In response to EMI banning their YouTube video from being embedded on other sites, OK Go, a band that found huge success [49+ million views] with this video on YouTube, has written an open letter.
Their problems with their label sort of validates this.
[Second Update 1/22/2010] I was wrong it appears – no scam. Everyone back to what you were doing….
Here’s the link to the video remix project. I should do one as a mea culpa…
[Update 1/22/2010] I’m now beginning to think that the open letter was just a scam to get attention. I received an email this morning from a publicist that doesn’t mention the band’s so-called tiff with EMI. It only mentions that OK Go have a YouTube video remix promotion…no link from me as I smell a rat, you’ll have to find it yourselves – if you care.
This was an interesting part of the letter:
“it tends to do our business more good to get 40 million hits on one site than 1 million hits on 40 sites”
I don’t think there’s a factual basis for assuming that more hits on fewer sites is better for marketing. In fact, I would say just the opposite. Being on a variety of sites would expose artists to a wider variety of customers/fans.
@CarriBugbee
January 20th, 2010 at 7:11 pm@Carri – In principle you are correct. However, what *is* better business is how the headlines sound when they’re reported. If the reporter can give that flashy “40 million hits on one posting alone” soundbite, it’s way more attention-getting.
January 21st, 2010 at 5:57 amProblems with EMI? Who doesn’t have problems with a major label. That said, it’s like any other business, you gotta know who is in charge or who can convince whomever is in charge and then you might have a fighting chance. Sure they had 40 million plus hits… no one ever talks about the fact that the album that song was on only sold 29k copies. Blame management.
January 23rd, 2010 at 12:55 amSince they are on a major, it is almost certain that their publicist WORKS at the label, and they likely want to down-play the “tiff” and capitalize on the “open-letter”. I could be wrong, but it’s probably just a case of damage / spin-control here, with them trying to make the best of the situation.
January 28th, 2010 at 11:09 amAnyone have OkGo’s publicist contact info? (request from music journalist)
February 8th, 2010 at 9:39 pm