This episode features Junior Foster, the former Head Of Global Artist Relations at Deezer, now the Head Of Global Artist Relations at Napster. Junior works directly with artists, labels and managers to lead and organize artist marketing campaigns across all major and independent labels. What are the best practices when working with digital streaming platforms? How do artists and their teams incorporate streaming into a music marketing plan?
Our next guest is Junior Foster, was Deezer’s Head of Global Artist Relations at the time of this conversation. Now he is over at Napster doing the same. No matter where he is, Junior works directly with artists, labels and managers to help with marketing campaigns across all major and independent labels. He talked about best practices when working with digital streaming platforms and how to build a proper music career. As the key contact for the international artist management community, Junior is responsible for implementing best practices for the entire artist marketing team to ensure the most successful outcomes and results. Junior talks about his long and winding road through the music ecosystem and what exactly a Head Of Global Artist Relations does. Marc asks about his process when working with artists and Junior explains the “conversation”. This episode offers up some great insights when it comes to DSPs (Digital Service Providers/streaming platforms), and we find out about a surprise release for Junior.
“If you are a new artist, I feel that you need to not only think about streaming platforms and DSPs but you need to be, now that the world is re-opening, you need to be out there playing live. If you can. You need to be growing your social following, your fanbase. You have to do that because before you get to us, you need to be your best you. You need to understand your stuff, you need to know what your fans like, and you need to be building that fanbase because when you come to us, in the same way, you would’ve gone to radio, we will be asking you “Ya, ok we like this music but what else is going on?” Then we need to have those conversations.”
#HowWeListen Live: In Conversation
3:39 London Sound System
5:23 Head of Global artists relations
9:26 J Balvin
17:19 Deezer playlists
22:00 Byta.com
22:33 #HowWeListen
27:17 Lewis Capaldi
31:54 Gerry Cinnamon
34:39 Inversions 80s
36:00 Holly Humberstone, Benny Sings, Laura Mvula, CSS
38:15 Amber Horsburgh
39:00 ASMR campaign, ASMR explained
41:00 Tom Jones whispering it to you, Alicia Keys
41:30 Beethoven Re-Mix
44:00 Fresh List, Brand New UK
45:52 Dry stream
55:27 Squat raves
1:02:00 Byta.com
Music by Fin Productions and Oliver Lyu