Though major labels have not become too involved in the world of podcasting just yet, Sony BMG has announced a new deal that may pave the way for greater usage of songs by artists signed to the big four. An agreement between Sony BMG, Ford, Chrysler and Rock River Communications will place between six and eight tunes from Sony BMG artists in a new podcast initiative.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the label will be paid a flat fee by Ford and Chrysler for its involvement in the podcast, which will include ads from the automakers. Rock River, which creates specialized CD for retailers such as The Gap, will oversee the project.
The Chrysler podcasts are titled "Chrysler Music Legends" and focus on just one artist per podcast, with Johnny Cash and Journey among those already profiled. The podcast is available from Chrysler's Web site, as well as iTunes. The Ford podcast will launch later in January.
Adam Block, SVP/GM of Sony BMG's Legacy Recordings, describes the podcasts as "essentially a movie trailer for our projects." Digital media strategist Ted Cohen, formerly of EMI, told the WSJ that "protecting" major label artists' songs from appearing in podcasts has backfired as a strategy. "We've protected them so well nobody knows they exist," he joked.
