Spinnup, the online talent promotion service launched by Universal Music Group Sweden in 2013 has hit 100,000 artists. The platform is dedicated to helping a raft unsigned talent and music entrepreneurs find their audience, by giving them professional tools at their fingertips.
For a fixed annual fee per release, Spinnup artists can get their music directly to fans via the likes of Apple Music, Spotify, iTunes, Deezer, Amazon, Google Play, Rhapsody and Tidal. With artists controlling their own rights and royalties whilst benefitting from a sophisticated artist portal equipped with intelligent streaming data and social media statistics. It’s early success saw the channel rolled out in Norway, Denmark, Germany, the UK, and most recently in France, with further territories set to follow in 2017.
Now 29 Spinnup artists from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, UK and USA have hit the big time after being signed by Universal Music labels. The most successful of these signings, Vigiland has been streamed in excess of 250 million times on Spotify, and is now certified 15 times Platinum in Sweden.
So how does it work? Spinnup operates independently in each territory with a mysterious secret network of 100 scouts scurrying through the online platform to search for the best talent. Their findings are strategically integrated into UMG, with the scouting team feeding directly into UMG A&R teams in each country.
Nina Usher, general manager at Spinnup, said: ‘We are incredibly proud of the further success that Spinnup artists and scouts have gone on to achieve thanks to our unique A&R relationship with Universal Music labels globally.’
To celebrate, Spinnup UK is launching Sound Advice – a campaign that will offer free single releases via Spinnup for UK artists from 21 November to 31 December.
During this time, the platform will have three additional guest scouts from Universal Music UK labels Island Records, Polydor Records and Virgin EMI, searching for new talent within the platform and giving feedback directly to artists. In addition, a live Q&A will take place with Glenn Cooper, strategic marketing director, Island Records with additional activity planned throughout the campaign.