There’s a clear trend in the various programs to support emerging artists that streaming services launch. They tend to start global, then at some point shift focus to be more local, with key countries’ teams choosing artists to support, and running the promotion and other campaigns locally.
We’ve seen that with Spotify’s ‘Radar’ and Apple Music’s ‘Up Next’, and now Deezer is revealing the latest evolution in its ‘Next’ initiative.
While it has always involved artists from different regions and a mixture of global and local priorities, now there will be dedicated brands in major markets: ‘Deezer Focus’ in the UK and Ireland; ‘Deezer Aposta’ in Brazil; ‘Deezer Fresco’ elsewhere in Latin America; and still ‘Deezer Next’ in France.
Deezer says the change will enable it to give more focus to more artists in different parts of the world. It will be competing with those rivals’ programs to pick artists, which leads us to a bigger issue: the potential for differentiation (if the DSPs choose different artists that fit their culture) or alternatively for groupthink (where they pick more or less the same artists and chase the same trends).
There are many more artists than ever before releasing music in 2021 – cue the familiar ’60k new tracks a day’ stat – but sometimes it can feel like a relatively small group each year do the rounds of the DSP emerging-artist programs. If a stronger focus on local picks and programs – from Deezer and its rivals alike – means a wider spread of that net, it’ll be a good thing.
Music Ally’s next Learn Live webinar will help you understand what’s required for artists to thrive in new international markets!