Peter Hollens, an a acapella YouTube star whose music videos often seem much grander than their budgets, is hard at work in preparation for the upcoming release of “Peter Hollens," his first traditional album release on Sony Masterworks. It's an interesting time for Hollens because working with a major label is a new process and one that's he still evaluating. But he's very clear on his goals and values which emphasize connecting directly with fans and working collaboratively with other musicians.
As with most of my favorite interviewees, talking with Peter Hollens is an intense experience. He can cover a lot of ground in a short time and it's all meaningful in one way or another.
I previously spoke with Peter Hollens about a year ago for a piece on Loudr's cover song platform. We spoke again yesterday because he recently signed to Sony Masterworks and is about to release “Peter Hollens."
From DIY To Major Label Artist
Hollens told me one thing in particular that surprised me to the point that I expected him to say that it should really be off the record.
He did not pick the name of his album and he doesn't recall it ever being a discussion.
That revelation set the tone for the part of our wide-ranging discussion that focused on his transition from being a DIY music and video artist to having his first major label release. He also was very clear that he saw it as an experiment that might or might not work out.
And if it doesn't, Hollens says he'll then have more information to share with his peers about how to make their careers work.
Hollens didn't sound mad, It was almost like he was still processing the album title issue and withholding judgement. I think we'll hear more about that at a future date.
But Hollens also felt the move was the right one to make. He described Sony Masterworks as more of a “boutique" imprint, possibly Sony's smallest, that is expanding what they do to include artists like Hollens and whose overall approach felt like a good fit.
And he felt the process of stepping out of his typical create and release mode to put together a solid body of work is an important part of the label experience that he was unlikely to pursue on his own.
He also went in with a lot of information from The Piano Guys who signed to Sony Masterworks some time ago and whose music appears on “Peter Hollens."
Along with the theme of transitioning from one phase of his career to another, Hollens repeatedly touched on topics of community and education. In discussing his own career and what's he learning he always brings it back to the theme of consciously gathering and sharing information with a community of peers
And when he talks about such things it's always in the context of building a better world which, for the purposes of our talk, seemed to come down to empowering people to take charge of their own music careers, to spread the word about how important it is that everybody should have the opportunity to learn to make music and to share the values of the artist community with which he's been working on YouTube.
It was quite a chat!
Working With New Music Tech Tools & Platforms
Peter Hollens is a big advocate for the platforms he uses. I actually first found out about him while writing about Loudr (/Peter Hollens), which is not only a cover song platform but comes out of the same a capella subculture with which Hollens and his wife have long been involved.
He's also really positive about Patreon (/Peter Hollens) where he has many supporters. He says he likes this way of seeking fan support much more than a Kickstarter-style crowdfunding campaign. It both better fits his workflow and ongoing needs but also is based on the idea that, rather than seeking funding for future work, he's going to keep doing this work and he'd love for people to join him and help make it happen.
While “Peter Hollens" will be available from the expected digital and retail platforms, it's also available for pre-order at PledgeMusic.
Hollens wanted to give his superfans more and PledgeMusic facilitates fan-focused campaigns even if you work with them only on a pre-sale. Hollens' page is an excellent example of not only PledgeMusic's lovely redesign but of extra goodies to feed superfans.
Hollens expressed serious concern about the future digital landscape for musicians if all music goes to streaming. But what he's doing is not about grabbing the last stack of bills going to physical merch. He's focusing on strong connections with fans, giving them what they want and using tech to further that relationship.
And I believe that he, along with all musicians, will be able to sell tangible goods long after streaming takes over. We're already seeing the resurgence of what is sometimes called “high touch" merchandise such as vinyl.
Humans need direct physical contact not just with other humans but with their physical environment. This will matter in the future especially for artists that don't lose the direct connection with their fans.
Building A Better World
I'll be honest. I originally planned a post about how marketing this album with a major label was different from his previous marketing efforts with some practical examples. But I never took the opportunity to ask those questions because they didn't seem to matter quite as much as where Hollens was headed.
At the end of the conversation Hollens took a moment to make it clear that what he's trying to do isn't just about his own career. It's truly about building a better world.
And he has a very practical vision of realizing that world, at least for those who are willing to take charge of their own lives. For example, his commitment to sharing information with his peers and, in interviews, with whoever's interested has given him the opportunity to help creative people make that move from part-time to full-time using platforms like Patreon.
That might not strike some people as a big deal but that's been one of the driving forces behind what I've tried to do at Hypebot. I want people to take charge of their own lives and stop waiting for some father figure to tell them it's ok to pursue their dreams. And I try to point them to tools and services that might help them achieve those dreams.
Hollens emphasizes the need for artists to connect directly with fans and give them what they want. That's one of the reasons he has folk songs on this album, for example.
But it's not just about the artist and his or her fans. It's also about building community with fellow artists and helping each other out.
Hollens has experienced that on YouTube with artists like Lindsey Stirling who are building with related goals and values. Collaborations are a big part of that scene which is also about sharing one's fanbase.
He doesn't see that happening in the mainstream music industry and he wants to start bringing what he sees as a collaborative YouTube ethos to the mainstream world. He believes music is made to be shared and to be expanded in collaborations and feels that's where musicians should be focused moving forward.
Peter Hollens faces a lot of challenges but he's also achieved quite a bit already. I, for one, am looking forward to following his story.
As with most of my favorite interviewees, talking with Peter Hollens is an intense experience. He can cover a lot of ground in a short time and it's all meaningful in one way or another.
I previously spoke with Peter Hollens about a year ago for a piece on Loudr's cover song platform. We spoke again yesterday because he recently signed to Sony Masterworks and is about to release “Peter Hollens."
From DIY To Major Label Artist
Hollens told me one thing in particular that surprised me to the point that I expected him to say that it should really be off the record.
He did not pick the name of his album and he doesn't recall it ever being a discussion.
That revelation set the tone for the part of our wide-ranging discussion that focused on his transition from being a DIY music and video artist to having his first major label release. He also was very clear that he saw it as an experiment that might or might not work out.
And if it doesn't, Hollens says he'll then have more information to share with his peers about how to make their careers work.
Hollens didn't sound mad, It was almost like he was still processing the album title issue and withholding judgement. I think we'll hear more about that at a future date.
But Hollens also felt the move was the right one to make. He described Sony Masterworks as more of a “boutique" imprint, possibly Sony's smallest, that is expanding what they do to include artists like Hollens and whose overall approach felt like a good fit.
And he felt the process of stepping out of his typical create and release mode to put together a solid body of work is an important part of the label experience that he was unlikely to pursue on his own.
He also went in with a lot of information from The Piano Guys who signed to Sony Masterworks some time ago and whose music appears on “Peter Hollens."
Along with the theme of transitioning from one phase of his career to another, Hollens repeatedly touched on topics of community and education. In discussing his own career and what's he learning he always brings it back to the theme of consciously gathering and sharing information with a community of peers
And when he talks about such things it's always in the context of building a better world which, for the purposes of our talk, seemed to come down to empowering people to take charge of their own music careers, to spread the word about how important it is that everybody should have the opportunity to learn to make music and to share the values of the artist community with which he's been working on YouTube.
It was quite a chat!
Working With New Music Tech Tools & Platforms
Peter Hollens is a big advocate for the platforms he uses. I actually first found out about him while writing about Loudr (/Peter Hollens), which is not only a cover song platform but comes out of the same a capella subculture with which Hollens and his wife have long been involved.
He's also really positive about Patreon (/Peter Hollens) where he has many supporters. He says he likes this way of seeking fan support much more than a Kickstarter-style crowdfunding campaign. It both better fits his workflow and ongoing needs but also is based on the idea that, rather than seeking funding for future work, he's going to keep doing this work and he'd love for people to join him and help make it happen.
While “Peter Hollens" will be available from the expected digital and retail platforms, it's also available for pre-order at PledgeMusic.
Hollens wanted to give his superfans more and PledgeMusic facilitates fan-focused campaigns even if you work with them only on a pre-sale. Hollens' page is an excellent example of not only PledgeMusic's lovely redesign but of extra goodies to feed superfans.
Hollens expressed serious concern about the future digital landscape for musicians if all music goes to streaming. But what he's doing is not about grabbing the last stack of bills going to physical merch. He's focusing on strong connections with fans, giving them what they want and using tech to further that relationship.
And I believe that he, along with all musicians, will be able to sell tangible goods long after streaming takes over. We're already seeing the resurgence of what is sometimes called “high touch" merchandise such as vinyl.
Humans need direct physical contact not just with other humans but with their physical environment. This will matter in the future especially for artists that don't lose the direct connection with their fans.
Building A Better World
I'll be honest. I originally planned a post about how marketing this album with a major label was different from his previous marketing efforts with some practical examples. But I never took the opportunity to ask those questions because they didn't seem to matter quite as much as where Hollens was headed.
At the end of the conversation Hollens took a moment to make it clear that what he's trying to do isn't just about his own career. It's truly about building a better world.
And he has a very practical vision of realizing that world, at least for those who are willing to take charge of their own lives. For example, his commitment to sharing information with his peers and, in interviews, with whoever's interested has given him the opportunity to help creative people make that move from part-time to full-time using platforms like Patreon.
That might not strike some people as a big deal but that's been one of the driving forces behind what I've tried to do at Hypebot. I want people to take charge of their own lives and stop waiting for some father figure to tell them it's ok to pursue their dreams. And I try to point them to tools and services that might help them achieve those dreams.
Hollens emphasizes the need for artists to connect directly with fans and give them what they want. That's one of the reasons he has folk songs on this album, for example.
But it's not just about the artist and his or her fans. It's also about building community with fellow artists and helping each other out.
Hollens has experienced that on YouTube with artists like Lindsey Stirling who are building with related goals and values. Collaborations are a big part of that scene which is also about sharing one's fanbase.
He doesn't see that happening in the mainstream music industry and he wants to start bringing what he sees as a collaborative YouTube ethos to the mainstream world. He believes music is made to be shared and to be expanded in collaborations and feels that's where musicians should be focused moving forward.
Peter Hollens faces a lot of challenges but he's also achieved quite a bit already. I, for one, am looking forward to following his story.
