Artist services providers CD Baby® and Soundrop®, both owned by Downtown Music Holdings (Downtown), have teamed up with UK-based Rotor Video to offer artists a better, easier, and cooler tool to make Spotify’s Canvas videos, the engagement-boosting 8-second loops that artists can add to their tracks. Based on Rotor’s popular products, the enhanced, sleeker tool (available November 9, 2021) will let CD Baby and Soundrop artists quickly and inexpensively make these videos, turning them into truly eye-catching visual companions to their music.
Artists can upload their own video or choose from a million clips, then add visual filters, effects, and looping styles. This specialized video creator will let artists preview their creation exactly as it will appear on Spotify, even how it will look on different devices and smartphones. Rotor plans to expand to other short video formats soon, as more and more streaming services offer video with tracks. CD Baby and Soundrop artists are the first to gain access to this tool.
“Our artists put their hearts and souls into their art, and we want to build partnerships with innovators who care about quality, who understand that even a seconds-long video matters when it comes to expressing an artist’s vision,” notes Joel Andrew, CD Baby and Soundrop President and lifelong musician. “This partnership with Rotor will help us help musicians do more of what they love.”
“Our companies share similar roots and we really admire CD Baby and Soundrop’s artist community. They are completely dedicated to their art,” says Diarmuid Moloney, CEO of Rotor. “Musicians have faced mounting pressure to create more and more vid content, but the majority of musicians and even major labels don't have the tools or the means to keep up. The old method is too expensive, costing hundreds of dollars for a Canvas video on average. These new tools are matched to the pace and quality fans expect. They give time back to musicians to let them make more music.”
For $9 or less, artists can transform their tracks into impressive videos ready for upload to Spotify in a matter of minutes. This new tool is the latest to join CD Baby and Soundrop’s artist-driven solutions for simplifying marketing and promotion, tailored for independent music makers at all career phases.
“When artists get in touch with us looking for help or advice, marketing and promotional support is often what they’re looking for,” explains Alex Trevino, Strategic & Partner Manager at CD Baby. “We always let artists’ needs and requests guide what tech and tools we develop and offer, and that’s what led us to this new enhanced tool from Rotor.”
