Universal Music is looking to YouTube to spawn the next generation of pop stars.
The music major has partnered with TV producer Brian Robbins, Loud Records’ Steve Rifkind and hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons to form record label Awesomeness Music.
The label is looking to youth-focused “multichannel networks,” which produce short-form content catering to the YouTube audience, for talent that has already gained a following online.
“The MCN world has made it easier to do street marketing, it’s great for A&R and it’s making stars overnight with the press of a button,” said Rifkind, who is also CEO of the Awesomeness label.
MCNs aggregate the YouTube channels of amateur video makers with the promise of higher production values and better access to advertising dollars.
Rifkind says the one year old label is about to get busy. It counts stars such as Cimorelli and Niykee Heaton, and will sign another two artists by the end of August. Heaton and The Cimorellis will release records in August and September.
Universal CEO Lucian Grainge is keeping a close eye on the growing world of amateur video. He also sits on the board of DreamWorks Animation, the owner of Awesomeness TV.
DreamWorks, run by Jeffrey Katzenberg, paid $33 million last year for the teen-skewing MCN. The studio has been diversifying beyond the movie business and into higher growth businesses such as MCNs.
Universal is chasing the YouTube generation creating a new record label to capitalize on growing interest in music stars being groomed on the smallest of screens.
The music giant is behind Awesomeness Music, a label co-founded by TV producer Brian Robbins, Loud Records’ Steve Rifkind and Russell Simmons.
MCN’s aggregate the channels of amateur video makers and help bring higher production values and better access to advertising dollars.
Rifkind says the one year old label is about to get busy. It already counts stars such as “The Cimorellis” and “Niykee Heaton,” and will sign another two artists by the end of August.
The label will release an EP by Heaton in August and the Cimorellis in September.
Universal’s CEO Lucian Grainge, is keeping a close eye on the growing world of amateur video. Awesomeness TV is owned by DreamWorks Animation.
Grainge is a board director at Jeffrey Katzenberg’s Hollywood studio, alongside the likes of former Hulu boss, Jason Kilar and Vice backer, Tom Freston. Katzenberg’s studio has been diversifying out of the movie business and into higher growth businesses such as MCNs.
Katzenberg committed a potential $150 million to a rapidly growing teen destination called Awesomeness TV was founded by Robbins, the producer of traditional TV shows including “One Tree Hill” and “Smallville.”which aired on The CW network The MCN houses the work of scores of youngsters hoping to draw a wider audience for their channels.
The new music label is called Awesomeness Music Partners and counts stars such as Niykee Heaton. With 1.2 million subscribers, Awesomeness alreadyand has notched 250 million since its launch. The destination also has a hit musical show in “Side Effects” about a group of kids who lose their momand then create performances. It drew 2 million views in a week, according to the producers.
Awesomeness Music is the second MCN-linked label created in partnership with Universal. Last July, Universal joined with Simmons to release music from All Def Digital (ADD) , another YouTube-focused MCN based on music and pop culture.
Universal Music declined comment.