Jim Markunas

Written By: Jim Markunas

Why did our parents listen to radio? Back in the day when radio was worth a damn it offered portability, and more importantly, integration. When our parents (and also most label execs) were young, you only had records; big, hard, non-portable vinyl discs that required a giant machine called a "hi-fi." (See picture.) This of course begged the question, "How am I supposed to listen to my albums in my sweet '57 Chevy?"

Radio was the solution! Stations compiled best-of mixes of current music and offered portability that records couldn't offer. In the 50's and 60's, radio was the wave of the future. Nowadays, the need for integration is even more present, yet radio is not a necessity thanks to the internet. However, this article isn't about radio! I'd like to discus media that actually has a long term future.

In today's climate in which music has become a commodity, integration is king. Power and fame goes to the band or label who can effectively integrate their music across multiple platforms. In a niché sense, Disney is absolutely genius when it comes to this concept. If you look at Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, the first thing you'll notice is that she and her music are absolutely everywhere. Unfortunately, WDR's approach to marketing Hannah Montana really only works for the Children/Tween markets.

In order to break an adult band or artist in the present, said artist has to be everywhere, has to be there effectively, and most importantly, has to know how to monetize. Bands not only have to have a presence on iTunes, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, iLike, etc., but they also have to integrate said presence effectively.

What's the point to having 3 million friends on Myspace if those friends don't translate into dollars or concert tickets? This is why integration is important.

Take my heroes, the Deftones. If you go to Deftones.com and look to the top left, you'll notice there's links to their Myspace, Facebook, iLike, Twitter, iTunes, and Youtube profiles. If you check out their Myspace profile, you'll notice that the Deftones have included their discography on the left and links to buy each release from iTunes and/or Best Buy. You'll also notice that if you click on the iTunes link, it pops right to the Deftones' iTunes store (ditto for Best Buy).

You'll also notice that all of their social media and sales profiles are integrated. The Deftones are everywhere they need to be, and they're where they need to be in an effective manner. Furthermore, they've integrated al their "Tweets" in the right column with concert dates and links to buy tickets via iLike. All they're missing is advertising!!

Jim Markunas is a music industry futurist and editor-in-chief of Chicks With Guns Magazine. Jim has a decade of new media and music industry experience, he's run highly successful new media campaigns and has worked with James Brown, Miles Davis, The Walt Disney Company, Sam Sparro, Mick Fleetwood, and Minty Fresh Records. Currently Jim's focus is monetization strategies for record labels and digital business development. He's a free agent available for hire.