GRAMEX
The Value of Music
One song. One record. One buyer.
We collaborated with JVG and released a song that no one could listen to.
It was pressed on a one-off vinyl and the only way to hear it was to purchase the only copy.
BACKGROUND
In this day and age, music is available for virtually free. The release cycle is getting faster. And artists are getting a quarter of a cent for a stream.
Music doesn’t just appear from thin air. Making a great record requires a team effort from many skilled and passionate people. Not just the artists, but producers, A&R’s, marketers, and many other people have put in the work before the music hits your eardrums. Objective We needed to remind people of music’s value; of the effort everyone involved in creating and recording music puts in. We also wanted to increase awareness of Gramex and their mission – they’re the organization that pays musicians any time their recorded music is played.
OBJECTIVE
We needed to remind people of music’s value; of the effort everyone involved in creating and recording music puts in.
We also wanted to increase awareness of Gramex and their mission – they’re the organization that pays musicians any time their recorded music is played.
STRATEGY
To get attention, we needed to do something no rights organization has done before. As music has been somewhat devalued by its availability, we flipped the script around. What if music was scarce? How much of your money would you be ready to part with to listen to it?
IDEA
One song. One record. One buyer.
Collaborating with the most legendary rap duo in Finland, we released a song that no one could listen to. The song was pressed on a one-off vinyl, only one in existence. The only way to hear it? Make the best offer: both a healthy stack of cash and an explanation of what the value of music is to you.
Through our content we let music industry professionals explain how their work brings value to the ordinary music listener – and what the value of music means to them.
The campaign was all over media, from news to morning TV shows. And out of all the offers we received, one stood out: Jokerit, an ice-hockey team owned by e.g. ex NHL players, purchased the song with a five-digit sum. The money was gifted to a band camp offering low-threshold band practice opportunities to the young.
MY ROLE
I was heavily involved in this project from the beginning to the end. I came up with the idea, sold it to the client, planned all the content - and took all the photographs. I also guided the videographers and editors to achieve the end result, and was involved in managing the project towards the client and PME Records.
Working with a small but talented team, I think we managed to achieve something great.
