Product Manager, Digital Marketing, Sales, Promotion
Distribute and promote a record to international markets through licensing deals, international streaming distribution, radio, promo tours …
The International department (also known as International Marketing) usually works only with artists that have audiences in multiple countries. They are responsible for the manufacturing, copywriting, and distribution of records in non-native markets, as well as the promotion of an artist or an album through marketing campaigns, radio, and promo/press tours.
The international department is different from the other departments in the label. First of all, in certain record companies, one international department takes care of one or two labels (example: in Sony, there is one International department dealing with both RCA and Arista). Second of all, the international department is composed of different individual sections, similar to the ones of the domestic label. For example, they have their own international product managers, digital marketing, and sales team.
!! LABEL VS RECORD COMPANY !!
Their role is essentially the same as the domestic PM but for international markets. They promote music around the world, schedule interviews, plan the radio promotion overseas, liners, TV advertising...
Inspired by the marketing plan of the domestic team, they adjust the strategy by creating adapted campaigns to other countries/cultures and amplifying the promotion internationally.
The radio department creates relationships with international radio stations to promote their new releases. They prepare drivers with an artist's stats and sales to incite them to play a song.
They make sure the record has been distributed to DSPs around the world; Spotify, Apple Music but also Gaana and Jioaavn (India), KuGou and QQ (China), etc.
*sometimes the part of the international sales is centralized for all labels under one group* For example, Sony's Global Digital Business & US Sales record division deals with international sales for all Sony Labels (RCA, Arista, Columbia, etc.)
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It is a 24/7 position (no joke)! In the mornings I work with the European markets and at night with the American ones. It is not uncommon to have shifts from 09:00 to 23:00.
I am based in London and I am in charge of the marketing strategy, promotion, public relations, business development and positioning of Latin artists outside of Latin America and the USA. We do everything for these artists from positioning their songs to accompany them on tours in our markets, ensuring that everything goes well, and supporting them in understanding the cultural differences. We are also in charge of the partnerships sports section.
International Marketing Manager @Sony Music UK
Who they work with and what they do
DOMESTIC MARKETING
- Coordinate with the domestic marketing team to inspire international campaigns from domestic ones (amplify the campaigns rather than start from scratch)
TOURING AND EVENTS
- Use analysis of international radio and streaming date to establish the audience/markets of an artist and plan the tour routing accordingly
- Deal with international ticketing
INT. RECORD COMPANIES
- Negotiate and sign licensing deals with foreign record companies so that they can manufacture and distribute in their native territory.
- Keep in touch with the number of sales overseas
INT. RADIO STATIONS
- Oversee the spins of the songs on international radios
- Create liners with the artist in different languages for different countries
- Promote record to radio oversees
ARTIST
- Organize the promo/press tours to develop the artist's profile in other countries and raising awareness to increase sales
- Travel with the artist globally on promo tours to oversee radio and press interviews
DSPs
- Make sure the music is distributed to all international digital platforms such as Gaana, JioSaavn, KuGou…
- Coordinate with the domestic marketing team to inspire international campaigns from domestic ones (amplify the campaigns rather than start from scratch)
- Organize the promo/press tours to develop the artist's profile in other countries and raising awareness to increase sales
- Travel with the artist globally on promo tours to oversee radio and press interviews
- Make sure the music is distributed to all international digital platforms such as Gaana, JioSaavn, KuGou…
TOURING AND EVENTS
- Use analysis of international radio and streaming date to establish the audience/markets of an artist and plan the tour routing accordingly
- Deal with international ticketing
INT. RECORD COMPANIES
- Negotiate and sign licensing deals with foreign record companies so that they can manufacture and distribute in their native territory.
- Keep in touch with the number of sales overseas
INT. RADIO STATIONS
- Oversee the spins of the songs on international radios
- Create liners with the artist in different languages for different countries
- Promote record to radio oversees
- Distribute artists singles & albums to DSPs on time for the release
- Negotiate business partnerships with DSPs -- Examples:
° Reduced royalties rate per stream for artists of a specific label in exchange for free ad credits
° ‘Artist Social Boost’: DSPs are granted advertising access to an artist's Facebook or Instagram to run
ads offering their followers 3 months free premium. In exchange, the label gets a portion of the profit from the fans signing up through the artist's link
- Partner with DSPs for marketing initiatives such as:
° Billboard in Time Square
° Playlist takeovers
° Example: Olivia Rodrigo's Car Wash with Spotify in LA.
- Licence songs before release
- Make sure the metadata is complete (every detail about the song is filled out - producers, singer, date, title, etc.)
- Curate playlists on streaming platforms to promote their artists
- Establish the number of copies of an album that needs to be produced
- Make sure the production and delivery runs smoothly (with Production Dep)
A music supervisor reaches out to the label with interest in a song. They provide 3 elements for a possible contract and give a scene description and information on the use of the song.
With those elements in mind, the Sync Department defines the licensing fees for the use of that song. The amount usually depends mostly on the artist, scene description and length, and part of the song used.
The label asks for the artist's approval; both on the budget and the use of the song (which project it will be featured on).
Important to know: For a song to be used, it needs the approval of both the master recording (label) and the publisher. This means all songwriters have to approve the use of the song too! And if an artist is also a songwriter they need to approve it twice, once through the label and once through the publisher.
Once negotiated, the deal has to be sent to the publishers for approval.
This step is necessary legally to ensure that the Most Favored Nation (MFN) clause is respected.
If a music supervisor confirms the use of a song then the license is created.
On their side, they will have to pay a fee for the use of the composition (copyright to the publisher) and a fee for the master (to the label).
“For NY and LA, there is always a member of our team at shows to organize business encounters, escort our partners backstage. It’s kind of a concierge service”
- Tour and Special Events @Interscope
"When there is no covid I travel a lot so I am divided between being with the artist on tours and promotion - with visits to my offices for strategy and planning meetings around the world and in London with my team on a day-to-day basis when we are not traveling. My boss travels much more than I do so we are used to working remotely and maintaining constant communication."
Is a degree required?
The recommended majors for the international department are marketing, data analytics, and management.
Written by Lou & Ixe.
Designed by Lou.
Published June 17th 2021
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