The following section will describe and evaluate the new public contest The X Factor USA, to determine the effectiveness of the show as a method of talent- discovery. I will act as an A&R representative of the premier record label, Island/Deft Jam, analyzing the feasibility of the show as a viable way of doing music A&R for a company that has a specific volts and criteria for selecting artist.
The X Factor USA is a music competition show produced by Scott, a joint venture between Sony Music and ex-American Idol judge Simon Jewell Although the new how shares many similarities with the original music competition program American Idol, The X Factor significantly differs in that during the initial audition phase of the competition, contestants must perform in front of not only the four Judges but also a large audience. The added pressure from having to sing in front of a sizable crowd serves as an extra measure to assess an individual’s quality as a potential star.
After the audition segment, the winners are divided into four teams – boys, girls, groups, over ass, – competing among themselves for the top four live show spots. In the round of 16, the Judges eliminate one the top four contestants on each team. The public-vote phase starts In the round of 12; the bottom two contenders with the least votes perform once more to prove that they deserve to stay on the competition before the judges determine which of the two least popular contestants will advance.
The importance of public-vote further grows in the round of 9 and onwards, in which the contestant with the least votes is automatically dropped from the competition, while the second and third from the bottom must battle for survival. This process of limitation continues until the show produces a final winner who is guaranteed a $5 million record deal with one of Sony Music’s affiliates 0.
For a company of high stature as Island/Deft Jam, home of pop superstars such as Jennifer Lopez, Justine Bibber and Maria Carrey, the ultimate objective of talent discovery Is to find an artist with quality and ability to achieve broad commercial success. 0 Hence an A&R representative of the label must pay close attention to the singer’s vocal quality, range and tone, the delivery of the song, as well as stage presence and the reaction of the crowd.
The discovery process through the X Factor has several advantages. First, the search method for new artist is much easier since the contestants voluntarily apply for the audition. The A;R representative simply watches the show and retrieve basic information, such as name and hometown, of the performer. Second, the high pressure and competitive environment of the show accelerates the growth of a performer who must develop one’s craft in a short period of time to survive the competition.
Third, considering that the advancement of a contestant depends on the opinion of 10. 93 million viewers, the attest number of viewers of the show according to Nielsen TV Rating, investment In a singer who moves far Into the competition Is a less-risky venture, because the result directly reflects the singers appeal to the public. () Lastly, contestants build a solid number of followers and fan base through the competition, reducing the marketing cost associated with searching for potential customers.
The X factor is a viable way performs with the same resources available to major pop stars; they perform in a full concert setting with backup dancers, backup singers, and high quality visuals, with instruction by industry professionals to prepare for the show. The grand production scale allows the A&R representative to fairly compare and contrast a contestant against current popular artists to decide whether or not an artist has the capacity, charisma, and talent to become a superstar.
Part II The following segment will discuss the viability of the digital-medium, Concluded, as avenue to seek new artists. I will represent a booking and management agency, AM Only, discovering new artists on Concluded. Concluded is an audio platform that allows users to upload, record, and share heir original creation across the Internet. The website is integrated with various social networking sites such as Backbone, Tumbler, and Twitter, allowing artists to easily distribute and promote their material across the digital world. Moreover, the platform has direct links to digital distribution sites such as tunes, Beetroot, and Lund, where listeners can purchase the songs. In addition to the clear advantage in distribution, the availability of statistics on the activities related to uploaded tracks provides an incredible value to the artist; it reports the geographic area in which the rack has been played, helping artists locate their fans and make strategic decisions on touring. Established as well as lesser-known artist use the website to reach out to new audiences and test fan’s reaction to novel materials.
With a simple format and an intuitive user interface, the company has been experiencing a meteoric rise in popularity, reporting 8 million creators on Concluded 0. AM Only is a booking and management firm for prominent electronic music producers and ads, such as Ties, David Guests and Shriller, connecting the best of electronic music to audiences and fans 0. As a representative off premiere booking agency in the dance music industry with a reputation to maintain, one must Judge an artist based on composition ability, intricacy of beat sequences, production techniques as well as uniqueness as an artist.
Moreover, it is absolutely essential that the artist can perform his or her material live. To effectively maneuver within the digital medium where thousands of new content are continuously uploaded and shared, I devised a strategy to differentiate the great from the pool of noise. Instead of randomly surfing through the website in reach for talent, I would first go to the profile of an established electronic dance musicians that actively used Concluded and examine the list of users that they followed.
By following artists that a well-known taskmaster approved, I was able to narrow the field of search to individuals who are serious about their craft and music. Among those artists, I concentrated on users that had fewer followers because they tend to be newer artists without representation. I also only looked through artists Ninth more than 15 uploads, to have enough reference to accurately Judge the quality f production.
Moreover, because established musicians usually followed artists that had a similar production style, I was able to limit my search to electronic dance genre. Most musicians on Concluded had their contact information on the profile, but if not, I used the message function within Concluded to directly contact the artist of interest. Through this method of A;R, I was quick to identify search method significantly increased the quality of music and provided enough content to Judge the talent of a certain musician.