It’s nothing new for major brands to get connected with their fans, and the culture in which their brand exists, by promoting and helping to fund the efforts of aspiring musicians and artists–Red Bull Music Academy, Converse Rubber Tracks, Vans’ House of Vans, to name a few. But now there’s a new, rather unique, collaboration between three partners in Major Lazer, Bacardi, and Spotify.
The three have unveiled Music Liberates Music, a program designed to give up-and-coming artists a chance to share their music with the world. From June 6-30, every time Major Lazer’s new song, “Front of the Line” streams on Spotify, Bacardi will donate studio time for aspiring Caribbean artists. The more listens, the more studio time these emerging artists will get. It’ll take about 50 plays to log one second in the studio, or 180,000 plays for one hour of studio time. And given Major Lazer’s pedigree of hits notching more than 40 million plays, that studio time should add up.
In an email to Fast Company, Major Lazer–made up of the trio Diplo, Jillionaire, and Walshy Fire–said when it comes to collaborating with brands, they look for partners that are willing to go beyond just writing a check to slap its logo on something.
“Our collaboration with Bacardi is not your typical brand partnership. Over the past few months, Bacardi has offered us the creative liberty and freedom to test, learn, experiment, and create so many exciting things, like bringing epic experiences to our fans, new sounds, and our recently debuted Limited Edition Rum, which is rolling out on shelves in the next two weeks.”
Artists to benefit from the program include Mystic Davis from Jamaica; Triple Kay of Dominica; Barbados’ Shanta Prince; and Cohoba from the Dominican Republic.
Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the early-rate deadline, May 3.
