- Conduct a case study on a band/ artist with a clear and distinct 'niche' or something that set them apart from other bands. When N-Dubz began, they were unique in the fact that they consisted of 2 males and a female, combining rap, hip hop, r 'n' b and catchy pop hooks. Some say they are like a cheaper british version of the Black Eyed Peas, but any comparison implied big things were soon to follow. If The Black Eyed Peas had a large fanbase, it was expected N-Dubz would be able to, and they already had thousands of fans from the underground scene, broke world records with their youtube hits, and pirate radio stations. The thing that was different about N-Dubz was that they understood their 'niche' as it was mainly people like them, with similar backgrounds and beginnings. This meant it was easy for fans to connect with the band as they understood them. Their main niche is mainly teens; the band were only in their teens when they began recording, so their music reflects thoughts and feelings that can easily be understood by youths. Many of their songs also are about coming from an underpriviliged background, which at the time, there weren't many artists which had such a large, distinct niche in the UK, and i think N-Dubz successfully found this gap in the market.
- The niche for our artist is not so distinct as N Dubz', but it is a large one, with the British and other media claiming that 2009 was the beginning of a new era of the female electropop star. A poll of 130 music experts conducted for the BBC, stated that ten of the top fifteen artists named were of the electropop genre. So although our artist won't stand out as N Dubz did, they still have a clear target audience, and a large one.
- How did they use this to promote their music and get noticed by record companies?
It was hard for the band to get noticed by record companies as their potential fanbase wasn't recognised due to the fact their tracks were mainly available through illegal download only. They topped the english pirate radio stations, and their large fanbase enabled them to become noticed by the mainstream, with the help of their self release 'I Swear'. However, it wasn't until 2007's 'Feva Las Vegas', which was also self released, till they appeared on the official UK charts, peaking at no. 57, but with the right promotion it could have reached much higher; however, people didn't know enough about them. This and their individual appearances on Channel 4's second series of 'Dubplate Drama' made them be more recognised as a group. After winning a MOBO for Best Newcomer, the band were subsequently signed to Polydor Records and re-released their single 'Better Not Waste My Time' which hit no. 26.
I think the main point here is that a large fanbase needs to be established to prove to record companies that our artist is worth signing, and if the songs are good enough and promoted well enough, this should be no problem.- How could you use this to promote your own album?
Using this information when promoting my own album, i will need to remember that it is vital to have a niche, as the fans are what make the artist. Once i have decided upon my niche, it should be easy to create a small fanbase which can grow via filesharing and radio air time. If the songs on my album are good enough and i have managed to accumulate enough fans, hopefully i will make it onto the charts, or start to be recognised by radio dj's that play my songs so that a record company will hear me and want to have me. In the meantime, i will have to use all means of promotion possible via the internet, also taking the methods of bands such as Nizlopi and the Arctic Monkeys into account when trying to promote myself. If i'm good enough, i will be found by someone.
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