Technology
Universal Music Debuts In-House Creator Marketing App ‘House Of Carmen’
Universal Music Group (UMG) has launched a proprietary creator marketing application called “House of Carmen,” which pays influencers to post content on TikTok and Instagram, thereby moving its creator marketing capabilities in-house rather than using third-party platforms.
The app, developed by UMG’s UK team and quietly released in September 2024, establishes direct relationships with social media creators through a tiered system requiring participants to have at least 1,000 followers, according to Music Business Worldwide (MBW).
Direct Engagement Model
Universal engages creators through two methods: direct briefs for specific campaigns with guaranteed fees; or challenge-based competitions where creators compete for payment based on performance metrics.
The platform incorporates gamification elements, enabling creators to compete against one another for the best-performing content within Universal’s artist roster and releases.
“As creator marketing has continued its growth trajectory, we realized there was a real need to bring it in-house: somewhere we could house a global creator database, appropriately categorize creators, effectively and directly communicate with them, deliver prompt payment for activity and integrate all of our data sources,” said Janey Stride, Director of Commercial and Creative Innovation at Universal Music UK in a statement.
Expansion Plans
Initially launched in the UK market, UMG plans expansion to Germany next, with a U.S. launch also likely, according to trademark filings. According to MBW, the company’s longer-term ambition is to create a global network where any Universal regional division can brief creators worldwide.
The platform recently added the capability to onboard entire talent agencies and their creator rosters, not just individual creators.
UMG has been active in marketing technology, developing patented AI-focused tech for artist marketing and analytics in 2020, and securing another patent in 2022 for AI-powered identification of high-value marketing audiences.
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