Living in a time when the digital era is at its peak, artists are thrilled and challenged by the music promotional revolution. From traditional radio and television to others that have cropped up courtesy of social media, there are so many platforms musicians can utilize to reach people wherever they may be. But with such a vibrant landscape also comes challenges.
Success can be defined within the artist’s journey, but what metrics can bring some light into the noise? Those are some of the questions that the attendees on the panel discussion at the SoAlive Music Conference 2024 entitled SAMC – Media Metrics: Assessing the Impact of Radio, TV, Press and Social Media on Music Careers, could potentially answer themselves, and the speakers provided some insight and their thoughts on the topic.
This session delved deep into the metrics of today’s music industry. They touched on the effectiveness of each media platform, untangling how those channels affect the path of an artist’s career and checking whether a substantial media presence brings success.
Of course, we are interested in such topics and what professionals from the industry have to say in their regard, even as part of the media aspect within the music arena.
We enjoyed this panel discussion at SoAlive 2024, and we summarized the key points of this interesting panel discussion that looks into the secrets and magic behind being capable of getting your way through this puzzling media landscape and how to tackle its power to push the music career to the next level!
We recommend you quickly go through the essential points to get an idea of the importance of media in the music industry and artist promotion. We recommend watching the full panel discussion video if you get teased by this article.
Meet The Panelists
- Dirk Schneider – DLF Kultur
- David Fricke – SiriusXM
- Rob Schwartz – ACX1 Studios (Moderator)
- Rachel Young – TikTok
- Vasja Veber – Viberate
- Michael Gehring – Flux FM
Media Metrics: Important Points
- Elements of a Great Interview (15-24 min.)
- Live on air for authenticity.
- Research and surprise elements.
- An engaging and responsive conversation.
- Measuring interview impact: Contextualizing metrics, cross-channel analysis, benchmarking against similar content.
- Publicity and Its Effects (24-34 min.)
- True vs. false publicity.
- Long-term impact on careers.
- Social media’s role in amplifying stories.
- Importance of Understanding Analytics (34-37 min.)
- Identifying engagement triggers.
- Benchmarking metrics.
- Educating artists on data usage.
- Role of data in Music Discovery (37-40 min.)
- Metrics filter what deserves attention.
- TikTok provides rich data to creators.
- Consistency is key, not just frequency.
- Measuring Success on Different Platforms (40-46 min.)
- Small stations struggle with detailed metrics.
- Serious XM uses subscriber numbers.
- Personal anecdotes as informal metrics.
- Artist Engagement and Feedback (46-52 min.)
- Artists reach out based on past relationships.
- Free conversation and full-track play on shows.
- Digital copyright rules impact content.
- Virality and Cross-platform Success (52-57 min.)
- The community decides what goes viral.
- Tools to close music discovery gaps.
- Partnerships with ticketing platforms.
- Challenges of Sustaining Virality (57 min. – 01:04)
- Importance of riding the wave of success.
- Eurovision is an example of temporary spikes.
- Need for strategic management to maintain momentum.
- Starting Small and Building Connections (01:04-01:05)
- Importance of local engagement.
- Personal enrichment through passion.
- Commitment to improvement.
- Value of Personal Experiences (01:05-01:06)
- Experiences with music and art.
- Making friends and sharing stories.
- Viewing success as a gift.
- Advice for Musicians (01:06-01:08)
- Importance of doing what you love.
- Acknowledging privilege and diverse backgrounds.
- Building a narrative for media.
- Sustainable Music Careers (01:08-01:09)
- Comparing music to food sustainability.
- Strategies for a sustainable career.
- Importance of direct audience engagement.
- Success and personal circumstances (01:09-1:11)
- Defining personal success.
- Various ways to share music.
- Building a community through live performances.
Summary
The panel discussion on media metrics and their consequences on music careers drove the need to understand and utilize the media platforms of radio, TV, press, and social media. Participants indicated that at this time, all artists should remain authentic and strategic with their respective media engagement using metrics to evaluate effectiveness. They’ve talked about the importance of context in judging metrics, what authenticity means in storytelling, and what the short- and long-term effects of positive and negative publicity could be. The discussion has further extended to new changes in approaches toward media and a need for adaptation toward newer platforms and technologies to extend the process of music discovery and engage audiences.
