Getting On The iTunes Home Page

iTunes Home Page

Almost every artist wants to have their song or album placed on the iTunes home page as that can make a big difference in getting a lot of buzz, exposure and sales. It's the equivalent of a CD display near the entrance of record store. The problem has always been finding a way to get there.

A recent article in Billboard interviewed various industry execs on the factors that get an act that sort of home page placement. Believe it or not, iTunes doesn't provide placement based on the artist's name, reputation or past sales. Instead, they look more at what the promotional plan is going to be, as well as the career arc of the artist.

This is actually pretty smart on iTunes part, in that they try to make sure that the artist will have an on-going relationship with the iTunes audience, and that the release will have significant additional promotion beyond the iTunes home page, which will also help the iTunes sales.

The problem is that most DIY artists don't have the wherewithal to develop the type of marketing plan that iTunes deems acceptable. That's one of the reasons that signing with a large indie or a major label can sometimes be an advantage, although an experienced management team could also make that happen. Just having music that people like is not enough.

One final item on the subject - it doesn't matter where you're placed on the home page, just that you get there. Apple has all the stats to prove that placement anywhere on the page is equally powerful.

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