As a mainstay in the Columbia Records promotion family Pete Cosenza has worked with the biggest acts in music as well as some the industry’s brightest executives. His ten years in radio prior to joining Columbia also gave him a unique perspective on the radio/record relationship. Pete shares his thoughts on the success of Adele, the power of relationships and the future of record promotion.
Pete Cosenza
By Mark LaSpina
Pete Cosenza knows radio. Prior to joining Columbia Records in 1994 as their Mid-Atlantic regional rep, he spent ten years in programming and marketing at the likes of Q106/San Diego, WTIC/Hartford, WKCI/New Haven and WAEB/Allentown. His radio background and knowledge would play a key role in his development in the world of promotion. In 1996 he was named New York regional rep and in 1997 he took on National Top 40 duties. Since 1999 he has served as Head of Adult Formats. Pete boasts a strong passion for music, along with respect for the stations he works with. It’s that type of understanding that keeps him at the top of his field.
You’ve been a cornerstone in the Columbia promotion family for many years and have learned under some of the industry’s finest executives. Share a little of the knowledge you gained from them.
It all starts with a passion for music, whether it was Don Ienner, Burt Baumgartner, Jerry Blair, Charlie Walk or now Lee Leipsner, Steve Barnett and Rob Stringer. There has always been an incredible passion for music, and with that passion comes the mindset that we will always go above and beyond for every one of our artists. The music they’ve created is their art and we have an opportunity and obligation to help bring it to the world.
Talk about the success of the Adele project. Did you know you had something special right away?
We believed in Adele from day one, going back to her debut album with the single “Chasing Pavements.” While we got a lot of resistance to the track from American radio, we continued to drive the song home because we believed although it was very different, it WAS special and would resonate on the radio with the audience. We eventually broke through and she won many fans (and a couple of Grammys). When she gave us her second album, we thought, wow, she outdid herself. This album was even more magical than the first, and while it was artistically genius, it had A LOT of commercial appeal. We knew we had something special right away, especially with singles like “Rolling In The Deep,” “Someone Like You” and “Rumour Has It.”
The Tony Bennett duets project features some very unique collaboration. How did the pairings come about?
Who wouldn’t want to work with Tony? This guy is the classiest artist I’ve ever worked with. His music is timeless. I have to believe it is any artist’s dream to work with such a legendary figure.
As the music industry continues to downsize, what is the one thing you have to constantly remind yourself of with respect to the business of promotion?
Great relationships always have been and always will be the most powerful tools you have. They are the basis for success. By constantly creating new relationships and building on existing ones, you greatly increase your opportunities to win. A unique sounding song has a much better shot at getting a listen or a play on the radio when it’s being promoted by someone who has built trust with radio programmers. A smash one listen song will get played no matter what, but if you’ve got a great bond with the decision makers, so much more can happen for the artist/song over the long term life of the project.
What is currently the biggest obstacle to overcome in the promotion process to radio?
Getting people to go with their gut. Music is art! While many still feel there is so much art to programming radio stations and promoting music, there is often too much emphasis on the science of it. The science is important and a key part of the winning formula, but we can’t forget what makes people turn up the radio when they hear a song they love: emotion, passion, heart and soul.
Has PPM changed the way you promote music?
To some degree. The PPM methodology shows that people are not listening for the longer periods of times we thought they were. As a result, we have to constantly encourage programmers to give songs a little more time to develop. People are not becoming familiar with music because they’re not hearing it enough. And programmers are not necessarily going to play songs more often to help increase familiarity so we have to get them to stick with them longer. At the same time, because of PPM and Mscores, programmers are more aware that a song might be causing tune out. NOT necessarily because it’s bad; it might be unfamiliar or have a unique sound that the listener is not used to hearing. Again, we’ve got to work with programmers to stick with a song, because people might not love it after a few listens. It can take some time for the passion for a song to develop. Some of the biggest and best songs are not one, two or three listen songs. But over time, with many plays/listens, they become favorites and stick around for a long time.
How patient do labels have to be given the deliberate nature of how radio reacts to new artists these days?
Extremely patient, which I believe is one of the biggest reasons for our success. We dig in for the long haul when we believe we have something that is career defining. We don’t like taking six to nine months to break a song, but if that’s what it takes to break through and have a big long term win with the artist, we will do it every time.
What have you found to be the most effective “set-up” vehicles prior to impacting Adult radio?
Lots of time to play music for people. Repeat listens is often the key. When appropriate, I love getting programmers in front of the artist at some kind of showcase/performance. The connections that are made at these events are often long lasting.
What do you look for when partnering with radio on promotion initiatives?
All I ever ask for is a fair shot for the music/artist/label. If we (artist/label) are making a long term commitment to support the music on the air, in person or on-line, it’s only fair that our radio partners make the same commitment.
What have been the most satisfying projects you’ve worked on over the course of your time at Columbia?
John Mayer “Heavier Things,” Train “Save Me, San Francisco” and Adele “21”
What’s your assessment of the industry and where it’s headed in the future?
While our industries are going through revolutionary changes, there are a few constants to be excited about. 1) The listening/buying public will always appreciate great music. Whether the songs are powerful or emotional or just plain old hook driven fun, they will react to the music and have an unending desire to hear it on the radio! 2) Relationships are the foundation to any good business – our industries are no different. Whether it’s 50 people or 150 people making the decisions, having solid relationships with each other will result in meaningful things happening for each partner. 3) This is the entertainment business. People want to be entertained. Be creative, be smart, have fun and ENTERTAIN!
What has been your biggest personal career highlight?
There are two. One was introducing John Mayer to radio and breaking him wide open to the masses. He was a complete unknown with a new sound when we started. The singer/songwriter sound was updated from many years earlier and was “new” to Adult and Pop programmers. The other was putting Train back on top, starting with “Hey, Soul Sister.”
What advice would you offer to up and coming promotion reps?
When you have something you believe in, go after it with unbridled passion. Be smart, creative, have fun and look for unique ways to get your message across.
Are you still playing the drums?
Yes. I drum on anything I can get my hands and feet on!
[eQB Content by Mark LaSpina]
