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March 2015 Newsletter

IN THIS EDITION




Trending: Billboard's New Chart System
The New Billboard Hot 100

The art and science of monitoring music
Industry watchers will long remember the day in February 2013 when with no label support and despite being outsold 2:1 by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Thrift Shop," Baauer's "Harlem Shake" - essentially a 30-second meme that notched 103 million YouTube views in a single week - debuted on the "new" Billboard Hot 100 at No. 1.

And everything changed.

Tracking a song's reach, then and now
To be sure, the Hot 100 has always had its share of head-scratchers; it's not hard to imagine what DJs in the day had to say when Ricky Nelson's bobby-sock ballad "Poor Little Fool" leapfrogged over Elvis Presley's "Hard Headed Woman" to become the Hot 100's first No. 1 (to be fair, even Nelson admitted to disliking the song and refused to play it live for years).

Flash forward and today's Hot 100 remains a bastion of bewilderment as it battles to remain relevant by compiling a mix of digital download track sales, physical singles sales, terrestrial radio airplay, on-demand audio streaming, online radio streaming, and YouTube views -- all of which are bound to invite the occasional brow raiser, e.g. Katy Perry's run at Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Michael Jackson (all can boast five No. 1s in a row) and Drake's dubious 14-song tie with the Beatles for most simultaneous singles on the chart (a stat so skewed even Billboard conceded that Drake is merely "featured" on four of the 14 while the Beatles can lay full claim to each of their songs).

To Billboard's credit, they have created a handful of new charts to offset the inevitable blip, all aimed at providing the most real-world results possible, and all worthy of your click.

On Demand Songs: A ranking of the top on-demand play request and plays from unlimited listener-controlled radio channels on leading streaming subscription services.

Next Big Sound: The fastest accelerating artists during the past week, across all major social music sites, statistically predicted to achieve future success.

Trending 140: An up-to-the-minute ranking of the fastest moving songs shared on Twitter in the U.S., measured by acceleration over the past hour. Titles are ranked based on a formula comparing the number of times they are shared within the last hour to the hourly average of shares over a rolling 24-hour period.

Confusing? Maybe. Necessary? Very. Time consuming? Maybe just a little.

Which is why we like to remind you that while the Hot 100 remains undeniably the Dow Jones of music charts, our modest Hitlist offers a unique look at all the current tracks essential to DJ play. Used with or in lieu of the mighty 100 and the Hitlist will have you spinning the top hits in a snap.

To view our Hitlist, past and present, and/or to sign up today to have it delivered to your inbox, visit: promoonly.com/more

NEW from Billboard!
You can now peruse the entire weekly Hot 100 back to 1958, presented in the same format as the current Hot 100. Check out the all new Flashback Charts at billboard.com/archive/charts

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Watchlist: Angry Kids "Battle" + Britt Daley "Move Me"
How Promo Only staff members are impacting the music scene...

If you've been hanging out here for any time you may have noticed a number of in-house Promo Only talent roll out over the years. From our own Phat Cat label artists ("Take Me Away," Mix Factory, "Take My Love," KromOzone Project, "I Don't Want to Lose Your Love Tonight," DJ X) to the A&R team that brought you Tyler Herrin's debut album, "A Simple Necessity," (produced by our subscription manager Glen Ervin; mastered by senior audio engineer Jerry Arriola), our staff members have long been impacting the music scene as artists in their own right, and rightfully so. We're proud to boast such talented friends and colleagues.

That legacy continues this month with a double-header we hope you'll check out...

"Battle (It's Beautiful)" - The Angry Kids featuring Belle Humble
Born of an unlikely long-distance alliance between bi-coastal Canadians Ryan Wilok and Promo Only Canada's General Manager Jeff Beck, The Angry Kids are neither kids nor angry, much. They are, in fact, seasoned industry pros with a penchant for bombast whose sample-based bad-ass remixes (most notably Mr. Brown, the duo's much-spun spin on the Bob Marley's classic) have been spreading like wildfire for years among Canadian DJs.

Today the Kids are poised to take their signature sound global. Check out their newest music video, fresh from Wired's, Best of the Week.

Trouble viewing this video? Watch it on YouTube.




"Move Me" - Britt Daley
By day she's our Lead Creative, the hand that rocks the artwork that graces every Promo Only page and product; by night Britt Daley practices a blend of chillwave, downtempo, subtle R&B and pop-vocal stylings that have brought her to the stage in support of Tegan & Sara, Shiny Toy Guns, Cherub, Kevin Barnes (Of Montreal), VHS Or Beta, Surfer Blood, YACHT, and UK blue-eyed soul artist, Daley.

Following her collaborations with Grammy nominated producers Morgan Page and Bill Hamel, Britt is currently putting the finishing touches on her own full-length album debut, co-written and conceptualized with Portland-based producer, Kinsey Dulcet, set for release in 2015.

No animals or husbands were hurt during the making of her new video.

Trouble viewing this video? Watch it on YouTube.


You'll find both videos available for play today via POOL.
Also available via iTunes and Beatport.


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The Gear Corner (brought to you by Guitar Center)

Digital DJ Tips Presents...
The 6 Powerful Daily Habits Of Successful DJs

What is it that successful DJs do behind the scenes that others don't? Sure, they are clearly networking with the right people, they obviously obtain (and often make) great music, and they demonstrably know the technical skills of DJing. But what is it about their mindset, the way they use their time, and their attitude to the temptations of clubland that keeps them laser-focused on success?

Having worked for many years as a DJ, producer, and now writer/DJ tutor, I've not only been along this learning path myself, but met many others who have done so too, and I believe there are certain things most successful DJs share in common. Some are applicable to any career, some specifically to DJing, but all are important if you want a long, happy and successful DJing life, whether that's as a hobby or a full-time vocation.

So if you're struggling to make the progress in your DJing week by week you think you ought to be making, try putting some or all of the following suggestions into play in your life. I think you'll start to see improvements really quickly!

Stick to a schedule
One of the most important things you can do right now for your career is to create a schedule and to stick to it. DJing has a lot to do with nightlife culture, and it's easy to get lost in all the fun and chaos that partying brings. Having a schedule keeps you grounded because it forces you to make compromises and helps keep you in check when you're considering going on a bender on a week night, for instance.

If you DJ throughout the week, it's all too easy to fall into the trap of the "party all week" mindset, something I personally fell victim to when I was a bit younger. Never revolve your schedule around your DJ gigs; designing your day around your performances is the perfect way to create an erratic and chaotic lifestyle, one which you'll be constantly redesigning as gigs come and go and as you get older. Instead, make a schedule and adjust your gigs to fit into it instead. This encourages you to counter-balance DJing with other important parts of your life (of course there's more to life than DJing, right? ;) )

Practice early in your day
If you want to make something a habit, do it enough times that it becomes routine for you (experts say every day for three weeks should lock any habit in). This is the best way to approach practicing as a DJ; do it regularly so you don't even have to think about doing it. Of course, this is a challenge in itself.

One of the most powerful ways to make sure that a habit sticks is to consistently do it first thing when you wake up, just when your willpower is at its strongest. If it's working on your four-deck mixing or practicing a new type of scratch, do it before you go about with your day; the longer you leave it out till day's end, the less likely you'll get it done.

This isn't even about whether or not you're more productive or creative in the morning, it's just about prioritizing that routine first thing before anything else to ensure it gets done. Doing significant work or tasks that require high amounts of focus (e.g. DJing) is also best done soon as you wake up because you're at your absolute freshest. Willpower and self-control are like muscles: The more you use them, the less fatigued they get. [continue reading]

About Digital DJ Tips: Featuring news, reviews, show reports, and tutorials, Digital DJ Tips is one of the most-read DJ tech websites in the world, with over 60,000 students on its paid and free DJ courses.

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The Gear Corner (brought to you by Guitar Center)

Review: The Denon Serato Box DS1
A look at the Denon DS-1 Serato DVS Interface...

Rane's long-held monopoly on all things Serato has apparently come to an end: The Denon DS1 debuts as a premium DVS solution for users of Serato NoiseMapTM - the system used to control a Serato-based digital music library using a turntable or compact disc player. The DS1 is plug-and-play ready for Serato DJ, extending Denon DJ's hallmark audio quality and reliability to turntablists who prefer the feel of vinyl, but desire the flexibility a digital music library provides.

Pro Tip:
Screen III can also be switched to display stackable parallel waveforms for complete beat matching control of all active programs (hint: You can leave the laptop closed).
Standout Features Include:
  • (2) sets of stereo RCA inputs and outputs for left and right decks
  • Studio-grade 24-bit digital to analog conversion
  • Supports 44.1kHz, 48kHz, and 96kHz sampling rates
  • Dedicated grounding post for use with turntables
  • Single USB cable connection to a computer for power and audio
  • Includes (2) Serato NoiseMap control tone vinyl records and CDs
  • Includes USB and stereo RCA cables
  • Rugged, all-metal construction; carrying case included
The DS1 is geared to effectively compete with the complete Rane SL2 package at two-thirds the price. We won't hazard a guess at how many SL2s Rane sells, and fully expect its cool factor will help it continue to sell SL boxes, but in comparison the Denon DJ DS1 is a flat-out steal.

MSRP: $349.99
Street: $299.00


For more info visit denondj.com

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Success Coach Stacy Zemon:
Dealing With Budget Brides

Guest Writer | K.C. KoKoruz, The Science of Marketing

"Dealing with budget brides is a cross all mobile DJ business owners have to bear" say's DJ Success Coach Stacy Zemon. "It's not their budget you need to worry about, it's proving your value so you become integrated into that budget. ProMobileDJ.com's K.C. Kokoruz has much more to say on this subject..."

The sad but true part is that the first time you do almost anything in life, you aren't very good at. Your dad put the training wheels on your bike in an effort to help you get used to the bike and to help you learn your balance. At some point he removed them and before you knew it, you were peddling on your own, and despite a fall or two you were riding your bike. Over time, you learned how to ride no-handed, pop a wheelie, slam on your breaks and created the cool snake styled skid marks on the driveway, etc. The most important thing is that you had the time to learn these things.

Brides don't. They have the enormous pressure of creating that one day over-the-top experience for both themselves and their guests. They also are doing this for the first time and don't know what to ask, what things cost, and each bride has a different idea of what is important to them. [continue reading]

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Site Of The Month: hookedonmusic
A Pop Music Experiment

Most people can point out a hook when they hear one, but scientists don't know why.

HookedonMusic is a citizen science experiment involving Manchester Science Festival, proudly produced by the Museum of Science & Industry, Manchester, in association with the University of Amsterdam.

In devising an online game for all to enjoy, scientists are harnessing the wisdom of the crowd to understand and quantify the effect of catchiness on musical memory and then predict the catchiest fragments of music. Armed with this knowledge, scientists can devise 'smarter musical thumbnails' to help people remember the content of a song, triggering past memories for those who remember it and helping to form new memories for those listening to the song for the first time.

hookedonmusic.org.uk



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The Charts | Top 20
Promo Only UK/Europe Video Chart March 2015

  1. Flo Rida f./Sage The Gemini - GDFR (Atlantic)
  2. Maroon 5 - Sugar (Polydor)
  3. Tough Love - So Freaking Tight (Island)
  4. David Guetta f./Emili Sande - What I Did For Love (Warner/Parlophone)
  5. DJ Fresh f./Ella Eyre - Gravity (Ministry Of Sound)
  6. Chris Brown f./Tyga - Ayo (RCA)
  7. Kelly Clarkson - Heartbeat Song (RCA)
  8. Olly Murs - Seasons (Epic)
  9. Carly Rae Jepsen - I Really Like You (Polydor)
  10. Shift K3Y - Name & Number (Columbia)
  11. Kanye West, Rihanna & Paul McCartney - Four Five Seconds (Virgin EMI)
  12. Iggy Azalea f./Jennifer Hudson - Trouble (Virgin EMI)
  13. Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk (Columbia)
  14. Clean Bandit - Stronger (Atlantic)
  15. Blonde f./Alex Newell - All Cried Out
  16. Tungevaag and Raaban - Samsara (RCA)
  17. Zedd f./Senena Gomez - I Want You To Know (Polydor)
  18. Lethal Bizzle f./Diztortion - Fester Skank (Virgin EMI)
  19. Conor Maynard - Talking About (Parlophone)
  20. Michael Calfan - Treasured Soul (Spinnin)



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Useless Info: The International Nomad Presents...
25 Interesting Facts About Music


Fact: Warner Music will continue to collect roubghly $2 million a year for the song, "Happy Birthday To You" until its copyright expires in the year 2030. Here are 24 more interesting facts you probably didn't know about music, the industry, and the idolized figures within it.

Trouble viewing this video? Watch it on YouTube.




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