Digital music service Rdio has announced a new initiative – the Rdio Artist Program, which gives artists $10 USD for every new subscriber they attract to the social sharing site.
The new program was announced today, marking the first initiative of its kind in Australia.
Rdio allows users and bands to interact, with artists able to share their music and recommendations.
Horrorshow, Ladyhawke, Scissor Sisters and Snoop Lion are among the first artists to join the program.
Benefits for participating artists include:
- $10 USD for every new subscriber brought to the service (for at least one month).
- Real time referral stats on visitors and subscribers
- Rdio artist page customisation options
- Tools for trackable link creation and embeddable players for any Rdio music content
- Access to tip, help documentation and Rdio support
KYS recently caught up with Rdio Global Head Of marketing, Marisol Segal to get a snapshot of the new service.
This new artist program sounds exciting. I know it’s a hard to one to articulate in a brief overview. But as a starting point, can you tell us what the program is about?
This is essentially an artist affiliate program, offering a new way for artists to make money from streaming music. Artists can share the music they love with fans and for any new subscriber they attract to the service, they are rewarded with $10 USD; it’s that simple.
And what was the catalyst behind the introduction of this new initiative?
We want to support artists. Artists are the key to the music that makes Rdio what it is and we believe they deserve to be paid for their work. We developed this program to provide an additional transparent revenue stream directly to the artists.
Is this program open to all bands – both signed and unsigned?
This is open to all artists and any band with an existing Rdio Artist page can join.
What are the specifics behind the program i.e. how do bands get directly rewarded?
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Artists already use Rdio to share their music and the music they love with their fans right on the service and through Twitter and Facebook. Now with the Artist Program, they’ll be rewarded with $10 USD for any new subscriber they attract to the service. Artists will also get access to a Dashboard where they can customise their Rdio artist page and view real-time stats on referrals.
This program complements the licensing deals we already have in place with labels and distributors for access to music on the service, adding an additional direct revenue channel to artists and providing a new element of transparency around the streaming music model.
In this digital age there is a real technological link between bands and users, what are the main advantages this new program offers over pre-existing initiatives?
This program is truly the first of its kind in digital music, offering artists a way to supplement their existing revenue streams by doing what they do naturally – connecting with fans. It aligns our focus on social music discovery with our belief that artists deserve to be paid.
For bands (and users too), how do they get involved?
For artists, they can get more info and join at www.rdio.com/artistprogram.
Rdio users can follow artists in just the same way that they follow their friends and other Rdio influencers.
In terms of going forward, what areas do you hope to build on in terms of increasing the program’s reach in the future?
Our focus is on the artist community and making streaming music work for them. This is just one step in that direction. We’ll continue evolving this program and working directly with managers and artists to create a sustainable and engaging model that benefits everyone involved.
