Apple\u2019s place atop the music retail food chain gives it an incredible amount of influence. So it\u2019s no surprise that iTunes has 13 entries in this year\u2019s Maximum Exposure survey. The store had a 41% share of the U.S. record business in 2012, according to Billboard\u2019s calculations, and it has a 63% share of digital sales, according to NPD Group. The relatively limited number of ways to reach fans through iTunes makes them highly coveted in the industry.<\/p>\n
The most valued position at iTunes is home-page placement. And why wouldn\u2019t it be? iTunes\u2019 home page is the digital equivalent of a CD display near the entrance of a Tower Records. Prime placement all but guarantees people will see your product. But the impact will vary for a number of reasons. A new artist could experience a greater impact than an established one. A new release might be more dependent on placement than a hit with a long shelf life. A hit single may not need placement as badly as a new single that hasn\u2019t yet built momentum. \u201cSo many factors come into play, but iTunes placement definitely plays a key role,\u201d says Kelly Rich, Big Machine Label Group senior VP of sales, marketing and interactive.<\/p>\n
iTunes positions are increasingly given to artists backed by a comprehensive, compelling plan, according to various record-label sources. Rather than choose a placement based on an artist\u2019s name, reputation or past sales, iTunes considers an artist\u2019s career arc, the promotional campaign employed by the label, and a single\u2019s rollout and performance at radio. The review process is comprehensive and holistic.<\/p>\n
Given the way iTunes selects placements, a label must have a good plan in place, DigSin founder\/CEO Jay Frank says. \u201cOne strong song, no matter how good it is, is not enough. They want to know that you\u2019re creating an artist that will have a regular relationship with iTunes customers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Frank has seen the power of iTunes firsthand. DigSin artist Bronze Radio Return had its album land on the Billboard Heatseekers chart during the first week of release after iTunes featured the band as a top new indie rock artist. Daily sales of the band\u2019s song \u201cFurther On\u201d were positioned in the iTunes Radio alternative station. \u201cThe support has been through multiple weeks, not just the first week of release, which has meant a lot to the group\u2019s sales success,\u201d Frank says.<\/p>\n
Labels, artists and managers often highly covet an above-the-fold page placement even though sales analysis says the difference between various placements on the home page is \u201cnegligible,\u201d according to one label source. iTunes is said to have a color-coded \u201cheat map\u201d that proves page placement is irrelevant to clicks and sales. Although iTunes doesn\u2019t share this heat map, independent label analysis backs up its claim that page placement is less important than people think.<\/p>\n
The numbers behind other promotions, such as a Song of the Day, clearly show their benefit, this person adds. But despite what the numbers say, people in the music industry want to be seen as high on an iTunes page as possible. One marketing veteran offers this explanation: \u201cI think it\u2019s just an ego thing.\u201d<\/p>\n