Recent Highlights: Q4 2024

As you wind down over the holidays why not have a read through a selection of D2C campaigns and store launches across the Ochre platform during Q4 including: Over The Garden Wall, Justice, Squid, Ezra Furman, Potter Payper, Rahim Redcar, Because Music Group, Marathon Music Group, Far Out Recordings and Various Black Friday offers,

Black Friday

Oasis / Sub Pop / Mutant / Ezra Collective / Mexican Summer / Brownswood / Chrysalis

We’ve just come out of a busy and successful back Friday period. Every year black Friday gives clients an opportunity to push their D2C stores, leading to a healthy end of the year bump in revenues.

And this year we’ve seen a raft of interesting marketing from both artist and label clients, ranging from discounts across entire catalogues, reductions on certain items and free shipping via a mix of promo codes, unique voucher codes and strike through sales.

Over The Garden Wall

Mutant's official reproduction of the original Over The Garden Wall - Read & Listen Book and 7-inch in association with WaterTower Music and Cartoon Network proved very popular.

Faithfully reproduced, down to the screen-printed kraft mailer and publicity insert, this 70's style tie-in story book tells a truncated version of Wirt and Greg and Beatrice's journey through the Unknown, complete with a playable 7-inch vinyl record to listen along with.

Along side this, a "For Sara" cassette featuring 20 minutes of Poetry and Clarinet was also launched. Recorded on overdubbed analog cassettes with original cast members Elijah Wood (Wirt) and Collin Dean (Greg) reprising their roles, littered with easter eggs, emotional performances and thematic resolutions. Previously produced in limited quantities nearly a decade ago, this is the first time the cassette has been available in years, just in time for the series 10th anniversary.

View store

Justice

Justice dropped a line of US tour merch that was on sale for 48 hours only with some really great designs, the duo then put the line of t-shirts back on sale for another 48 hours to coincide with black Friday.

View store

Squid

Warp announced the pre-order of “Cowards”, the forthcoming third album by Squid.

Music options available at launch included limited clear vinyl, black vinyl, CD, cassette and HQ digital, as well as a deluxe vinyl that comes with a limited 10” vinyl featuring additional tracks.

Cro-magnon hoodie, cap and pictograph t-shirt’s are being offered bundled with music formats. And fans who pre-ordered the album received early access to presale tickets for February’s UK tour dates.

View store

Ezra Furman

In December we were very happy to welcome Ezra Furman to the platform.

The website ezrafurman.com re-launched featuring full back catalogue, books and new merch items.

View store

Potter Payper

Potter Payper dropped his brand new mixtape “Nightmare Before Christmas” including features from Aitch, Fredo, Tunde and Skinny Flex!

Deluxe and standard versions were available to pre-order on CD. Along with a Smart Format poster, that has a NFC sticker which fans can scan with a mobile phone to access additional digital content powered by Serenade.

Serenade’s Smart Formats have been in market since mid 2024 and are physical merch items that unlock chart eligible music and bonus content. Chart eligible in UK, IRE, AUS, NZ, Germany, Austria, Belgium and NL. Serenade’s unique technology means that fans can tap these physical goods on their phone in the pre-order window to unlock instant grat content whilst registering a chart sale. Bonus content can be updated and the physical items can be sold off artist store as well as merch desk and pop ups. Learn more about Serenade Smart Formats here

View store

Rahim Redcar

Rahim Redcar, formerly Christine and the Queens, announced the new album Hopecore with an exclusive transparent pink vinyl and Hopecore tour t-shirt.

The store also stocked back catalogue of previous albums by Chritine and the Queens.

View store

Because Music / Marathon Music Group / Far Out Recordings

In Q4 we saw more amazing independent labels use the Ochre platform to build and launch full catalogue label stores.

Making use of unique core features, allowing labels to deliver digital via DDEX automating product creation and managing music catalogues via bulk updates. Whilst their music meta-data automatically drives the front end customer experience. More info on label stores here.