With the Help of Data, emlyn Breaks from Songwriter to Viral Success

Originally written by Saleah Blancaflor for How Music Charts

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Indie Artist emlyn is a star on the rise, thanks in part to her usage of platforms like Chartmetric and Venice Music that equip emerging talent with the tools they need to succeed in the music industry.

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There’s an array of music companies out there with tools, data, and insights to support many of today’s emerging independent artists. Meet Chartmetric and Venice Music, two all-in-one platforms that are doing just that. Since 2015, Chartmetric has equipped artists and music industry professionals with comprehensive streaming, social media, and audience data to help musicians thrive in their careers, while Venice Music provides tools to distribute music, monitor streaming performance, and collect royalties.

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Emlyn: A Success Story Using Chartmetric and Venice Music

Emlyn, an LA-based indie singer-songwriter originally from Nashville, is just one of the rising indie artists who has seen success using both platforms. Emlyn’s father was a studio drummer, while her mother worked as a therapist, so growing up she learned what it took to craft a song that connects emotionally with a listener. She also taught herself to play the piano and guitar, thanks to the help of Taylor Swift’s songbook. 

Now, emlyn releases her own music, which is distributed by Venice Music. For the past six years, she has been represented by her manager Joshua Russak, whom she met after one of Russak’s other clients sent him emlyn’s demos.

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"I thought she had such an incredible ear for melodies and storytelling," Russak told Chartmetric. "We really hit it off talking about music and the business and felt she had a great grasp of all the things it takes to succeed in today’s music environment."

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Emlyn's Artistic Development and Shift to Releasing Her Own Music

Russak was drawn to emlyn by her lyrics and writing style, which he saw as conveying a sense of realness and approachability. He also discovered early on that she had a unique way of getting inside of the heads of other artists and helping others express what they’re feeling. 

"Most people think artists just wake up and are some supernatural being that creates against all odds, when, in reality, artists are works-in-progress," Russak said. "It takes time for an identity to be clearly defined and I watched emlyn go through a lot of stages. What was clear from the beginning was that she was going to keep improving and I will bet on people like her all day."

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For the first half of their time working together, Emlyn focused more on songwriting, but the pandemic marked a turning point where she began to release her own music. "She was always interested in being an artist, but never had the right vehicle, time, or songs to launch it in the way that we would have wanted to," Russak shared. "[During the pandemic,] there were a lot fewer songwriting sessions happening, so she ended up deciding to focus on herself, which changed the trajectory of her career."

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Gaining Momentum on Streaming Platforms and Strategic Decision-Making

In January 2021, Emlyn released new music and quickly started to gain momentum after she landed on some of the earlier feeder playlists on Spotify and Amazon Music. By May, Emlyn found semi-viral success on TikTok with the release of her song "B.O.M.B.,"  with her post teasing the song since receiving over two million views. This was when Russak began leaning more on data, frequently opening his browser to view insights and continue building on the momentum Emlyn was already experiencing early in her career.

 @emlyn_music SHOULD I PUT IT OUTTTT 😭😭😭 #original #artist #viral #singing ♬ B.O.M.B OUT NOW - emlyn  

Russak explained that they had to make many decisions, such as determining which song to release, whether it should be fast or slow, whether to run campaigns, how to transition between songs, and which of Emlyn's posts were gaining traction.

According to Russak, "Sometimes certain posts on certain platforms will work for follows, but not for streams, or will work for streams, but not for Instagram follows, or certain viral TikTok pieces are great for profile views, but don't filter through to anything else," Russak said. "Even though we're in this age of algorithms, I think the audiences aren't machines at the end of the day, but there are some general trend lines where you can tap into best practices by analyzing each page for deeper insights."

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The Role of Chartmetric in Emlyn's Strategy and Social Media Growth

For Emlyn's manager, Joshua Russak, Chartmetric plays a crucial role in shaping their strategy. "Everything I find on Chartmetric has helped me think about what our problems are a little differently," Russak shared. "We analyze where we are, what's working, and what isn't. Sometimes there aren't clear answers, but the platform provides clues on where to focus and address issues. I really use [Chartmetric] as my home base, opening the browser each day to view key metrics and tap into insights from the page."

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emlyn's social media presence has seen substantial growth, with 485k followers on TikTok, 107k on Instagram, and 174k on Spotify, where she saw a 14.4% increase in the past year. Her YouTube channel also boasts 26.4k subscribers and 13.5 million video views. Russak emphasized that their strategy tailors content to each platform: short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels are used to tease music and encourage user-generated content, while Instagram and Twitter are reserved for formal announcements and milestone updates.

Venice Music's Perspective on Data Tools and Future Opportunities

Michele Akinsanya, Director of Data and Streaming Analytics for Venice Music, finds Chartmetric invaluable for tracking playlist placements for their artists, such as Emlyn, on release days. "It's in beta, but I love the artist insights that highlight growth spikes on social and streaming platforms," Akinsanya noted. "This enables us to investigate and act on key moments quickly and efficiently."

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Looking ahead, Akinsanya is excited about expanding its use of Venice's tools. "I would love to take more advantage of the integration with One Sheet, playlist evolution features, and the Artist Comparison Pro to help with the strategic side of things," she added.

Key Lessons from Emlyn's Career and Future Plans

Janice Wang, VP of Partner Acquisition and Success at Venice Music, highlights three key lessons from Emlyn's career trajectory that other artists can learn from: "Invest time in nurturing connections with fans, execute on pre-release buildup and post-release promotion plans, and remain attentive to fan feedback with the flexibility to adapt and refine your release strategies."

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Emlyn's album, that’s how you make a villain - chapter 1 , was released in November. Ahead of its release, Emlyn explained on Instagram that she decided to split the album into three parts, realizing that "this story of who I am, and where I came from, is meant to be told as a trilogy." She is set to go on tour in the U.K. and Europe in February 2024, a journey that will likely shape another pivotal year in her life and career. Fans will be eager to track her tour updates by tapping into her social media page or browser to stay informed.

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Graphics by Nicki Camberg and cover image by Crasianne Tirado; data as of Jan. 11, 2023.