Music: Releases to be reduced
■ Continued from Page 18D
that the song is “brought to you by” the record com
pany — much as a corporate sponsor would be an
nounced for a commercial break.
Is this a smart way to get music heard? Or will
consumers reject a song so tainted by commer
cialism? Interscope executives wouldn’t talk
about whether they considered the experiment a
success. Similar deals reportedly have been in the
works for country radio stations, but none has
materialized.
“The idea of a cash transaction for airplay so
scares them that they run to other practices that
can’t be accounted for,” said Sky Daniels, general
manager of the trade publication Radio & Records.
Murkier methods could be record companies giv
ing radio executives free concert tickets to use or
give away, or flying in a hot band to play at a sta
tion-sponsored concert — stunts that don’t show up
on a spreadsheet.
Some companies are bypassing radio altogether
and becoming their own music programmers. This
summer, Island Records produced a half-hour TV
show on two of its artists, Tricky and Pulp, who
have achieved critical acclaim but little radio air
play. The show aired on local access cable channels
in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and elsewhere.
Columbia and A&M created their own radio or
television shows to spotlight their artists. A&M calls
its program “Cafe Sound.”
The cable channel Access Entertainment Network
was created earlier this year as an outlet for musi
cians who couldn’t get their videos played on MTV
or VHl. Record companies flocked to network pres
ident Bill Bernard, which he sees as a symptom of
their frustration.
“I figured it would be a little slow in the rollout,”
Bernard said. “I thought we’d have a lot more con
vincing to do. But the initial response was that this
was a great idea.”
Access Entertainment Network makes no secret
that it’s a grand music infomercial. Along with the
videos, it contains company programming like
“Cafe Sound” for example, and regular shows made
by the record chain Best Buy and Spin magazine. So
far, it’s available only at odd times in about 6 mil
lion cable homes.
It’s not the only way music marketers have seized
opportunities to expose new music.
Movie soundtracks are almost like mini-radio sta
tions on CDs, and consumers have lapped them up
this year. Victoria’s Secret and Pottery Barn, retail
ers not traditionally involved in the music business,
sell their own custom compilation CDs.
In true 1990s synergy, Atlantic Records placed
some of its music on “Dawson’s Creek,” the TV ser
ial popular with teen-agers on the WB network, At
lantic’s corporate partner in Time Warner. Sales of
Edwin McCain’s song, “I’ll Be,” rose dramatically
when it was on the series’ season finale, Shapiro
said.
Atlantic has also signed a deal with the Continen
tal Basketball Association to play its music at are
nas. Island arranges to have videos played on tele
vision sets stacked up in department stores or in art
house theaters before a movie.
“When the audience is sitting still doing nothing
but thinking, why not have them listen to music?”
Alexis Aubrey, Island's marketing director, said.
Some record companies are also starting to real
ize that the volume of music they release has be
come counterproductive. The number of CDs re
leased by major record companies each year more
than tripled between 1991 and 1996.
“A lot of people, ourselves included, have fol
lowed the theory of throwing stuff out there and see
ing what sticks,” Aubrey said. “But you have to start
streamlining somewhere. We have cut back.”
For record companies, the Internet is the new
frontier. Some musicians now offer computer-sawy
fans a chance to hear new music on Web sites before
it’s available anywhere else. Atlantic has built a spe
cial studio where musicians can perform concerts
broadcast on the Web.
Music fans have long used the Internet to produce
obsessively devoted Web sites for their favorites, but
its use as a marketing tool is unproven. The tech
nology is tantalizing for record companies trapped
in a time of transition.
No one knows whether, a decade from now, fans
will routinely log on to their computer to hear new
music the way they once turned on the radio.
If that’s the case, the marketplace could suddenly
shift to the opposite extreme: too many choices in
stead of too few.
For music companies, it’s one problem at a time.
SCREEN PRINTING
EMBROIDERY
GRAPHICS
Experienced Artist* • Sample Showroom
344-7288
MUSIC
MUSIC
STORES
JSPggg fromJJO Bookstore
Cj45-T3T$^
"here music is a passion, noi a job
'Coffee
Drop by For some Coffee Culture.
Address: 840 E. 13 (etran the rtreet (reel the Ilnivenitv Beehitere)
Pkoite: 302-1771
Twice the Coffee*
Half the Money
Shew your U of 0 Student ID end yet any
2 Coffee People drinks for the price of 1.
Offer ?ood on a|| Coffee People
smoothies, shakes, and coffee drinks.
This offer is yood until October 5th, to help you
stabilize your vibe during your first week in class.