...but how music publishers are still vital! As Facebook and Spotify get even cosier, we discuss what this means to the music industry and make some predictions for 2012.

Facebook has further integrated with Spotify as part of it's mission to become an entertainment hub. Music being such a large part of entertainment for users, Facebook needed a way to integrate it's functionality into a music software that was scalable - with an evaluation of the capabilities of their now near-obsolete iLike app and Spotify's then plans to move into the US market - the choice was clear.

So how is this blossoming relationship going to affect the music industry and what implications does it have for music advertising?

Focus on Spotify Revenue for Artists
With Spotify operating on a much bigger scale than heard before, listens will go up and so will artists revenues. Spotify made a profit last year and is rapidly growing. It's launch in the US market will see users and listens grow further. Artists will eventually make more money from Spotify and record labels will begin to take the service more seriously as a revenue stream. The Beatles will be on Spotify by the end of 2012. There, I said it. Gulp.

Exclusive Spotify/Facebook Content
Sonic is predicting Spotify previews or Spotify-only releases as it has money to partner with Artists to have exclusive releases to promote it's service. With it's increasing profitability, Spotify is gaining more bargaining power with which it can afford to do more things like this.

Spotify functionality in Ad and Promotional Formats
As Facebook like and Twitter follow buttons are becoming increasingly prevalent in ad formats, we'll see Spotify getting involved too. Promotional Spotify widgets will start to appear in the same vein as SoundCloud and Mixcloud - where new album streams can be monetised. Three core call to actions will be to buy on iTunes, listen on Spotify and share on Facebook. The weighting of which by advertisers is yet to be determined.

Accounts linked with Pages
A heavier focus on artist partnerships will come from Spotify in the next few years. Ping did well to start artist's profiles but what it lacked was an already developed social network with which to integrate them with. Spotify & Facebook have this and we'll begin to see greater integration of Spotify accounts with official Facebook artist pages. Artists using Spotify functionality to promote new releases through tools like playlists, or simply giving an insight into their influences by posting their tracks, will be key moving forward. Publishers can also use these in the same way.

Spotify Data
Spotify on the whole will become more measurable by more people. Predicting a Facebook insights style analytics tool for Spotify related activity on Facebook which could eventually be built into the service itself. The ability to track a click on an ad to a listen on Spotify would be an excellent direct response metric that iTunes does not currently allow.

Implications for publishing and advertising
Campaigns will be split between promoting buying the record and listening to it on Spotify/sharing it on Facebook. Publishers will be just as important in having a platform upon which releases will be promoted, where album streams can be placed, where editorial features can go inside the music and where publications start the journey of new music into a web of recommendations and plays.

Sonic publishers like Rock Sound and This is Fake DIY will be pivotal in traffic driving to Facebook pages but also for promoting their favourite artists on Spotify - which could ultimately make or break a bands success given the size of certain publications.

It's not about the format of music anymore, it's about the situation in which we listen to it. With music soundtracking our social lives, there was only going to be one place for it.

Sonic has taken Facebook's announcements very seriously. Look out for further updates on how Sonic will be reacting to these changes and maintaining it's strength in music advertising.

Join us for further debate on Twitter!

Abeano



London's version of The Fader has only the hottest up-to-the minute content from the bands that push the boundaries. Starting as the blog of XL Record's A&R director, the site has seen phenomenal growth in the last 6 months, with it getting linked to by the likes of Pitchfork and NME. Their readers are early adopters with music releases, fashion and drinks brands working well on the site.


Dummy



Dummy's writers are so passionate about who they write about and the whole site gleams with coverage of new and exciting acts from a multitude of genres. They have also seen tremendous growth in the last 6 months, with the site being the perfect place to advertise club nights, album releases, fashion, festivals, drinks and mobile phones.


The 405



Covering more of the indie end of the spectrum, The 405 vows to deliver coverage of the best in new music but also news, reviews and features on larger artists. Their festival coverage is top notch and the editorial voice is so trustworthy that users keep coming back whilst telling their friends. The site works with more indie/mainstream releases but also responds well to festivals, gigs, drinks and mobile phones.


Neu Magazine



Dummy, Abeano and The 405 join the likes of Neu who is a long standing independent publisher that has managed to maintain a niche but responsive audience through it's cutting edge writing. The bands covered continue to be edgy, much like the readership and this is a great place to reach a cool and refined youth audience.

The growth in the independent continues to spiral and Sonic are right alongside it ensuring that our sites can cater for your advertising requirements. The above sites are a great way to reach early adopters and taste makers as well positively aligning your brands with the image of the publication.

Screengeek Premiere Player



Our Film premiere video content contains top A-list Actors and Directors alike and is a must see for film fans. Recent films covered include Harry Potter 7 Part 2 and Bridesmaids. Advertising opportunities around the content include player sponsorship, channel sponsorship pre roll as well as standard display formats.


This is Fake DIY: Film



DIY Film is our fastest growing site channel and hosts both blockbuster and cult film content. It's the become the must stop film news destination for DIY's music news audience. Film premiere video content is used to form more in-depth features and editorial where there is also pre roll, display and takeover advertising opportunities.

Age Targeting With Different Film sites



At Sonic we are conscious of age certification so have separated our older film audience from our younger one. Sites like S-Cool and Revision World can reach younger people for films that are a 15 or below. 18 certificate films can be targeted to sites like Film News and Screengeek to reach a more mature audience.


Cinema Scoop!



BEHOLD CINEMA SCOOP! It's a handy bundle of the week's best Film news content AND it's available for sponsorship! It goes out on a Friday so can tie in with specific releases. Please get in touch to discuss Cinema Scoop sponsorship further.


ATTACK THE BLOCK



One of our favourite films of the year, as well as favourite campaigns, was Joe Cornish's Attack The Block. We took our Film campaigns to a new level launching a custom Attack The Block channel on DIY through a simulated site alien invasion on our site's social media! The channel contained a whole host of content including features, interviews and behind the scenes video. The channel was also replicated on RWD to reach an urban audience.

Sonic's whole film offering is growing by the minute. Get in touch to discuss opportunities for upcoming releases in more detail!

The Naked and Famous on DIY



New Zealand band The Naked and Famous launched their new album to great success using DIY magazine and This is Fake DIY website. In the magazine they had a double page interview and also did a block ad takeover of the album reviews section. At the time of the new issue, they also co-ordinated this with a site homepage takeover and further editorial coverage. Combining print and online activity increased share of voice and presence on DIY's channels in front of the bands ideal audience. DIY's new magazine is on it's second issue and has already been greatly received - read the new issue here!


The Wombats on The Fly



The Wombats' new album pushed the band from a fun loving three piece to Lovebox-headlining chart stormers. They reached number 3 in the album charts, helped by their activity on The Fly (and other Sonic sites). Full page album ads were co-ordinated with online takeovers, editorial and social media competitions. This covered every base of The Fly's audience and ensured the album got the exposure it deserved.


Rock Sound and Incubus



Rock Sound's cross platform campaign for Incubus' new album is a perfect example of advertisers using both publisher platforms to promote new albums.

Our associated print titles help boost the online campaigns of big bands. We have a multitude of genres and can help you co-ordinate with your online activity to ensure the two channels work in tandem.

Pilot Issue

40,000 copies of the free A5 music, culture and style magazine were distributed through independent record shops, live venues and high street clothing store Scotts. Available online, the pilot issue was also viewed over 250,000 times and continues to grow.

Click here to download the latest media pack


Festival Edition

DIY's current issue is a festival special with a 24 page 'festival survival guide', including tips from artists such as Wild Beasts and Glasvegas; a festival challenge with Frankie & The Heartstrings (a 'university challenge' about festivals culminating in a race to put a tent up) and a beautiful fashion spread.

In addition, the magazine features interviews with My Chemical Romance and Pendulum; digital camera reviews in the gadgets section, 24 pages of fashion and the latest reviews in films and games, including the latest X-men film 'First Class'

Click here to download the latest media pack


DIY Online

As well as hosting the online version of the print magazine, thisisfakediy.co.uk will be showcasing photo galleries, videos, reviews, guides and live reporting from festivals in a custom festival channel.

Click here to download the latest media pack

Luke Ferrar, head of social media gave us this eyewitness report: 'I looked up into the sky and all of a sudden there were these kind of fireworks, but wasn't quite sure what they were. Then all of a sudden things started exploding around me, my dogs started going mental and I'm not going to lie, I screamed a bit.'

Other observers in the same building as Sonic had to take the next day off for counselling as they were suffering from PTSD.

Throughout the attack, resident Sonic site DIY maintained their presence on Twitter and Facebook

While we were running around with our hands in the air, trying to defend ourselves with our stash of lacky bands and corporate mugs, DIY kept a clear head and made their users aware of the disturbance, although as the attack progressed, their social media pages seemed to be target as well....

Although the attack was a terrifying experience, all at Sonic were warmed by DIY's Twitter and facebook users' words of encouragement, empathy and willingness to come over with arms and help us out.

After all the commotion, we found that DIY's HPTO had been taken by Joe Cornish's (of Adam and Joe) new film 'Attack The Block' complete with a creative roadblock and bespoke editorial channel, created by DIY's film editor and video pre-rolls. Also few hours later, RWD came under attack, with our experience we turned around the battle in no time, complete with a HPTO and ad roadblock.

HPTOs for HYPE on the day of release

Sonic site Rock Sound hosted a 'horse shoe HPTO' for Twin Atlantic's latest release with a video placement of the band's single, consisting of a player and banner. The takeover went live for a day and extended with continuous creative over the top of the site. Depending on preference, advertisers can book a roadblock of all ad spots in conjunction with the takeover.

Mastheads integrated into the takeovers

Sonic can also build in Mastheads to be served as a 'superleaderboard' (FACT) or underneath the navigation bar as a cross section of the takeover (Artrocker) to give a greater share of voice and more impact to your campaign. Beck's ran simultaneous takeovers on six Sonic sites for their Art Crawl, including DIY, Artrocker, Snipe, Planet Notion, FACT and Run-Riot.

Channel Takeovers

As well as targeting the homepage, Sonic can place takeovers on channels, for example DIY's Gaming channel and festival channels this summer spanning sites including Rock Sound, DIY, Spoonfed, Artrocker and Planet Notion.

Please contact us for availability

The channels keep readers up to date with line up announcements, ticket sales, gossip, line up guides, festival fashion, previews and then coverage with interviews, photo galleries and videos.

37% of adults claim to have visited a music concert or festival during the past 12 months, and with the popularity of festivals increasing every year (sales are 69% higher than 2005 as revelers seek escapism at home) sponsorship of festivals is the perfect way to align your brand with music, entertainment and (at least the hope of) summertime.

For a full list of sites with festival coverage and details of which festivals they will be covering, please e-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Spoonfed Festivals 2011

Sonic are experts at developing campaigns to reach the teen to younger adult audience - our speciality is music with the UK's biggest multi-genre group of music sites.

Festival Sponsorship Content

1) Dedicated Festival Pages
- Masthead branding
- Standard digital ads
- Newletters (daily and weekly)
- Solus shots
- Video pre-roll
- Video player branding
- Branded widgets

2) Sponsored Widget Placement
- Bespoke content creation
- Banner and social media traffic driving
- Placement of branded rolling newsfeed on key sites

3) Sponsored Photo Galleries
- Taken at selected festivals around the UK
- Content seeded in Sonic sites

4) Sponsorship of festival ticket giveaways
- Sponsor festival ticket giveaways across genres on Sonic sites

Sonic Festival Sites

In addition to Sonic Music sites covering festivals, Sonic provide advertising opportunities across UK Music Festival sites including: Global Gathering, Lovebox, The Camden Crawl, The Great Escape, High Voltage, Rockness, Wakestock and Sonisphere.

For a full list of Sonic Festival sites, please e-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

DIY Magazine

DIY launches with cover band Noah And The Whale with 100 pages of music and lifestyle content with pages dedicated to fashion, film, gaming and gadgets. The launch edition carried advertising from Onitsuka Tiger, Penguin, XOYO, Latitude Festival and Urban Ears among others.

To request a copy of the launch issue of DIY, please e-mail us your address and number of copies you want.

Click here to download the latest media pack.

The site is now approaching nine years of bringing the best alternative music to a readership of over 500,000 a month and has it's own iPhone app allowing advertisers to book cross-platform in print, online and mobile.

"A great mix of humour and pop culture that has become the envy of the Internet" BT Digital Music Awards

One of the UKs leading music and lifestyle websites, DIY is the nexus of all things fresh and cutting edge in and around the world of independent and alternative culture. Serving an audience of early adopters over the last decade, DIY's heritage as purveyors of emerging acts and breakthrough trends, coupled with it's front-line approach and revered editorial style, makes them the voice to listen to.

The DIY faithful are passionate about music, film, gaming and fashion. Eager to discover the next big thing and tell their friends, our readers actively shape the future of popular lifestyle.

DIY is among the most revered and fastest growing sites in the UK.

Run by a dedicated team of writers from across the UK, Europe, America and beyond, the site features upfront content; breaking news, interviews, features and exclusive video content. Catering to an ever-expanding readership, the site also boasts focused sections dedicated to film, gaming and fashion.

Half of all Britons now use Facebook!

More than 30 million Facebook accounts have been set up in the UK against a total population of 61.8 million.

A study commissioned by Expansys found British Facebook users spend an average of 2 1/2 hours on the site every day, with 25% using it 3-4 hours a day; in comparison, users watch TV for an average of 2 hours per day.

On average, users who had just changed their relationship status to 'Single' stalked their ex's profiles for 45 minutes day, most often between the hours of 2am and 3am with Friday and Saturday showing the highest activity.*

*Might not have been part of actual research.

HELP! THE WORLD IS GOING FACEBOOK MAD!

Well - we can.

Sonic are working with advertisers to make the most out of facebook and it's functionality with access to over 700,000 facebook users.

Whether it's building in custom applications to allow users to engage with brands on our Facebook page to helping our own publishers grow their site traffic, rewarding users is at the heart of our operations.

Check the new Facebook page we built for Rockfeedback.com with a custom reveal tab to help them promote their session of The Walkmen and increase their number of Facebook likes!

For more information on social media and how it can drive traffic, distribute content and start conversation as part of your campaigns please contact Luke at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or on 020 7613 0555.


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