At Hydroshare Digital Distribution, artists are always asking for advice on how to effectively integrate a free album or mixtape release into their plans to sell a LP, so we decided to create a visual aide. (see below) The name Hydroshare is connected to a view of how recording artists should divide their copyrights (and albums) between Free (fluid) projects and Commercial LPs. Successful acts like Drake and Mac Miller have given their fans the option to consume both free mixtapes and/or premium offerings , similar to the water options our waiter offers us at upscale estaurants. On a molecular level, there’s no difference between the tap and the bottled or sparkling water, but I’m sure none of us would be happy about paying for tap. It’s all about the quality of the brand and the extra bells and whistles that turns fans into premium consumers.
Mixtapes and commercial albums are both made from the same substance… artist creativity. The goal is to get fans to be excited to buy commercial material, just like Perrier, Poland Spring, and Smart Water gets their customers excited to pay more for their premium products, when at the end of the day it’s all just water.
The chart featured in this article represents this new way of thinking about free albums, as actual products in their own right. We illustrated the similarities between the product cycles of fluid and commercial albums, and also how they overalp around singles and performances.
The Hydroshare Distribution Software was designed to address the new free album product cycle through:
1. A Reliable High Quality Distribution Platform
2. Audio AND Video Streaming
3. Amazon Music Store Integration
4. Download and Streaming Statistics
5. Live Fan Location Maps
6. Targeted Advertising
Learn more here