by providing and serving members of the country music community who face unexpected medical or financial hardship.

(L-R): ACM Vice President Butch Waugh, ACM President Sarah Trahern, ACM Chairman Bill Mayne, ACM Lifting Lives Chairman Gayle Holcomb, ACM Lifting Lives President Mark Hartley, ACM Lifting Lives Vice-President Gary Gilbert and ACM Parliamentarian Paul Moore.

Weekly Chart Report (8/19/11)

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Toolpusher Recording artist Jason Sturgeon recently got the chance to promote his single “The Cover” at the 2011 Carlisle Truck Nationals event in Carlisle, PA. An avid car-lover, Sturgeon’s vintage Chevy truck was on display during the CMA Music Festival this past June. While in PA, Sturgeon got to hang out with some of his friends from country radio. (L-R): WGTY/Gettysburg PD Scott Donato, Sturgeon.


LIFENOTE
MusicRow extends its condolences to Mickey Alexander of WQNZ/Natchez, MS, whose father Charles Mitchel Alexander passed away last Sunday, August 14. He was 71. Funeral services were held August 17 at Young’s Funeral Home in Ferriday, LA. In Lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Young’s Funeral Home in Ferriday (318-757-3636) to help with funeral expenses.
RADIO NEWS
Ross Alexander (no relation to Mickey) has taken over Music Director duties at KVAY/Lamar, CO. He replaces Chandra Hunter, who is exiting the station and getting married. Reach Alexander here.
• • •
SPIN ZONE
It’s been a short 10 week trip for Toby Keith’s “Made In America” to arrive at No. 1, which it accomplishes today after gaining 145 new spins. White-hot duets “You and Tequila” by Kenny Chesney with Grace Potter and “Remind Me” by Brad Paisley with Carrie Underwood are in hot pursuit at No. 2 and 3, respectively. Keith Urban’s “Long Hot Summer” is at No. 4 after only nine weeks, and Jake Owen’s “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” is still growing at No. 5.
While we’ve had several singles ascend to No. 1 in under 15 weeks, Toby’s 10 week feat puts him in a particularly elite crowd. In fact, the only other singles to claim a No. 1 song in under 10 weeks in the last three years are recent smashes: Brad Paisley’s “Old Alabama,” which managed it in eight weeks, and Blake Shelton’s “Honey Bee,” which did it in nine. Widening the scope a bit, there are a handful of sub-12 week champs, including (surprise!) Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban.
A glance a the Top 40 reveals some possible future contenders as well. Miranda Lambert’s “Baggage Claim” is the week’s biggest spin increase with 538 new plays. It jumps to No. 29 in its third week charting, and this has all happened before its official going for adds date of August 22. The Band Perry’s “All Your Life,” another three-week-old title, isn’t far behind at No. 37.
Frozen Reports: WAKG, WIFE, WKTT, WKWS, WQNZ, WTCM, WYVY

Upcoming Singles: Add Dates
August 22
Miranda Lambert/Baggage Claim/Columbia
Steel Magnolia/Bulletproof/Big Machine
Bomshel/HalleluY’all/Curb
Hali Hicks/Last Night of Spring/Phull/Jeff McClusky & Assoc/Nine North
August 29
Reba/Somebody’s Chelsea/Valory
Chris Cagle/Got My Country On/Bigger Picture
Risa Binder/You Made It Rain
Vince Gill/Threaten Me With Heaven/MCA
• • •
New On The Chart—Debuting This Week
Artist/song/label — chart pos.
Lady Antebellum/We Owned The Night/Capitol — 60
Eric Church/Drink In My Hand/EMI Nashville — 65
Reba/Somebody’s Chelsea/Starstruck/Valory — 74
Badhorse/It’s All Good/Global Maximus — 76
Tyler Farr/That’s What They’re Bitin’ On/BNA — 77
Steel Magnolia/Bulletproof/Big Machine — 78
Greatest Spin Increase
Artist/song/label — spin+
Miranda Lambert/Baggage Claim/Columbia — 538
Lady Antebellum/We Owned The Night/Capitol — 455
Eric Church/Drink In My Hand/EMI Nashville — 378
The Band Perry/All Your Life/Republic Nashville — 334
Taylor Swift/Sparks Fly/Big Machine — 330
Most Added
Artist/song/label — New Adds
Buddy Jewell/Jesus, Elvis and Me/Diamond Dust — 203
LiveWire/Tater Fed/LiveWire Records — 200
Steve Richard/Love’s Gotta Go Somewhere/Force MP — 198
Kevin Fowler/Hell Yeah, I Like Beer/Average Joes — 197
Lauren Alaina/Like My Mother Does/19 Ent./Mercury — 187
Ira Dean/Beer or Gasoline/Average Joes Entertainment — 173
Jason Sturgeon/The Cover/Toolpusher/Spinville — 172
On Deck—Soon To Be Charting
Artist/song/label — spins
Eric Church/Drink In My Hand/EMI Nashville — 35
Lady Antebellum/We Owned The Night/Capitol — 30
Badhorse/It’s All Good/Global Maximus — 19
The Band Perry/All Your Life/Republic Nashville — 19
Miranda Lambert/Baggage Claim/Columbia — 17
Reba/Somebody’s Chelsea/Starstruck/Valory — 12
Martina McBride/I’m Gonna Love You Through It/Republic Nashville — 10
Justin Moore/Bait a Hook/Valory — 10

The JaneDear girls (Warner Bros./WMN) played at the KJ Heart Strings Concert in San Antonio earlier this week and visited with KAJA PD Travis Moon before the show. Their new single “Merry Go Round” is due out soon. (L-R): tJDg’s Susie Brown, Moon, and tJDg’s Danelle Leverett


Black River Entertainment’s Craig Morgan visited Nashville’s WSM-FM 95.5 August 2 to support his latest single “This Ole Boy,” which is at No. 53 on the CountryBreakout Chart. (L-R): WSM’s Rick Marino and Beth Brightwell; Craig Morgan


Hunter Hayes (Atlantic/WMN) finished up his final tour date on Taylor Swift’s Speak Now Tour last Sunday (8/14) in St. Louis, MO. (L-R) KSD morning personality Mason, KSD MD Dusty, KSD PD Steve Stewart, Hayes, KSD morning personality Remy

WANTED: A New GPS For Country Marketing

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Peter Strickland


Music Row is fond of parties. We celebrate No. 1 songs at radio and throw Gold and Platinum sales parties. Performing Rights organizations give special honors for large airplay accumulations. And let’s not forget SoundScan, BDS, MediaBase, Country Breakout, Big Champagne, Pollstar and all the other yardsticks that attempt each week to answer the question, “Which artists are the most important and successful?”
There are so many career areas to consider: radio airplay; Internet activity via friends, followers, likes and circles; touring and tickets; merchandise sales; product endorsements; publishing; video views; album and track downloads; media exposure via print, TV, etc. And adding to the complexity, every successful career balances these factors using a different formula. Until recently our industry has relied upon SoundScan and the mainstream radio charts to rank weekly artist activity. But is that still enough or do we need a more comprehensive set of activity gauges?

Tom Baldrica


“Soundscan album sales and radio charts are still an important yardstick,” says Average Joe’s Entertainment President Tom Baldrica. “Any time you can measure what people are spending their hard-earned dollars on, that is an ultimate piece of research. But the digital download chart is also important and we should be considering hard ticket sales. Merchandise numbers are important plus ringtones and ring backs, or joining a fan club. Anything that generates dollars becomes a measuring stick because that is how you know if you are cutting through.”
“Two years ago every Wednesday morning I woke up at 5 a.m. to check the SoundScan charts and write reports about what was going on,” says Peter Strickland, Sr. VP Brand Management & Sales, Warner Music Nashville. “Now I choose to run 5 miles, hit Starbucks and wait till I get in the office before looking at the chart. What excites me today is our daily social media numbers that help me see how our various artist revenue streams are moving. We get reports from the road on a daily basis on tours where we are servicing merchandise. Of course SS is still important, but those kinds of areas capture my attention now. Radio remains a big tool as well. I don’t know if streaming services will take a bite out of that, but for now radio is important.”
Social networks have developed into an efficient means of delivering on the Internet’s marketing promise of allowing one-to-one communication. But how should that data be treated when compared with actual purchases, for example?
“The social networks are the ultimate street team and evangelist for your cause whether it is selling music or trying to overthrow a government,” says Baldrica. “It’s an important piece in the process of building that one-on-one relationship. The big question is, does it help move fans from an interested person to an interested consumer, that’s the leap you want people to take. Social Networks give you a chance to quickly tell your story. It is grass roots cubed in the sense of how fast it can move.”
Strickland ranks the social networks importance by looking between the lines, in a sense, but notes that it requires artist input to be successful. “It’s your continued day-to-day, week-to-week growth that tells the story,” he says. “What plays a major role in that growth is the artist participation and engagement with the fan. It doesn’t happen on its own. The music alone does not drive it. And that skill is a learning curve for every artist that comes to the marketplace now. There are varying levels of fan participation which you can see that tell the story of what’s working and what’s not. Eventually radio will pay more attention to all these numbers we throw their way. When all the yardsticks collide, then you know you’ve succeeded.”
Average Joe’s Colt Ford is an example of an artist which doesn’t have all the traditional yardsticks, yet has a growing career. “If you’re talking about downloads, physical discs, tickets, merchandise sold plus sponsorship deals he checks all those boxes,” offers Baldrica. “It’s a real successful career, but missing the one ingredient that used to be the end-all, be-all for success—mainstream radio. But there’s more to the story, Paul Harvey. We need to dig deeper, to find all the facts. And that’s not just in the music business, people in all industries are finding new ways to put the biscuit in the basket.”

Luke Bryan Debuts At Top of Chart

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Luke Bryan’s debut is the big story on this week’s SoundScan report. The Capitol Nashville star moved over 145,000 units of his third album tailgates & tanlines, landing at the top of the Country chart, and No. 2 on the overall chart. This is more than double the first week sales of his sophomore release, Doin’ My Thing.
tailgates & tanlines is the second-highest selling debut week sales for a country release this year, coming in barely above the new album from labelmate Eric Church, and behind Brad Paisley.
Propelling sales are Bryan’s lead single “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” which has sold over 1 million downloads and is his best-selling single to date.
Bryan is now gearing up to headline the CMT On Tour, kicking off Sept. 15 and playing 22 shows before wrapping Nov. 19. In between CMT tourdates, he is set for a Farm Tour of six shows which give back to farming communities.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (8/17/11)

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We sometimes forget that the Americana field has more than its share of name-brand stars.
Amid the hundreds of unclassifiable, and usually forgettable, acts who populate this genre are a number of folks who are justifiably famous throughout the music world. In recent country columns, we have noted the new releases by Emmylou Harris, Michael Martin Murphey, Ricky Skaggs, Gene Watson & Rhonda Vincent, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Kasey Chambers and Buddy Miller, all of whom fit comfortably under the Americana umbrella.
Today, we have such stellar contributors as Steve Earle, Jakob Dylan, The Avett Brothers and Gillian Welch on our desk. Our Disc of the Day goes to someone who should be just as well known as they are, Sugar Hill’s Sarah Jarosz.
The DisCovery Award goes not to a person, but to a thing. It is a highly inventive, home-grown Nashville concept album called The 1861 Project.
GILLIAN WELCH/The Way It Goes
Writer: Welch/Rawlings; Producer: David Rawlings; Publisher: Acony/Do Write/3rd Revision/Bug, BMI; Acony (track)
—If Gillian’s music on her new The Harrow & The Harvest CD had a color, it would be sepia. On this track, as throughout, her guitar intertwines delicately with David Rawlings’ instrument. The fatalistic/nonsense lyric is given a typically dry reading with David drawling harmony on the title phrase. The whole collection is somewhat same-y sounding, but their groove is so hypnotic that it really doesn’t matter.
PATTY GRIFFIN/I Love
Writer: Tom T. Hall; Producer: Peter Cooper & Eric Brace; Publisher: Sony, BMI; Red Beet/CMF (track) (www.songsoffoxhollow.com)
—The tribute CD I Love: Tom T. Hall’s Songs of Fox Hollow begins with Patty’s luminous rendition of the songwriter’s most famous “children’s” song. Lloyd Green’s steel guitar sighs sympathetically behind her. Elsewhere on the album, Buddy Miller gets to do a delightful “Sneaky Snake.” Bobby Bare sings “I Care.” Jim Lauderdale essays “I Like to Feel Pretty Inside.” Tom T., himself, drops by to help Fayssoux Starling McLean perform the set’s one new song, “I Made a Friend of a Flower Today.” Ditties such as “Everybody Loves to Hear a Bird Sing,” “The Song of the One-Legged Chicken,” “How to Talk to a Little Baby Goat” and “I Wish I Had a Million Friends” are recommended for children of all ages.
MINTON SPARKS/Her Purse
Writer: Minton Sparks/John Jackson; Producer: Brandon Bell & Kristin Tschida; Publisher: Mountain Sparks, ASCAP; Mountain Sparks (track)
—Minton Sparks is arguably Nashville’s most creative entertainer. She inhabits the character of a middle-aged Southern lady. Her pieces are spoken, with John Jackson’s guitar providing audio coloring. She always carries a pocketbook on stage, so beginning her current CD with this track describing the contents and the sentiment of her mother’s is perfectly suitable. She is best experienced in person, but Minton Sparks Performing Live at The Station Inn in the Heart of Downtown Nashville is the next best thing.
STEVE EARLE/This City
Writer: Steve Earle; Producer: T Bone Burnett; Publisher: Exile on Jones St., ASCAP; New West (track) (www.steveearle.com)
—Steve wrote this for the New Orleans based HBO television series Treme, on which he appears in one of the secondary roles. Or did, until his character was shot dead last season. It is a brooding ballad of the city’s steadfast refusal to drown. His bluesy delivery is backed by stuttering trumpet, slow bass thumping and strummed acoustic guitar, all of which are just stark enough to put the focus firmly on the message. Grammy and Emmy nominated, it appears on his terrific new CD I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive, which is his most “country” collection in years. His debut novel, also out now, has the same title.
PEGI YOUNG/Foul Deeds
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Vapor (track) (www.pegiyoung.com)
—The title tune of the album by Neil Young’s wife Pegi is a loping waltz about abandonment. Her light soprano has a tart/sweet quality that sounds best on starker tracks like this one, rather than on the more electrified ones.
SARAH JAROSZ/Run Away
Writer: Sarah Jarosz/Alissa Bonagura; Producer: Gary Paczosa & Sarah Jarosz; Publisher: SoRaw/Almo/My Plum Songs/Alright Love!, BMI/ASCAP; Sugar Hill (track) (www.sarahjarosz.com)
—She tours on the bluegrass circuit, but her music is really closer to acoustic pop. This lead-off track of her new Follow Me Down CD captures how blissfully airy and haunting she can be. Instruments swirl in jazzy circles around her hushed, fluttering vocal. This woman is essential listening.
JAKOB DYLAN/Down On Our Own Shield
Writer: Jakob Dylan; Producer: T Bone Burnett; Publisher: Sugarmoonmusic, ASCAP; Columbia (track)
—I’m rather late in writing about this, but Jakob’s Women + Country album has been a nearly constant presence on my house sound system for months. With the aid of the ubiquitous Mr. Burnett, Bob’s son has achieved a stunningly ear grabbing sound that combines earthy rhythm, echoey twang and campfire folk. Harmony vocals by Neko Case and Kelly Hogan are particularly noteworthy. I chose this rumination, but you can “drop the needle” on “Everybody’s Hurting,” “Nothing But the Whole Wide World” or any of the other tracks and fall in love with this extraordinary record.
THE AVETT BROTHERS/Murder In The City
Writer: none listed; Producer: Rick Rubin; Publisher: none listed; American Recordings (track) (www.theavettbrothers.com)
—As a general rule, I don’t like live albums. But this is one group whose superb recorded works are sometimes outshone by its concert performances. The Avett Brothers Live, Volume 3 is not some “filler” release between studio recordings. Rather, it is an exciting document that stands on its own as a listening experience. If you’re already a fan, your favorites (”I and Love and You” for instance) are probably here. This starkly strummed family portrait is greeted with wild cheers by the crowd. But, then, so is just about everything else.
JOHN ANDERSON/The Turning Of A Field
Writer: Stan Webb/Thomm Jutz/Peter Cronin; Producer: Thomm Jutz; Publisher: Stan Webb/Thomm Songs/Samoline, SESAC; Cohesion Arts (track) (www.1861project.com)
—The 1861 Project is an ambitious song cycle about the Civil War. This 17-song CD is subtitled, “Volume 1: From Farmers to Foot Soldiers.” The unmistakable voice of John Anderson kicks things off with this evocative portrait of a man plowing his land as war winds rise in the distance. Other notables who portray the various songs’ characters include Irene Kelley, Marty Stuart, John Brannen, Richard Dobson and Dana Cooper. Impressive acoustic-folk work.
ROBERT ELLIS/What’s In It For Me
Writer: Robert Ellis; Producer: Robert Ellis & Paul Moore; Publisher: Roger Elvis/New West Independent, BMI; New West (track) (www.robertellismusic.com)
—This ballad from his Photographs CD is carefully arranged with an echoey background vocal chorus, deliberately chorded piano and a judiciously played steel guitar. The Texan’s trembling vocal of a loser coming home is note perfect.

DIY 'U' Showcases Digital Artist Career Tool

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The third installment of ASCAP’s DIY “U” took place in the performing rights organization’s conference room Aug. 16. The DIY series is designed to introduce members to various technology companies and this edition featured the Topspin direct-to-fan platform and Topspin Sr. Director of Artist Services Nashville, Wayne Leeloy.
Topspin has many layers of tools and ways to obtain and analyze data. Looked at simply, it is the next step for an artist who has already begun to engage fans on social networks like Facebook and Twitter, but wants to gather more individual information about those fans, for example an email address. It is one thing to have a Friend, Follower or Like, but another level of trust entirely when a fan feels secure enough to give you his or her email address which then allows you to contact them when you want to do so.
According to Leeloy, who began his Nashville career working for Ticketmaster, Topspin was a closed platform until last March but has rapidly expanded to over 12,000 members. “It can be harnessed for music, books, film and more,” said Leeloy. “Anything where the goal is to build community around a brand. It’s a platform for creating and managing a retail channel including an artist store, plus a sophisticated toolset to help acquire new fans and analyze data.” Artists currently using Topspin range from Paul McCartney to Nashville’s Jim Lauderdale.

(L-R): ASCAP's Mike Sistad, Jesse Willoughby, Topspin's Wayne Leeloy and ASCAP's LeAnn Phelan.


Some of the kinds of available tools include a series of flexible widgets that allow artists to offer free content, fan club memberships, tickets or contests in exchange for email acquisition. The widgets retain full functionality when shared on social networks and third party websites. So, for example, a widget can be shared in someone’s Facebook stream and others can discover and interact with its functionality. A second key feature of the platform is its robust data dashboard where the fan list is kept and analyzed. Artists are able to filter the list and sort by zip code and distance parameters. Emails are ranked in terms of influence, engagement and other interests. The list can also be downloaded for use with email programs such as Mailchimp, for example.
One ASCAP member noted that while the platform seemed “amazing,” the learning curve for best leveraging its power can be challenging. “Think Pro Tools, and what that did for recording,” said Leeloy. “It takes some time to master, but it’s worth it.” The Topspin website has a series of educational features and videos to help artists move through the process. Also Berklee College of Music’s online school has a 12-week course given four times a year designed to provide “deep insight into the strategies, skills and tools required to market your business online as well as the tactical training you need to become a Topspin pro.”
Sharing, awareness, viral engagement and data acquisition systems like the Topspin platform aren’t just terms or concepts for tomorrow’s music industry, serious careers are already immersed in them.