Renowned Guest Speaker Discusses Digital Marketing's Influence on the Music Industry

The students in MKTG 202: Marketing and Media Communication, learned how digital marketing has reshaped the music recording industry. Guest Speaker, Tina Cole, of F.A.M. Productions Inc., provided a lesson on the inner workings of the business – past and present - and how digital marketing turned the entire industry on its head.

Students discovered how music labels signed artists historically by traversing the music scene across the country to find rising stars to nurture and invest in their brand. Once signed to a label, it was a long and painstaking process in the hope that it would pay off financially i.e., a return on investment they made in the artist.  After all, the artist was the product of the record label.

But digital marketing changed the dynamics. Students learned that today, the onus is now on the artist to invest in their brand with their own financial resources using the tools available to them. Tools such as Spotify and SoundCloud for streaming as well as Instagram and YouTube to develop a fan base, have made it possible for artists to create visibility. It has also made it easier for the record label to find industry-ready artists all while sitting in the comfort of their office. Labels, with the help of digital platforms, can now find artists who have done a lot of the development work themselves, creating a seasoned artist ready to turn instant revenue as soon as the ink dries on the signed deal.

With 120,000 new songs being released weekly, building and having a strong digital presence is not only necessary, it's critical to get above the clutter and competitive noise. Students had the opportunity to discuss the issues around the proliferation of digital tools and how they were ‘cluttered’ with aspiring artists – how does one stand out?

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