In a society fueled by data-driven decisions, the value of an artist's one sheet is now more important than ever. Historically, what started as a document to highlight an artist's upcoming releases for distributors has become a crucial asset when pitching to press and publicity opportunities.
Following Chartmetric's recent acquisition of Onesheet.club, we sat down with Tomiwa Moro, a strategist and artist relations manager at DC Talent Agency, to hear how his team is marketing African creatives with the help of our new tool.
Supporting clients from all around the world, DC Talent Agency's mission is to create career-defining opportunities on a global scale for artists, influencers, and creatives on their roster. Taking on everything from management to press pitching, Moro shared that Onesheet is quickly setting a standard for marketing artists in the digital age.
As long-time Chartmetric users, the DC team understood the power of music data analytics. Still, it wasn't until this year that they began utilizing Onesheet specifically for their roster.
"We've been using Chartmetric for sometime because we are such data nerds and we always want to know what playlist features or radio plays our clients have. For Onesheet.club, I first discovered it when the founder of DC Agency shared a link with me. It was for Zach Brown Band’s Onesheet and I was immediately like, 'that’s so cool, I have to try it out!' We're always trying to find new tools to make our life easier as an agency and make things easier for our clients. So I just tried it out and immediately I was hooked!"
Operating as an international entertainment company, DC Talent Agency goes beyond local pitching and booking. That means 24/7 email marketing to industry professionals in all corners of the world. And let's not forget that they're responsible for a roster of thirteen African creatives from all different styles and genres. With that in mind, using the most proficient and time-saving tools is a must for the agency.
"We use Onesheet right now to pitch multiple artists on our roster. Especially for opportunities in terms of reaching out to brands, I think it's so useful that you can click on links that download one or even four PDF files at a time. No one has the time to upload those assets when pitching."
Onesheet offers a simple and intuitive interface that allows users to easily edit their sheets and customize them to suit their audience. They can move content around, add custom imagery, and hide data they don’t need. The app is powered by Chartmetric data which allows it to have accurate, up-to-date numbers around the clock.
"I also like the fact that we can send real-time data on Onesheet without having to update it manually. We're always trying to have everything up to date, especially when an artist drops something new or releases a new project, and we want to have all those links and assets right there without having to open a design software to make those changes. Anything you want to send is easily done in five minutes."
While digital one sheets have been around in the industry for the past decade or so, Onesheet's user interface and user experience alleviates the redundant asset-uploading process. Simply copy and paste your sheet's hyperlink into the desired email and viola! This makes email marketing a breeze for companies like DC Talent Agency, as you can efficiently market multiple artists at a given time.
"My favorite thing is pitching more than one asset or suggestion, and introducing multiple talents on our roster. I sent one out to a brand today for a brand partnership to put a spotlight on African Music creators. I was just like, alright, we have Uncle Waffles, we have TXC, we have Pheelz, and we have Kah-Lo, all in one email. Basically, you can just hyperlink their one sheet and everyone is right there."
"Everything we’ve pitched to since using Onesheet has just been 'yes, yes, yes.' We sent one to a journalist in the U.K. for Pheelz for his latest EP and it was so detailed! It also had everything the journalist needed so we didn't have to send any additional press details."
Pheelz is an artist on DC Talent Agency's roster that has found significant success thanks to pitching with Onesheet. Since they began marketing for his EP release, "Pheelz Good," Pheelz landed placements in CNN, editorial magazines like NATIVE, and several other playlists and content collaborations. He's also received the opportunity to create a song for a non-profit foundation.
"It helps so much because you have everything in one place, and what you get is beyond basic industry knowledge. You have sentiment, you have audience, you have streaming growth. Plus, it is so helpful for presenting data to stakeholders in the industry."
"In a world where people are obsessed with scrolling and swiping and interreacting with their screen, the nature of Onesheet.club definitely beats the old traditional structure, in terms of sending files. We've really come a long way from sending one sheets in package emails to having PDF and design tools and all that. I think scrolling is fun and makes the artists truly stand out."
With old-school PDF files out and interactive sheets in, Onesheet is paving the way for a new kind of artist marketing. Still, according to Moro, the purpose of a one-sheet has continued to remain the same: to tell the story of the artist.
"One sheets have always been valuable for introducing artists. I mean it's, always been true for letting you know what makes an artist stand out. For us, it's basically what makes me describe someone as an Afro RnB artist as opposed to an Afrobeats artist. It helps me understand your story, where you're coming from, and you have more control in terms of how you share that story."
But because the company works solely with independent African creators, he notices that many young artists struggle to find the resources to make materials for their EPKs.
"Many mainstream artists have teams doing all the work for them, so they don't really have to try to get a one sheet set up for themselves. Many of them also have a lot of followers or previous press placements that help them to share their story. But, for artists who are just starting out, that's where your one-sheet comes in."
To help make marketing assets more accessible for artists, Onesheet is currently free in beta version until September 1st. We're also working day in and day out to make improvements to the product so you can better share your story with the people that need to hear it.
"Personally, I feel every independent artist should have a one sheet. And it's surprising cause many don't! They will usually say things like 'I don’t know how to create one' or they will have to pay a lot of money to someone who creates something very basic. And I think with Onesheet.club, it solves that problem for independent artists."