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US music labels turn to online media for promotions
NEW YORK: As radio airplay becomes harder to secure and music channels focus on reality television, record labels are looking at online promotions as a viable option. Internet sites such as Kazaa average about 14 million visitors a month while a music channel on AOL logged 10 million unique visitors in April, according to Nielsen/NetRatings.
Music companies in the US are aggressively pushing through deals with broadband operators and convergence companies such as AOL Time Warner’s America Online, Yahoo!’s Launch and Microsoft’s MSN in an attempt to drive sales. Online sites are busy promoting new artistes and lure surfers to pay for “premium offerings”.
A still from Mumbai band’s website www.metakix.com
Meanwhile in India too, several budding Mumbai-based rock bands such as Metakix, Sceptre, Freedom amongst others have posted their offerings on the net to seek audiences beyond the geographic boundaries of the city. Metakix spokesperson Zombie claims that their songs are being downloaded by surfers abroad. Food for thought for companies that are planning to foray into the convergence realm – Reliance Infocomm, Bharti and other telecom majors.
An adage report states that the success of Avril Lavigne, a virtual unknown until early 2002, demonstrates the power of online marketing. The rocker’s single Complicated debuted on AOL Music’s Artist Discovery Network, on 8 March 2002 even before the track had even hit radio. The song logged more than 350,000 digital streams in a month’s time, helping to greatly boost demand for her first album Let Go, released on 4 June 2002. The large number of hits played an important role in “convincing” radio stations to air the videos.
Even well-established artists like Jewel, whose latest release 0304 hit the stores on 3 June, benefit from online promotion. The Atlantic artist’s single, Stand was streamed 740,000 times in one day (26 May) on AOL First Listen, adds the report. After the second day on First Listen and a Netscape promotion, the platinum-selling artist shot to No. 3 on Amazon’s Top seller’s list of the 100 hottest CDs based on advance orders. Atlantic saw a 30 per cent jump in CD sales in the first week of the release of Jewel’s last album, Spirit.
For the online sites, especially subscription-based ones like America Online, offering exclusive access to artists is a way to entice users to spend more time online. In AOL’s case, the race is on to convert the thousands of streams to MusicNet premium subscriptions and ultimately to broadband subscriptions. An adage report says that AOL is leveraging it’s music offerings in order to move millions of narrowband subscribers to broadband.
A PricewaterhouseCoopers report states that compact-disc shipments in the U.S. fell nearly 9 per cent in 2002, while shipments across all music formats dropped 11 per cent .
Major labels have high hopes that for-pay online music subscription services will reverse their declining fortunes. Are the Indian music companies listening?
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
