As today's music landscape grows more and more saturated, breaking through the noise has never been harder for independent artists. Yet, platforms like Groover have emerged as game-changers, offering artists a direct line to playlist curators, industry professionals, and a global audience.

In this edition of Figures In Music, we sit down with Romain Palmieri, co-founder of Groover, to discuss his experience building a platform that bridges the gap between artists and the music industry. Sharing insights on the challenges faced by independent musicians, we'll uncover the innovative strategies Groover employs to help artists get heard.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. 

Can you explain how you started in the music industry and how that journey led you to where you are now?

I started Groover five to six years ago while finishing my studies at UC Berkeley, having previously studied in France. Before launching Groover, I created a record label called December Square that centered around pop music. My father was also involved in rock music, which heavily influenced me.

It was the desire to help independent artists, particularly with promotion, that drove me to start Groover. My co-founders, Dorian and Rafael, shared similar experiences surrounding issues with music curation and promotion. We surveyed around 200 artists to identify their main challenges, and the overwhelming response was that promoting music and getting it heard was the toughest part.

In 2018, when we launched Groover, about 20 thousand new songs were being released daily on Spotify, a number that has since grown to 120 thousand. We aimed to build a promotion solution for artists and a platform for curators and music professionals to discover music easily. Our mission was to support independent artists based on the feedback that promotion was a significant struggle, and we have been building on that foundation ever since.

What are some of the main functionalities of Groover? What does your primary user base look like? 

Groover helps you reach out to music curators in a professional manner and guarantees feedback within seven days, or you get a refund in credits. Curators can share your song through their channels, such as YouTube, Spotify playlists, and radio stations if they love your music.

We offer three different campaign types and three categories of curators:

• Visibility Campaigns: These are for artists looking to gain more exposure after a release. You can reach out to playlists, radios, blogs, and YouTube channels.
• Industry Partnerships: These campaigns target industry partners like record labels, music publishers, and managers. The goal is to develop relationships and secure partnerships.
• Mentorship and Coaching: These are for artists seeking in-depth feedback and guidance from mentors, coaches, and music producers, often at the demo or early stages of their work.

On Groover, you can select curators based on your target countries and get direct feedback after the campaign.

Is this mainly independent curators, or do you have any opportunities for editorial as well?

It's mainly independent curators. These curators might be labels with playlists, YouTube channels, or Spotify playlists. It really depends on the type of curator, but most are independent. We vet them to ensure they are genuinely interested in supporting artists and providing value.

The curators come from various ecosystems, including playlists, radios, blogs, YouTube, Instagram, and more. Some are industry professionals who may not have a specific channel or content but can offer valuable partnerships and support.

As an industry, we often forget the importance of independent curators and playlists. Can you speak a little to the value of these channels for artists? 

When you are an artist trying to build your community and engage your fans, it's important to reach out to people and get your music heard. The goal is to engage your current fans more deeply and attract new ones, which is crucial for growing your music career. Finding niche or engaged ecosystems to showcase your music is essential. These could be independent playlists on Spotify, YouTube channels, or radio stations.

It's about finding places where your music can be listened to and appreciated by people who can become loyal fans. This creates legitimacy for your project as an artist. Investing in PR agencies can be costly, but discovering new outlets like online playlists, radios, and blogs can add significant value to your project in the long run.

It's crucial to ensure that these outlets are legitimate and the curators are genuinely passionate about music. The potential outcome is strong, as it helps create more engagement with your existing fan base and attracts new fans. At the end of the day, artists are looking for effective ways to get their music onto playlists and other platforms. Groover aims to provide a solution that connects artists with people who are looking for new music and have specific niches or engagements in certain music genres. This helps artists find the right audience and broadcast their music effectively.

So true, it’s more likely that the listeners will be more authentic and intentional. 

Exactly. If you're more of a passive listener, you will discover new things, but engaging with specific outlets, playlists, blogs, and cool curators on Groover means you're being more intentional. It's a proactive way of listening and discovering music, leading to higher engagement. We know that engagement is more important than just increasing followers or listeners without meaningful interaction.

Let’s talk algorithms for a moment. Do you have any thoughts on how artists can leverage support on DSPs through algorithms and similar tools?

My advice for artists is to focus on both creativity and consistency. Creativity involves having new ideas that can be replicated across different channels, while consistency means maintaining a steady frequency in your release strategy. Everyone in the music industry knows that a strong release frequency is crucial for getting noticed by algorithms. Planning ahead is important, and we've discussed the 'waterfall strategy' on Groover's blog. Basically, the strategy is to release tracks from an album consistently over time, which helps maintain engagement.

Each time you release a song, promote it with new experiments. Distribution, promotion, and analysis are key parts of this process. Distribution requires a clear timeframe and planning key moments for your music. Promotion primarily experiments with new strategies on social media and platforms like Groover, where you can engage curators and learn from the feedback.

Finally, analyzing the results is essential. Using feedback loops, such as those provided by Groover, helps artists improve their creativity and consistency. In the long run, this approach will help the algorithm pick up your songs more effectively.

What kind of data does Groover suggest looking at in terms of KPIs for artists?

On Groover, it’s crucial for us to provide transparency and lots of data to the artists. When you visit a curator's page on Groover, you can access various pieces of information. This includes the number of followers the curator has, engagement metrics from their channels, and profiles on platforms like Instagram. You can also see similar artists that the curator is interested in, which helps in choosing the right curator for your campaign.

We provide data on the quality and number of feedback responses a curator has given, as well as their answer rate within the one-week timeframe. There are also metrics on the acceptance rate, showing how often curators share the songs they receive. This information helps you select influential and relevant curators, whether they are highly selective or more accessible within your niche.

Our curators are completely free to showcase what they like, creating a genuine and earned promotion. As an artist, you can trust that when curators share your song on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, or Spotify, it is because they genuinely love it. This authenticity reflects positively on your campaign, providing true engagement and support.

Speaking of curators, how does one apply to be a part of Groover’s community? 

We now have a community of 3,000 active music curators on our platform. There are two ways to join the curators' list and community. First, our curators' team actively reaches out to potential curators. If you have a cool YouTube channel in New York or elsewhere, and you receive an email from our team, it's an invitation to set up an account and join our platform. We often onboard great curators directly if they seem interesting.

Second, we receive many applications from people who want to join as curators. We are selective because we want to ensure that those who join Groover are here for the right reasons, can provide value, and have influence as curators. Our team vets all curator applications to ensure they align with our values, purpose, and guidelines.

If I'm an artist releasing my first song today, do you have two or three pieces of hard-hitting advice that you think are most important? How might these tie into using Groover as a platform?

My first piece of advice is to plan ahead for your release date. Ensure you have enough time to complete all the key steps before the release. The music industry is highly competitive, with around 120,000 songs released every day. Make sure you pitch to all platforms properly, set up distribution without issues, and follow a well-thought-out strategy. If you're releasing an album, consider using a waterfall strategy to keep the momentum going.

Secondly, focus on promotion. Make sure you have a solid social media strategy in place to engage fans creatively. Try different ideas, replicate them across multiple channels, and see what works. Allocate your budget wisely; instead of spending too much on an extravagant music video, consider using Groover to pitch to curators or invest in marketing initiatives.

Thirdly, build your team. As an independent artist, you have the advantage of choosing the people you want to work with. Surround yourself with those who understand your vision and passion. Often, a friend or a fan who believes in your music can be a great starting point to grow your audience.

Additionally, find examples of artists you admire who are slightly ahead of you in their journey. Analyze how they engage their community, their visuals, and their promotional strategies. Learning from their success can provide valuable insights.

You've mentioned the importance of timing for releases and promotion. I'm curious, if I'm an artist and a piece of my old catalog begins blowing up due to UGC, would you recommend launching a promotional campaign to capitalize on that sudden popularity?

If you have momentum, whether in life or with your music, especially with a song released three years ago that is suddenly gaining traction, you should definitely leverage that. If the song is getting popular for some reason, go with the flow and double down on promotion. Groover can help with that. We have artists who reinvest in promoting older songs that have gained renewed attention. You can try different promotional ideas to capitalize on the song's momentum.

Where is Groover heading in the future? Anything existing users can look forward to? 

In the coming years, our primary focus will be expanding our presence in the US. I recently moved in New York, and our community and team are growing well. Currently, nearly 40% of our user base is in the US and Canada. We have more curators in the US, and the team is expanding, which is crucial for our growth. Additionally, Groover serves as an international tool for artists and curators, helping them reach audiences beyond their local markets. For example, an artist based in Europe might find their largest fan base in Mexico or Puerto Rico. The global reach of the streaming industry today allows for such opportunities, and Groover can facilitate that.

Secondly, we aim to find new ways to support independent artists in their journey. We've launched two services: Groover Club and Groover Obsessions. Groover Club offers coaching and community for independent artists, providing in-depth feedback from coaches who are also curators. Groover Obsessions is an accelerator program for the most promising talents on Groover, offering additional services and support for artists who have achieved great results on the platform. This program highlights the different stages of success and helps artists advance their careers.

Where do you see the music industry heading? Any trends you’ve noticed? 

At Groover, we’ve particularly noticed the impact of AI and how it contributes to the volume of music being produced. In a way, it's great that creating music has become more democratic and affordable, allowing artists to make music with more resources and tools. However, with such high volume, competition is tough. Artists need innovative ways to ensure their work is heard by the right people. Whether you're a professional, curator, or listener, the goal is to have a more curated experience beyond just algorithms - which is exactly where Groover steps in. 

Lastly, what song or artist is your favorite right now? 

I’d have to say Damon Albarn. He's a true inspiration for me, not just musically but also creatively. What I admire most about him is his immense talent and creativity, and his ability to work on diverse projects. From Gorillaz to Blur, to his solo projects, including collaborations with African musicians, he's consistently produced high-quality music. His ability to switch genres and engage different audiences throughout his career is incredibly inspiring. 

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