Archive Access:
A new upgrade from Proton helps electronic music labels supercharge passive income from streaming platforms.
Passive income is the lifeblood of electronic music labels: earning ongoing revenue from previous releases. In an uncertain economy this is more important than ever. At Proton, we’re dedicated to helping our record labels increase their passive income streams. The next chapter in our mission is here: Archive Access.
When Miss Monique released a mix featuring 100% music from Siona Records, she increased plays on the featured tracks by over 80%. After Sabo released a mix featuring 100% music from Sol Selectas, he boosted paid streams by over 1 million. In both cases these DJs were managers of their own music label: they had easy access to the entire back catalog.
Today, if a music label wants to invite DJs to mix their back catalog, this requires label owners manually micromanaging all their music in Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. — an annoying chore that many label owners have trouble making time for. Proton built a better way.
With Archive Access, Proton powered labels can give DJs (temporary) full access to their entire back catalog with a click of a button. DJs can browse, preview, and easily download directly on the label’s Proton page. (Example)
This unlocks creative pathways for music labels to monetize their catalog:
- Whenever a music label has a new release on the way, they can now invite artists on that release to make a DJ mix featuring the music label’s back catalog plus their new release: telling a story that weaves their new release into the label’s history. A DJ mix also can be part of the deal when labels pay an advance for new material, since the DJ mix helps labels recoup the advance faster.
- Whenever a DJ in the label’s promo pool has a strong reaction to a new release, the label can invite (or hire) that DJ to make a mix featuring the label’s back catalog.
- Whenever a label sees a DJ championing their music on YouTube, and generating a ton of traffic, the label can now easily invite that DJ to make a mix featuring the label’s back catalog — something increasingly common as YouTube DJs rise.
- Music labels can reconnect with old artists on their roster, who haven’t released in a while, and easily help them get involved again with a DJ mix, even if they don’t have a new track.
To see an example of this in action, check the Landhouse mix of Akasha’s catalog, which powered up plays by over 100%. How’s that for a passive income boost?
How does it work?
Proton powers over 2.5K electronic music labels, who already send us their catalog for delivery to digital stores and streaming services like Beatport and Spotify. We also help our labels run automatic/free promo pools, where labels send free copies of upcoming releases to DJs in exchange for potential feedback/support.
With Archive Access, our label owners can now select a DJ to receive not only the latest promos, but the entire back catalog too — in exchange for making a DJ mix.
Once the DJ mix is ready, the label (or the DJ themselves) can upload the mix to Spotify and Apple Music via Proton. Our mixes generate income not only for the label and featured artists, but the DJ too!
I’m a label manager. How do I get involved?
Archive Access is now available for free to all of Proton’s music labels.
If your music label is already powered by Proton, get started here!
And if you’re not with us yet, join the waitlist and we’ll be in touch ASAP.
I’m an artist with tracks on Beatport. How do I get involved?
Speak with your label manager and send them this article! Currently only music labels powered by Proton can participate, but we can help your labels join. Get in touch: support@protonradio.com
I’m a DJ without tracks on Beatport, how do I get involved?
As a DJ, the best way to get involved is through Proton’s promo pool platform. If you’re receiving promos from music labels but they’re not powered by Proton yet, send them this article and encourage them to join: support@protonradio.com
Proton is the #1 provider of DJ mixes to Spotify and Apple, with over 30 million paid plays generated by our mixes. Run an electronic music label? Learn more about what we do!
