November 21, 2014

PLAYWIRE PARTNERS WITH DEF JAM RECORDINGS TO CREATE NEW DIGITAL REVENUE STREAMS FOR ARTISTS

Playwire, a division of Playwire Media, announced that it has partnered with iconic music label Def Jam Recordings to develop new digital revenue streams for their artists globally that leverage both technology and ad sales. Their main goal is helping artists, publishers, and content creators develop sustainable revenue streams for their business without having to sacrifice copyright and trademark ownership of their content.

"As a publisher first organization, we are determined to provide artists and publishers with technology and services that keeps them in the business of producing great content," said Jayson Dubin, CEO and Founder of Playwire Media. "Def Jam is one of the most iconic brands in music, and boasts one of the most influential artist rosters globally. Their ingenuity and forward thinking are pushing the music industry forward, and we are excited to partner with Def Jam in this new venture."

This partnership reaffirms Def Jam's commitment to embracing ad supported services and business models, while positioning them as an innovator in digital by exerting more control over two critical assets that advertisers want: large audiences and big data. With access models now accounting for almost 30% of total industry revenues, managing the buying and selling of music audiences to advertisers is quickly becoming the future of recorded music revenues," said Dubin.

The Playwire technology platform, as well as Playwire Media's ever-growing network, allows Def Jam to create additional digital ecosystems for both the Def Jam brand and its talent. By leveraging strategic content releases and social influence to generate web traffic, both Def Jam's site and their artist websites can operate as their own web ecosystem.

"Direct ad buyers want deeper integrations then just pre roll running before content -- be it branded content, product placement, sponsored social posts, or exclusive events," states Anthony Alexander, Director of Business Development at Playwire. "We are seeing rapid growth in programmatic ad buying and find that many of our ad partners want to align with social influencers to harness the reliability of an actively engaged fan base. We help them develop unique fan experiences to make a connection with a particular consumer target."

Def Jam recognizes that there are multiple channels and new digital vehicles that constantly need to be integrated into their content strategy. "We're excited to be working with a platform that is publisher first, and recognizes the power, influence, and global reach of the Def Jam brand," says David Bell, SVP Integrated Marketing & Digital Strategy, Def Jam Recordings. "Firmly focused on providing new revenue streams, our partnership with Playwire allows us to connect our artists with premium brands through unique digital experiences."

How it works

Playwire's advanced video technology platform allows brands to produce, post, and monetize video content. Defjam.com and its numerous artist web pages act as a central distribution hub hosting exclusive content. Each site can operate as a unique publisher with the ability to create sponsored ad programs and brand integrations. In addition, featuring massive amounts of quality video allows Def Jam, and other brands, to make content accessible to fans everywhere.

About Playwire:

Playwire, a division of Playwire Media, offers a comprehensive, easy-to-use video hosting platform that offers an efficient, effective online video publishing platform. With Playwire, publishers have one place where they can encode, host, syndicate, stream, and monetize video content, while advertisers have a destination to efficiently and effectively buy video inventory. For more information about the Playwire platform, visit www.playwire.com and follow @playwire.

About Def Jam Recordings:

Def Jam Recordings was founded in 1984 and has represented the very best in cutting edge music and youth culture for 30 years. Def Jam Recordings began as a maverick independent label inspired by a punk ethos and the emerging sound of hip-hop; pioneering iconic stars like LL Cool J, Slick Rick, The Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. Over the following two decades, Def Jam established its dominance with acts like Jay-Z, DMX, Ja Rule, Method Man & Redman, Ludacris, Rihanna, Jeezy, and Kanye West. Now in its 30th year, Def Jam's music and lifestyle has grown into a global brand -- synonymous with creativity and authenticity -- encompassing a diverse roster of marquee and emerging stars that includes Kanye, Justin Bieber, Axwell ^ Ingrosso, Mariah Carey, Rick Ross, Alesso, Frank Ocean, Iggy Azalea, YG, Afrojack, 2 Chainz, The Roots, August Alsina, Jhene Aiko, and others. For more information about Def Jam Recordings, visit http://www.defjam.com

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