LONDON (Hypebot) – It almost sounds like EMI has been listening to Seth Godin, Gerd Leonhard and Ian Rogers or maybe reading Hypebot. The artist to fan relationship is taking center stage as the label group looks beyond music sales to find new ways to turn a profit.
EMI.com is being retooled as a hub for fans and to gather information. “What you’ll see is less of a focus on sales of individual tracks or the conceptual equivalent of little round shiny disks, and more about helping artists learn things about their fan group that they can’t directly see … ," new EMI digital president Douglas Merrill said in a recent Billboard interview. "The value of a label going forward is to be the platform to connect artists and fans and teach each more about the other.”
Licensing and sponsorship revenues will also contribute. According to the UK's Guardian, EMI has hired Rafael McDonnell as VP of brand partnerships, licensing and synchronization for the UK and Ireland. The former Coke executive helped launched the now shuttered MyCokeMusic.com. A North American counterpart has not yet been named.
