Pandora Media Inc (NYSE:P) To Let Artists Send Out Short Ad Messages

Pandora Media Inc (NYSE:P) has announced a new initiative where it will allow artists to record short audio messages that will target their fans.

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The initiative, called AMPcast was born out of the numerous acquisitions that the popular online radio company has been making as part of its transformative agenda. The firm made the announcement on Monday where it stated that it was launching a new feature that will allow artists to speak directly to their followers. It was described as a simple idea but one that could have a significant impact on the company’s revenue.

The new feature will be part of the artist marketing platform that Pandora initiated a few years ago. It was designed to foster connections between artists and their fans. AMPcast will let artists’ record audio messages for their fans at any moment they choose to and insert the recordings onto a user’s audio stream. Musicians who wish to use the feature can access it on Pandora’s new app.

Musicians will most likely use AMPcast to promote their new releases, meaning it will be a handy tool to keep their fans updated as well as giving artists an opportunity to grow their fan base. This will make the music streaming platform more appealing. AMPcast has only been tested by a few select artists that were hand picked by the company including Steve Aoki and Hermitude.

Hermitude used the new feature to send messages to fans in specific geographic areas to notify them of tour stops, and there was a 9% click-through rate on the messages, way above average for ad click-throughs. Pandora claims that more than 5,000 artists have used the Artist Marketing Platform since it was launched towards the end of 2014. Bands and musicians using the platform can also check who is listening to their music.

Pandora’s recent efforts have been focused on creating new ways in which an audience can engage with music apart from just listening to the songs.

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