Music Industry

J

jmspald

Hi All,

I'm currently doing a research project on the Music Industry - would love to know your thoughts on these questions...

1 Who are the three most innovative and exciting music retailers and what do they do better than others?

2. Which record labels / distributors are on in a weak position and why?

3. Can you name two innovative retail marketing campaigns and outline why they were successful,
 
L

londonlad1982

I really like Fopp! It's a bit cool and not as mainstream as HMV, Virgin et al. It also stocks some niche music and can be very cheap sometimes (price-wise!)

Erm, that answer's a bit of your 1st question!
 
RHOPJ

RHOPJ

1 Who are the three most innovative and exciting music retailers and what do they do better than others?

Amazon, Play.com and Fopp.  For speed and price, you can't beat Amazon or Play (though Play doesn't have as much of a selection as Amazon, it's really good value) whilst Fopp can have loads of records at bargain prices plus obscurities! iTunes needs a mention. It's really the best isn't it for online downloading.

2 Which record labels / distributors are on in a weak position and why?

Concept Records can't get hits these days.  Ironically I think it's the indie stores that are hit badly.  I was talking to the owner of 555 Records (indie and the label of Lolita Storm) and he was telling me how bad things were because of illegal downloaders.  I don't think the music industry was wholly prepared for that.

3 Can you name two innovative retail marketing campaigns and outline why they were successful

Tatu were probably at the forefront of one of the best marketing campaigns I've ever seen.  The rumours, the image, the video were all perfectly set up.  The music was great too so that helped.

Take That played a clever game too with the documentary and the hype that seemed to have gone on for years.  But I have to make a mention for the Spice Girls.  Their branding was genius.  Five recognisable names and titles:  Sporty, Posh, Baby, Ginger and Scary.  Real genius.
 
S

storm

jmspald said:
Hi All,

I'm currently doing a research project on the Music Industry - would love to know your thoughts on these questions...

1 Who are the three most innovative and exciting music retailers and what do they do better than others?

2. Which record labels / distributors are on in a weak position and why?

3.            Can you name two innovative retail marketing campaigns and outline why they were successful,
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1. Fopp is great, mainly because they stock cutting edge, indie stuff alongside mainstream music. Their prices are cheap, and they do that whole 'student record shop' thing really well. Plus, unlike the likes of Virgin or HMV, they don't seem to be primarily a record store - they place equal importance on books and DVD's, which seems to attract a lot of casual buyers.

2. I would say, of the major labels, Mercury is the label that springs to mind. They seem to have a habit of somehow dropping the ball when it comes to big acts - look at how they've handled both Orson and Lucie Silvas, two acts who started out extremely promisingly, and whose capaigns have fell apart due to ddgy marketing campaigns. V2 aren't much better - do they even have another big act other than Stereophonics? And despite some big sales with Crazy Frog, Gut aren't exactly in a great position.

3. The best retail marketing campaign I can think of recently is the Keane one with the USB stick. The previous single hadn't done that well, and then they suddenly PR this whole idea of a new sales format, strike a deal with HMV, and wham, they're back in the top ten. McFly's marketing campaign with their last single was great as well - both from the instore 3 for £5 campaign, through to the pre-orders for the video.
 
D

daveblackwell2k4

Major labels caused most of this due to their intense greediness, they were at one point trying to charge up to £16 or £17 on a full CD album & a two track CD single could retauil for as much as up to £3.99 until the laws came in & changed this.

The whole illegal downloading just came round to bite them.

Independents are now in a better position too, even more so now because downloads count for charts.

You look at charts a year or so ago, it was covered with major labels, now probably more indies are in teh charts just as much as majors, maybe more.

Downloads now counting are also benficial to indie labels too, so it's getting better & better for the indies & easier.

Concept just haven't had the hits because they have been shite at their marketing & single releases, they are starting to become known as quite a joke label now in the public and the industry.
 
D

dreamfish

I'd agree with Mercury records and Concept, and you could back the Mercury point up with labels that have actually diminished like London Records. They had the Sugababes, Holly Valance, Dannii, Shaznay, Mel Blatt, Siobhan Donaghy...all had yo-yo success (apart from the last two).
 
S

Scott

So in October I'm hopefully going to Manchester University, providing I get the grades required (yes, this highlights my youth on this board), and I was wondering what the music industry was like in Manchester. I know there are many artists originating from the city but I'm not sure what it's like for the actual administrative side of it. I hopefully want to go into the industry after university, firstly as a journalist then hopefully work my way up. I know it's not easy but I was wondering for any type of work industry relating to music, if worst comes to worst I wouldn't mind working in a record shop as I'm sure it shows some kind of direction, but I would much prefer doing a job in a company, however menial it may be. Anybody got any ideas or information?
 
D

dw120

Scott said:
So in October I'm hopefully going to Manchester University, providing I get the grades required (yes, this highlights my youth on this board), and I was wondering what the music industry was like in Manchester. I know there are many artists originating from the city but I'm not sure what it's like for the actual administrative side of it. I hopefully want to go into the industry after university, firstly as a journalist then hopefully work my way up. I know it's not easy but I was wondering for any type of work industry relating to music, if worst comes to worst I wouldn't mind working in a record shop as I'm sure it shows some kind of direction, but I would much prefer doing a job in a company, however menial it may be. Anybody got any ideas or information?
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First of all, good luck with going to University and with getting the grades. I'm not sure what the music industry is like in Manchester. I do however, have this one web site that is packed with loads of information on what you can do with various degrees from English, Drama, ICT, Maths and Music. Its got mostly every single subject on it. I'm not sure whether you've already visited it but it'll probably give you some information on the different routes you can take and the ways you have to go about it. The link that is for the page on music degrees etc, is:

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Options_with_your_subject/Your_degree_in_music/Your_skills/p!ecdeabj

I'm not sure whether you've already been on here but I thought that it would at least give you some information on the different routes that you can take and what other graduates in the same subjects do. Good luck anyway.
 
S

Scott

Thank-you.

I'm going to study Linguistics and Comparative Religion as a joint honours degree, and both do not point to a career in music, although I can see the english aspects in linguistics becoming useful. Thank-you again.
 
D

dw120

Scott said:
Thank-you.

I'm going to study Linguistics and Comparative Religion as a joint honours degree, and both do not point to a career in music, although I can see the english aspects in linguistics becoming useful. Thank-you again.
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Its no problem. There will loads of stuff on Linguistics and what you can do with those degrees as well. Good luck with everything though.
 
P

popenergy

Scott said:
So in October I'm hopefully going to Manchester University, providing I get the grades required (yes, this highlights my youth on this board), and I was wondering what the music industry was like in Manchester. I know there are many artists originating from the city but I'm not sure what it's like for the actual administrative side of it. I hopefully want to go into the industry after university, firstly as a journalist then hopefully work my way up. I know it's not easy but I was wondering for any type of work industry relating to music, if worst comes to worst I wouldn't mind working in a record shop as I'm sure it shows some kind of direction, but I would much prefer doing a job in a company, however menial it may be. Anybody got any ideas or information?
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Hi,

I graduated from uni with a degree in media in 2005 and have been trying to get into the music industry ever since. I live near Manchester and went to salford uni and find that though many bands come from the area, there isn't much on the business side. This all seems to be in London, which is quite frustrating. I am interested in the admin side too, like record labels, management etc and have written to companies in the city but most seem to be very small, independants that don't take on many staff. Also most jobs going and this goes for London too are unpaid, experience jobs, which I can't do as a need some form of income. I am not giving up though and am keeping an eye out for any opportunity. I wish you the best of luck with your degree and with getting into music. And if you find a way in, please pass how you did it onto me hehe
 
S

Scott

Yeah, I have tried, but at the time I was too busy and didn't have the time. I suppose my open/empty summer this year will allow me to put something together, I know a few people doing similar things, and yeah I could get involved with that. Thank-you anyway.
 
M

monkeygrump!

I live in Manchester (still at uni actually, postgrad) and can give you a few tips. First of all, try and write for the student paper/work for the radio station. Even if you aren't interested in these things you'll end up getting free entry to gigs/CDs/interviews and whatnot for minimal amounts of work. If you wanted to start in journalism then going to Manchester is a good choice as the process for choosing an editor for their student paper is open to anyone. Get your face known and get stuck in helping out ASAP and you could easily find yourself editor in your second or third year.

There are literally hundreds of band nights/DIY gigging type scenes in Manchester. If you go up to the northern quarter and hang out in the record shops up there you're sure to stumble across something you could get involved with. It's highly competitive though so starting your own would be very time consuming. I can't remember if there's some kind of events organisation society within the Uni, but if there isn't you could try starting one. You'll get uni funding as well access to facilities to put on a night or something of that nature.

Finally, if you want to get some industry experience there are also tons of small, start-up labels you could help out at (anything from flyering to answering phones or writing press releases). I did a bit of work ex at RF Records (www.rfrecords.com) which wasn't very helpful but it did give me a bit of insight into what working at a label/as an A&R person is like. I also got into more free gigs, which was nice. You'll want to get yourself down to In The City (www.inthecity.co.uk), which is a showcase for new bands/industry love-in held every year in Manchester. Hassle them about helping out/work ex and you'll gain yet more valuable experience and yet more entry to free gigs (see the pattern here?).

Basically, just hang about at as many gigs/clubs/record shops as you can until you find something you can get involved with. Er, that's all I can think of really. I know not all of that was relevant but I thought I'd get as much in as I could in case your ambitions change between now and September. Good luck!
 
S

Scott

monkeygrump! said:
I live in Manchester (still at uni actually, postgrad) and can give you a few tips. First of all, try and write for the student paper/work for the radio station. Even if you aren't interested in these things you'll end up getting free entry to gigs/CDs/interviews and whatnot for minimal amounts of work. If you wanted to start in journalism then going to Manchester is a good choice as the process for choosing an editor for their student paper is open to anyone. Get your face known and get stuck in helping out ASAP and you could easily find yourself editor in your second or third year.

There are literally hundreds of band nights/DIY gigging type scenes in Manchester. If you go up to the northern quarter and hang out in the record shops up there you're sure to stumble across something you could get involved with. It's highly competitive though so starting your own would be very time consuming. I can't remember if there's some kind of events organisation society within the Uni, but if there isn't you could try starting one. You'll get uni funding as well access to facilities to put on a night or something of that nature.

Finally, if you want to get some industry experience there are also tons of small, start-up labels you could help out at (anything from flyering to answering phones or writing press releases). I did a bit of work ex at RF Records (www.rfrecords.com) which wasn't very helpful but it did give me a bit of insight into what working at a label/as an A&R person is like. I also got into more free gigs, which was nice. You'll want to get yourself down to In The City (www.inthecity.co.uk), which is a showcase for new bands/industry love-in held every year in Manchester. Hassle them about helping out/work ex and you'll gain yet more valuable experience and yet more entry to free gigs (see the pattern here?).

Basically, just hang about at as many gigs/clubs/record shops as you can until you find something you can get involved with. Er, that's all I can think of really. I know not all of that was relevant but I thought I'd get as much in as I could in case your ambitions change between now and September. Good luck!
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Excellent information and looking forward to visiting those places.

Can I ask what you're studying and what you are hoping to do afterwards? Hopefully this is in relation to the music industry as I hope the places you worked for haven't acted as deterrents.
 
M

monkeygrump!

Mine's a strange one really; I did a computing science degree but for ages I was desperate to work in music. I wouldn't say the stuff I did deterred me in any way, shape or form but over time I realised that if I wanted to be anything it was a journalist so I'm planning on doing a fast-track NCTJ course when I finish my post-grad stuff. But if I hadn't have tried all these different things I wouldn't have realised what I wanted to do (I was the world's worst radio DJ at one point, for example). In that sense all the stuff I tried was invaluable, so I'd encourage you to try and do as many different things as possible and find out what you like. Of all the stuff I mentioned, In The City and the Student Paper are probably the two that you'll find most helpful. Don't be afraid to start your own stuff up if you see a demand for it though, that's the sort of thing that will look greta on your CV (and will probably be the most fun). Good luck!
 
S

simonf

Interesting article in last week''s Economist - http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9443082

There''s a quote from Edgar Bronfman - chairman of Warner Music saying that the Music industry is actually growing it''s the record industry that isn''t. Two thirds of revenue for the music industry is now concerts and merchandise, whereas it used to be a third.

Record companies are responding to this by trying to muscle in on that part of the business with new 360 (degrees) contracts for artist that runs this part of an artist''s business for them.

Recorded music is losing its intrinsic value as excludability becomes economically impossible. So instead of the single being seen as promo it will be the entire album - a la Prince''s Daily Mail CD give away.

This may force record labels to play a longer game with all artists, including pop artists. having to sell singles at a loss whilst waiting for the big money of the arena tour.

It is starting to look more and more certrain that an entirely brand new music industry will be upon us very very soon. It''s all very exciting
 
N

nickinoo

I thought artists made most of their money through touring. If record companies aren''t making much money with CD sales, won''t they now take a larger portion of the tour revenue, leaving the artists a bit poor. Poor popstars.
 
Breakfast2

Breakfast2

What will happen if you believe this... labels will stop making videos and promoting singles instead relying on giving away free songs to entice people to see them performed live.
 
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