ONSITE RECORDING, MIXING, AND INSTANT DELIVERY
OVERVIEW
Tribal Brands’ Mobile Recording Studio is a full-service audio and visual production studio on wheels. Its mobility allows artists to record whenever and wherever they want, including when they’re on tour. It gives artists the opportunity to generate fresh, exclusive content without spending time and money in a recording studio. While between albums in 2009, for instance, Lady Antebellum recorded a three-song mobile EP that was sold through Verizon’s V CAST as additional content.
The mobile studio is fully equipped to take a live music feed directly from a concert stage and record it in its facilities. Live music tracks can be live music feed directly from a concert stage and released to the public immediately. In 2008, Pearl Jam recorded live tracks from their tour and released three tracks each night through V CAST.
The video capabilities of the mobile studio give artists the ability to do interviews, live blogs, and music videos directly from the road. The bus interior features flat-screen monitors that can display logos and artwork that help to further brand the recorded material. Taylor Swift, Zac Brown Band, Timbaland, Rihanna, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, and Natasha Bedingfield are just a few of the artists who have recorded in the Mobile Recording Studio.
RESULTS
- Country superstars Lady Antebellum used the Mobile Recording Studio to record an EP featuring live versions of their hit songs “Love Don’t Live Here,” “I Run to You,” and “Lookin’ for a Good Time.” The mobile EP was sold exclusively through V CAST and Rhapsody.
- Taylor Swift took the Mobile Recording Studio with her on the first leg of her 2010 Fearless tour. She recorded an exclusive cover of Tom Petty’s “American Girl” as well as a video giving a behind-the-scenes look at the recording process.
- The Jonas Brothers recorded demos for their Lines, Vines and Trying Times album in between shows on their 2009 summer tour. Nick Jonas would often ride the bus from city to city and record on the way.
- Travie McCoy of Gym Class Heroes created a tour-diary video showing highlights of the tour, from the group recording “Billionaire” to footage of their nightly shows.
- The Mobile Recording Studio has been featured in national media campaigns with global recording artists such as Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Rihanna, and Natasha Bedingfield.
- Key highlights include primetime coverage on Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, E! News, MTV, and more.
STRATEGY
To serve as a platform for strategic and local events, the Mobile Recording Studio can be wrapped with anything from brand logos to artist images, expanding awareness of the promotional program and exciting consumers. In 2008, working with Tribal Brands, the studio was used as the site of a contest in which fans could audition for the chance to sing a duet with Natasha Bedingfield. This gave fans a chance to see the studio where many big artists have recorded, as well as the opportunity to record their own track.
During another Tribal Brands initiative, the Producer in Residence program, the bus was wrapped with Timbaland’s image and was onsite at a series of events featuring Timbaland as he worked with various artists, ranging from Rihanna and the Jonas Brothers to Keith Urban. Each artist in the program recorded a track with Timbaland in the Mobile Recording Studio; the recordings were given to consumers as part of a related Gift with Purchase program.
