Here’s a novel concept: instead of unsuccessfully pursuing and prosecuting bootleggers, reward those who actually cough up money for your recordings with something extra. Winnetka, California-born hip-hop experimentalist Steven Ellison, better known as Flying Lotus, has done just that, giving those who legally obtained a copy of his 2010 release Cosmogramma exclusive album outtakes and alternate versions via his Trigger web app. It’s a smart way to breathe new life into an already-purchased product. It’s also innovative thinking in a beleaguered industry. Will it catch on?
Users simply flash a copy of the record—vinyl, cd, or digital artwork will work—in front of their webcams for verification purposes (we are curious just how advanced this system really is), and are granted rights to exclusive outtakes and alts. Extra features paint a picture of the record’s origins, making the user feels like an insider of sorts — an enlightened supporter. It all makes for a deeper bond with with the art and the artist.
In 2011, labels and artists must face the music. To inspire purchase, products should not only be high quality — from packaging to content — but they should also come with the promise of recurring content in the future. Why not a first shot at concert tickets in your area or an invitation to an exclusive fan club? As with the new approach to advertising—a continuous relationship facilitated by great content—artists must use their recordings as ways to draw in listeners and expose them to a larger storyline. A purchase shouldn’t be a standalone, one-time act, but rather something like a door to further engagement.
The opportunities run deep. If we think of the typical album release in different terms, why not let it unravel in multiple episodes, rich with additional video, web, and social content attached? Groups like The Arcade Fire have already taken hold of our new social world to tell a uniquely personal story, such as in their “The Wilderness Downtown” music video.
In this torrent-infested, Pirate Bay-loving music world, we see innovators like Flying Lotus as purveyors of great narrative content and fan relationships that reside outside the normal record release cycle. These will be the enduring brands and symbols in the aftermath of the recording industry.
Cheers to Pitchfork for the tip.