David Bruce Murray
Jan 11, 2009
Food For Thought
Digital Distribution Marketing Ideas
Wes Burke points out that Crossroads is now providing a convenient method for Southern Gospel DJs to download new singles. Radio promoter Rick Hendrix has also been offering direct downloads for some time, and I believe Canaan has some sort of similar service in place. SG Reporter/ShowPrep’s Chuck Peters also provides links for DJs to download singles via his daily emails.
IDEA 1:
The big advantage to direct digital distribution of singles that I still don’t see anyone exploiting as a marketing tool is instant distribution. What I mean by “instant” distribution is making a song available for DJs to download VERY soon after the recording is made…as in the same day or next day after it was recorded.
IDEA 2:
When fans hear the initial single from a new CD for a few of weeks before the CD comes out, their anticipation should create a stronger demand. A label like Crossroads, Daywind, Gaither, or Canaan could take pre-orders for the CD, offering an instant download of the first single as an incentive.
IDEA 3:
For more routine releases coming from already released CDs or by lower-tiered artists, it would be nice if all the companies agreed on a certain day of the week to make new singles available for download. The Crossroads downloads I see available today are still the same as the ones I saw on December 31, for example. They appear to still be adding singles on a monthly, rather than a weekly basis.
Regarding IDEA 1, music and vocals for a single could be recorded during a session before noon and that song could be mixed on the spot. DJs could download it that afternoon and play it for their listeners…THAT SAME DAY. Sounds like a marketing plan!
Of course, I realize a record label can’t possibly know which song will be the best from a CD until all the songs are recorded. I understand the reluctance to commit to a particular song as the first single without the benefit of hindsight. I think it would generate some excitement, though, to make a point of having a nationwide release of a performance on the same day it was created, plus there must be at least SOME sense of whether a song is strong enough to take such a risk.
If anything similar or close to this sort of thing has ever taken place behind the scenes, I’d love to hear accounts of how well it worked. Did it help or hurt CD sales to get a single out well in advance of the CD’s release? Were DJs impressed to know they were playing a song for listeners that was still warm from the furnace where it was forged?
To give credit where it’s due, I realize IDEA 2 isn’t entirely original. The last Ernie Haase & Signature Sound DVD/CD combo was offered for sale in advance with two downloads as an incentive.
EH&SS dropped the ball on their marketing to a certain degree, though. First, they referred to the two song files as “free” and a “bonus.” In fact, the audio was identical to the DVD performance that customers were purchasing. The only thing “free” was the fact that customers could hear the audio before receiving their DVD in the mail. Also, EH&SS didn’t mention that “Reason Enough” was to be their first single, which is what I’m suggesting. Another confusing aspect of the EH&SS promotion was an indication in one sentence that the “free” tracks were from the studio CD. The direct quote from their marketing is: “want to hear the CD before it comes out?” The next sentence indicated, though, that the tracks were from the live taping.
(I know this is nit-picky to bring up the EH&SS promotion, but I think they could refrain from using the word “free” and just directly say what the customer could expect as part of the deal they were buying. If you care to see the pertinent language of the promotion, Daniel Mount preserved it in a blog post you can view HERE)
As for IDEA 3, I’m not holding my breath waiting for a bunch of SG radio promoters to agree on anything, but this could be the sort of universal branding that has worked so well for retail’s New Release Tuesday with music and movie releases. I would think DJs would appreciate know that new songs would be made available on the same day each week.
Some radio promoters seem to still be locked into a the once-a-month mode they’ve used for compilation discs. A monthly cycle does not take full advantage of digital distribution. If a song has already been slated for promotion, why not take advantage of this technology and get it into the hands of DJs right away?
