UP HIT CREEK THE DRY STREAMS PARADOX - sandbox 04-05 Tools Skills for smart speakers - Music Ally
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sandbox
MUSIC MARKETING FOR THE DIGITAL ERA
04-05 Tools Skills for smart speakers
06–07 Campaigns Moby, Red Hot Chili Peppers,
Ludovico Einaudi, Blossoms
08–12 Behind The Campaign- Khruangbin
MARCH 20 2019
ISSUE 224
UP HIT CREEK
THE DRY STREAMS PARADOX
COVERFEATURE
UP HIT CREEK
THE DRY STREAMS PARADOX
Are you frustrated with the size of your fanbase? Tired of banging
your head against a brick wall with ticket and merchandise sales?
Unable to reconcile your streaming figures with the number of genuine
fans? Then you too might be suffering from The Dry Streams Paradox.
O
K, we’re being slightly facetious with What happens when you a healthy and committed
the phrase Dry Streams Paradox, but realise the streams are dry? fanbase.”
the problem is a real and present One Scandinavian
danger, as music:) ally SVP of digital Dry streams, Ross explains, are manager, who did not wish
strategy Patrick Ross explains. “What streams that come without a to be named, says that
we are hearing from a lot of artists is great deal of interest in the artist they have seen numerous
that playlisting doesn’t necessarily grow themselves; streams where the examples of this problem.
fanbases,” he says. “You get listens and a artist is reduced to little more than “We have had a lot of
lot of those come from playlists; but that a name and packshot on a playlist. projects that just ran crazy
doesn’t necessarily mean they connect Dry streams tend to come from playlists on streaming and then you have to play tons of projects and tons of talent just
with you as an artist. We have seen this created by editorial teams rather than by catch up on the rest,” he says. “Especially completely wasted because the labels are
where an artist has millions of streams, algorithms and that makes them time Scandinavians, we have been working fine with having it stream really well and
they play a show and there’s no one sensitive and rather insecure: your playlist with Spotify for a long time. We have not changing how they work to try to build
there.” placement is based on a human decision had that as the major part of our music more stuff around it.”
sandbox spoke to multiple artist that can easily be changed. And when your market for a long, long time. We are seeing
managers for this piece who did not want playlist placement goes, as it inevitably will, From connection to
to be quoted directly – but all of whom then streaming counts plummet.
disconnection: streaming
confirmed that this is a genuine problem. “If the main portion of an artist’s listener
At the root of this problem is the fabled base comes from third-party playlists, they
in a vacuum
“dry stream”. will have to rely on releasing a constant Unpleasant as this might sound, the
“I was with somebody the other day and flow of content in order to get those playlist phenomenon of dry streaming is perhaps
they said, ‘Oh my god, I love this song, I’ve placements and the monthly listeners they to be expected the more the industry
added it to my library.’” Ross says. “I asked, bring in,” says music:) ally digital marketing shifts to a playlist culture. No one here is
‘What is it?’ And they said, ‘I don’t know – it coordinator Isabelle Ljungqvist. “Being complaining about streaming, with global
is on one of my playlists.’ And that is the featured in large and prominent playlists music industry revenues once more on the
dry streams paradox.” might be good in the short term for initial rise due to the uptick in user numbers for
streams, but it doesn’t automatically foster Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and more.
1 | sandbox | ISSUE 224 | 20.03.2019
COVERFEATURE
Nor are we about to grumble about the on you. This might work – but it is hugely
incredible access to music that streaming risky and puts a vast amount of strain on the
brings. But it is hard to argue with the idea artist to keep coming up with the goods, and
that more access to music has led to a also doesn’t work well for albums.
disconnect with individual acts. “You can keep releasing music forever
“With physical and digital purchases, and then you can keep playing Spotify,”
you’d pay up front for a specific artist’s Ross says. “But you need to realise it is
music; whereas the financial commitment part of the ecosystem and if you put all of
of a streaming subscription isn’t your eggs in one basket, then you are not
directed at a certain act,” says Ljungqvist. actually doing the job.”
“Having that financial commitment to an It is also a rather shortsighted approach
artist fosters a loyalty to the act, as the to take. “My biggest issue about this is so
consumer has spent money for a specific many labels creating stuff that lasts maybe
album or track, which they will probably a maximum of three months if you are
listen to multiple times.” lucky,” says one manager. “They create lots
of catalogue that doesn’t stick or have any
Platforming rather value other than being used for a while.”
especially if you have the DSP To address the dry streams paradox may
than performing
support, as a label you can keep require labels, managers and artists to re-
You might wonder what exactly the on servicing tracks and putting think some of their most treasured beliefs
problem is here. Dry streams are still out tracks at that level and doing about the power of playlists, taking down
streams and pay as well as any other kind all your budgeting based on that some holy cows with them. “We speak
of play. And if people don’t exactly know level.” about [Spotify playlist] New Music Friday
your name, well, there are worse things in They add, “If you are a label being a curse and a blessing at the same
the world than well-paid anonymity. Like that works volume-wise, you time: it provides the peaks that you get on
a twist on the old Oscar Wilde line, there are kind of fine with that. You’re release day and then [streaming numbers]
is only one thing in life worse than being not going to lose any money, fall and flatten out after that week,” says
dry streamed and that is not being dry you’re not going to pay any big our Scandinavian manager. “Only the ones
streamed. advances, you just say, ‘OK the that are in the top 10 stick and get that
This helps to explain why plan for this is to stream 5m to major boost with people.”
many labels are OK with the dry 10m and after that you are fine.’” So acute is the problem that at least one
stream paradox: streaming makes The fundamental problem manager talked to sandbox about actively
them money and, if they budget is that dry streams put artists avoiding the all powerful New Music Friday.
accordingly, they can still make a at the mercy of the streaming Instead, they look to “curate” their audience
profit off this temporal success. platforms. “If you are finding through more traditional methods, creating
“I call it ‘platforming’ – that first year and favour within the streaming engaged audiences that will follow them
If the stream is dry then
a half of a project, when you get some radio ecosystem, then every time you release on to Spotify. “It’s all about trying to build
support, some DSP support and you end something you get a bump because you flooding it must surely an audience from the get go,” the manager
up going up a level,” says our Scandinavian get playlisted,” Ross explains. “But in be the answer. Right? says. “When we launched some of our
manager. “But it flattens out and you stay reality you are completely beholden to the One remedy to this problem is to simply keep young artists last year, we went to Spotify
on that level for a long time. It is extremely playlist owners so that they continue to releasing new music, in the form of singles, and said the only thing we are going to
hard to scale from that point. And playlist you.” and therefore to keep the editorial spotlight be focusing on on Spotify is to build that
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COVERFEATURE
Spotify follower numbers. We are not But the added advantage of having fans
asking you to add stuff to playlists.” who actually know your name is that this
To build this kind of engaged audience, will also help to drive plays and algorithmic
marketers may want to take a leaf from playlist adds on streaming platforms.
the music industry’s recent past. “It “When something is extremely
is basically dusting off the marketing organic, it says something to
book from 2009 and going, ‘What are all Spotify; it tells them to think of this
the activities you have to do? And what as something that is going to be
actually makes an artist?’” says Ross. worked by algorithms and all that
“And that involves all kinds of marketing, good stuff that keeps your
physical and digital, whether that be a good streams going,” says the Scandinavian
Instagram strategy, frequently playing live, concentration on the kind of marketing So that’s where tracking, remarketing and manager.
and even TV or radio or bits of press: all the skills that are sometimes overlooked today, digital advertising and promotion back to Ross says that many people
things that make the artist more than just such as creating engaging social media these people comes in. You need to be able underestimate the importance of
a name and a packshot on a playlist.” posts and working on your mailing list. to figure out who your audience is by using algorithms on streaming services. “We felt
The Scandinavian manager talks about “We have forgotten these classic skills the tools provided. That includes simple like we moved into an age where it was all
building a buzz in an organic way: choosing because we thought, ‘There’s a new way, followers and likes as well as custom about human curation; but I think we have
which kind of public you want to reach first it’s not about Facebook any more, it’s about engagement based audiences within underestimated how powerful the data,
then widening out your audience. “I think Spotify, this is it,’” Ross says. “And now we Facebook and Google Ads, and actually the algorithms and the analytics still are,”
you can be very organic if you are extremely are realising, ‘Hang on a minute: we have cultivating your own audience and having Ross explains. “If you are an artist with
careful about where you put your music, if actually lost control on some level here. We the ability, even if it is paid, to have an a big fanbase and you can drive them all
you are extremely concentrated when you have actually lost identity.’ audience that you reach and activate. So to Spotify on day one, that will trigger the
put music out and you look for the right There is also a digital element to this that when it is time to get the message out, algorithm to serve up your track to more
YouTube channel to ask to post your stuff. particular solution. Ross says that it is you have the ability to do so.” people on the algorithm-based playlists,
Or the right blogs, marketing to the right vitally important to join up the dots on which will in turn also affect the playlists
people on socials,” he says. your digital presence, so that artists have A life beyond the stream to pick up on your track. This is especially
a life beyond Spotify and Apple Music . true of albums, where you may only get
(dry or otherwise)
Stories trump playlists “Make sure that your digital presence is 2-3 songs off a record in curated playlists,
well connected, that you are giving fans a Ultimately, the goal of this is to give new but can get an albums worth of algorithmic
Back in the late 2000s, when streaming clear way to connect with you on social or artists a life beyond streaming platforms, to streaming pickup if you are diving fans to
was yet to really make a name for itself, whatever platform it is,” he explains. As enable them to tour, sell merchandise and stream your entire album.
the buzz word in music marketing was important as DSPs are, Ross believes it is even – why not? – shift the odd CD, freed “So there are two sides to this: one is
storytelling: creating connections with fans imperative to find a way to communicate from the straitjacket of Spotify playlists. having the humans on board, with their
on a fundamental, lasting basis. “It is still with your fans away from streaming curated playlists. But the other side,
just as important to create the story and platforms. The alternative – that bands on which is almost wider, is having the fans
create the image, helping people to connect Spotify essentially end up begging fans on board. And the way that is displayed
with artists,” says Ross. “That affinity that to follow on the streaming platform like is through engagement, listening and
makes people go, ‘Oh, I want to listen to teenage YouTubers – hardly carries water. interaction, anything on those lines that
this artist.’ As opposed to just being fed “Off platform, it’s all about web tells an algorithm that, ‘Hey this is good,
what is on a playlist.” presence,” says Ross. “Making sure there’s you should show this to more people.’”
This kind of storytelling involves a a next step for people who, when you do Take heart: it is possible to water down
significant degree of planning, as well as get playlisted, want to know who you are. the threat of the dry streams paradox. :)
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TOOLS SKILLS FOR SMART SPEAKERS
to be gifted in coding. With Amazon being skills to the Amazon skill store.
the market leader across the smart speaker The blueprints are broken up into
landscape, the company is increasingly four categories: Fun & Games; Learning
The Smart Audio Report from NPR and led environment while standing out from encouraging the creation of skills for Alexa & Knowledge; At Home; and Storyteller.
Edison Research, published at the end the mountains of other voice-accessible in order to boost its ecosystem of voice They’re available to build at blueprints.
of last year, claimed that there were just content. Being skilled in Alexa Skills is only applications. amazon.com and the review process
shy of 120m smart speakers in US homes going to become more important and we It has not only set up a programme will take between one and two business
while around the same time Amazon are already seeing pop acts and labels that pays Alexa developers for valuable, days according to Amazon. While the
suggested that over 100m Alexa devices testing the ground here – like Little Mix’s quality voice apps, but its own Alexa Skill sophistication of these skills might be
had been sold globally to date. giving backstage insights around their latest Blueprint tool allows anyone with an slightly limited, one skill category that
album or Michael Bublé serving fans daily Amazon account to create skills thanks sandbox thinks could benefit artists of
Voice-activated technology is obviously the inspirational quotes. to various free templates that are easily all sizes and is comparatively easy to
next frontier for listening – not just for music Skills are increasingly feeling tailor-made customisable. While it used to be geared manage is the Flash Briefing skill. (In the
but also podcasts, news, sport, comedy, for music. So how should you look to get around helping Alexa users customise UK, the BBC is the default news provider
politics and more. started on all the competing voice-activated their own voice experience, in a recent when you say, “Alexa – what’s the news
The challenge here for music marketers platforms out there? update Amazon has announced that its today?” and it is really showcasing what
is to establish sustainable artist fan First, the good news: there are plenty of Alexa Skill Blueprints website now allows can be done here.)
relationships in a screen-less and voice- options to create skills without any need Amazon users in the US to upload their You can create daily or weekly content,
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TOOLS SKILLS FOR SMART SPEAKERS
pulling from a RSS feed or uploading ideas around potential types of skills while
recorded messages that can keep fans up to helping to get the creation process going.
date with what’s happening with an artist, Just like with Amazon’s Alexa Skills Blueprint,
operating like a voice-led newsletter. Users you’ll get access to Flash Briefing and Trivia
can prompt Alexa to give them their Flash Games templates, but also Streaming Audio
Briefing, enabling artists to become a part Skills, Fact Skills or Quote Of The Day Skills.
of their fans’ news routine, thus keeping A data tab allows the skill to have a memory
them regularly engaged. Similarly, creating and also personalise its interaction with its
Trivia Games around an artist is a simple but users, including to welcome them by name
efficient way to connect with the fanbase on or remembering scores in a trivia game. You
these devices, which can be done in a few can enter various responses that Alexa will
steps using the skills blueprint. choose randomly to keep the experience
In contrast, Amazon’s Developer services feeling fresh and making it feel authentic
offer a more advanced take on creating and approachable.
skills for Alexa, with a dedicated Music Skills market. Tools that help create voice-enabled When creating a new project, you can device. Moreover, it comes with templates
category, the in-skill purchasing feature applications that run on various AI-powered choose between a Custom Skill, Flash for smart speakers with built-in screens, a
(think tickets, merchandise or physical devices will therefore grow in importance. Briefing and Business Skill. When creating a category that enables richer skill experiences
upsells) and the possibility to publish skills Enter: Voice Apps which claims that 10% of Custom Skill, you will be asked to choose a for fans. A good example for how this can
in multiple languages. Again, there’s no all Alexa skills worldwide were built with category which currently features the music- be leveraged was Michael Bublé, whose
programming knowledge required; you its platform, while it also runs on Google related options: Music & Audio Accessories; team developed one of the first skills with
can add your own intents (i.e. what the Assistant (where Skills are called Actions) Music & Audio Knowledge & Trivia; and video capability at the start of this year,
user wants to accomplish) or choose from and Microsoft Cortana devices. This is Music Info, Reviews & Recognition Services. incorporating video and photo into the voice
an existing library and then add various something that stands out amongst the But you could easily picture artists in the experience. A fully customised skill service
utterances (i.e. ways a user might interact various skill-creating tools out there. context of other categories such as Exercise by Voice Apps is also up for grabs, with the
with the skill). (You might have noticed that Apple’s Siri & Workout or Cooking & Recipe. Voice Apps team building the skill based on
You can add slots that take into account is missing here. Apple does offer a SiriKit; The professional plan costs $19.95 your specific needs.
different values a user could ask for, like however this is merely an extension for iOS a month and makes Alexa’s voice Whichever tool might fit your needs
requesting different genres. So, an intent and WatchOS customisable, allows for building single best, it is important to note that applications
could be “Story about artist X” and the apps to work skills in multiple languages and is able on smart speakers can be created with
various utterances could be “Tell me about in a voice to deliver contextual help, all of which zero-to-minimal costs and user-friendly
how X first started to make music”, “What setting instead helps the users to navigate their smart interfaces that require no programming
was X’s childhood like” and so on. The of promoting knowledge whatsoever. This should inspire
platform automatically generates code from the creation artist teams of all kinds to start thinking
these intents, utterances and slots which of voice-first about how you can use voice to connect with
you can edit using the built-in JSON editor. applications.) your fans in a meaningful
The Alexa Skills Kit provides a multitude of After way, especially when
resources that help you get started with registering, Voice considering how music
your skills and inform on how to shift from a App’s dashboard on smart speakers is
screen-first to a voice-first design. provides a generally consumed more
Even though Alexa still dominates selection of passively and is less
the market, Google is gaining ground and Sample Projects about specific artists. :)
more and more products are entering the giving valuable
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CAMPAIGNS The latest projects from the digital marketing arena
CALM ON: MOBY DEBUTS ALBUM INSIDE MEDITATION APP PYRAMID SCHEME: RHCP LIVE STREAM CONCERT FROM GIZA
Being a teetotal vegan, one would imagine Doing a pop concert from the
meditation is a big part of Moby’s world. So Great Pyramids of Giza is nothing
it makes delightfully perfect sense for him new. The Grateful Dead did three
to release his new album, Long Ambients concerts in the shadow of the
2, via mediation app Calm – which has Sphinx in 1978, no doubt inspired
the exclusive for 30 days before it lands by the fact that Pink Floyd had
on all the main music streaming services. played the ancient amphitheatre
Fittingly it debuted on World Sleep Day on in Pompeii in 1971. In 1979, Frank
14th March. Sinatra recorded a show there,
while Jean Michele Jarre played
There was a brief period where exclusives his The Twelve Dreams Of The
were the new arms race for streaming Sun show in Giza on Millennium Eve to direct monetisation (apart from YouTube
services; but this is an exclusive with a 120,000 people. advertising) was a link on their YouTube
difference as it is not prioritising one DSP channel to buy commemorative T-shirts
over another, especially as the album is None of that stopped shirtless funk-rock with the pyramids or the Sphinx on them.
limited to paying subscribers on Calm. rapscallions Red Hot Chili Peppers from Even their LiveChiliPeppers.com site (which
Ultimately this puts Moby’s music in front playing at the same location on 15th March. sells recordings of live shows taken straight
of a potential audience of 45m users, 40m The twist here was that, rather than get in from the mixing desk) had not, when we
of whom will be emailed about the partnership become a label in its own a film crew and sell the broadcast or DVD checked on 18th March, been updated to sell
(although the company is not saying what right, commissioning rights to the highest bidder, the band live downloads of the show.
percentage of its users are subscribers). music from artists streamed the whole thing from their own sandbox is, however, extremely
Sleep- and meditation-based playlists are specifically designed to YouTube channel as well as on Twitter and disappointed they didn’t just play their fourth
a big part of the streaming world and acts relax the app’s users? Facebook – and all for free. album in full and retitle it Mummy’s Milk. Or
like Max Richter with his 2015 album Sleep, Moby’s breakthrough “The pyramids, it’s unbelievable, we just do a cover of that song off the debut album
which ran to eight hours, have been quietly album, 1999’s Play, jumped at the opportunity […] I have always by The Streets – ‘Gizas Need Excitement’. Or
and calmly marrying their music to relaxation changed music been fascinated by Egypt and that region of change the title of ‘Higher Ground’ to ‘Hiero
techniques. Yet none of this is a leap into the synchronisation forever, the world and I am so excited to go,” bassist Glyphs’. Or get Nile Rodgers on stage with
unknown for Calm as it debuted the Calm with every track on it Flea told the LA Times ahead of the show. them. Or… OK, we’ll stop now.
Music feature within its app 18 months ago being licensed for use (Thinking about it, he really should have
and says that the 200 tracks accessible on in a TV show, film or ad, changed his name to Scarab Beetle as a
there have so far amassed 150m streams so he is no stranger to fitting twist on the entomological theme.)
between them. experimenting with ways It wasn’t some half-hearted undertaking,
It is also worth noting that Calm raised to reach new audiences. either. They played for close to two hours
$88m in a funding round at the start of Once again, he is probably and the number of views for the on-demand
February this year that gave the company onto something with recording of the show on YouTube had
a valuation of $1bn. Could it now start to Calm. passed 2.5m within four days. The only
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CAMPAIGNS The latest projects from the digital marketing arena
BOOZE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE:
KNOCKIN’ ON SEVEN’S DOOR: LUDOVICO EINAUDI
PLANS SEVEN ALBUMS IN SEVEN MONTHS BLOSSOMS PULL PODCASTING PINTS
In the 1960s, banging out two albums a at the start of March, Einaudi was named “We’ve fuckin’ spent it,
year was the norm. Even by the 1980s, an as the most successful classical artist of ain’t we?” a somewhat
album a year was standard practice. But by the streaming age – with Decca Records refreshed Steve Jones of
the 1990s – coupled with the rise of the CD reporting that his works have been streamed the Sex Pistols said of
and expectations that acts must fill all 73 over 2bn times and that he has 3m monthly what happened to the
minutes of the disc – albums started to appear listeners on Spotify who collectively generate band’s £40,000 advance
every two or three years. In the streaming over 1m streams a day. from EMI during their
age, however, the very notion of an album is His new seven-album project is called infamous TV interview with
starting to feel archaic for many acts. Seven Days Walking and the first album, Bill Grundy in December
Seven Days Walking: Day One, is released 1976. When asked how, The opening two episodes are marked
on 15th March, with Seven Days Walking: Jones replied bluntly, with an “E” for explicit content so the
Day Two to arrive in mid April and so on until “Down the boozer.” topics of conversation and language
September, culminating in a box set of all used are not for everyone. Perhaps it
seven albums. UK band Blossoms are unlikely to have might draw in new fans, but the tone
“I decided to thread them all together in a blown their advance from Virgin EMI would seem to suggest it is all about
sort of musical labyrinth, a little like stepping “down the boozer”, but they did take super-serving existing fans and perhaps
inside the twists and turns of the creative their name from a pub in their home plugging the promo gap between albums
PHOTO: Ray Tarantino
process, to understand how a musical idea town of Stockport and this was where given that their second album came out
can develop in multiple directions, and they decided to record their own podcast last April.
changing once again at the moment in which series. They’ve even called it a “pubcast”. Starting a podcast is one thing, but
Defiantly swimming against the tide, it is heard,” said Einaudi of the project’s Frankly, we’d have been disappointed if keeping the momentum going is another,
classical composer Ludovico Einaudi is overarching concept. they didn’t. especially when touring and recording
planning to release seven albums in seven Given his music appears on multiple “Each week, the lads greet you into bites into an act’s time. Blossoms have
months this year. Those with mood-based playlist their local for a swift half, top laugh and no doubt been spurred into action by the
a long memory will recall The on Spotify (and other all kinds of rum malarkey,” runs the blurb success of something like George Ezra &
Wedding Present releasing DSPs) like Peaceful around the podcast. “There’s tall tales, Friends which has been running regularly
a single every month in 1992 Piano (with 5m sound advice, crank calls, and the ‘Sixth since February 2018.
or Ash doing 26 singles (one followers) as well Blossom’ - Charlie’s Granddad John. It’s Where Ezra really succeeds, however,
a fortnight) between October as just about every a bit like Cheers... but set in Shaw Heath is that he pulls in huge names – like
2009 and September 2010. classical-themed rather than Boston.” The fact that the Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Lily Allen and
But seven albums in seven playlist going, this first episode is called A Bee Waved At Me Nile Rodgers – so the podcast appeals
months is massively raising bonanza release underscores the fact that tongues are to multiple fanbases simultaneously.
the productivity bar here. schedule will ensure he firmly in cheeks here. Granddad John is a funny, if scatological,
The timing of all this is is even more front and It appears to be a weekly event, with chap but he’s not exactly going to have the
very interesting because centre here than usual. new episodes appearing every Tuesday. same draw as Elton.
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BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN Khruangbin BAND PHOTOS: Mary Kang
BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN KHRUANGBIN
A mostly instrumental band influenced by Thai and Iranian psych and with an
unpronounceable name is not exactly an easy sell – but US three-piece Khruangbin are
not ones to go the obvious route. For their second album – 2018’s Con Todo El Mundo
(translating as With Everybody) – they signed to Dead Oceans, an imprint of Secretly
Canadian. LAURA SYKES, director of digital sales and marketing at Secretly Group, and
ROBBY MORRIS, creative director at Secretly Group, explain how their music chimed
with the desire of DSPs to work with acts who resonate with fans in the less-obvious
markets, how DJ sets on Facebook Live worked to build a following, how they turned
the theme of international travel into a playlist generator and why they ended 2018
with a Snoopy-centric Christmas single.
Marketing an instrumental band whose
influences are diverse and esoteric
RM: Khruangbin are a three-piece from
Houston originally but who reside in LA now.
Their name means “aeroplane” in Thai and
that shapes what their sound is. They are
a global music-influenced band, with the
aeroplane obviously indicating the travel
globally. Their first album drew a lot from
1960s and 1970s Thai psych and funk music.
On their new album they pulled in some
additional influences including some Iranian
and pre-revolution psych music.
They are a band who are largely
instrumental. They have a massive
following live which has only grown and
they are super-savvy when it comes to their
branding, the way they market themselves
and the way they do their live show. They
all wear wigs on stage and costumes. It is a
really deep and amazing project.
DSPs want acts that can
cross more borders
LS: Another thing to add to the global appeal
of the band is that when we started to
initially speak to DSPs about the new record,
in mid 2017 ahead of the album release in
January 2018, we found that streaming was
becoming more and more global. That is an
obvious statement; but we also found that
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DSPs are quite keen on artists who can really with their record player and playing records.
get into these other international markets – They would show the covers to the audience
as opposed to regular bands who just do well and then play the records. People really got
in the US and the UK, for example. That was engaged with them.
very appealing. We all know that emerging
markets are where it is happening and where RM: They would also actively be speaking
DSPs are expanding into. to the fans and commenting via the chat
function.
Turning a difficult name into
a promotional asset
RM: Their visuals are just so on point.
We made a couple of great music videos
for them. One of the best assets that
Khruangbin have is their name. You might
at first think it is a bit of a stumbling block
because no one knows how to say it unless
RM: They have played in much more they are Thai. In a way that was a challenge
far-reaching countries than most but it also gave us a great way to open
of our other artists have. They have to the aeroplane motif – was already really a conversation. “Here’s this band called
played in India and all over Asia, dialled in at that point. Khruangbin, it’s spelt like this and here is
Turkey and so on. They were very what it means.”
active. Once we started working LS: It didn’t matter where they were in the One nice asset that we used to address
with them, they had a full head of world, they would do the sets. They had this was that we made a very simple social
steam in terms of their audience committed to doing it and they were letting picture which was a pronunciation guide.
and their reach. fans know they were going to do it and it Obviously their fans knew what they were
was scheduled on their Facebook calendar called but in moving them over to the Dead
Doing DJ sets on Facebook Live that this live event was coming so people Oceans universe, that was a small but
RM: They are quite keen in terms could tune in. It was effectively them sitting effective tool that we employed.
of their understanding of the way
that music works and the way The first singles and setting up the album
that people consume music. As we LS: The first single was ‘Maria También’. They
started working on this album they started playing that single in their Facebook
were already doing amazing things. DJ sets. We launched that first single with
They were doing weekly – or as often as they amazing obscure world music and then a video which is a fairly traditional way of
could – DJ sets on Facebook Live posting a playlist. So they were engaging launching the album. That is what we led
called AirKhruang . with their audience live on the platform on with as their comeback.
They would do a live DJ set on Facebook and then bouncing it over to
their webcam, spin vinyl and then Spotify so people could save the playlists RM: We followed that up a few weeks later
post the playlists to Spotify and and learn about who they were there. The with the second single and video [‘Friday
then later to Apple Music. It had that visuals, the branding and everything else Morning’] and we announced a global
two-point hit where they were playing really they started doing – from the band name headline tour. The tour started at Koko in
10 | sandbox | ISSUE 224 | 20.03.2019BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN KHRUANGBIN
London in January. It was a pretty extensive you choose a couple of different options.
tour. They toured non-stop really all the We used a very simple
way through that summer in the US and the Buzzfeed-style quiz. You picked
festivals. They really put in the work and the your flight and then you were
time around their live output. asked to choose where you would
like to sit. Depending on what
LS: They also took part in Gilles Peterson’s you choose in terms of window
Worldwide Awards in January 2018. or aisle, that determines how
danceable you liked your tracks.
A website that plays on the flight Then you choose your drink – coffee and
motif and links into Spotify tea. Some people like to stay up and have
RM: A big cornerstone of this campaign for energy on their flight and some people like
us was the website that we built for release. to have a tea and go to sleep. Then you
In leading up to that, they stopped by Spotify choose your class. They put the people in
to record a Spotify Single that came first class upfront so it is a quieter flight; and
out later down the line. We didn’t release they put people in coach class at the back so
another asset until this website. it is louder.
We had a lot of fun with the Then you choose if it’s a direct flight or
website and it does a great job of from Spotify – many of those songs if you want to have stopovers – and that
scooping up all the different ways being ones that they would play during determines the speed.
that people approach Khruangbin. their Facebook DJ sets. Using those parameters and the
They actually came to us and said, “What It is not completely accurate, but the locations, we are able to pull together
would happen if we built a website that acted developer was able to map the general custom playlists that you can put in and get
like an Orbitz, a Kayak or an American Airlines location of where each track was from a flight back. We were able to have it so that
where you can book a flight from an origin to to the flight path of where you were when you log into Spotify after your playlist
a destination and you got a playlist back?” travelling on this imaginary flight. On is built, the icon on Spotify for the playlist
It was a really incredible but simple your flight, if you passed over certain would be a custom boarding pass with your
concept that allowed us to get our minds regions, it would prioritise tracks from origin and destination. You can obviously
wondering. At the same time, Spotify was that region. Then we played with the use that to share with friends.
encouraging a lot of its label partners to take audio features that are built into the What was great about this feature
advantage of their open API. Spotify API. was that it very quickly explained who
They gave all the label partners access There is metadata that indicates Khruangbin are, the music that influences
to the API. With this website we figured the length of the song and there are them, the idea of global travel and the fact
out a way to engage with Spotify with that attributes like ‘danceability’, ‘liveliness’, that they do these DJ sets – but it is also
resource and to do something pretty unique. that you would listen to and that would be ‘loudness’ and ‘instrumentalness’ and just a great utility. You don’t have to know
We built a website called AirKhruang and the “flight”. Because we have the access they obviously scored high on the who Khruangbin are to engage with this
hired a developer to help us build this out. to the API, we were able to do a lot more ‘instrumentalness’ scale. application. That is what made it extra
It was a pretty robust build that began with customisation of that. We hired a developer We found fun ways to assign different special to us. Now we are seeing people
that concept of booking a flight, choosing an who was able to map out what the flight attributes to these playlists for these who have found the site and are using it
origin and choosing a destination. durations would be from every airport to flights. We thought: what is it that you do who aren’t super familiar with the band or
If the flight from JFK to Heathrow is eight every other airport in the world. The band when you book a flight to determine what who discovered the band because of this
hours, you could build an eight-hour playlist then provided us with hundreds of songs sort of flight you will have? You go in and utility. Obviously engaging with Spotify
11 | sandbox | ISSUE 224 | 20.03.2019BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN KHRUANGBIN
is something that they appreciate. It is a made a 7-inch which they took on tour
good partnership. and which we sold in stores regularly. But
They were also peppering the playlists in terms of things like holiday-themed
with their own tracks. And because we playlists on DSPs that was really good
are marketing a record here we would give because it was a new holiday song. Often
those tracks a little bit more priority just so you find those Christmas playlists bring
people would hear Khruangbin while they out the same holiday tracks. That was
were hearing all this other great music. fun and it rounded off the end of the year
We obviously didn’t want to overwhelm nicely.
users or make it something that felt like
we were just trying to generate sales or RM: They are showing no signs of slowing
streams. It is more about the flow and the down and they are touring this year all the
fun that you can have with the app and less way through. They are machines when it
some kind of one-to-one and hand-to-hand comes to the live stuff. :)
marketing.
LS: The overall pool of tracks that were used
on the site were all selected by the band
individually. So for things like which country
the track was from and other information
like that, the band actually helped us apply
those attributes to those tracks. That in turn
helped with the development work.
They were the curators of that and
a lot of the songs were ones they
had already DJ-ed on their
Facebook Live sessions so fans
were familiar with them. Lots of
them were random unearthed gems that
sometimes get lost on streaming services,
so they all got a boost in their own right
again.
RM: That is when the tour was in full was about four months after the album bespoke session with these live psychedelic WANT TO FEATURE IN
swing. It was largely a completely sold came out. projections behind them. That received BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN?
out tour. Then we put out ‘Evan Finds The massive engagement. Marketing people: do you have a campaign you are working
Third Room’ as the third single. RM: They did another collaboration with on that you would like to see featured in Behind The Campaign
Gilles Peterson via his partnership A Christmas single in a future edition of sandbox? If so, send a brief synopsis of
Partnerships with Gilles Peterson, with WeTransfer. In the US they did LS: They also did a Christmas single. It was it to Eamonn Forde for consideration and your work (and your
Spotify, Tiny Desk & Pitchfork Live Tiny Desk which was amazing to see a fun thing where they did a cover of the words) could appear here.
LS: The Khruangbin Spotify Single was them in that format. Pitchfork Live went Vince Guaraldi Trio track ‘Christmas Time Email: eamonn.forde@me.com
a two-track release was May 2018, so above and beyond. They had the band play a Is Here’ which is in the Peanuts movie. We
12 | sandbox | ISSUE 224 | 20.03.2019ABOUTSANDBOX
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