This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
And Finally Beef Of The Week Retail
CMU Beef Of The Week #217: Co-op staff v the future of music
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 1 August 2014
Staff at branches of the Co-operative have risen up in anger, after being driven to distraction by the music playing on the supermarket chain’s in-store radio station. And by “risen up in anger”, of course, I mean posted on the company’s Facebook page.
The problem is that the Co-op has begun using a company called Emerge Media to source the music it plays on the station. Based at RAK Studios, Emerge specialises in providing music by unsigned talent to a variety of retailers to play in store, including Argos and Sports Direct.
The key benefit is that new artists without a record deal get wide exposure for their music – Emerge claims it reaches 28 million people per week – and the retailers get to have enjoy a warm fuzzy feeling from the knowledge that they are helping out the future stars of tomorrow. Oh, and because the music Emerge uses isn’t registered with PRS and PPL, it’s cheap. But the fuzzy feeling is the main thing, I’m sure.
Sadly, that warm glow didn’t extend to some staff forced to listen to eight hours of DIY artists at a time. One wrote on Facebook that the music was “diabolical”, adding that four customers had commented on its quality that day too. Another added: “These lot are unsigned for a reason, even hipsters wouldn’t listen to that rubbish”.
There were positive comments too, but many of those in favour still requested a mix of unsigned and better known music.
After the story gained media attention, a spokesperson for Co-operative Food talked up the recent change to the firm’s in-store station’s playlist, telling reporters: “In order to profile new talent and give emerging artists a national platform for their music, alongside our existing mix of DJs, shout-outs and in-store offers, The Co-operative Radio now only features unsigned bands and artists. This will be the first time that emerging artists will be able to access such wide-spread national coverage on the radio, helping them to get a foot in the door of the music industry”.
There’s that warm, fuzzy feeling again. Come on, they’re just trying to help some folks out. Folks who just need a chance in life. And being played in the Co-op is the chance they’re looking for. Plus, bypassing the collecting societies does make it so much cheaper. Oh wait, they didn’t say that.
But the founder of Emerge, Gideon Chain did. He told The Telegraph: “Shops normally have to pay a public performance licence to play well-known music but the artists we represent are emerging artists and we create a direct licence between the business and the artist. We then supply their music to the businesses, which is about 50% cheaper than if they wanted to pay mainstream artists”.
He added: “Artists we sign get paid per play so the more tracks and content they supply, the more money they can make. It is a great way of supporting new emerging talent and artists are perfectly free to go on a sign up to major record labels as it is a completely non-exclusive deal with us”.
Hear that A&R people? I hope you’re all shopping in the right supermarket given all this new talent you’ll hear. Although you might have to hang around by the eggs a little longer if you’re planning to head down to your local Co-op this afternoon. By Wednesday the company had caved in to staff pressure and reached a compromise.
In a note to staff, obtained by The Grocer, Head Of Retail Steve Murrells said: “We recently piloted a new in-store radio service to showcase and show support for unsigned music acts. We did this because the initiative aligns well with The Co-operative Group’s new purpose of championing initiatives which support our customers and their local communities”.
He continued: “We have, however, had some negative feedback from colleagues. We’ve listened carefully and have acted to reinstate well-known acts while retaining slots on our programming for unsigned musicians to have their songs heard. We also intend to support unsigned music acts in the future by launching a new initiative with the National Union of Students”.
Well, that all sounds good. Students will listen to any old shit.
