14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has opened up a combined audience of more than 30 million users as an integer part of a fresh promotional program designed for new artists. Putting together the eyeballs on Zune, MSN and Xbox, Microsoft has revealed that it will deliver recording artists with the audience they starve for with Ignition. "The Ignition program is designed to help artists connect with a substantial consumer audience," said Christina Calio, director of Music Marketing for Zune. "Consumers are looking for ways to find new music, and Ignition helps connect artists with potential new fans by giving them multiple opportunities to listen to, watch or read about the artist across Microsoft's online platforms."
Microsoft plans to associate recording artists with a public that inherently is interested in online music, but also with its gaming and news audiences. In this manner, the Redmond Company hopes to deliver the necessary exposure for new artists on web outlets, and to diverge the focus from traditional TV and radio channels. Microsoft has also announced that it has made up its mind for the band that will be involved with the debut of the Ignition program. Max?mo Park is a U.K. Band which managed to attract some attention by debuting at No. 2 on the U.K. charts in April with the "Our Earthly Pleasures" album.
"We're excited to have Max?mo Park be the first artist taking part in Microsoft's Ignition program," said Priyanka Dewan, product manager at Warp Records. "When you're a band that is attempting to move to the next level of success, opportunities like this to connect with a significant audience are important. The simultaneous promotion across Zune, MSN and Xbox is great exposure for the band." But Microsoft also revealed a new approach to winning customers over. The company will settle for nothing else than exclusive content and artist involvement. "We don't want the same thing that is going out on MTV," Calio added.