![]() ![]() It would have been understandable to sign a deal and capitalize on the momentum. Predictably, he was swarmed by record labels. ![]() House of Balloons received critical acclaim and endless co-signs from other artists, making The Weeknd one of the most promising young stars in music. "It's not really coming in until you hit the stage." "We live in a world where artists don't really make the money off the music like we did in the Golden Age," he said. Once an artists’ cash-cow, new music was becoming a means to an end. In other words, The Weeknd used a freemium approach to get his product in the hands (or headspace) of as many listeners as possible.īeyond understanding the importance of reach, he also understood shifting industry dynamics, specifically, the diminishing importance of album sales. "I really wanted people who had no idea who I was to hear my project," he told Forbes. His reasoning will sound familiar to tech startups looking to build an active userbase early on. With hype building, rather than pursue a record deal, he released his first project, House of Balloons, as a free mixtape. ![]() The Drake co-sign came shortly after The Weeknd uploaded his first tracks to YouTube, but before he dropped a full project.
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