Discover the platform’s approaches to promoting national productions and independent artists.
Nowadays, phrases like “Brazilian music sucks!” are often heard, especially from people who generally criticize the rhythms produced in Brazil. Demonstrating the error of this statement and reaffirming its position in favor of diversity, the streaming of songs Deezer launched a series of original content focused on Brazil’s cultural diversity. The platform shared a bit of the creative process behind these projects and its vision on the role of music in the digital age.
Through initiatives such as ‘Deu Baile’, ‘Forró Viral’, ‘Deezer Sessions’, ‘Deezer Next’ and ‘Deezer Channels’, streaming is investing in emerging artists and their potential to combine and create different musical genres.
To build this work, Deezer paid attention to the multiple faces, cultures and styles that exist in Brazil, looking at what is happening in every corner of the country involving music and developing artists to build great domestic careers.
“Our idea is not to interfere in the movements, but to have a portrait of the Brazilian music scene. To do this, we rely on the research work of the editorial team and external sources, going to the places where these movements are happening and talking to a range of producers and artists who are responsible for this movement”, comments Deezer’s Head of Content, Pedro Kurtz, in an exclusive interview with ADNews.
In a country of continental proportions like Brazil, one of the main challenges behind the development of original content aimed at the Brazilian public is the way to transmit, with verisimilitude, the nuances of each musical movement.
“Our editorial, artist relations and content teams have people from almost every region of Brazil. With this in mind, we take great care when researching and discussing a concept we want to create, always checking whether the form we are thinking about speaks to the artist and local cultures,” says Kurtz.
Deezer Initiatives
Viral Forro
Launched in 2021, following the growth of forró in Brazil, Deezer launched the ‘Forró Viral’ project. According to the head of Content, the purpose of this kind of “platform within the platform” is to bring together what is being produced in this musical genre and promote it.
The project also seeks to generate opportunities for new talents and ideas to add to forró. One of the innovations is the promotion of the subgenre “Piseiro de Cria”, which combines the characteristic rhythms of funk from Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo with the melody of forró, exalting one of Brazil’s strongest attributes: the meeting of different cultures.
For the selection of artists for ‘Forró Viral 2024’, Deezer released tracks with the participation of artists such as Felipe Amorim, Melody, Solange Almeida and an unreleased production by DJ Jeffdepl, which can be heard below:
Gave dance
Speaking about the cultural impact of funk and its influence on other musical segments, Deezer promotes dance music, which encompasses subgenres such as funk, rap, trap and hip-hop. These and other styles exalt the sound that combines the legacy of Miami Bass with the ideas of new generations, with highlights from names such as MC Jacaré, Valesca Popozuda, MC Frog, MC Teteu and more.
Deezer Sessions
To bring these rhythms closer to both producers and listeners, streaming strengthens the ‘Deezer Sessions’ project, which presents live performances by artists from the most varied musical styles on the platform’s YouTube channel.
With a newly restructured office and studio, Deezer has revamped Deezer Sessions to make it instantly recognizable for its intimate and sometimes acoustic aesthetic.
“Our new strategy for Deezer Sessions follows the context of each era, which may or may not be a launch, but bringing artists together to create unique performances that reflect the editorial planning,” comments Pedro.
Deezer Next
Following this energy of always offering something innovative and unique, the platform has been promoting the ‘Deezer Next’ project since 2017, focused on detecting and promoting new artists, especially independent ones, that is, those who are not yet linked to a record label, but authentically represent the movements they are part of.
Like Deezer’s other projects, Next involves a lot of research by the teams, who attend events to discover what’s new and keep an eye on potential growth. After that, the teams enter into a debate to decide which independent artists will be selected to receive career investment.
“Next has always operated as a program within the platform. Although we have managed to reach a good user base for these artists, there is a problem with the circulation of artists in Brazil. Even with a more favorable scenario nowadays, circulating a small artist is still a challenge for teams that are still thinking about whether they will sell tickets (for shows),” says Kurtz about the relationship between music and the digital and physical media.
In this sense, Deezer, in collaboration with its commercial partners, is implementing a movement to take the platform outside the digital world, creating other dynamics between independent artists, events and companies.
According to the Head of Content, the initiative has generated good results for the artists, who present feedbacks positive about contacts and relationships that they were able to create from these dynamics. Check out the artists who stood out on Deezer Next this year below:
Chest
Allana Macedo
N.I.N.A
Deezer Channels
In addition to the projects mentioned, the streaming takes advantage of seasonal dates and popular themes as a way to promote channels with selected songs. Deezer’s team of editors fulfills its commitment to promoting the cultural diversity of Brazilian music by putting together playlists that offer a complete experience, such as the ‘Queer Channel’, a highlight during LGBTQIAPN+ Pride Month, which promoted artists such as Pabllo Vittar, Jão, Ludmilla, Urias and LINIKER to celebrate all forms of love. Another example that connects with the month of June is the ‘Festa Junina Channel’, which combined the greatest hits of forró, baião and pisadinha to offer a complete and lively Arraial.
These initiatives highlight Deezer’s commitment to offering a complete experience not only for listeners, but also for artists, embracing their differences and roots on a large “digital stage”. From putting together a playlist to promoting an independent artist, the platform shows respect for the legacy of the avant-garde of each rhythm and, especially, for the mix of ideas and styles that echo throughout Brazil.
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