Late to understand, accept and embrace the changing landscape, the music industry is embrace new media as a way to connect with, influence and distribute content to internet savvy consumers. They are also looking for new revenue streams to replace declining record sales, especially as we enter an analog dollars to digital pennies world.

In an Product Placement article Music Gets Branded, an alternative method is emerging for labels and musicians to generate revenue that has nothing to do with increasing the sale of CD’s or directly combating piracy.

Product placement has increasingly become a method to finance television shows while giving products mass exposure by celebrities or reality stars. This is now being applied to artists and their music. Just like in past television series and movies, musicians gave “free” shout outs to their favorite brands in their lyrics.

The article in Product Placement compares Janice Joplin’s mention of “Mercedes Benz” in her lyrics to present day rap star Busta Rhymes mention of “Courvoisier”, which led to a contract with the cognac company after the song led to a huge increase in business for the brand. In a time when any and all revenue generating ideas are being explored, this exemplifies an opportunity that is just beginning to be seized by labels and artists as a means to generate revenue and keep the industry alive.

Musicians, like celebrities, have always endorsed products in print advertisements or on television spots. Brand marketers see an opportunity to get their products mentioned in a song, connecting the brand to the musician, and ultimately the consumer who listens to the music. Labels and musicians are warming up to the idea as an additional source of revenue.

The music industry needs to stay afloat, and alternative methods of selling music, such as digital distribution through iTunes, have not made up for previous CD sales in the days before online piracy. As the article stated, labels could eventually have no production cost as brands would front the entire cost to associate themselves with an artist.

On the flip side, artist integrity could be affected by this as their lyrics or packaging would be forced to include product, brand names, or maybe even logos. Clutter in the music space could occur quickly with many artists and labels looking to benefit from the contract deals, spewing brand names every chance they get, and saturating consumers with too many brand placements.

At least the music industry continues to try new things and branding within songs could be a way to stay afloat, for the time being.

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