Or, more accurately, a ridiculously large amount of photos. According to Welt, the more photos, the longer they stay – and sessions lengths are often directly tied to the amount of pics available.

So how many? One upon a time, an album release typically required 6-9 approved photos. “Now it’s 3-400 hundred for a campaign,” Welt relayed – or at least, that is the amount he’s requesting to maximize fan interest.

This is an industry still struggling to find its best practices, yet the simple snapshot could be an early one. The presence of photos attracts greater engagement across the board – for artists large and small, and regardless of the genre. And, those photos have mileage – according to Welt, 2.5 billion photos are uploaded onto Facebook a month, including artist pics. “This is universal,” Welt said.

This first-of-a-kind pact with industry leader Extreme will create Scoreganics, a new library of genre-focused television underscores inspired by AETN’s compelling programming. Combining the strengths of the two companies, the catalogue will have production music super-brand Extreme creating, branding, marketing and distributing the library internationally. The initial release of albums, Felony, Misdemeanor, Espionage, Curiosity, Courage, Hope and Joy, are available immediately with further exciting releases planned throughout the year.

The organic underscores in AETN’s original programming on A&E(R), HISTORY(TM), Lifetime(R), BIO(TM) and HITM have inspired the creation of Scoreganics. Doug
Jacobs credited Jennifer Insogna, of AETN’s Music Services Group, as the driving force behind the digital library initiative with Extreme.

Extreme’s Taylor said: “Sometimes less is more . . . it can be all too easy to allow music to distract the viewer from great visuals. There is a massive gap in the market for a visually sensitive soundtrack library specially constructed to be acoustically sympathetic. Scoreganics is now set to fill that gap.”

In her statement, Insogna said, “Filling a need in contemporary production music, Scoreganics has been meticulously created using AETN’s stable of premier composers. With its renowned catalog, powerful search tools and intuitive user interface, Extreme Music is the perfect partner to bring Scoreganics to the production music community.”

Russell Emanuel added: “This is an interesting new take on production music. There can be no doubt that A&E’s composers have become expert at creating televisual sub-score by working 24/7 in this niche arena. We are excited to expose Scoreganics to Extreme’s global clients.”

This is the real thing, and most of the discussion online now surrounds quality. Actually, the band itself has now recognized the leak, and pre-emptively posted a stream on their website, whoismgmt.com.

The move allows the band to offer a higher-quality version, and solicit pre-orders. “Hey everybody, the album leaked, and we wanted you to be able to hear it from us,” a message from the band reads. “We wanted to offer it as a free download but that didn’t make sense to anyone but us.”

But of course, those wanting a download can simply click over to a number of alternatives, including the Pirate Bay.

The online availability allows access from anywhere (and anytime), perfect for professionals and even touring musicians. The course starts with a broader look at the shifting music industry and emerging technologies. It then winds through specific applications, sites, and methods for distributing and marketing music online. “By the end of this certificate program, you’ll have an in-depth understanding of the major changes and innovations affecting the music industry, a professional level understanding of both online and physical marketing strategies, and a fully timed, integrated, and optimized marketing plan that you can employ to build up your digital touch points, generate interest in your music, and sell your music online,” the course description explains.

Other future-focused courses are also on the way. That includes ‘Pro Tools: Virtual Instruments and Effects With Topspin’ and ‘Online Music Marketing with Topspin,’ both classes that starts early next month on Berkleemusic.com. The college is planning to officially disclose the courses later this afternoon.

But just how much investment is happening today?  The IFPI just released a report pegging current label investment at $5 billion annually, worldwide.  That is roughly 30 percent of broader revenues, a serious reinvestment on early-stage artist development and marketing.  On top of that, the IFPI estimates that labels commit more than $1 million to break artists into newer markets.  Money for advances, recordings, marketing and promotional activities are the largest expenses, often tipping hundreds-of-thousands of dollars, according to the group.

The findings are part of the just-published Investing in Music report.  The broader agenda is to promote anti-piracy measures, reaffirm the importance of labels to artists, and convince lawmakers that labels play an important role in the economy and culture.  “No other party comes close to the levels of investment committed by record companies to developing, nurturing and promoting talent,” said IFPI chief John Kennedy. 

But other parties are also starting to fill that role.  As the hype surrounding ‘DIY’ dies down, artists are realizing that teams and financial support are important for growth, though the partner itself can vary. Indeed, labels are not the only ones capable of bankrolling talent, and artists have more sidekick options than ever before.