Local and International Product Managers
Coordinate the different departments to lead and oversee all releases of an artist during an album campaign.
When an artist signs to a label, they are assigned to one or two product managers. A ‘domestic’ product manager, working on promoting the music in the country where the label is located, and an international product manager, in charge of promotion internationally.
Each product manager is assigned a roster of artists (usually around 3 to 5 artists across different genres). Their role is to be the lead on all releases of an artist during an album campaign. They are the go-to person for the band and manager inside the label. They discuss rollout plans, marketing, and advertising strategies, and manage the overall budget of the project.
Project Management is not a department in itself inside the label. Project Managers are the coordinators of every person across all departments working on an artist's project. They make sure every decision, choice, and plan is being looked at from a marketing standpoint to radio, press, and production.
In a sense, they can be compared to the artist’s manager inside the label.
!! LABEL VS RECORD COMPANY !!
Focused on a couple of artists, the local product manager's task is to promote the album locally, in the country of the label. They travel a lot with artists during their promo tour.
Under the International Department, IPMs locate the international markets of artists and plan the strategy to promote it through radio, interviews, partnerships, collaborations ... They travel internationally with artists during promo tours.
In the Radio/Promotion department, there are also “Regional Product Managers”. This is a completely different position, only specific to radio. If you want to know more about that click on Promotion.
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.)
_small.png)
My main duty is working directly with the artist and being the point person on all strategies and plans for the campaign.
My day to day is working with the artist and management on imagery whether it comes to artwork for album or single releases. I am in charge of planning band photoshoots, setting up and coordinating video shoots as needed, managing the budget within the campaign and making sure everything is ready on time for a release.
Product Manager @ Sony Music Entertainment US
Who they work with and what they do
PRODUCTION
- Make sure the physical copies are being produced and delivered on time
- Make sure the licensing is completed and the DSPs have received the songs for a release
Marketing
- Discuss the rollout plans and craft marketing and advertising campaigns
- Determine who is the audience and which are the best markets for the artist
- Make sure the marketing plan is being executed
Finance
- Make sure the budget allocated to a campaign is being respected across the different plans
Promotion
- Define which markets need radio promotion
- Accompany the artist to radio interviews and promo tours
Management/Creative Direction
- Work on the album imagery
- Oversee the artwork
- Organize and coordinate photo and video shoots
Photographer/Video Directors
- Scout for photographers/video directors
- Coordinate band photoshoots
- Organize and plan music video shoots
- Make sure the physical copies are being produced and delivered on time
- Make sure the licensing is completed and the DSPs have received the songs for a release
- Work on the album imagery
- Oversee the artwork
- Organize and coordinate photo and video shoots
- Scout for photographers/video directors
- Coordinate band photoshoots
- Organize and plan music video shoots
Marketing
- Discuss the rollout plans and craft marketing and advertising campaigns
- Determine who is the audience and which are the best markets for the artist
- Make sure the marketing plan is being executed
Finance
- Make sure the budget allocated to a campaign is being respected across the different plans
Promotion
- Define which markets need radio promotion
- Accompany the artist to radio interviews and promo tours
- 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 product management are business administration and marketing. An MBA can also be a plus.
Written by Lou.
Designed by Lou.
Published June 17th 2021
Copyright © 2021 Gen Admission.