Label Partnerships Prevail In Brazil

Faced with an unprecedented music piracy crisis, Brazilian record labels are looking at every opportunity to partner with TV, radio, retail, cell phone makers and production companies, as well as artists and managers, to conceive, market and promote album releases.

>One of the most visible partners is MTV Brazil, which in the past year has teamed with various labels to produce a series of top-selling CDs and DVDs of its shows "MTV Ao Vivo" and "Acustico MTV" (Billboard, Aug. 14). Another cable TV music channel, Multishow, has also entered the fray. Last year, Multishow partnered with Sony Music Brazil to produce a live DVD by Skank. The venture was so successful that this year Multishow has produced DVDs by Sandra de Sá and Barzinho & Violao that were released by Universal.

"We try to use all the vehicles and channels of media and sales," says Alexandre Schiavo, VP of marketing and A&R for Sony Music. "Every partnership is welcome."

One of Sony's biggest success stories is girl band Rouge from the Brazilian version of TV talent show "Popstars," produced by Argentine company RGB. The group's self-titled debut album, released on Sony in 2003, has sold more than 1 million copies, according to the label.

"The girls have just released their third album and continue doing well in sales," Schiavo says.

In addition, the debut album by boy band Br'oz, winner of the second season of "Popstars," has sold more than 300,000 copies.

In a similar vein, Warner Music Brazil partnered with TV production company Endemol and Brazil's Globo Network to release albums by finalists of reality show "Fama."

"We have a lot of faith in this new way of discovering talents, promoting new artists and selling albums," says Claudio Condé, chairman of Warner Music Brazil.

Instead of releasing winners' solo albums, Condé proposed pairing "Fama" winner Hugo with finalist Tiago, because the two garnered the show's highest ratings when they performed together. Their duets album is set for release this month, along with that of another "Fama" duo, Cidia and Dan.

"Since I became chairman of Warner, it's the first time we're taking part in a project like this," Condé says. "I'm sure it will be successful."

Guacira Abreu, manager of Cidia and Dan, agrees. "Complaining about the crisis does no good," Abreu says. "It's time to be creative. The market is different nowadays. It takes a bigger effort."

For Marcos Maynard, chairman of EMI Music Brazil, TV partnerships are "essential." The label just produced a TV special with Ivan Lins that will be broadcast by network Rede TV, which will promote the artist's new CD, which comes out end of October. According to Maynard, it's the first time Rede has partnered with a record label.

Sony has ongoing partnerships with other labels, including Globo Network-owned indie Som Livre. Under the agreement, Sony artists are featured on the soundtracks to Globo's soap operas.

Moreover, labels are increasingly willing to partner with acts instead of signing them directly as artists. Universal will promote album releases by Zélia Duncan, Sideral and George Israel. "They deliver the recorded albums, and we develop the marketing campaign with them and then we distribute the titles," Universal Music GM José Eboli says.

At EMI Music, Maynard takes it one step further and actually helps in the selection of repertoire, as he did with new artist Nila Branco.

"To have a partnership with managers and artists doesn't mean to simply receive the products," he says. "I like to express my opinions."

Maynard says he released the album from band Tianastácia "because I personally like the product." However, the band's upcoming DVD, at Maynard's suggestion, will feature a live concert recorded at a radio station party.

Maynard says the number of similar deals with artists will continue to grow.

"It is an excellent strategy to discover new talents, whether they are artists or producers," he says.