Non-music global brands primarily oriented at younger generation, such as Levi’s or Coca-Cola, often launch music-related projects to engage its cans and support younger talents in the field of music, which means a lot to teens and young adults. For example, Converse has launched its Rubber Tracks studio to provide emerging artists with an opportunity to record their tracks in a professional studio, and the red soft drink giant offered its fans a chance to help Maroon5 create a new song. If consumer brands do so much to support emerging musicians and songwriting talents, youth entertainment labels should go even further (or at least, be at the same level). And they do. MTV, the youth’s favourite music channel across the globe, launches its new program dubbed Local Produce to support local artists in Australia and New Zealand.

Photo: Local Produce program’s logo

“If you tally up music video programming across all the MTV screens, we’re playing more than ever before and Local Produce creates a platform for artists to break away from the pack,” said Rebecca Batties, GM, Music & Comedy, MTV Australia & New Zealand. “Local Produce carves out a much-deserved space on MTV to crank up the volume and shout about amazing Australian and New Zealand artists.”

The new initiative that starts in February across Australia and New Zealand will promote selected 10 emerging artists throughout the year, providing them with everything one may need to become a real star. The channel will give “airtime, video rotation, tour support and background content for them to share with their fan base and MTV videos,” which will definitely help them boost their popularity in a very short period. The team behind the project has only three month before the project’s launch, so they are working hard reviewing the record labels’ submissions now to choose the best participants for Local Produce. Batties also commented that there’ll be “a strong digital element” of the project, so audience will be able to track the artists’ promotion and support them online (the details are now kept under wraps).