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A Public Relations Equation for a Music Industry Solution

With all this talk of a digital revolution within the modern-day music industry, you must be wondering where the public relations part of the equation, the purpose of this blog, fits into the "music industry solution." The answer is simple. They are one in the same. 

How can this be? How could the digital distribution revolution that threatened to abolish the recording industry, as we knew it, only a few short years ago be a part of the public relations equation to the music industry's ultimate solution? Once again, the answer is simple. 

The public relations profession, like many other modern professions, has recognized the powerful influence of social media and digital communication and, as a result, has harnessed its influence and directed it toward accomplishing their industrial goals and objectives. Because of the public relations professions' understanding of the modern marvel known as digital communication, the industry has been able to demonstrate the effectiveness of audience engagement and organizational transparency. 

Within the context of the music and recording industry, the same theory and methods of public relations sustain. The music industry solution is not to ignore digital distribution and Internet-mediated communication, it is to embrace it. As many recording industry conglomerates and independent labels have recently demonstrated, the music industry has slowly, but surely, began to recognize, harness and embrace the digital and social revolution. 

You might be wondering by now how public relations (PR) can help to improve and further legitimize the traditional recording label within the age of digital music. That, in and of itself, is a legitimate question and concern. As I mentioned earlier, I personally believe that the solution to the music industry's current anguish over industrial legitimacy within an era of digital distribution, self-promotion and social communication can be answered with two simple letters, "PR." 

Compared to the recording industry's traditional and widely accepted methods of music promotion and artist publicity, public relations is a relatively new concept to the music industry. In years past, the music industry has heavily relied on marketing and advertising-based methods of promotion to sell records and concert tickets, as well as publicize new and existing artists. Considering the increased popularity of digital distribution and social media platforms devoted to music lovers and entertainment junkies, I believe that a public relations-rooted approach to music promotion and artist publicity is more appropriate in light of a modernized recording industry. 

In my next post, I will highlight a few more concrete reasons why I believe public relations is a big part of the music industry solution for both today and years to come. 

Go Digital or Go Home

Sorry it has been so long since my last blog, graduate school has quite the knack for getting in the way of life outside the classroom. In my last post, I discussed a few of the issues and opportunities that have rolled in on the coattails of a seemingly daunting digital music age. Today, I would like to elaborate a little more upon this fundamental paradigm shift within the music industry and, ultimately, suggest a few strategies for turning this "virtual threat" into a "virtual opportunity." 

Regardless of whether or not the music and recording industry chooses the "fight or flight" approach to digital distribution, the trend is obviously here to stay. With this in mind, it seems as if the choice is an obvious one. In the beginning of the digital transition, the recording industry was extremely apprehensive and, often times, close-minded to the new technological advances. In the recording industry's defense, however, the transfer from retail to digital was quite an intimidating transition at the time, and it seemed as if it would eliminate a large majority of their diminishing profit margin. 

Over the years, the recording industry began to realize that digital music distribution was something that they simply could not ignore. The dreaded iTunes, iPod and iPhone were here to stay, no offense Apple. After much reflection and restructuring, the music industry now understands and values the vast opportunity that lies amid the land of social media, infinite domain names and virtual music libraries. 

However, with much opportunity comes much challenge. Although the chance for virtual exposure and unprecedented sales has rapidly increased, the availability and accessibility of music has also increased with digital distribution. This means that recording labels are able to offer music dating back as far as they can remember, as well as the albums that were made since the integration of the iPod and the cellphone. Some early adopting recording labels and artists have transitioned to strictly digital distribution, meaning a physical copy (CD) of their music simply does not exist in any retail store.

Digital music distribution has also brought about a unique purchasing alternative for the music consumer that allows them to purchase individual songs from an album without purchasing the entire 10 to 12 song album. For consumers, it allows them to purchase the songs that they really want without being tied down to the entire album. For recording label executives, however, it means that consumers are able to spend anywhere from $1 to $5 getting what they really want, and the standard $9 to $15 album is virtually out the cyber window. 

What does this mean for the recording industry? No more filler songs on albums. Every single song cut has to stand on its own two feet, because that is exactly how it will be evaluated by the listener, all "on its own." Select loyal music consumers will still purchase the entire album, if it's a good one, but the majority will evaluate each song individually to determine if it is worthy of the 99-cent price of admission. 

Personally, I believe that this concept of song individualism is a healthy change for the music industry. Now, maybe we can get our hands, or shall we say our mouse pads, on some albums that are consistently good from cover to cover. 

The digital music transition that the recording industry could not foreshadow so many years ago has now turned into a land mine of opportunity, revenue and infinite success. Despite our love loss over the tangible record, we understand that digital is, indeed, an opportunity for success and not a threat to the recording industry's legacy and legitimacy. 

What Music Industry?

As a rookie blogger, it has taken me a little while to get accustomed to this whole concept of broadcasting my thoughts to the entire world. Although I sincerely doubt the majority of the blogosphere is even remotely interested in this blog's topical content, the idea of my personal opinions being etched in virtual “hyperlinked stone” is quite intimidating to a writer/journalist by trade. All apprehension and personal constraint aside, I determined that the best plan of action would be to simply rip the proverbial “cyber Band-Aid” right off.

If you have had a chance to read my introductory post or check out my About Me section, you have probably already gathered that I am a public relations practitioner by trade, and a music industry enthusiast by choice. Although my specialty is crisis communication and reputation management, very little of my educational background has anything to do with the music or entertainment industry, aside from a minor in Vocal Performance during my undergraduate work. My fascination with the music and recording industry stems from a childhood devoted to mastering every musical instrument in sight, honing my vocal chops and developing a deeply-rooted appreciation for timeless, traditional music that was far beyond my adolescent years.

It was that same devotion to music and the preservation of the traditional recording industry that prodded me to attend graduate school. I already knew that southern Mississippi’s educational opportunities would lend me nowhere near the master’s degree in music business that I had always desired. However, I determined that I would settle for a degree that was closest to music business and would, hopefully, one-day get my “foot in the door” down on Music Row. The next best degree, in my mind, that would help me to advance my career in the music industry was public relations and communication. Bare with me, I promise I’m getting to the point…

As I started to form and mold my research interests while attending graduate school at the University of Southern Mississippi, I began to realize the significant lack of research dedicated to the unidentified and unexplored research chasm, more commonly known as the music and recording industry. Sure, there were stacks upon stacks of hardbound books in the library covering the ins-and-outs of the recording industry, but they were all dated back to the 70s and 80s when the music industry was booming. With the occasional exception from 1990, there was virtually no substantial recent research to be found on the music and recording industry. Where were the peer-reviewed journal articles and trade publications that can be found, at the touch of a keystroke, for almost every other legitimate profession?

The answer was simple. They did not exist. While I was writing my first formal graduate research paper concerning public relations and its impact on the music industry, I literally thought I was going to pull out my hair when trying to compile academic sources for a proper literature review. Why? There simply were not any appropriate sources available. There may have been an occasional journal article written concerning music, but they rarely addressed the inner-workings of the recording industry or its methods of artist publicity and record promotion.

Why is there such a lack of current academic sources concerning the music and recording industry? I believe that the recording industry, as a whole, has grown silent in light of a daunting new digital music age that has granted consumers unlimited access to music through digital online libraries, like Apple’s iTunes for example. These so-called “digital music libraries” have, one-by-one, silenced traditional recording labels by threatening the very legitimacy of the recording label itself and, as a result, virtually silencing their professional voices. As a result, the music and recording industry has amounted to nothing more than a tribute and faint reminder of a once powerful and influential industry mogul.

The good news: the music industry does not HAVE to remain silent. Instead, the music and recording industry must learn how to empower itself by reinventing its traditional methods of distribution and promotion in light of an increasingly digital music market that is, most definitely, here to stay. In my next post, I will elaborate more on this eminent crisis within the recording industry and offer a few suggestions that will help the music industry learn to embrace, instead of fear, this new digital music revolution.

Welcome!

My name is Ashley Cockerham, and I am the creator and moderator of the "PR Spin" on Records. A graduate of Mississippi College's Communication Department, I am currently a public relations graduate student at the University of Southern Mississippi. As an aspiring public relations practitioner specializing in crisis communication and reputation management, I developed the idea to create a blog tailored to developing innovative new public relations tactics that are relevant to the entertainment and music industry. 

This blog will feature effective advertising and public relations methods that are applicable to both the music industry and the public relations profession in general. The purpose of this blog is to reinvent the traditional, marketing-based promotional methods currently employed within the music industry by providing alternative, and often more effective, public relations tactics. The thoughts and ideas displayed within this blog are my own personal opinions, and not the opinions of my employer. Please stay tuned for more posts!