Artist Rewards by Indie Hitmakers is a nationwide model loyalty program, particularly tailor-made to the music {industry}. Robert Terell is a core a part of the crew at Artist Rewards, as they hope to attach music artists with third occasion distributors and different trusted suppliers (whom may help advance the careers of such musicians).
Like another enterprise, the aim of Artists Rewards is to strengthen buyer relationships (between vendor and artist), culminating in increased ranges of name loyalty.
Robert answered a few of our questions.
Hello Robert, when was Artist Rewards based and what expertise did you’ve gotten earlier than getting into the {industry}?
Artist Rewards was conceptualized in November of 2019 and formally launched on Might 1, 2020. Previous to launching Artist Rewards I’ve been within the music {industry} for over 25 years as an govt and Movie star Enterprise Supervisor. I’ve managed a Grammy Successful artist “Jackie’s Boy”, and several other multi-platinum, and Gold RIAA licensed promoting artists reminiscent of; Silkk the Shocker, Soul for Actual, J-Dub (Unhealthy Boy), Nancy Denise (Unhealthy Ladies Membership/Oxygen Community) and plenty of different Movie star purchasers.
I’m additionally the founder and CEO of the #1 ranked Artist Improvement Firm within the music industry- Wealth Nation. So my various and in depth background within the {industry} allowed me to acknowledge an enormous void within the enterprise practices between unbiased artists and {industry} service suppliers.
How precisely does Artist Rewards work? In different phrases, how does your platform help music artists to get recognition?
Artist Rewards is a nationwide model loyalty program and membership community. The platform is designed to spice up the profession of unbiased artists whereas bridging the credibility hole between artists and {industry} service suppliers. Artist Rewards supplies members with a return on their model funding by quite a lot of a lot wanted providers like digital radio airplay, streaming, PR, digital advertising and recommendation from high {industry} consultants.
The community additionally connects artists with trusted third-party distributors and provides rewards for good enterprise practices. This idea is lengthy overdue for the reason that music {industry} is extremely unregulated. Impartial artists, who make up an estimated 97 % of musicians within the {industry}, usually work unsigned. With out an skilled crew, rising artists face many dangers on the trail to growing a profitable profession. Artist Rewards addresses that subject by giving members entry to Business Licensed service suppliers.
“Artist Rewards is a revolutionary, groundbreaking idea that can affect how unbiased artists and repair suppliers conduct enterprise,” says {industry} connoisseur and CEO, Rob Terell of Wealth Nation/Sony Music group. “We’re bringing one thing of super worth to the area, and the hope is that the group will embrace it and respect it. We’re doing one thing that has by no means been carried out earlier than and I consider that it will transcend the tradition as we all know it.”
The place can artists redeem their factors?
Artist Rewards has teamed up with {industry} rewards chief “Qarrot” so artists redeem their factors by their member login on the membership platform. Artists earn reward factors each time they full a transaction made by the community, reward factors are allotted, and could be redeemed for providers supplied by Business Licensed suppliers or they will reward themselves for all their arduous work by using their factors with main manufacturers reminiscent of: Amazon, Finest Purchase, Hulu, Macy’s, Nike, Ulta, Starbucks, Goal, and so many extra.
Artist Rewards is targeted on enterprise integrity throughout the music {industry}. Our firm ensures that if an artist pays a vendor for a service, that vendor will ship distinctive work, on time, and exceed their expectations. This system is designed to foster and facilitate high quality enterprise relationships between artists and {industry} service suppliers which might finally translate into model loyalty.
What had been among the preliminary challenges of beginning the enterprise?
The largest problem we confronted was educating unbiased artists on how they may probably attain a larger ROI-Return on their model funding by buying providers by our licensed community, somewhat than simply randomly deciding on providers on-line and hope all of it works out for them. We reward them for conducting good enterprise with the distributors which has a direct affect on their model illustration. Gaining their belief was an enormous hurdle at first till many artists really began using the providers and obtained nice outcomes for such a low worth. One other vital problem was determining the right way to make all of the numbers work for everyone concerned and nonetheless make a revenue as an organization in the long run.
Our objective is to keep up the service stage and membership advantages at a excessive worth proposition whereas providing it at a low value in an effort to serve the lots of artists that actually want the providers most. As with all new enterprise ventures rising the extent of name consciousness, advertising, and consumer acquisition had been all challenges at first that we had to determine as a crew. We just lately launched an “Affiliate Advertising program” that has considerably elevated consumer acquisitions and excelled our progress.
What are the important thing variations (or advantages) connected to the three membership ranges – Gold, Platinum and Platinum VIP?
The important thing profit variations are the quantity, stage, and variety of providers supplied to the artist member primarily based on their membership stage. As you improve within the membership ranges throughout the community you acquire entry to extra priceless and essential sources that an unbiased artist wants to succeed in the following stage. Many label providers that the majority unbiased artists are priced out of receiving reminiscent of: Main PR, Music Traders, Media Promo, A&R entry cross to fulfill with main label executives from energy firms reminiscent of Sony Music, Common Music Group, Atlantic Information, Republic, Interscope are made obtainable to artists on the increased membership ranges.
The worth proposition will increase considerably whereas the funding into this system doesn’t improve considerably in any respect. The requirement of the member to have their membership for a time period reminiscent of 3 months or 6 months fosters an surroundings of name loyalty internally and transcends the inherent cultural relationship that exists between artists and {industry} distributors. With a month-to-month membership, artists obtain strategic partnerships and worth added advantages that assist their profession and permit artists to economically develop their model progressively.
In your opinion, how will the continuing coronavirus pandemic have an effect on the music {industry}, and extra considerably, what you are promoting mannequin?
For my part probably the most vital affect to the {industry} has been within the dwell present format. The music {industry} is so intrinsically linked with massive audiences and dwell experiences, and when the seriousness of the outbreak turned evident, the {industry} needed to try and react as rapidly as potential however I’m not so certain we had been capable of reinvent ourselves quick sufficient. An entire 12 months of festivals, main music conferences, gigs, occasions, and excursions has been cancelled or thrown into doubt because the world is at a standstill for the foreseeable future.
I consider that in time we are going to recalibrate and embrace the brand new norm that we’ll discover on the opposite aspect of a vaccination or acceptable decision, however it’s going to by no means be the identical because it was earlier than. When it comes to my enterprise, we are going to proceed to develop and thrive as now we have been. We really are offering the best inexpensive answer on the proper time for artists and {industry} service suppliers. Artists might be artists and they’re going to at all times make music, write songs, and search to carry out their craft in entrance of an viewers of music followers. Firms will at all times be promoting some sort of music advertising providers for artists to advertise their model whether or not it’s digital advertising, on-line promotions, social media, you tube, and visible branding, and so on. they are going to discover a approach and followers will at all times be consuming music as a result of music is part of their life. This has been confirmed traditionally to be true in all markets and financial situations globally for over a century for the reason that inception of the music {industry}’s existence.
In actual fact its instances like this the place music artists, executives, firms, and followers band collectively much more to share their life experiences and embrace the journey that makes music so relatable and transformative to so many individuals around the globe. I totally consider that digital service suppliers reminiscent of our firm who present high quality providers at inexpensive costs are going to increase and completely transcend the tradition and soar to unbelievable heights of success now and for the foreseeable future.
Thanks Robert on your time!
You possibly can comply with up with Robert Terell at https://artistrewards.com or IG @robterell