Pharrell Williams Performs in SNL (5 April 2014).

Pharrell Williams was celebrating even before stepping into the stage on Saturday Night Live, on 5 April 2014.  Pharrell was celebrating as he turned 41, and cut a slice of cake decorated with his very well known hat silhouette.  It was a very special night not to mention his great performance in SNL stage, performing his latest singles.

His first performance was “Happy” were he performed backed up with a stage full of kids dancing to his music.  At one point some kids stepped up to show their breakdancing skills on stage.  Pharrell has been promoting his new album G.I.R.L, were he has collaborated with Daft Punk and Timberlake once again.

On his second performance of the night Pharrell included an all-female string section that opened for the song “Marilyn Monroe”, which included the recognized composer Hans Zimmer as the conductor.  The live crowd received Pharell very enthusiastically and sang along to his catchy songs.

His new album includes 10 songs which is considers a concept album.  His sound is well described in this album as essentially Seventies and Eighties R&B vibe.  It is his second solo effort after 2006, “In My Mind” album.  Pharell is well know for his collaboration with many other well known artists and producer.

Pharell Williams also had a cameo role in SNL, impersonating himself.  Pharrell sat alongside with Kenan Thompson and Taran Killam whom wore a similar hat than the one Pharrell displayed thouhout the night.  The crowd enjoyd Pharrell’s role and his funny bone on live TV.  

This has been a very impressive year for Pharrell William as he played earlier on stage in the Grammys along Stevie Wonder and Daft Punk as they won record of the year.   

We have seen a lot interesting collaborations in the last decade in Pharrell Williams career from Usher, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dog, and Daft Punk.  We can really see him like a modern day Quincy Jones type of producer and he has really defined the quality and vision in todays POP-culture.

External Links: 

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/pharrell-williams-happy/2770793

http://pitchfork.com/news/54656-pharrell-performs-happy-and-marilyn-monroe-on-saturday-night-live/

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/g-i-r-l-20140307

Nielsen SoundScan Proves Decline in Album Sales as of January 2014

Mike Fine and Mike Shalett created SoundScan to effectively track music sales and music video products.  SoundSan is the official method for tracking music sales throughout the US and Canada.  Billboard music charts use the SoundScan tracking system to represents their figures every week. 

Albums sales have fall to its lowest rates ever in the US.  As of the end on January 2014, there were only 4.25 million sales in America-the poorest return since records began in 2001.  Nielsen SoundScan first began tracking music sales back in 1991.  The sales that were registered as of January 2014 tracked both CD and vinyl sales, but represented the lowest figure in sales since the previous lowest figure of 4.49 million as of October 2013.  The data collected for January 2014, also represented a decline in digital album and track downloads, for the first time since 2001.

A steady decline has been noticed since 2010, as digital downloads and sales were introduced.  The first year digital albums sales were introduced it caused a decline in annual sales by 12%.  The following year a significant recovery was experienced with the released of Adele’s 21, storming the charts and becoming the best selling album of the year.

Album sales had dropped again by 4% back in 2012, but 2013 it was even worst with an 8% drop in sales.  Before 2010 it was very rare for weekly sales totally 5m units.  Less than 5 million units in sales was a very rare situation, thus experiencing it about 3 to 4 times in a year.  2013 had a total of 18 weeks with less than 5million units sold. 

For anyone selling music products and interested in sales feedback by SoundScan all is needed is to complete a title registration or ISRC registration online.  Taking 3-5 business days, recommending this form to be requested about 2 weeks from products release date.

Reference:

http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/nielsen-solutions/audience-measurement.html

http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/digital-and-mobile/5855162/digital-music-sales-decrease-for-first-time-in-2013

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/adeles-21-becomes-first-album-to-sell-over-3-million-digital-copies-20140107

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21_(Adele_album)

Bandsintown

Cellfish is a leading mobile development company headquartered in NYC, and has created a top rated concert discovery app on Facebook for live music fans & artists.  The Facebook platform includes tour page, post information of upcoming gigs, and geo-targeting to assist fans with tour info updates.  The platform also suggests fans with similar artist thus creating a free advertisement for new artists and possible fan growth.  Most of the revenue comes from charging promoters a fee I order to access user email data.  Cellfish’s mission is to deliver the most engaging and innovative consumer-entertainment experience by harnessing the power of mobile devices and social media.  Cellfish acquired Bandsintown in 2011, which was initially started by Todd Cronin and Phil Sergi.   

Bandsintown is an artist platform that includes over 150,000 artists and still growing aggressively.  Their major competitors are Live Nation and Ticketmaster.  Fans will get the most up to date information on when their favorite artist will be in town, and it also helps promoters in promoting upcoming shows in the area.  Forbes mentions that at this moment Cellfish has been collaborating with The Agency Group, which is currently the third largest tourist agency in the world.  This collaboration will open new doors for Cellfish and their platform Bandsintown.  At this moment Bandsintown is not profitable and most likely it wont be until next year 2014, when they would finally balance off some of their initial investments.  Bandsintown is currently working on developing new options for ticket purchasing and artists information that can be shared on this platform.  

Back in 2012 Bandsintown released the results of a survey that was trying to fit artist fans and their needs.  Observing the behavior of online music fans they where able to survey people between the ages of 16-59, and those that had been attending concerts recently.  The results of this survey helped to assign music fans into four groups (Super Fans, Plugged-Indies, Soloists, Dedicated Diehards, and Tag-Alongs), thus determining that some of these groups are more engaged in social media than others.  This helped the app increase their targeted marked and how they would push their company to reach those specific customers.  Currently the app can be enjoyed via Facebook, ITunes Apps, and Google play.  Promoters have a very great opportunity to use Bandsintown data to help them promote the right gig.  This has created a huge push marketing program for promoters and bands, allowing them to deliver customized messages to fans based on artist interest. 

Depeche Mode last show @ ACL

Delta Machine tour, has given Depeche Mode a new begining. Over 30 years in the music business, this synth-pop pioneers "Just Can't Get Enough." Depeche Mode has completed their North American tour, playing over 20 shows in various cities. This is the first time Austin City Limits Festival would be held over two separate weekends, with the same headliners. It's was a perfect way to say goodbye to America, while heading over to Asia and then back to Europe to continue with their next leg of the tour. Martin, Dave, and Andy delivered some of their best tunes on Friday night on October 11th. Depeche Mode played to over 50,000 fans that came to this awesome festival in Austin, TX. Songs like (Walking in my shoes, Enjoy the silence, Shake the disease, and Never let me down again), gave the fans one hell of a show to remember. Martin Gore sang couple of the bands favorites, accompanied by the piano and his voice was always on tune. Let's hope the band can return some time soon to North America, and maybe for promotion of another new album. The band doesn't seem to be slowing down a bit, and their fan base is still solid as a rock. Devotees from all over the world came to support Depeche Mode on this festival. The band keeps producing great "Music for the masses." It is hard to see any  New Wave acts around these days, but DM has proven to the critics that they are the real deal. Enjoy the pictures!!!

 

"Reach out, and touch faith"

Enrique Bunbury's new album, "Palosanto" to be released [10/29/13]

Enrique Bunbury new album, "Palosanto” promises to deliver once again.  Ex (Heroes del Silencio) singer from Spain, has completed his 8th studio album of his breakthrough solo career.   As described by the artist himself the new album is something fresh, and full of new sounds.  The band will have an array of recently purchased instruments, a female vocal trio, symphonic orchestra and an outstanding synthesizer player.  This new elements depart Bunbury from his vintage sound that has been present in his music for the past 10 years.  The new single, "Despierta" has been released and gives fans a good understanding on what to expect.  As a composer, musician and producer; Bunbury mentions that it has been a very challenging role to achieve the likes of every fan.  “The way I complete my music, its not necessarily the way most fans would like for me to write it.”  Palosanto can be described as a collaboration of efforts instead of my own ego as had ben experienced in the past.  A lot of new grounds are being discovered in this album, that is somewhat of a rebirth in my career.  After touring most of Central, Southern and Latin America to include some European locations Bunbury talks about his new life experiences.  The disc can be divided in two parts, the first being a more digital sound and touching the part of world revolution and the ultimate sacrifice; death.  The second part focuses on a more organic musical sound experience and the longing for a spiritual answer in life.  The cover of the album portrays Bunbury sitting in a ship in the desert that reads, “God is Love, “ and a UFO flying in the background.  A lot of symbolism perhaps, but the artist leaves the imagination open to the listeners and maybe will touch a different ground he has never touched before.  Next year it will be the artist 30 years in the Spanish rock music industry.

http://www.enriquebunbury.com/

http://www.facebook.com/bunburyoficial

North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents (NAPAMA)

North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents (NAPAMA) is a not-for-profit membership organization.  It's main goal is to guide its professional members to build a strong community of performing arts managers, and agents.  The community it promotes involve managers and agents assisting artist to have interaction with local or international audience. 

This organization also helps its member with ethical guidelines that are the core of the artist and manager/agent relation.  This guidelines will provide the most important foundations, to establish professional relations that can become essential to this profession.

NAPAMA's role is to give its members access to the most important artist and talents in the industry.  By giving our members access to the best artist in the industry, we will foster commitment and determination to provide the best care to the artist.  The guidelines forethical  behavior presented to its members include the following:

1. Manager-Artist Relations

2. Manager-Presenter Relations

3. Manager-Manager Relations

4. Manager-Employee Relations

5. Conventions 

   www.napama.org 

Ideas that Spread Wins

Mass media has made it easy to come across customers, and new marketing territories.  Marketing guru Seth Godin talks in his video through Ted.com, on what is important in todays marketing world.  He focuses on how we should spread our ideas so these can become effectives ways of marketing ourselves.  It is important to take into consideration the factors of product design, being remarkable, and being noticeable.  It’s our effort to apply these factors to help us become unique, and apart from the average and the daily routines. As an entrepreneur, he has founded dozens of companies, most of which failed.  Seth Godin has been described “as the ultimate entrepreneur of the information age” by Business Week columnist Mary Kuntz.  After working as a brand manager for a software company in the 80’s, Godin created the firm Yoyodyne.  Yoyodyne was one of the first internet-based marketing firms that had a main focus on how to reach their customers.  In the late 90’s Yahoo, bought Godin’s company after seeing his remarkable work with his company and his marketing techniques. 

Godin has written various important books in the marketing field, such titles include Purple Cow, Tribes, All Marketers Are Liars, and Permission Marketing.  His writing focuses on the post-industrial revolution, spreading ideas, marketing, quitting, leadership, and most important of all the art of changing everything.  One of my favorite books from Godin is the titled Tribes, its about the most powerful form of marketing, leadership, and how anyone can become a leader, creating movements that matter.

In 2005, Godin founded he website Squidoo.com, a web site where users can share information and links to new ideas and topics that are relevant to them. Squidoo.com has been ranked among the top 125 sites in the US.  IT raises money for charity and pays royalties to its million plus members.  Seth has inspires my ways of approaching life and media.  Even though I am new to the entertainment business, I have learned a lot from his teachings and writings.  There are many other interesting videos from Godin that I can recommend such as, This is broken.  There are many things to learn from him, especially on how to brand “you.”  After all it is you who will make the difference and separate your work, your idea, your product from the common others.

Follow his blog at: http://sethgodin.typepad.com