Category: Artist Management

Learn how it takes entrepreneurship, leadership, marketing, and analytical prowess to manage artists to success in today’s highly-competitive market from Jeremy Larochelle, MBA.

Spotify, Machine Learning, and A&R

Jeremy Larochelle

 

Keeping up-to-date with current, trending, and fresh music is part of my current role with Virgin Voyages. Our ships support over 100 different styles and genres of music. Everything from Anthemic Pop to Disco House, R&B, Eclectic Soul, and Balearic just to name a few. Add in the fact that Virgin has always been about “what’s next” as opposed to “what’s now” and the task to constantly discover emerging talent across a vast music landscape becomes quite a challenge. Fortunately, we live in a world of machine learning, algorithms, and data science which makes handling my unique quest that much easier.

 

I switched over from Apple Music to Spotify when I started with Virgin and immediately put together a plan to utilize their unique machine learning system to my advantage.  To be 100% transparent, I am not a programmer so I will not go into depth regarding the technical aspects that drive their bots.  I encourage those of you interested in the mechanics of Spotify’s machine learning to visit their Engineering R&D website.  Here you will learn about their multi-armed bandit framework that drives recommendations for 248 million users and over 50 million tracks.

 

In the most basic explanation, Spotify’s machine learning engine uses a collection of variables from your involvement with their platform. This includes your likes, the albums you save, playlists you like, artists you follow, search history, browsing history, how long you listen to a song, and the playlists you create to feed their suggestions. These recommendations come in a number of formats. You really see this going down from the app’s Home Screen where you will find auto-propagated playlists just for you called Your Daily Mix 1-6, Your Discover Weekly, and Your Release Radar. The app will also suggest playlists and artists related to your past browsing history. These are usually titled For Fans of X, More of What You Like, or Based on Your Recent Listening. In addition, these parameters will feed the various Radio channels you can run from an Artist, Playlist, or that automatically follow when you finish an album as well as the recommendations you receive to add tunes to playlists you have created.

 

Here is the secret to making these recommendations work for you.

 

You have to actually listen to music and build your own library. This includes liking songs, following artists, saving albums, liking playlists, and creating and updating your own playlists regularly. This information is vital to the machines operating behind the scenes because it gives them parameters to follow. Bots don’t necessarily know that Cory Wong, Vulfpeck, and The Fearless Flyers sound similar. They do know that they likely fall into the same category, have similar BPMs, and are statistically liked by the same types of fans. So when you like or follow Cory Wong the machine learning guesses (likely with the statistical certainty of 95% or better) that you would also like Vulfpeck. As you like, follow, and save more artists, the machine uses serious math like regression analysis to predict what you will like going deeper into the Spotify database of tunes.

 

I have been following a systematic approach designed to feed this style of predictive analytics. First and foremost, I listen to a LOT of music (hours upon hours daily). As I listen, I like songs that capture my attention. I go through my Liked Songs and explore each track further at the end of the week. As I go through these liked songs, I may listen to additional tunes by the artist, and if I dig what I hear. I may follow them. I might explore recommended artists and playlists associated with that act and like a few songs for further review. I then choose to either categorize the saved songs to one of my many playlists and closeout by unliking the track. Those that made the cut are now in my library, which I assume is given more weight by the spot-bots.

 

This process has served me quite well for a number of reasons. For one, I am all over the spectrum when it comes to music consumption. I may listen to Deep House at the gym, Hip-Hop Jazz on a walk, the Billboard 100 on a drive, and French Pop while I do the dishes. Liking and moving on while I criss-cross genres allows me to enjoy the tunes and not become overwhelmed by a bot just throwing limited options at me. Reconciling those likes at the end of the week allows me to give those songs a second listen and, if warranted, spend the time exploring the artist, style, playlist, or vibe a bit more. The recommendations I have been receiving in My Daily Mixes are strong evidence that my process is working.  I continue to find new tunes and artists to explore along with the re-discovery of tracks that are not limited to any particular era or genre.

 

In all of my years of consuming music – from LPs to cassettes, CDs, and digitally. I have never had such an eclectic selection of music that consistently piques my fancy and inspires further exploration.  The recommendations aren’t always perfect and I would never give bots 100% control over what I choose for programming needs. However, machine learning helps me wade through the long-tail supply that has become music streaming.

 

My New Gig

Jeremy Larochelle

 

I am sure many reading this would agree 2020 has been quite challenging. It has been a crazy and (at times) exhausting year. Personally, things have been a bit more hectic as I relocated from AZ to FL to start my new gig with Virgin Voyages as their Manager – Music Production & Operations.

 

The cruise industry was not on my radar when I was looking for the next chapter in my career. Having worked on ships as a musician and later operating as a booking partner for all the major lines. I just didn’t feel that the cruise industry aligned with my goals. I was looking to create something new in the live music industry and in my opinion that doesn’t happen too often at sea. But when I came across the gig listed for Virgin Voyages it caught me as different. I felt compelled to apply and I am lucky that I did.

 

My enthusiasm to hit the high seas quickly elevated as I made my way through their interview process, spoke with their team, and learned about the Virgin culture. If you don’t know, Virgin got its start as a record club on the streets of London.  Shortly after, they opened a recording studio called The Manor, which morphed into a record label. Their first release Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield would eventually become the theme for the 1974 classic The Exorcist. In 1977, Branson himself convinced The Sex Pistols to join Virgin and together they dropped a piece of Punk Rock history called Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols.

 

When you join the Virgin namesake you quickly witness the correlation between their early days as a record label and what the (dare I say) conglomerate has become today. One where it doesn’t matter if you create progressive cinematic rock like Oldfield, screamed for anarchy like Johnny Rotten, or are made up of an eclectic group fronted by an openly Irish gay man like the Culture Club. If the product is good and you care deeply about it, Virgin has your back.

 

And so here I am. A Virgin employee getting ready to help launch our first ship – The Scarlet Lady with two more visible on the horizon. I am surrounded and supported by some of the most driven and intelligent cruise and non-cruise people in the game. The excitement of what we are creating is powerful. It has motivated me to reclaim my passion for music in ways I never thought the cruise industry could provide.

Why You Should Avoid Physical Press Kits.

Jeremy Larochelle

 

Jeremy Larochelle offers up two reasons why he thinks it’s a bad idea to use physical press kits when selling your live entertainment services.

 

If you need help building your presskit, check out these online services that make life a bit easier.

Sonicbids: https://www.sonicbids.com/electronic-press-kit/

ReverbNation: https://www.reverbnation.com/band-promotion/press_kit

Bandzoogle: https://bandzoogle.com

A Ticket Scalping Benefit for Bands

Jeremy Larochelle

 

Country-singer Kacey Musgraves was preparing for a sold-out show at the 1,800 seat Van Buren in Phoenix on February 13th, 2019 when she took home four trophies including Album of the Year at the 61st Grammy Awards on February 10th. Phoenix fans were lucky to find out that her management had already placed a second show on sale at the 5,000 capacity Comerica Theater in August.

 

I was certain that Musgraves new mass-market status was going to push demand, and consequently the price of tickets up. It appeared that I was not the only one.  The show sold great out of the gate and within weeks very few primary tickets were left. Fans were forced to purchase from the resale market. As usual, these prices were higher than the ticket’s face value – at least up until showtime.

 

Between 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm on show day a flood of tickets went on sale. Many at half the face value. Tickets are sometimes released closer to show time, but usually, these are from the act’s camp and sold on the primary market. Instead, these below-face value tickets were found on the resale markets. This got me thinking about the ticket brokering game, how it impacts the concert ecosystem, and if there is an added benefit to the practice.

 

Most of the press surrounding ticket scalpers or brokers is negative and rightfully so. They buy blocks of tickets at face value then jack up the prices. This results in less opportunity for true fans to enjoy their favorite artist. However, at its core, ticket brokering is pretty much the same as trading stocks. You buy a piece of a company at a reasonable price in hopes that their valuation will rise so you can sell the stock and earn money for your prediction. The same is true in ticket scalping. Individuals or companies buy up blocks of tickets based on the assumption that demand for a particular artist will increase. These entities then raise the price and make a profit on their analysis.

 

But what happens when these predictions are off and the broker is stuck with a block of tickets they can’t sell at face value? In the stock market, that individual can just hold onto the stock in hopes of a better-priced future. However, in the world of rock-and-roll concerts are time-sensitive. The ticket scalper’s opportunity to recoup his or her investment is gone forever once the lights hit. The only course of action is to sell at a loss and hope they make some of their money back.

 

This can be a HUGE benefit for the artist. In most scalping instances tickets are purchased at the agreed-upon ticket scaling rate between the venue, promoter, and artist’s management team. Yes, brokers buy up blocks of tickets, but they are typically doing so at face value, so the artist receives some benefit.  For one, they are more likely to have a sold-out show and for a band building their brand on the road. Sold-out shows help them appeal to promoters and talent buyers that represent larger spaces and better opportunities. As I mentioned in a previous post, buyers and promoters are constantly assessing the risk involved in booking an act and sold-out sales metrics help alleviate that concern. Second, and perhaps more important. The band and their team earn a larger paycheck. This helps them stay on the road.  Pay the crew, put on better concerts, market new events, and release new music.

 

I am not condoning ticket scalping. Especially in a day and age where bots can exasperate the process and cut off true fans within seconds. Just remember, scalping has been a part of the concert industry for decades. We all hate paying more than the face value of the ticket we receive. However, there are plenty of times where savvy fans get into shows at exceptional rates without impacting the Artist’s bottom line. There is some benefit to that.

 

 

 

Promoter and Buyers Explained

Jeremy Larochelle1 Comment

 

I am a talent buyer in the casino industry.  Yet, some people tend to call me a promoter and while both share similar responsibilities. There are some differences between the two as well as one very important concept both share.  Watch the video to learn more about talent buyers and promoters from entertainment consultant Jeremy Larochelle.

 

 

 

Take the Picture for Better Fan Engagement

Jeremy Larochelle

 

It is a misconception that a concert is all about the artist on stage. While they are a key component to the success of the venue, they are not as important as the customer. The customer is the person who buys the ticket… the food… the drinks… the merchandise…the VIP packages… and whom the sponsors want to get in front of. Without them, the venue wouldn’t exist and the artist would be out of a gig.

 

Fortunately, appeasing your customers can be rather simple. Give them a great concert experience and they will stay longer, spend more, and hopefully return to see you again. One of the ways to enhance their experience is to make it about them. You can do this a number of ways. Treat them right and with kindness at every step of the way. Surprise them with upgrades and constantly thank them for their business.

 

Another way both venues and entertainers can make the experience about the customer is by taking a picture.

 

During your next performance, announce to the crowd that you want to get a group picture with everyone. Then, grab a selfie with the crowd behind you. The goal is to get as many of your fans in the frame as possible. After that, announce that you will upload the shot to your Instagram feed and encourage them to check it out and tag their concert-going buddies and friends who missed the show.

 

This simple action will enact a number of psychological triggers on your audience. They will feel a sense of belonging, community, and pride. The posts will likely start social engagement with people who also attended the show, further solidifying their pack bond. All positive stimuli that will likely lead to positive actions such as return trips to your next performance. However, the psychological triggers don’t stop there.

 

When your fans share this image on their social feeds psychological triggers such as Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) kick in for their friends who didn’t attend the show.  If anyone watched the FYRE Festival documentaries, this negative trigger contributed to the social-success of that epic festival failure. Those who missed out are given an unintended edited view of what the show was really like. They do not see the long lines to use the restroom. The parking fiasco. That $20 beer. Rather, they see pictures of their friends having a great time followed by likes and comments that reinforce those stimuli.

 

This strategy works for venue ownership as well. Encouraging fans to share their concert pictures by tagging your brand or through a unique hashtag so your marketing team can re-post offers a huge return with little spend. Not only do these pictures give your brand a positive stimuli response and induce FOMO behavior, but they also act like customer reviews providing a decision reinforcement vehicle for people looking to purchase a ticket to your next show.

 

If you run a concert venue, your fans are your biggest asset. Without them, nothing would be possible. Part of your core strategy should be to find economical ways to WOW them at every turn. While the concept of simply taking a picture seems like a no-brainer, many do not take advantage of this opportunity to connect. I hope this post provides social and psychological evidence as to why you should snap a selfie with the crowd.