In her interview, Emma Stakes talks about how one of her writers wrote the song "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae 15 years previous and was nominated for a Grammy because of it. He produced it and co-wrote it with her and it earned him millions of pounds. Out of the blue, in lockdown, a young boy in Salt Lake City contacted her company and asked if he could have the rights to license it and release his cover independently on his own Spotify account. Within less than a week, a large influencer on TikTok had picked up on the sound and placed it as the background music in a makeup tutorial and it had gone viral. Within 4 days it had 500 million streams and put the boy with no followers and a couple of streams onto a signed deal with Colombia Records. The song has over 7 billion streams on TikTok and 230 million on Spotify from a cover alone, which led to his original songs getting more attention as listeners looked to listen to his other work. The cover got so much attention that it was soon added to thousands of playlists (widening the audience) and was played in behind Instagram filters.
Although Ritt Momney (the boy who released the cover) will have rights and royalties for his rendition of the song, he has no publishing on it. However, his original songs with 20 million streams now, as a result of the popularity of the cover will earn him more money as well. The original writer's are benefitting massively from this as after 100 million streams you make 500 grand. This is even more than when the song was originally released (89 million) as it was before the time of streaming platforms, and is now on 600 million streams. This is a clear example of how unpredictable the industry is, especially with the introduction of social media, as the consumption of music is only increasing and artists can blow up seemingly out of nowhere. 15 Years later Steve Chrisanthou has been nominated for a Grammy for the same song with a different person singing it!
Emma Stakes is a music manager who works with artists attached to an agency and also has a publishing company through Kobalt Music. More elements of the manager role can be achieved independently now. Starting as a young artist signed onto a Universal development deal and doing musical theatre in the West End, she then began writing collaboratively and earning money for names such as: Craig David, Little Mix and Gary Barlow. From this Stakes was headhunted by Syco Entertainment (Simon Cowell's record company) and began working with artists across X-Factor, BGT and AGT in the development team, scouting team and as a vocal coach. Following this, Stakes began working in the A&R department with artists after the show once they signed a record deal. Now she works independently with another music manager with established and unestablished artists.
Modern Artists:
Stakes spoke on how it has become harder for artists as they used to work step by step with the company but now they need to prove sales and have money behind them - it is also beneficial if they have a previously established audience. However, it is easier now for an artist to distribute their music on free streaming platforms without a record deal. Stakes is approached by artists at different stages of development and they work together to build the image organically (unless it is already established). Artists now can just distribute their music and hope that it organically trends but you have to do as much as you can. For example: get the right playlist and plug-in team, look at radio plug-in, independent PR, editorial PR, magazines, marketing etc. It costs alot of money and this is where having a company behind an artist helps. Before influencing became really big, Stakes used features to spread artists names, eg. a Yellow Claw feature with DJ Khalid which amounted 250 million streams.
Synthetic vs. Organic:
Stakes comments that a lot right now is organic because people have access to independent released (through DSP platforms). In the current age it is difficult to separate synthetic and organic artists as there are organic viral trends that are decided by the public - especially during the pandemic. The proof is often in the longevity of the artists, they will often die out if they are a synthetic artist as people lose interest with the image and want someone down-to-earth to connect with.
Searching for Artists:
When searching for artists Stakes looks at: the voice, the talent, the stage presence and numbers. Additionally, an honest and authentic image as sometimes someone unpolished is more interesting to consume. Stakes states that often, "success is dependent on the amount of time and money put into an artist" however it is currently quite a mixed bag as a result of social media impacting the industry. For example, TikTok has become the fastest way to consume a variety of music.
Q: Are physical copies still relevant?
Dependent on the territory or region
Nice to have a physical copy (especially when bought at gigs or concerts)
Vinyls are coming back
Less relevant in the Western World as everything is online + more DSPs
Asian markets sell more physical than digital - they have not saturated the market with digital streaming
An extra cost for smaller artists
Q: Are music videos still relevant?
Still seen as important to most labels because there its a large online audience looking to consume visual elements
Massive high budget videos aren't as big of a deal
Logo designs and concepts are key for bands and artists, as well as commercial companies, to be recognisable among fans and, if the band is extremely successful, worldwide. There are variations of types of logos which include:
- Abstract Mark (eg. Pepsi, Windows)
- Mascot Logo (eg. KFC, Pringles, Wendys)
- Combination Mark (eg. Burger King, Lacoste, Doritos)
- Emblem Logo (eg. Starbucks Coffee, Harley Davidson, Warner Bros.)
- Lettermark (eg. Cartoon Network (CN), CNN, HBO)
- Pictorial Mark (eg. Apple, Nike, Playboy)
- Wordmark (eg. Google, CocaCola, FedEx)
Queen's emblem logo is recognizable globally, their massive success has made it extremely memorable. It is unique to the band and indicates to their genre of rock as it is dark colors with lions and a dragon rather than a bright bubble writing such as Katy Perry's word mark logo.
Excluding emblems, it is important that bands have easy logos that can be printed to sell more merchandise as it is cheaper to print. Taking ACDC for example, the lightning has 2 bolts rather than the classic cartoon of 3.
Using a website with unused bands names, I took some and created logos for them. Despite my poor art skills and the questionable band names, I tried to create a variation of genres and types of logos.
Firstly I started with 'Aaron Wu' the alternative pop singer I created using the character sheet previously. The featured symbol in the centre of the abstract mark means calm which reflects his laid back vibe and the sound of his music. The green works with this as it also carries calm connotations and adds some colour to a simple design.
(Another alternative pop logo with bright colors playing on the name 'she sees bees')
This band is called 'See Through You' and I felt a letter mark would be appropriate here as it is almost like a dingbat (where you can make out the phrase through a series of words or pictures). I used black for this to go with the alternative rock genre as often rock is seen as dark (especially in comparison to pop). Another alternative rock logo I made falls into the word mark category. I used a dark purple for this as it still follows the colour palette of rock but is brighter than the classic dark blacks and reds making it stand out more and appear more unique.
I wanted to create a pictorial logo and I felt a pop group would suit this, I found the name "wrongwrongright" and immediately I thought of a bright simple logo that would be able to be printed on different types of merchandise and, as it is symbols, be recognized everywhere.
I always see words that are written out in the shape of something and I thought is would be great for the comedy genre to have this band have "pants" shaped as trousers (pants in America). I tried using the brown as a belt and blue as denim but I think the T should be blue to make it clearer. I thought this would suit comedy as it is, not only a light hearted name, but also colors that pertain to the genre.
Donald Glover, who goes by Childish Gambino on-stage, released his trap/ pop single 'This Is America' in 2018. The music video was released May 5 in the same year while he hosted an episode of 'Saturday Night Live'. The music video was directed by Hiro Murai has amounted up to 763 million views since its release and won a Grammy for 'Best Music Video' upon many other awards. Personally, I think this music video is timeless and has been relevant since the moment it was released. As a result, I feel as though it will be talked about for a long time as the issues discussed won't just disappear and have been rooted in society for centuries, since the slave trade in the 15th century. Even once these issues have been addressed I feel as though it will be used to educate the future generations on how members of the BAME community were treated. Both Murai and Glover did not comment much after the videos release, this allowed the audience to argue the inferences and meaning behind it. The idea that there is not just a singular reference to each element of the video highlights how bad this issue is as there are so many possible references.
The most prominent element in the camera work is that it all appears to be taken in a single shot, perhaps reflecting the idea that this is an ongoing issue but also that it is constant, whether it is happening in the
forefront on the background - this is how people live. This works in combination with a slow pace to allow the audience to take in the overwhelming amount of action happening in each frame. Additionally, in moments such as shooting the choir, the audience are left in shock while looking at Gambino holding a gun. Specifically, this gun is an AK-47, noticeable as the camera lingers on this moment, this is significant as it is a semi-automatic gun which is often a weapon of choice for most mass shootings as it causes so much damage. Additionally, there is a reference here to the Charlestown massacre as a white supremacist went into a church and shot everyone in their place of peace and worship. The smooth pan upwards to the children sat above the action at the top of the industrial warehouse presents the idea that the children grew up in that environment which is reinforced later as a child rides past a mass fight on a bike, oblivious to the violence. Alternatively, the phones may be significant as they are a tool to spread awareness, although the music video was released before George Floyd's death, it was the sharing of that video on social media that catalysed and triggered a lot of the 'Black Lives Matter' protests. Another interpretation suggests that it is a reference to the March 18th shooting of Stephen Clark, an unarmed black man holding a phone.
A subtle detail to the editing is the corners of the screen folding in at certain points, one example of this being when he mimics a gun as the school children dance around him. Once noticed, this visual clue evokes a claustrophobic atmosphere and a sense of unease, subtle details like this have a large overall impact to the final message of the video. The editing works in combination with the camera work as the smooth transitions, achieved within the edit (such as spinning), allow it to achieve a 'single shot' look while being able to change setting. As the camera zooms out towards the end of the video it is as if that all of the action seen is just one component and there is a 'rotating cube' with more shots (the appearance of the transition between that and the final sequence of the video). The darkness before this final sequence seems to me as though it is a moment of reflection subsequent to an overwhelming reality check. The final shot the audience see is Glover running for his life towards the camera and what appears to be white riot police men chasing after him. In my opinion this symbolizes, not only people of color running from their lives in the 21st century in order to save themselves, but also slaves running through the Southern states in America in order to save themselves and look for a new life in the Northern states. Furthermore, this shot has been put in slow motion, highlighting the fear in his eyes, as if he is destined to lose because the low lighting also makes his eyes and teeth stand out.
The music video open with Calypso inspired sound, using major chords and an upbeat tempo, however, there is pleonastic sound of a gunshot to transition from the major chord sound and choral singing to trap
music. To me this depicts the stark oppositions and ways of life in these countries and how African people were forced to go to America in the slave trade and eventually lost their lives. Subsequent to the diegetic sound of children screaming, running and shutting doors that make a similar sound to fire escape/ emergency doors as you push down the metal bar, there is silence. As these sounds were mad by the school children it mimics the fear of silence and impending doom as young children run and hide in fear for their lives in events of school shootings. It is believed that the 17 seconds of silence preceding this, after he mimes shooting a gun to the dancing children around him, is to pay respects to the 17 lives lost in the February shooting in a Parkland, Florida high school.
The video is set in an empty industrial space which is, in the end, filled with old 80's cars (also seen throughout the video). Due to the old make of the car rather than flashy new cars often seen in hip/hop videos perhaps references the death of the car industry in some states, especially Michigan known as the motor state, which provided thousands of jobs to black men, who were eventually left unemployed. This theory is enhanced by the door being left open on most of the cars in one of the final shots. An alternative interpretation suggests that it is a reference to the frequency at which black people are pulled over and killed on road-side for doing nothing wrong. Glover shoots the hooded man tied up with rope in the exposition of the video and the pose he does this in has sparked many
conversations. Some interpret it as a reference to Jim Crow, who also wears yellow shows like Glover in the video and they both do a similar Whereas others see it as a reference to Michael Jackson pose in 'Black or White', as in that video he also dances on top of cars. The school children are a key part of the music video as they are at the foreground of the video for most of it. Firstly, they are wearing a school uniform, this is quite unusual for American high schools, perhaps suggesting that the children thrive in places within Africa or the Caribbean where they are surrounded by their culture and learn about key black characters throughout history, rather than the predominantly white history taught in the Western education system. Secondly, they dance in front of the violence for a significant part of the video, proving as a distraction from the violence and problem at hand, just as people often use black art to hide black violence.
There is so much action within each frame of the music video that runs parallel to the lyrics but there is even more to infer. Some symbolism that stands out to me includes: the gun being handled with care, wrapped in a red cloth while the body is left or dragged. In my opinion the red is significant as it carries so many connotations, one of these is it being the color of danger or blood, perhaps of the victim, or because it is the republicans colour and it is (mostly) the republican state that permits gun use and are the most violent towards the BAME community - typically the Southern states. As a dancer, the dance moves interest me as a lot of them appear to have been trends at one point or another, through social media, however, most of them trace directly back to African culture however, they never got credit. This cultural
appropriation within pop culture reinforces the idea that America 'owns' a lot of their history. In the background during one of the fights a hooded figure rides past on a pale horse which, in my opinion, mimics the KKK. As previously mentioned, the final moments of Glover running for his life illustrate the idea of slaves running away, an 'Insider' article said: "Some people understood it as him running from "The Sunken Place" from "Get Out", a metaphysical place that holds the black consciousness while a white mind takes over a black person's body. (When Glover performed the song on "Saturday Night Live", "Get Out" star Daniel Kaluuya introduced him), it could be read as Glover trying to escape simply being a body to be used by white people for distraction". Lastly, Glover has an exposed torso which represents that he is vulnerable as a black man in society and ultimately has no way of protecting himself.
Here I analyse the previous artist's, BENEE and George Ezra's, first album covers and whether or not they are cohesive with their sound and vibe.
BENEE - first EP cover
Firstly, the image of the guys hanging out against a wall is mimics the music video as it is a bunch of friends hanging out with each other and relaxing against fences and the floor of a tennis court. The sketch has a rough-around-the-edges quality to it, similar to the font used for "BENEE" which mirrors the alternative/ indie genre she falls into.
BENEE - first album cover
BENEE's first album was released 2 years after her first EP, the album features harsher lines than the first album, perhaps because she's more established. However, they both share a similar colour palette that strongly features warm colours of yellow, orange and red which have youthful connotations to them. This makes sense as she is a young artist, currently 21 but when her EP was dropped she was 17 and when the album was released she was 19.
George Ezra - first album cover
This album cover reflects the music video quite literally as it is a shot taken from the video itself. Despite each part of the cover being filled by people, the red in his shirt draws the audience's attention to him and highlights how he is a guy making music by himself. This presents him accurately as the camera is focused on him amidst the chaos it is as though the audience are pulled in by his laid back attitude as he just stands still in a crowd of bustling people.
YouTube provides everyone on the platform with the same distribution deal, access to the same people regardless of the amount of money put into the video. The 'Gangnam style' video has 125M views and a 'Cats will make you laugh your head off' cat compilation has 111M views - both very different videos with varying amounts of money behind them. YouTube allows for artists to have more freedom than when music videos were exclusively shown on channels such as MTV, as it doesn't have to monitor the content of the videos for advertisers, or have appropriate videos for children at certain times of the day when they are likely to watch. Furthermore, for recent and up-coming artists, YouTube is a great way to get their name out and create low-budget music videos.
BENEE - Tough Guy:
BENEE's first ever music video was released on 28th February, 2018. This music video depicts a group of high school teenagers hanging out together on a tennis court for most of the video. Towards the end of the video it is night time and colored LED lights reveal different faces that were previously seen in the video. It illustrated BENEE to be: friendly, cool, trendy and relatable as she was just hanging out with friends as most people would on the weekend. Now the video has racked up 1.6 million views, this is likely because of her hit 'Supalonely' released 4th February 2020 with 202 million views. It is extremely likely that many of these listeners looked for her old music after hearing this song (myself included).
George Ezra - Budapest:
George Ezra quickly rose to fame after his debut album "Wanted on Voyage" the most well known ep being 'Budapest'. Released in December, the video was then released on the 28th January 2014. It presents George as a light-hearted guy as he plays his guitar in front of a color changing background of bright colors. The performance style video highlights his guitar and singing abilities, positioning him as 'a guy with his guitar' similar to artists such as Ed Sheeran despite a very different sound. This video (with 17 million views) was soon named 'Budapest - Alternative Video' as 3 months later on the 22nd April, 2014, a new video was a released. After the songs's success in the charts, a new video was released with a concept, they were able to higher extras and use camera equipment such as a gib to get creative shots and angles. This video now sits with 195 million views and shows a clear difference in music videos depending on the budget behind them.
Music videos are published for promotional or artistic purposes that integrate a song or album. Listeners often associate their favorite artists with their music videos (visually) and that is one of the reasons why they are so popular. Andrew Goodwin's theory works in tandem with this as he proposes the idea that all artist's music videos utilize similar key conventions. These key conventions are:
1. There is a link between the lyrics in the song and the visuals on screen. Whether this is metaphorically, symbolically or literally, they action on screen runs parallel to the vocals. A literal example of this is Taylor Swift's song 'You Belong With Me' released in 2009. Lines such as "You're on the phone with your girlfriend" (the opening line of the song) is immediately shown on screen, setting up the link between the lyrics and the visuals from the start. This structure is followed throughout the music video and has a story-telling element to it as a result, this is really popular among young audiences and is very typical of the pop genre.
2. There is a link between music and visuals. Although it sounds similar to the first convention, this is to do with the rhythm, pace and atmosphere created in the song and is often controlled in post production through editing. This is because it is here where the editor can change the shots on beat to the music and control the pace/ shot lengths. The song I chose for this example is Dayglow's 'Close To You' from 2021. This is because the opening of the music video is extremely fast paced as the shot changes on each beat, although to a similar shot, the color changes and this has a satisfying, though more subtle than cutting to a completely different shot, effect as a viewer. As the song develops it gets slower and the editing through follows with this.
3. That they reflect common features of the genre. Different genres have different audiences and, as a result, they have different features, codes and conventions. Examples of this being: Pop with a lot of bright colors and high energy compared to rock often being quite dingy with low lighting. The example I will be focusing on is 'Love Me' (2015) by the 1975, this song being a part of the alternative genre. This music video is littered with key conventions of alternative music videos, starting with the angles and camerawork. The constant movement of the cameras and often use of high and low angles are key to the alternative genre. Additionally, they draw attention to the lead singer, Matthew Healy, interacting with cardboard cut outs of celebrities and directing himself directly at the camera - this makes it feel as though he is singing directly to the viewer. The color palette, although bright and similar to the pop genre, integrates well with the atmosphere created by the genre.
4. The use of intertextual references. The most common reason why this is used is for popularity and to increase the amount of views as it draws in, not only their loyal fans but also people who are fans of the product being referenced. Another reason why referencing one text within another text is often used is
because, as Katz' 'Uses and Gratifications Theory' suggests, it is self-gratifying for the audience members that understand the reference as it makes them feel clever and 'in on the joke'. The most popular example of this recently is Ariana Grande's 'Thank U, Next' as the whole music video references films with iconic female characters such as Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, Bring it on etc. However, there are many other music videos that do a similar thing, for example, Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX's hit 'Fancy' from 2014. The intertextual reference here is to the iconic 90's romcom 'Clueless'. The music video sees Azalea as Cher and XCX as Tai, the reference is extremely clear as they wear the same outfits from the film as well as the mise-en-scene of the classroom and corridors. Even a scene in the film, as Cher debates against another student in class, is mimicked as Azalea sings the words to her song at the camera in the classroom as if the camera is a student.
5."Notions of looking" and voyeurism. This is when viewers enjoy something as they watch others sexually expose themselves. A stark example of this is Cardi B and Meghan Thee Stallion's 'WAP' music
video that was released in 2020. Both women wear revealing outfits with sexual connotations (was suggested by the song), this pays homage to Cardi B's previous time as a prostitute and empowers her and other women. Nonetheless, this video largely appeals to men as it fits into Laura Mulvey's
'Male Gaze' theory which suggests that the sexual inequality and social power men have over women means that almost all media is made to appeal to them. However, the 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman' (1999) by artist Shania Twain subverted this as the men in the video are in tight clothing - shown off in closeups of them, and avoid eye contact with the camera, making Twain (the only female on screen) appear superior, subverting the idea of the male gaze. As the music video develops, she is seen in less and less clothing however, at the end the shots flicker between her outfit at the beginning of the video vs. the end, signifying that she is the same strong woman regardless of her clothing.
6. Reflective of the record label. The record label that an artist is signed to is very important in terms of the production of a music video. This is because the budget has a large effect on what they are able to produce. A clear example of this is the Arctic Monkeys. You can see their early videos such as 'I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor' is a very low budget performance based video, it is intimate and it is as if the viewer is at one of their concerts. This benefitted them as people felt comfortable with the band, but, the low budget is clear as the camera work is shakey and you can see other cameras move in and out of shot. This was when they were just beginning their careers, however now they're signed to Warner Times and the production of their videos has increased massively. This is evident in the quality, smooth camera and transitions as well as being able to have extras and changes in location. Additionally, in the bathroom scene where we see the lead singer look at himself in the mirror, there is special effects to double him. - 'Why'd You Only Ever Call Me When You're High'.
7. The use of star image. This builds off of Richard Dyer's star theory as this convention is based off of the construction of the artist(s) and their individual image(s). Music videos that strongly follow this convention are often made up of mostly closeups of the artist. A clear example of this is Rex Orange County's music video for 'Sunflower' as it is made up of him singing in medium shots. This correlates with his relaxed and lighthearted 'vibe' which also matches this song specifically,
Another example of this is the Spice Girl's classic 'Wannabe', this 1 shot video follows each of the girls
and occasionally them as a group. Throughout the video viewers watch as the girls have fun together, reinforcing their image of fun loving girls who prioritize friendship. Furthermore, this allows the viewer to identify themselves, again taken from Katz' 'Uses and Gratifications Theory', and fit one of the 5 girl's personas.
8. Focus on the style that the music video is in. There are 3 main styles that music videos follow. These are performance, narrative and concept based. A clear example of performance is 'Girls' by the 1975 as the whole music videos is them performing, however, it also links to conventions of the genre as the opening of the video is dialogue about how the set is 'too pop'. Also, the convention of voyeurism asa the women that take the band member's places are dressed in little to no clothing, stripped to their undergarments.
The next style is narrative. This is when the music video has a story (narrative) running throughout it. It is very common for these videos to have performance shots interspersed throughout them, an example of this being Carrie Underwood's 'Before He Cheats'. This video links to the first convention where the lyrics are synchronized with the visuals.
Lastly, the final aspect to the style convention is concept based. Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used To Know'. The concept for this video surrounds paint and vulnerability (being naked). The paint fills his body, as if "he wears his unhappiness like fitted clothing", he loses himself in the breakup as the dark lines take over his body and is filled in. As the female comes in she is already covered in paint, but as she verbalizes her pain the paint begins to fade from her, as if she is finding herself as he loses himself. They juxtapose each other in the video as he begins clean and ends covered in paint, broken and bruised, whereas she has the opposite journey.
Richard Dyer theorized that stars are commodities that are produced and consumed based upon the strength of their meaning. Their dependence on a range of subsidiary media (such as radio, social media, magazines etc.) stemming from their need for a constructed image. This image needs to be marketable to their target audience and is made up of a range of meanings that would be attractive to such audience. Dyer stated "The term 'star' refers to the semi-mythological set of meanings constructed around music performers in order to sell the performer to a large and loyal audience". This can also be applied to film stars, however, as their lines are written for them by a screenwriter, it is harder for them to sustain the same imagery and have a unique selling point as they move between contrasting film characters.
There are 3 key components to this theory:
1. Construction - This is the stage where the management of the artist has a created images shown through various advertising that reinforces the artists meanings
2. Commodity - Where the record label constructs their record to appeal to their target audience, the album cover or artist would be featured on a genre specific magazine, website etc. and be advertised as a commodity for the genre
3. Ideology - The artists created ideology (ideas) that they believe in that is easily sold to a mass target audience, making them easy to agree with would ensure a mass audience
A key example of this is the band One Direction. The band was manufactured by Simon Cowell after they appeared as soloists on talent television show 'X-Factor'. After losing the show, were signed to Cowell's record label 'Syco'. This storyline began to build upon Dyer's 1st paradox, that "the star must be simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary for the consumer". The idea that they were ordinary boys put together on a large television show, who then became friends, fed into the 'ordinary' segment and their music soon made them 'extraordinary' and untouchable as a boy band. Their music aligned with the pop genre and their beliefs and ideologies, such as friendship coming first, purity etc., made parents happy to buy into their image for their children. Additionally, songs released such as 'What Makes You Beautiful' empowered young girls, boosting their 'good boy' image that fit into the pop genre. As the band moved further along in their career songs such as
'History' reinforced this idea of friendship and love for one another, their music video also feeding into the idea of 'storytelling' as it made the audience feel as though they had been on a journey with the band, it being very nostalgic. From the beginning to the end of their career as a band, they utilized social media to release 'behind the curtain' videos of them having fun together and becoming very close friends, videos of them laughing and having fun was very well received by their audience. It made them feel as though they were so far from the average person due to their image yet they did things the average person would do. This social media presence worked parallel to the second paradox that "the star must be simultaneously present and absent for the consumer". Ultimately, it is these elements in combination that made them one of the most successful boy bands in history.
Social media is a key part of marketing strategies as, in the modern day, it is the easiest way to access your target audience as most demographics use it. Additionally, it helps to establish an active audience through interaction with posts and displays that the artist is active, with a focus and care for their fans as people. There are 3 prominent aspects to a social media account as a part of a marketing strategy, this consists of:
1. Engagement
2. Telling a story
3. Promotion
Engagement:
This is important as interaction and engagement boosts the artist and in terms of the algorithm, is more likely to be put on explore pages. These kinds of posts would be those that the artist knows the audience are interested in, whether it is a certain characteristic or attribute they have, or a funny meme, these posts are sure to encourage an active audience and enhance the artists rapport with they fans. This should be around 50% of the social media page as it is one of the most favored type of post and allows the audience to engage in conversation through the comment section.
My example (could also be used for storytelling), the second post on the slide is me messing up the piano in a concert and is quite funny, additionally, I think looking at old photos is also quite fun.
Storytelling:
The significance of this is for the artist to show their audience their personal journey. It is clear from shows such as 'X-Factor' or 'Britain's Got Talent' that audiences love a story. They fall in love and get attached to the history of the artist and where they have come from. Also, showing this journey encourages audience to stick with the artist and see where they end up, watching them grow. Many fans, teenagers especially, love to say that they have followed and artist from the very beginning, the storytelling posts further encouraging this behavior. This should be around 30% of the social media page as although it is good for an audience to feel as though they are included and having a personal experience by getting to watch the artist flourish, they do not encourage large amounts of engagement.
My example (could also be used for engagement):
Promotion:
Audiences hate when promotion posts are littered all over a social media page. Personally, being forced to buy into something just pushes me away from it, and this is common with most audience members. As a result, this should only take up approx. 20% of a social media page in order for it not to come across as aggressive marketing but also enough where people become aware of the artists products.
My example, I made a better post however due to instagram's square sizing of posts it wouldn't fit. It is not quite clear but the squares in the top right and bottom left of the photo have the necklace in them.
