Gaga’s management: a breakdown

[Bronco 26,761]

5 minutes ago, NightcallSmile said:

So interesting. But the post-release singles situation probably wouldn't be any different regardless right? It's either burning their money or the label burning money. Nowadays it feels like songs are only made singles either before an album drops or if they start smashing on their own. 

Yeah thats just a general reshaping of the music industry because of the streaming landscape. 

Its hard to shift post-release singles now as fans have already over consumed them or decided against them so you're missing half your debut streaming numbers for the single 'release' day even if the GP take some interest 

[gagzus 24,213]

7 minutes ago, NightcallSmile said:

So interesting. But the post-release singles situation probably wouldn't be any different regardless right? It's either burning their money or the label burning money. Nowadays it feels like songs are only made singles either before an album drops or if they start smashing on their own. 

Like Bronco says above — this is pretty much it, singles serve a different purpose now than they used to.
 

The original purpose of singles back in the day was to facilitate the sales of an album. Everything was to make an album sell more, in fact, the boom of commercial touring in the 70s/80s was because labels would invest/loan money for albums and then the money made from touring, singles and endorsements would pay back said loan/investment. Commercial touring was entirely constructed to make money that albums and singles couldn’t.

Now because of music consumption fragmentation, it’s entirely different, singles used to be used as a taster so people would buy albums because the only way to listen to albums pre-mid 2010s was either to buy a physical CD, buy it on places like iTunes or buy individual songs digitally. Streaming changed all that, now you can listen to a full album the day it drops. 

[RochesterJoannster 4,146]

10 minutes ago, Bronco said:

Yeah thats just a general reshaping of the music industry because of the streaming landscape. 

Its hard to shift post-release singles now as fans have already over consumed them or decided against them so you're missing half your debut streaming numbers for the single 'release' day even if the GP take some interest 

This has been a bit of a bummer, since it equates to less videos, but it’s so true. Even for the duration of Gaga’s career, besides TF/M, post-release singles have become almost extinct.
 

As early on as 2011, BTW’s singles after album release did not make as much noise on the charts, and that was the only era we ever got five videos for. 

[Bronco 26,761]

4 minutes ago, RochesterJoannster said:

This has been a bit of a bummer, since it equates to less videos, but it’s so true. Even for the duration of Gaga’s career, besides TF/M, post-release singles have become almost extinct.
 

As early on as 2011, BTW’s singles after album release did not make as much noise on the charts, and that was the only era we ever got five videos for. 

Post album singles have typically always seen diminishing chart returns but they were profitable prior to the streaming explosion which is why they were common. 

But now they just make zero profit so only the indies needing to promote themselves actually continue to push them.

Its a real shame.

[RochesterJoannster 4,146]

24 minutes ago, Bronco said:

Post album singles have typically always seen diminishing chart returns but they were profitable prior to the streaming explosion which is why they were common. 

But now they just make zero profit so only the indies needing to promote themselves actually continue to push them.

Its a real shame.

Such a shame. At least Gaga gives us the fan-service videos like 911, John Wayne, and (pretty much) G.U.Y. Many artists couldn’t be bothered to do that. 

[alexcal24 110]

8 hours ago, Controversiaga said:

I would’ve made sure in 2025 she put out an album FULL OF SONGS that sounded like disease and abracadabra 

and then 6 months later released a follow up EP with the groovy stuff like vanish and zombieboy in time for the dead dance moment

lol actually if I was manger dead dance woulda NEVER happened

jfc where can I apply 

I agree - I don't get the hype behind the Dead Dance and the tiktok dance. I guess im too old to get down with the kids (i'm 35 lol)

[gagzus 24,213]

20 minutes ago, RochesterJoannster said:

Such a shame. At least Gaga gives us the fan-service videos like 911, John Wayne, and (pretty much) G.U.Y. Many artists couldn’t be bothered to do that. 

Very much this, in an age of streaming people on here often think that pushing a song will automatically make it successful. When in fact a viral/successful song now becomes successful on its own accord.

I think it’s down to the fact a large portion of Gaga fans are millennials who are used to the old ways of promo and after music fragmented during the streaming era they’ve never understood the new rules because we’re in our own micro culture. Then you have the younger fans who weren’t old enough to remember or have been involved in her heyday so they crave a return to that for one era when they can live it. 

Most promo is a non factor, promotional cycles only are proven to work now for upcoming artists. People like Gaga and Beyoncé don't need to do promo they can drop albums and dip. But Gaga clearly still likes a small promo cycle, even though she doesn’t need it.

Bloody Mary for instance, Gaga didn't promote it at all it simply caught on due to to a fancam on TikTok. Same for DWAS, the music video didnt do anything for it nor did any performances of it live (of which there were virtually none). It was all down to virality, word of mouth and streams.

Music videos have been proven to no longer encourage single nor album sales, which is why Billboard has entirely removed YouTube views from its formula. There’s a small startup trend thanks to Taylor Swift though about having your music videos be on Spotify since they equate to alternative single sales like remixes do. Especially now Spotify has combined sales. I suspect music videos will end up on Spotify next and YouTube music videos will be a thing of the past.

My prediction is music “videos” will end up on Spotify but they’ll basically be long form TikTok style videos where they’re simply vertical videos and simple settings/dance moves and no longer than the length of the actual song for replay value.

 

Edited 10 hours ago by gagzus

[CELINE 754]

Great insights, and thanks for reminding us about LM LLC, I almost forgot about that

 

[gagzus 24,213]

8 minutes ago, CELINE said:

Great insights, and thanks for reminding us about LM LLC, I almost forgot about that

 

No problem! I like looking into the business side of Gaga a lot because it explains a lot what fans don’t understand about her processes, release schedules (or lack thereof) and how different things are because of the age of digital content.

Also wanted to point out LM LLC only applies to her music from roughly Chromatica onwards. Interscope still owns the majority publishing and her masters for albums from The Fame to ASIB. Also when she signed to them they got the master and publishing rights to over 40 of her unreleased songs from her early career before she signed to them. Including unreleased songs like Dirty Ice Cream, Fancy Pants, Blueberry Kisses etc.

Edited 10 hours ago by gagzus

[NightcallSmile 146]

1 hour ago, gagzus said:

Very much this, in an age of streaming people on here often think that pushing a song will automatically make it successful. When in fact a viral/successful song now becomes successful on its own accord.

I think it’s down to the fact a large portion of Gaga fans are millennials who are used to the old ways of promo and after music fragmented during the streaming era they’ve never understood the new rules because we’re in our own micro culture. Then you have the younger fans who weren’t old enough to remember or have been involved in her heyday so they crave a return to that for one era when they can live it. 

Most promo is a non factor, promotional cycles only are proven to work now for upcoming artists. People like Gaga and Beyoncé don't need to do promo they can drop albums and dip. But Gaga clearly still likes a small promo cycle, even though she doesn’t need it.

Bloody Mary for instance, Gaga didn't promote it at all it simply caught on due to to a fancam on TikTok. Same for DWAS, the music video didnt do anything for it nor did any performances of it live (of which there were virtually none). It was all down to virality, word of mouth and streams.

Music videos have been proven to no longer encourage single nor album sales, which is why Billboard has entirely removed YouTube views from its formula. There’s a small startup trend thanks to Taylor Swift though about having your music videos be on Spotify since they equate to alternative single sales like remixes do. Especially now Spotify has combined sales. I suspect music videos will end up on Spotify next and YouTube music videos will be a thing of the past.

My prediction is music “videos” will end up on Spotify but they’ll basically be long form TikTok style videos where they’re simply vertical videos and simple settings/dance moves and no longer than the length of the actual song for replay value.

 

Your point about music videos in not really correct imo. Both DWAS and Abracadabra's virality and success were propelled by the music videos (Gaga's dancing went viral in both instances).

That being said there's no guarantee a mv will generate a viral moment and in turn make up for the investment so in most cases the risk might offset the possible reward. In Gaga's case it's a bit more complex though because her identity is very tied up with visuals. She still needs both strong concepts and execution to land. Disease had a great concept but the execution wasn't seamless. TDD has neither but I guess that was Netflix funded anyways. 

No doubt releasing singles before or during album release or big promo events is the the best strategy. It felt like a missed opportunity to not do a MV with Mayhem release at least, for tracks like Garden. A couple months past, nothing would stick without a lot of luck or like her best music video since Bad Romance.

[gagzus 24,213]

1 hour ago, NightcallSmile said:

Your point about music videos in not really correct imo. Both DWAS and Abracadabra's virality and success were propelled by the music videos (Gaga's dancing went viral in both instances).

That being said there's no guarantee a mv will generate a viral moment and in turn make up for the investment so in most cases the risk might offset the possible reward. In Gaga's case it's a bit more complex though because her identity is very tied up with visuals. She still needs both strong concepts and execution to land. Disease had a great concept but the execution wasn't seamless. TDD has neither but I guess that was Netflix funded anyways. 

No doubt releasing singles before or during album release or big promo events is the the best strategy. It felt like a missed opportunity to not do a MV with Mayhem release at least, for tracks like Garden. A couple months past, nothing would stick without a lot of luck or like her best music video since Bad Romance.

Those are entirely circumstantial though because those are the clips going viral not the whole music videos. Whereas back in the day entire music videos would go viral not just their clips. Like Judas or Blurred Lines. Music videos have become less and less profitable when it comes to turning views into active sales/streams, which is why charts no longer count music video views in their roundups for SPS.

As for post-album singles a label will now weigh up if they’re profitable enough before they invest. For example if they spend $5m to market a single like they did back in the day, it would need to make $10-15m back in single sales, album sales, ticket sales and more to be profitable. Which now because of steaming doesn’t remotely happen. That’s why Gaga’s album cycles now are;

pre-release singles > album drops > a few weeks of promotion > tour and that’s it.

Thats also why Bloody Mary didn’t suddenly get a music video or a promo campaign for instance when it went viral. Instead we just got Bloody Mary single CDs and Vinyls because that’s more profitable. Radio also is now a fairly non-factor amongst target demographics

Edited 7 hours ago by gagzus

[Red 99,312]

4 hours ago, gagzus said:

A diva does her research when people like Tr*y come out the woodwork 👩‍🔧

Science, b*tch!