Tony Ward – The Audio Marketer

Tony Ward is the founder of Male On The Ground – a Hong Kong-primarily based music and enjoyment consultancy firm. In advance of launching Gentleman On The Floor, Tony used above 15 decades in New York in government internet marketing positions at Sony Music, BMG, Arista Records, EMI Records and Sanctuary Administration. Tony managed marketing campaigns for quite a few successful artists, such as, Santana, Sarah McLachlan, Patti Smith, Eurythmics, Beth Orton and Spiritualized. For the past 3 many years, he is served as the Program Director for New music Issues, Asia Pacific’s once-a-year premiere audio marketplace occasion. Tony shared with us his worthwhile insight on the upcoming of music and the breaking of acts.

RL: How did you get started in the new music enterprise?

TW: I have been a new music fanatic my whole lifestyle and did not assume of substantially else rising up. Then, in the 80s, I labored at my college or university radio station in the US. I usually loved the tunes from the British isles – primarily from the then indie label, Virgin Information. So when I graduated, I decided to go to London and was established to get a occupation in the new music small business. I actually managed to land a work at Virgin Data in London and labored there for a handful of several years.

RL: What led to the development of Guy On The Ground?

TW: When shifting to Asia, I immediately regarded that a lot of western artists or amusement companies now see Asia as an prospect sector for expansion and progress, and are in will need of a person to assist them navigate the nuances of the market right here. A lot of from the west see Asia as a massive dilemma mark and need assistance making connections, launching a solution or provider, or assistance with career steering.

RL: Explain to us about your function in Songs Matters? What led you to consider the situation as Software Director?

TW: Several months soon after relocating to Hong Kong, I was launched to Jasper Donat, who is President of New music Issues. He was looking for an individual with sector experience to design and style the meeting plan and protected visitor speakers. We strike it off. The meeting has developed to be the premiere business function for Asia. My job at New music Matters is to generate the panel topics, locate appropriate panel and keynote speakers and publish the software. I also work on the pageant facet of the meeting – Music Matters Reside.

RL: What was your most successful advertising campaign for an artist?

TW: In the mid-90s, I was in New York at EMI Information and labored with a band called the Fun Lovin’ Criminals. They have been an amazing stay band with outstanding personalities and charisma. We felt they have been excellent for the Uk and European marketplaces, so we targeted on breaking the band in that area and committed to this by having the band there once more and again. About the study course of a year, they went from playing small golf equipment to substantial festivals throughout Europe and however have a significant following in the Uk right now. So the philosophy of acquiring a band return regularly to a industry worked and I still think in it to this working day. I also labored on Santana’s Supernatural album, which marketed 25 million albums close to the planet – so that was very interesting as well.

RL: Who has been your favorite artist to function with? Why?

TW: Devoid of a doubt it was Patti Smith and we worked on many albums with each other. It seems like a cliche, but she is a correct artist – musician, painter, poet, author, and photographer. In 2007, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame and in 2010, she won the National Book Award for her e-book Just Children. Not lots of artists can say that.

RL: How do you feel social media has impacted the breaking of functions?

TW: It has clearly come to be important in breaking an artist from numerous angles – for instance, many artists are now discovered on YouTube and labels troll the world-wide-web on the lookout for talent – so there is an further avenue for discovery. When made use of efficiently, artists can open a pretty beneficial line of interaction and commerce with their fans by way of social media. But in the conclude, it’s however about the new music and participating in dwell. If you do not have that abilities, it will not subject how several Fb lovers you have in the very long operate.

RL: In which do you see the long term of tunes heading?

TW: I feel it is hunting up from wherever it truly is been heading more than the past 10 decades, specially for the impartial, self-adequate artist – but in unique ways from how we’ve gauged results in the earlier. As an artist, it will be additional about building your very own community of supporters and marketing and offering specifically to them. And it will continue on to be about the dwell aspect of the organization and having a global point of view.

RL: What is your advice for indie artists everywhere who are hoping to acquire their careers to the future amount?

TW: Do the job very really hard on staying an incredible are living act and usually function to hone your stay craft. Just take your time and will not try out to skip any measures. Also, consider to journey to the a variety of songs marketplace conventions and situations around the planet. It really is not low-cost, but you will understand a terrific deal, most likely make new and important connections, and recognize how the business is effective from a worldwide standpoint. Look for each and every prospect out there for global festival functionality slots- there are prospects for indie artists. You can even attempt to benefit from the crowd-funding options that exist nowadays to support fund the trip. There are also so a lot of on-line applications that indie artists can utilize to grow their fanbase – from marketing and streaming songs, learning analytics, developing and offering merch, boosting cash, and acquiring your audio dispersed digitally all around the globe. Research the tools that are at your disposal.

Tony Ward life in Hong Kong and proceeds to dispense fantastic internet marketing assistance.

Male On The Ground Official Website: www.manontheground.asia