The Media Guide Sits Down With Airplay Direct’s Ceo Robert Weingartz
Much has been written about the upheaval that is engulfing the recorded music industry and while the causes, mistakes and mis-calculations have all been well documented there has been little in the way of solutions. When loss of corporate revenue becomes the central issue the first and most sensible reaction is to drastically cut costs. Other than payroll the largest consumption of budget in the recording industry is the manufacturing, packaging and shipping of promotional product to radio, press and media. Figure out a way to cut or even eliminate those costs and you’ve made a major leap in the right direction. Robert Weingartz and a dedicated group of industry veterans at AirPlay Direct have done just that. By pioneering the direct digital distribution of music to radio, AirPlay Direct offers a technologically advanced, user
friendly solution to the high cost of manufacturing, packaging and shipping promotional music and press kits. We had the pleasure of a Q&A with Founder and CEO of AirPlay Direct, Robert Weingartz to discuss the future of the business, indie artists and the dynamic landscape we all try and navigate.
MEDIA GUIDE: What exactly is AirPlay Direct?
Robert Weingartz: AirPlay Direct is a new, revolutionary, efficient and cost effective way to securely deliver your “broadcast-quality” music and electronic press kits to radio stations and music industry professionals around the world. AirPlay Direct is an easy to use digital file transfer system that was developed to streamline radio / artist promotion activities for today’s music industry. AirPlay Direct’s FREE services replace the unnecessary time and expense of putting together and sending out costly hard copy artist packages and press kits via snail mail.
MEDIA GUIDE: What prompted you to build this company?
Robert Weingartz: A few years back in the beginning of 2005 I was working a new release to radio domestically and there were a lot of requests coming from international stations requesting hard copy artist packages. Quite honestly, most of the artists I was working with just could not afford to send a package to everyone that requested one. There was a lot of discussion in the industry at the time about how digital delivery was going to affect the promotion side of our business. Major labels were already using digital delivery for radio promotion purposes. I saw a real need for a service that would support the global independent music community in this manner and AirPlay Direct was born.
MEDIA GUIDE: The digital delivery of content to radio stations and press seems to make perfect sense in a world where more and more music is being purchased digitally…how have the labels responded so far to the new technology?
Robert Weingartz: It is no secret that the music industry paradigm is rapidly changing; more and more, industry professionals and content providers alike rely upon digital methods of obtaining and distributing music, especially in the business-to-business realm.
The response has been positive but mixed based upon the size of the label, their geographic location and genres of music they work with. As I mentioned, all the major labels and major independents have been utilizing digital delivery at some level for promotional purposes for awhile now. The smaller labels that release the more progressive genres of music have embraced the digital delivery solution and rely on it as a part of their daily, on-going promotional process. Genres such as Rock, Pop, Dance, Electronica, Urban, etc. Other genres such as Blues, Jazz, Americana , etc. have been slower to adopt the
technology, but the number of artists and labels in these genres that have decided to get on board with digital delivery has been accelerating rapidly over the past year and is growing exponentially at this point.
AirPlay Direct’s membership now includes over 8,900 artist & record label members and over 1,900 radio tation members around the world. AirPlay Direct’s professional membership currently spans 90 countries lobally.
MEDIA GUIDE: What has been the response from radio regarding getting their music digitally?
Robert Weingartz: The response from radio has been much the same as the response by labels. It ppears to be based upon their geographic location, size of the station and the genres of music they work with. International stations that are starving for content have embraced digital delivery as a way to gain access to domestic artists and labels that have no budget to send out hard copy artist packages internationally. They have also been excited about the ability to receive “broadcast-quality” music in a couple of seconds versus waiting 2 weeks to receive a package. The same is true for forward thinking domestic radio stations looking for fresh, new Indie music from international artists and record labels.
More and more the global radio community is understanding the huge financial drain physical packages and mailings place on the already strained budgets of independents… the very artists and labels they support. They are also recognizing the convenience and efficiency of digital delivery. It really is just a matter of time before I expect that we will hit the “tipping point”.
Quite frankly, when there is content that the stations really want and the only way to get it is digitally, they make the jump and embrace the technology. For example, when we made the announcement that AirPlay Direct had the previously unreleased Gospel record “Farther Along” that Willie Nelson recorded with his sister Bobbie, the label was inundated with requests from radio for hard copy packages. The label told all the stations that there was no budget for hard copy packages, but that the “broadcast-quality” music had been made available to radio exclusively through AirPlay Direct…we had over 100 radio stations register with our service in 24 hours. This record has become one of the most downloaded CDs
on AirPlay Direct to date.
MEDIA GUIDE: Can you talk about the economic advantages to both record companies and independent artists in regard to moving their product digitally?
Robert Weingartz: The economic and speed to market advantages for artists and record labels is overwhelming and undeniable. As we all know, the time and expense of putting together and sending out costly hard copy artist packages is a drain on manpower and financial resources. In today’s music industry, it is a totally unnecessary waste of time and money.
In a time of shrinking revenues from recorded music sales, the best way to put more money on your bottom line is to cut costs and improve efficiencies in your manufacturing, promotion and distribution processes. To date AirPlay Direct has now delivered over 1,000,000 digital packages on behalf of our members, saving them over $10,000,000 in hard costs in the process. By utilizing AirPlay Direct’s FREE services and digital delivery platform artists, record labels and music industry professionals have cut their costs, grown their global distribution footprint and increased their speed to market. These valuable savings in financial resources can then be re-purposed for other critical needs such as radio promotion, PR, tour support, etc.
And how about the piece of mind that comes with knowing that your music was tracked and delivered to the intended recipient all of this in a matter of seconds. No re-sends or CDs ending up on e-Bay for $3.00.
MEDIA GUIDE: One obvious advantage I see is the environmental impact of eliminating packaging, mailing envelopes etc…has anyone approached the advantages from an environmental aspect?
Robert Weingartz: More and more we see artists and industry professionals taking a very strong look at how they might re-think their processes and approaches to the industry in a way that would have a positive eco-impact. Examples are bio-diesel for touring, recycled products being used for packaging and merchandising purposes, etc. It is important to realize the long-term issues we face with respect to the health of our planet and environment, and the responsibility we have to future generations. I am very proud of AirPlay Direct’s track record and eco-friendly solution to the issue of CD and packaging waste in our industry. By utilizing AirPlay Direct’s digital platform artists, record labels and music industry
professionals have cut their costs, increased their speed to market and contributed to the health and well being of our planet it just makes sense. There is no simple answer to the global eco-problems we face, but AirPlay Direct is excited to be a part of the solution on a daily basis.
MEDIA GUIDE: What are the major obstacles AirPlay Direct is encountering while moving the industry in a completely new direction?
Robert Weingartz: When I first launched AirPlay Direct in 2005 the number of professional issues and major obstacles was overwhelming. It has been a very big undertaking to serve, and also help to educate the professional independent music community regarding the evolutions, advances and opportunities taking place in our industry.
But fortunately, once disruptive technologies are now being seen more and more as resources and digital “smart-tools” that are very powerful in the hands of an informed, experienced and motivated artist or industry professional.
I believe AirPlay Direct was ahead of the curve, part of the future in 2005. But today, we are a part of the everyday professional business landscape in the newly emerging digital music industry.
If you do not have an effective digital strategy for promotions and sales in today’s global music industry, you are way behind the professional curve and may soon become extinct.
The professional methods and distribution channels that made the music industry great in the past, will not serve us very well where we are going now. Our industry is in a state of re-definition and it has come down to the survival of the fittest… evolution. Only the most innovative and forward thinking minds will emerge profitable and successful when the dust has finally settled.
Having said that, as the industry has become more educated on the benefits of digital delivery, our mission has become increasingly easy over the past year and the professional obstacles are falling away rapidly at this point.
MEDIA GUIDE: How do you see the independent musician benefiting from a global access to this technology?
Robert Weingartz: Beyond the obvious financial and speed to market benefits we have already covered, there is wonderful opportunity here for indie artists and labels to really educate themselves on the business as a whole, and on the professional processes of radio promotions and PR / media campaigns.
The major labels will always have an advantage with financial resources, industry experience and deep relationships. But we live in the information age and via the internet Indies now have a global reach and access to limitless quantities of educational material and professional information on the music industry. Properly motivated, educated and informed artists can leverage this knowledge with the use of existing digital “smart-tools” like AirPlay Direct to close the gap, advance professionally and help to truly level the playing field for themselves.
MEDIA GUIDE: How have press and other media embraced the technology?
Robert Weingartz: Oddly enough, over the past few years the press and media have been resistant to digital packages for music review and feature purposes. But as we have come to understand their needs more and shape our services to their purposes, we are starting to see more rapid acceptance and use of digital technologies.
MEDIA GUIDE: Predict, if you would, the future of digital delivery…at what point do you see this as becoming the industry standard?
Robert Weingartz: I am very optimistic about the music industry as a whole in 2008 and the role that AirPlay Direct will play. I believe that 2008 just may be the year that the music industry finally comes to terms with itself, stabilizes and then figures out the equation on how best to partner with our artists to serve our common goals; as well as the needs, wants and preferences of our common clients… the music consumer.
Digital delivery is already the standard for the majors and most of the major independent labels. I believe that by the end of 2008, the majority of indie artists and industry professionals globally will be on board with digital delivery for promotional purposes. Again, I believe that if they are not, they may not be around for much longer… you must evolve or you will fade away.
For more information on AirPlay Direct please visit www.AirPlayDirect.com