SA singer hits high note online

In 2005, local artist Verity appealed to the Web community with a unique sales pitch: pay for an album before it is actually recorded and actively help create the final product by voting on the songs, photographs and sleeve design.

In addition, Verity promised to devote 10.6% of all sales to two charities, People Opposing Women Abuse and her own Live Your Dreams Foundation, which supports local musicians trying to break into the business.

Four years later, 2 000 'future owners' from 25 countries have helped Verity bring out her album and raise R30 000 for charity. The Lucky Packet Project, as the initiative was dubbed, was all about “crossing bridges” of what is possible in the music industry, writes Verity on her Web site.

She says South African artists often struggle to compete in the international market and the Web offers the possibility of viral marketing, which can be a powerful tool in gaining widespread exposure.

“The Web breaks down boundaries and barriers, especially for a South African artist without a record label to push them. It allows you to connect to people anywhere and opens you up to a fan base you couldn't access on your own.”

After several years of dabbling in music and a brief stint in the US where she achieved a degree of success, Verity returned to Cape Town in 2003 to actively pursue her music career. But the market for English artists in SA is limited in scope and there were few opportunities for getting a record deal.

The Web is a great leveller.

Fred Roed, CEO, World Wide Creative

It was the wise words of Verity's sister, Kay, which led to the idea of going online. They sat over coffee and scribbled thoughts on a napkin, coming up with alternatives to the conventional way of entering the music business. “I decided to approach the creation of my album this way because South African artists traditionally don't sell enough records to recoup the money they spent on producing it. I wanted to record the album and make something back.”

Verity set up a Web site, iamverity.com, with the idea that people would help raise funds for her album's recording by buying a copy in advance, receiving a distinctive 'future owner' CD number and deciding which 12 songs would be recorded. They even chose its title, Journey.

According to Fred Roed, CEO of World Wide Creative, the company that helped Verity design her Web site, this approach demanded they think differently and creatively. “The real challenge is to stand out from the rest of the pack in a cluttered marketplace. You have to figure out what makes you special and gives you the edge.”

Once the Web site was up and running, the real work began. “I knew from the beginning it was a great idea to sell an album that didn't exist yet and expected the campaign to be quite viral in nature, which it was. I sent the message to my friends who loved the idea and mailed it to their friends and it grew quickly from there,” notes Verity.

“People began blogging about it and adding the iamverity.com link to their sites. I made sure I was available on social networks such as Facebook and MySpace, and also began an online newsletter that people could subscribe to - anything to keep directing traffic back to the site.”

Verity started a blog in order to keep future owners up to date with the initiative's developments. “The idea was that this was where future owners followed my journey as well as the work we got to do with the charities and be part of a unique music project that makes a difference,” writes Verity.

Roed says the key element was to create a brand and make sure it featured throughout the site and in marketing initiatives. “We created a logo and identity for Verity - an authentic look and feel that was used consistently throughout the various channels.”

He adds that the promotion work following the creation of the site was imperative. “She performed on as many occasions as possible and used social networks to establish herself online. Every time she addressed an audience, she would mention the site or hand out cards with its URL.”

While Verity may not be the first to launch a musical career via the Web, she has led the way in a South African context, allowing people to actively participate in the entire creation and production process.

She stresses it's important for South African artists to have an online presence. “People are savvier in terms of establishing a relationship with musicians. It's good in the sense that people get to know about you before they buy your album. It gives one an entry point to the market and their opinion, because that's what really matters at the end of the day.”

The response has been amazing. It's doing really, really well and there's continuing interest in the story of how it was created.

Verity, local singer

“The Web is a great leveller,” says Roed. “In the past you didn't stand a chance unless you had a big record label and the weight of its advertising revenue behind you. Now a one-man band in the middle of nowhere can set up a Web page, start a group on Facebook, write a blog or load material onto sites like Speakerbox.co.za. You can basically do it all yourself.”

Verity has now sold copies in 25 countries and says she wouldn't hesitate to repeat the experience of enlisting help online. Once the 2 000 copies had been sent to future owners, the album went on sale in music stores in August last year. “The response has been amazing,” says Verity. “It's doing really, really well and there's continuing interest in the story of how it was created.”

But Verity admits the process took longer than she anticipated. “I thought it would be faster, which shows that people are still wary of buying things online.”

Verity plans to record another collaborative album in between performances, commercials and public appearances.