Billboard magazine are to launch a rankings system that will enable new artists to track the online popularity of their music. As part of an annual paid subscription package, emerging artists will be able to upload tracks and analyse their exposure on a range of online mediums, including social networking sites, music blogs and online radio.
Richard Beckman, CEO of Billboard owners E5 Global Media said: "We want to be the catalytic force to help the industry monetize itself. It's a lofty goal, but I think we have the juice to do that."
The ‘Dreamseekers’ chart will be published frequently on the Billboard website and magazine and will seemingly be pitched to artists as part of a strategy to generate groundswell and to attract the attention of the wider industry. The services will also be pushed through a partnership with Myspace Music.
This follows the news that hard copy music magazines have continued to spiral in circulation according to the most recently published ABC figures.
The package is set to launch next month and will reportedly cost an estimated £65 per year for subscription to services. Billboard is a US based music industry trade magazine, most famous for publishing the ‘Billboard hot 100’ weekly chart in the States, which is based on radio play and sales of tracks.
Generate debate: That “helping the industry monetize itself” quote is a big statement but the question is: Do new artists need this? Will it function well as a ‘Hot 100’ of emerging artists and a platform to be discovered by the wider industry? Or is this a cynical ploy by Billboard to monetise unsigned bands, that won’t actually do anything to enhance the band's existing profile and audiences?
Website design and development by
Post new comment