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03.03.22

Exclusive listening session with Jacques at Deezer

For the release of his first album LIMPORTANCEDUVIDE, Jacques went to Deezer's offices in Paris to meet with his fans. Stéphanie Laurans, Key Account Manager at IDOL, details the partnership with the French streaming platform.

On February 11th, after several years of radio silence, Jacques released his first album on the Recherche & Développement label. To celebrate Jacques’ big comeback on the music scene, IDOL and Deezer decided to join forces for a preview listening session.

A few days before the release of the album, Deezer welcomed about fifteen fans for an exclusive listening session of LIMPORTANCEDUVIDE in the presence of the artist. Following this session, Jacques commented on a series of photos to revisit his time spent in Morocco composing the album. Punctuating each memory with amusing anecdotes, the artist opened up to his fans. Afterwards, Jacques stayed to exchange with the guests, and played along for a selfie session.

On its social networks, Deezer broadcasted the contest and the video made during this exclusive meeting on sponsored posts. Stéphanie Laurans, Key Account Manager for the Retail Marketing department at IDOL, details the outlines of the operation.

How long have IDOL and Deezer been working together on this type of partnership?

Stéphanie: It’s been a long time now that we at IDOL have been willing to collaborate in an original way. We really want to extend the partnerships with the platforms beyond the promotion of an album and the traditional formats proposed by DSPs.
In the same way, Deezer has the ambition to organize more private listening sessions with fans. Nevertheless, this was the first time they were able to set this feature up.
So this listening session was a big first in every respect!

What made this collaboration possible?

What made this possible was Jacques’ character: the artist is particularly creative and has managed to build a very strong fanbase. So this release was a great opportunity to set up an operation that was off the beaten track.
We are very proud to have realized an operation of this scale, and to be the first! The same way IDOL had inaugurated the Deezer studios with a live session of La Femme last year.

What are the constraints linked to such an operation?

It requires a bit of organization, because the imperative is to organize this session the week of the release. Except that in general, it is exactly the moment when the artists are invited everywhere to promote their album, and are thus not very available. Then there is a timing concern: you have to invite the fans early enough, so that they can participate in the contest, but not too early either, to avoid no-shows.
It is also necessary for the artist to be comfortable with meeting his fans. Depending on the personality, this can be a challenge. Truth be told, there is a big difference between making music and watching an audience listen to your new work.

What were the commitments of Deezer around this operation?

We worked with Deezer for the whole duration of the album campaign, through various promotions. This operation is part of a long-term support system, from the integration of the first singles in playlists, and the elaboration of a Fraichlist, to the day of the release with a dedicated post and the recording of a podcast.
When Deezer sponsors a post on its social networks, it’s a huge boost for the artist. Moreover, the budget, taken care of by the platform, represents a sum that the label could probably not have afforded.

What are the expected benefits?

With this type of operation, one shouldn’t expect direct benefits in terms of streams, since obviously, the listening session happens before the album’s release. The goal is rather to work on the project’s visibility. Then, in the long term, this partnership allows us to deepen our relationship with the platform.
On the day of the release, Deezer confirmed this trusting relationship by placing Jacques on the cover of the Nouveautés du Vendredi… A real longshot for an artist at this stage of his career!

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