Warner Music Group boss Stephen Cooper has been talking about the dynamics of streaming, and what they mean for labels, in an interview with Billboard.
“In the past it was about radio play, weekly charts and sales – now it’s a minute-by-minute battle for people’s time and attention. So playlisting is one of the big reasons why artists need record labels today,” said Cooper.
“You have to react quickly when a song starts to break, you have to have the relationships with the services, and put energy into understanding fan behaviour. Every track needs a story around it.”
Cooper also commented on another current trend within the streaming space. “These days all anyone seems to be talking about is exclusives,” he said.
“A week-long exclusive can be a good thing, but I’d say as a general rule you’re better off offering fans the music everywhere at the same time.”
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