Launch of Imago Dei Music Group: New Product Line

Universal Music Christian Group, a division of Universal Music Group launched Imago Dei Music Group, a product line extension of Universal Music Group.The partnering of Universal Music Group Distribution, the long arm marketing section of Universal Music Group with entertainment executive Max Siegel initiated the launch of Imago Dei Music Group (iD Music Group), a division of Max Siegel Inc. Universal Music Group Distribution consists of four major divisions: Universal Music Distribution (UMD); Fontana, a worldwide distributor of independent music labels; Vivendi Entertainment, the largest independent DVD distribution company in the US and also a theatrical distributor; and Universal Music Christian Group. With this powerhouse under the new iD Music Group, high grossing sales are estimated within the beginning of its release. Initial releases from iD Music Group will include "Champion," from Darwin Hobbs (June 22) as well as BET "Sunday Best" winner Y'Anna Crawley's debut album (July 13). The product line extension of iD Music Group further extends the arms of Universal Music Group's genres and possible goods distribution; another revolutionary tactic from the world's leading music distribution and record company. 

Christian Band: Tenth Avenue North 

Product Concepts

The brand name of Universal Music Group and its labels helps to identify which record companies sponsor which artists. Each label represents different product lines varying from rock and roll, hip-hop, jazz, and classical just to name a few.  Music is a cultural need, an uplifting sense of enlightenment and a testament to the history of mankind's creativity. And with history, mankind leaves traces behind to commemorate the significant age. With music CDs, LPs, tape decks, and mp3s will be left behind for history to gather and to listen to. These gateways of music also hold another part of culture, art. The design of each artist's album cover, whether vinyl LP, tape deck, or CD, expresses the artist's creations of music and creativity; and it also sells.

Music will forever be in our veins.

Record Store Day

Saturday, April 17th, 2010 was Record Store Day, an annual event since 2007 to celebrate the wonder of music. This is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists in the United States and in various countries across the globe make special appearances and performances. This day combines the marketing factors of consumer sales promotion, trade allowance, and point-of-purchase display. This celebration of music is a beautiful way to instill more culture within the minds of the people of the world.

Record Store Day

Jay-Z and Beyonce Performing at Coachella Music Festival 2010 

Mar 100- Pricing

CDs are now a niche market. Universal Music Group aims to change that by reducing its prices on all their labeled CD albums. I recently visited a bookstore, the unfortunate only few places to buy physical music, and perused through all the CDs looking for my favorite bands and singers. As I came across the King of Funk, James Brown, I found a price tag on the CD that shouldn't be there because James Brown is priceless. The surprise to me was that James Brown's greatest hits was on sale for $6.95. I also came across legendary Will Smith's greatest hits seeing the same price as James Brown, $6.95. To check that history reduced the prices of the music, I looked at the new 30 Seconds to Mars album that was just released, seeing the price to be none other than $6.95. As shocked as I was I found myself as a music lover and marketer to see the enticement of the prices of CDs. Needless to say I bought Will Smith, James Brown, and 30 Seconds to Mars. If I were you (which I'm not), I would go buy my favorite artists' albums on CD.

The Legend of the Guardians: Kings and Queens

 I love it when I see a movie, show or commercial and say, "I love that song! Who sings it?" I was at the move theater recently and was watching the fifteen minutes of previews.That's the loving spine-tingling feeling I got when I heard the main background music to the movie Legend of the Guardians. People may love the song and look it up and not realize that they were just enticed through a form of advertising. Within all forms of the entertainment business, Universal Music Group has advertised their artists and music. I was extremely intrigued when I found out that the song that I felt such a rush from was played by one of my all time favorite bands, 30 Seconds to Mars. Their songs are put out by the label, which is in turn distributed and advertised around famous websites and musical advertisement boards, and then the song and album is noticed. But the label company does not do all the work. The band also promotes their new releases and songs through their own channels, such as Twitter. Advertisement is a two-way street, where all parties trying to intrigue and get notice of a product or theme sell their shares.

Legend of the Guardians:
http://legendoftheguardians.warnerbros.com/

Follow 30 Seconds to Mars on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/30secondstomars

Mar 100 Advertising and Public Relations

Universal Music Group promotes their artists and the labels behind them through many tactics such as advertising and public relations. UMG uses many of their labels as a creative trademark for movie soundtracks. Many movie soundtracks are based from UMG music labels such as, Kung Fu Panda, Across the Universe, and the newly promoted movie, Kick-Ass coming out in theaters on April 16th, 2010. UMG provides every basis to advertise their artists and their music through all forms of media. UMG also integrates public relations through many partnerships. UMG has now partnered with Conduit Labs, a leading social music gaming developing company to approach music in a new socially fun way. This new-product publicity of musical gaming will in turn promote the music of UMG and the artists they sign.

For more information on the Conduit Labs and Universal Music Group's partnership, please visit:

http://new.umusic.com/News.aspx?NewsId=855

Check out Conduit Lab's Facebook games: 
http://apps.facebook.com/playsuperdance
http://apps.facebook.com/musicpets 



 

VEVO: Marketing Within Technology

Universal Music Group has created this innovative idea to integrate within the online video hit site, YouTube.UMG has made a music video player within the YouTube site exclusive for musical artist's music videos. The program let's the watcher visit the artists page on the VEVO site, as well as watch the video with lurics to the song. The marketing integration of this program and site gives HD quality music videos, as well as promotes and delivers the music to the online watcher in a better way. VEVO is a free site as well that leads to artists music and videos. UMG has created VEVO and made it into a great schematic for online sales promotion. I am a personal lover of VEVO, and listening to my music in high quality in both view and in sound, so I know how great the program and site are. Long live musical prowess!

VEVO's Site with Parachute:
http://www.vevo.com/watch/parachute/under-control/USUV70902536

More Music...More Power!

EMI Group Ltd. is looking to bind licensing with Universal Music Group to get off their declining deficit. The licensing agreement would mean Universal Music Group would pay $300 million over the span of five years to EMI to gain rights to distribute EMI's catalog in the United States with new and old musical artists such as Coldplay, Norah Jones, the Beatles and more. The idea of UMG buying EMI's licensing agreement lends to an idea of their tactic to spread music through their company, as well as a better promotional front of their company. UMG could look as a company that is willing to bail EMI out, as well as promote even more music through their labels. Marketing this issue is what will help UMG look more towards the future in terms of new contracts with new artists, and forging alliances with other music companies based under EMI Group Ltd. The music will now be under UMG, which would help me learn even more about licensing, musical artists, as well as marketing their music, as I apply for an internship with their New York based office. 

For more information on the license purchasing, please visit:

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-30/emi-universal-music-said-to-resume-talks-for-catalog-update1-.html

The Beatles under EMI selling to UMG:

http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/news/article/0,,6486456,00.html