Ascend Agency is at the forefront of playlist marketing for indie artists – Billboard

The music marketing scene is evolving rapidly. The Independent’s interest in his artists’ record deals has dwindled as streaming services have become the largest source of income for most artists.

The evolution of streaming services has provided new and more exciting ways for artists to market their work, from playlist marketing to social media reels and trends. In many ways, social media and music streaming have leveled the playing field in the music industry, with everyone wrestling for their place. Over the past decade, it has become the norm for independent artists to top the Billboard charts with her artist work.

Ascend Agency has built a strong reputation by taking brands from relative obscurity to profitable visibility. Over the past two years, Ascend Agency has established himself as a top player in his PR and content marketing fields, and has been able to take the game out of the game in record time, purely through its wing of strategy genius. I made it to the top.

Ascend Agency CEO Jonathan Jadali told Billboard: Serving multi-million dollar brands while pitching tents to the underdog and increasing awareness on budget. ”

Ascend Agency’s innovative strategy has always relied on building strategic partnerships. According to Jadali, partnership always trumps sponsorship.

“In the PR space, we have forged strategic partnerships with hundreds of publications as well as top domestic publishing chains such as A360 Media and Modern Luxury. These partnerships have been the lifeblood of our amazing success. We’re good at building networks, that’s the music game, getting the right people listening to the right kind of music on the right platform, we’re winning in the music scene It’s just duplicating the strategy.”

Brauch Owens, head of music at Ascend, sees music marketing and reputation management as a new and evolving industry. These industries have always existed in one form or another, but the proliferation of independent artists has created a huge void for marketing his agencies and brand management platforms like his Ascend to fill. .

“Many creators produce on YouTube and release their songs on streaming platforms. The sheer amount of talent on display in some places is staggering, but many of them are relatively unknown. This is where we come in.” explains Owens. There will never be enough music or artists to cater to the tastes of every music lover out there. ”

Ascend Agency has built an extensive network of playlist curators on platforms such as Spotify, Youtube, Apple Music and Soundcloud, and leverages these partnerships to great effect and surprise clients in record time. yields positive results. This strategy aligns with Ascend’s plans to build and maintain a valuable network.

“We try to have partners everywhere who are doing it at a very high level,” Jadari said. Playlists are to today’s artists what radio used to be. We carefully find the right playlist for each client. Many independent he artists are trying to reinvent the wheel, but by partnering with the right people, we can deliver results to our clients faster. When it comes to music, it often takes him a day to appear first. ”

Ascend Music Group (a subdivision of Ascend Agency) has become a one-stop shop for the needs of independent artists, from playlist marketing to press coverage, reputation management, iTunes charting, distribution, and album/single releases. Ascend entered the music game with clear intentions, gradually translating their previous success in the PR space into the music space.

Ascend’s short-term success in music has taken many by surprise, but not the company’s CEO, Jonathan Jadali. he says. Ascend Agency said in his first year of operation in 2021 he would reach $2.5 million, and in his second year in 2022 he would hit the $7.5 million mark.

We live in the era of streaming as all other forms of music consumption continue to decline. The music streaming platform’s global subscriber base will grow by 26.4% in 2022, with an average current subscriber base of about 523.9 million. Music streaming revenue in the US now accounts for his 84% ​​of US music industry revenue and is projected to grow to 90% in the next few years. “The pie is huge, and the Independent His Artist wants a piece of it,” says Georgnerist.

The reason for this increase in independent artists may be tied to the growth of sound engineering technology, making music relatively easy to make and the relative visibility that social media provides. It is rising. According to Owens, “The sheer number of independent artists who are building a following outside the establishment cannot be ignored. Independent artists are likely to be the future, or at least major players, of the industry. , Ascend will be at the forefront of making sure their amazing art is heard.”