MTV Music Group Announces Forthcoming Launch Of “Artists.MTV” To Empower Artists To Get Heard, Promoted And Paid And “Full Frontal”: A Multiplatform Music Promotion

During his featured speaker presentation earlier today at SXSW Music Festival, Van Toffler, President of Viacom’s Music Group, announced the forthcoming launch of Artists.MTV (www.artists.mtv.com, @Artists_MTV) a pro-artist, music initiative that will launch publicly this summer. Artists.MTV will provide both established and emerging artists a digital homestead through which they can have more access to their presence across MTV Music Group screens (web, mobile, TV). Participating artists will be offered a myriad of opportunities — provided by MTV, VH1 and CMT and other best-in-class partners — to grow their fanbase and potentially generate revenue.

Toffler also announced a working-title program called “Full Frontal,” also coming this summer, in which artists chosen through a combination of audience and industry sourcing are showcased broadly across the Music Group’s various TV channels including MTV, VH1, CMT, MTV2, MTV Hits, MTV Jams, mtvU, VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, CMT Pure Country and Palladia; as well as on all digital properties including MTV.com, VH1.com, CMT.com, MTVHive.com.

“With Artists.MTV, we want to make music history accessible and spotlight the best new music, and the best way to do that is by giving our millions of fans access to the most compelling performances, interviews and reviews — and then add a bunch of amazing content supplied by the artists themselves,” said Toffler. “There is infinite choice out there, but with this artist platform, we can help fans organize the chaos, connect with artists directly, and unearth those musical gems that truly deserve to shine.”

Beginning with an “Artists Only” private beta launch early in May, Artists.MTV will expand MTV Music Group’s current roster from 10,000-plus artists to more than 1 million modernized and video-rich artist pages. Through a partnership with Topspin (http://topspinmedia.com), the leading direct-to-fan platform, every artist on the planet will be able to claim and customize their page. Artists can upload music, videos and photographs; sync social accounts to pull in content from across the web; and then sell music, merchandise, memberships and tickets directly, right on the page. Artists will receive the majority of the profit. There will even be a “Tip Jar” to allow fans to literally “tip” artists they are passionate about. Artists can register for the private beta now at www.artists.mtv.com.

Following the “Artists Only” launch, Artists.MTV will then open a private beta for music fans later this spring. This preview of the new artist pages will provide fans with a central place to connect with artists they love, while also opening doors to discover new and emerging talent. Fans will be able to access music, videos, news, photos, bio and more depending upon the artist’s involvement. Visitors can discover new music through tools like editorial lists, filtering by similar genres, sounds and other categorical sets. Fans can sign up now on www.artists.mtv.com to receive additional information on the private beta launch.

Later in the summer, the working-title program “Full Frontal” will debut as an expansion of music discovery and artist opportunities. Each month, fans and a combination of artists, producers and managers will select one artist to be featured on each of the appropriate MTV Music Group channels (MTV, VH1, or CMT). These chosen artists will then be spotlighted across various channels, screens and events, including for example, being featured as a MTV PUSH or VH1 You Oughta Know artist or on CMT’s Listen Up; in interview segments and articles featured in MTV News, VH1 News, CMT News, or MTV HIVE; appearances on music programs like MTV2’s 120 Minutes with Matt Pinfield or MTV Hive’s Weird Vibes. Other promotional placements will include video premieres and rotation, live stream performances, touring opportunities, show integrations, scores, themes songs and more. The first “Full Frontal” artist will be announced this summer, but ultimately, every artist who establishes a homestead on Artists.MTV will be able to access ample opportunities for promotion and exposure on a variety of platforms and franchises.

“We have 11 music TV channels in the U.S. alone covering a whole slew of genres,” added Toffler. “Every artist who claims their page will be eligible for the Full Frontal treatment and have daily opportunities to connect with music fans on multiple screens.”

For more information about Artists.MTV, artists and fans should signup at www.artists.mtv.com.

Source: www.artists.mtv.com