How Play MPE leads in promotion, distribution and discovery for Aussie acts

Pictured: Play MPE music industry relations account executive, David Gurtina

Play MPE has been championing the benefits of digital music promotion, distribution and discovery since long before it became commonplace.

The Vancouver-based music tech company came to Australia back in 2008 and now boasts a presence in 100 countries, including its most recent ventures into Latin America and South Africa.

Not long ago, the platform reached one billion distributions globally and typically delivers over 2,400 promo releases per month.

The platform is composed of two applications that work in tandem – Caster and Player.

To give you a quick rundown of how it all works. Radio programmers, for instance, use Player (web/mobile) to discover the latest releases from around the world, and to access everything needed to get a song on the air  – such as broadcast quality WAV files and ISRCs. However, Player is not just for radio decision-makers; all manner of tastemakers benefit from the app such as curators, media, and music supervisors because the app was specifically built for industry professionals to streamline their workflow. Music genres and formats are highly searchable, users can flag content, create playlists to listen offline, find songwriter info and all essential metadata, and more. Tastemakers can also use it as a secure digital library.

Learn more about Player:

In turn, Caster allows artists, major and independent labels, and radio pluggers to promote music within the Australian market as well as many other international markets. With Caster’s recently updated tool Release Creator, users can build comprehensive promo campaigns complete with promo images, biographical materials, metadata, and watermarked music files. Promo campaigns can then be scheduled for distribution to tastemakers via e-blast and to appear in Player where releases can be instantly accessible – for stream or download by recipients.

Learn more about Caster:

Play MPE’s knowledgeable team is composed of seasoned music industry professionals who are happy to support their clients by assisting in choosing the best distribution lists to meet their specific marketing goals. The operations team is also very hands-on, giving indies tips for best practices, whether it be spacing out re-blasts, or making sure they remembered to include ISRCs.

Australia, having been the second major international market after the United States where the company got a foothold, continues to be one of Play MPE’s important outposts.

“We have been in Australia for a significant amount of time and this market has been good to us and vice versa,” Play MPE’s David Gurtina tells TMN.

“It’s not only great for Australian artists to get heard by tastemakers in their own territory, but it’s also huge for artists wanting to break into other markets. As well as for international artists wanting to break into Australia.

“Tastemakers benefit too of course because they can be the ones to discover a previously unknown artist from another country and be the first to break them in their respective market.”

Grant Broadcasters, iHeartRadio, FBi radio, and triple j are among Player recipients, while labels like BMG, [PIAS], and DITTO are among its Caster clients.

There are, Gurtina says, many recent success stories thanks to the platform.

“Lupa J broke into the UK at BBC Radio 1, Lime Cordiale was already well on their way, we just helped get their music into the right hands, and Bryce Sainty went from his first single to Australian radio to recurring spins, just to name a few,” he says.

It’s no surprise then, that the company has strong supporters in the Australian music industry.

Frank Varrasso of Varrasso PR, says the company has used Play MPE for over a decade. It is, he says, the best way to service all of the company’s releases to radio.

“They’re a delight to work with and have huge distribution lists to ensure all radio is covered,” he says. “Play MPE certainly helps our artists reach a broader audience across all genres of radio. Their customer service is also exceptional.”

Radio plugger Russell Thomas of Kaos Management is also a long-time client and says he’ll be sticking around for some time, as it remains the best new music delivery service for Australian radio.

“Getting your songs in the hands of the right programmers is an art form,” he says. “Play MPE is a music business necessity for my company as it allows the songs I represent to get into the right hands and that gives them the chance to be heard. This is the first step in getting your songs ‘on the radio’.”

Elizabeth Browne of ArowAgency / Hey Charlie PR calls it a game-changer for her approach to business.

“The access we have gained to blogs and radio through the Play MPE platform, alongside the comprehensive reporting we have access to, has completely transformed the way we approach and deliver campaigns.

“The team is so fantastic to deal with and have really helped us shape some incremental successes for our artists.”

Gurtina, who visited Australia pre-COVID to check out local acts, was impressed with what he heard, saying that now is the best time for Aussie musicians to try out Play MPE.

“For indie labels and artists wanting to get their music heard it’s a great way to get music to key decision-makers whether it be radio programmers, music supervisors, curators for retail, airlines, restaurants, global bloggers – I could keep going,” he says.

For the growing number of Aussie acts and companies looking beyond the border, it’s especially timely to tap into Play MPE’s services for global networking in territories such as the US, Canada, Europe, the UK, and the Latin market.