Spring Break
Mass exposure key in music business
By: Hunter Sauls
Issue date: 4/26/05 Section: News
Music is big business, and major record labels are always on the lookout for new musicians who can make hot-selling albums, said Dixie Weathersby, director of media and public relations for Capitol Records Nashville.
In her job, Weathersby, Class of 1995, handles the press and media campaigns for artists such as Garth Brooks, Trace Adkins and Amber Dotson.
Weathersby, a former marketing and management student, explained the structure of Capitol Records in a MSC Town Hall discussion Monday. She also explained how new talent is molded to an image that can be publicized to specific demographics.
Weathersby described how important mass exposure is for selling albums. She said new or independent artists do not get much exposure because they do not have a marketing machine behind them.
"Not long ago, we had to push the release date of an album by The Jenkins because we weren't getting enough radio play - there wasn't enough familiarity with the public," she said.
Using singer Dierks Bentley as an example, she told how an artist is discovered and developed into a successful asset for a major label.
"Dierks got discovered while singing at different clubs in Nashville," Weathersby said. "Of all our artists, he has the broadest appeal. He wasn't signed for over eight years because although he was a great songwriter, his voice wasn't perfect. After training and long tours, his voice has matured, and he has been very successful."
Weathersby said that having a polished image has become important for artists in country music.
"Musicians like Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash weren't perfect singers, in fact if they came out now, it would probably be a different story," Weathersby said.
Junior communication major Clayton Whittle said he is not pleased by how the music industry operates.
"They are so greedy for money that they forget that it's art," Whittle said. "They tell musicians 'sound like this because people like this,' but in the end, it becomes self-reciprocating and monotonous. The whole idea is understandable from a business side, but music isn't a business, it's a form of expression."
Kim Smith, sophomore general studies major, was intrigued by Weathersby's discussion.
"I learned a lot about how record labels work," she said. "I never realized how much goes into putting a CD in the stores."
In her job, Weathersby, Class of 1995, handles the press and media campaigns for artists such as Garth Brooks, Trace Adkins and Amber Dotson.
Weathersby, a former marketing and management student, explained the structure of Capitol Records in a MSC Town Hall discussion Monday. She also explained how new talent is molded to an image that can be publicized to specific demographics.
Weathersby described how important mass exposure is for selling albums. She said new or independent artists do not get much exposure because they do not have a marketing machine behind them.
"Not long ago, we had to push the release date of an album by The Jenkins because we weren't getting enough radio play - there wasn't enough familiarity with the public," she said.
Using singer Dierks Bentley as an example, she told how an artist is discovered and developed into a successful asset for a major label.
"Dierks got discovered while singing at different clubs in Nashville," Weathersby said. "Of all our artists, he has the broadest appeal. He wasn't signed for over eight years because although he was a great songwriter, his voice wasn't perfect. After training and long tours, his voice has matured, and he has been very successful."
Weathersby said that having a polished image has become important for artists in country music.
"Musicians like Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash weren't perfect singers, in fact if they came out now, it would probably be a different story," Weathersby said.
Junior communication major Clayton Whittle said he is not pleased by how the music industry operates.
"They are so greedy for money that they forget that it's art," Whittle said. "They tell musicians 'sound like this because people like this,' but in the end, it becomes self-reciprocating and monotonous. The whole idea is understandable from a business side, but music isn't a business, it's a form of expression."
Kim Smith, sophomore general studies major, was intrigued by Weathersby's discussion.
"I learned a lot about how record labels work," she said. "I never realized how much goes into putting a CD in the stores."
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