http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118903788315518780.html?mod=hps_us_pageone

Download This: YouTube Phenom Has a Big Secret
Singer Marié Digby Isn't Quite What She Appears; 'Make People Like Me'

By ETHAN SMITH and PETER LATTMAN
September 6, 2007; Page A1

A 24-year-old singer and guitarist named Marié Digby has been hailed as proof that the
Internet is transforming the world of entertainment.

What her legions of fans don't realize, however, is that Ms. Digby's career demonstrates
something else: that traditional media conglomerates are going to new lengths to take
advantage of the Internet's ability to generate word-of-mouth buzz.

Ms. Digby's simple, homemade music videos of her performing popular songs have been
viewed more than 2.3 million times on YouTube. Her acoustic-guitar rendition of the R&B
hit "Umbrella" has been featured on MTV's program "The Hills" and is played regularly on
radio stations in Los Angeles, Sacramento and Portland, Ore. Capping the frenzy, a press
release last week from Walt Disney Co.'s Hollywood Records label declared: "Breakthrough
YouTube Phenomenon Marié Digby Signs With Hollywood Records."

What the release failed to mention is that Hollywood Records signed Ms. Digby in 2005, 18
months before she became a YouTube phenomenon. Hollywood Records helped devise her
Internet strategy, consulted with her on the type of songs she chose to post, and
distributed a high-quality studio recording of "Umbrella" to iTunes and radio stations.

In an Aug. 16 blog posting on her MySpace page, Ms. Digby wrote: "I NEVER in a million
years thought that doing my little video of Umbrella in my living room would lead to this
. tv shows, itunes, etc !!!"
WSJ's Peter Lattman explains how musician Marié Digby represents traditional media
conglomerates' attempts at generating word-of-mouth buzz via the Internet.

Ms. Digby's MySpace and YouTube pages don't mention Hollywood Records. Until last week, a
box marked "Type of Label" on her MySpace Music page said, "None." After inquiries from
The Wall Street Journal, the entry was changed to "Major," though the label still is not
named.

The artist and her label say there's nothing untoward about the campaign. In interviews,
Ms. Digby and executives at the company describe her three-month string of successes as
part of a lengthy process of laying the groundwork for the upcoming release of her debut
album.

Ms. Digby says she doesn't mention her record label on her Web sites because "I didn't
feel like it was something that was going to make people like me."

Feigning Amateur Status

Ms. Digby certainly isn't the first professional to feign amateur status on YouTube. Last
year, "LonelyGirl15" was revealed to be a 19-year-old actress, working with filmmakers
represented by the Creative Artists Agency.

The fact that a big company supported Ms. Digby's ruse reflects how dearly media giants
want in on the viral revolution that's changing how young consumers learn about new
entertainment -- even if it means a tiny bit of sleight-of-hand. It also reflects how
difficult it is for new recording artists to get noticed now that young fans are paying
more attention to Web sites such as Google Inc.'s YouTube and News Corp.'s MySpace than
to traditional media like commercial radio.
[The YouTube home page for singer Marie Digby.]
The YouTube home page1 for singer Marie Digby.

"There are significant challenges in breaking new artists now, but there are also amazing
opportunities," says Ken Bunt, Hollywood Records' senior vice president for marketing who
helped devise Ms. Digby's campaign. "People get so mired in the difficulties they don't
say, 'What opportunities does online present?' This is a great example of an opportunity."

Though all involved say that Hollywood Records' role in her online rise has been limited,
label executives say they did nothing to discourage Ms. Digby from conveying the
impression that she had stumbled into the spotlight. Ms. Digby says she chose the songs.
Hollywood Records bought the Apple Inc. laptop computer and software that Ms. Digby --
who lives with her parents in Los Angeles's upscale Brentwood neighborhood -- used to
post her YouTube videos. Her version of "Umbrella" that is being sold at Apple's iTunes
Store is a high-quality studio recording made in June by Hollywood Records, which also
made it available to radio stations.

Ms. Digby, whose exotic looks reflect her Japanese and Irish heritage, began writing
songs as a high-school student and set off in search of a music career during her
freshman year at the University of California, Berkeley. She says she found herself
flying back to Los Angeles almost every week to play solo gigs at open-microphone nights
at clubs. At age 19, she left Berkeley and concentrated full-time on music.

While Ms. Digby won regular bookings at nightclubs, things didn't begin to click until a
chance encounter with Barry Krost, a music manager whose past clients have included Cat
Stevens. He took her on as a client and in early 2005 secured her a publishing deal with
Rondor Music, a publisher that is part of Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group.

In late 2005, Ron Moss, Rondor's executive vice president, connected Ms. Digby to a
Hollywood Records executive named Allison Hamamura, who was immediately taken with the
singer. Before the year was out, Hollywood Records had signed Ms. Digby. Since then, the
label has worked with the singer on her debut album of original songs. The album was
produced by Tom Rothrock, who also recorded a recent hit record by British singer James
Blunt.

Once the album was completed late last year, Ms. Digby and her label began looking for
ways to gain visibility. "I was coming out of nowhere," Ms. Digby says. "I wanted to find
a way to get some exposure."

That's when the idea of posting simple videos of cover songs came up. "No one's going to
be searching for Marié Digby, because no one knows who she is," Mr. Bunt, the Hollywood
Records senior vice president, reasoned. So she posted covers of hits by Nelly Furtado
and Maroon 5, among others, so that users searching for those artists' songs would
stumble on hers instead. Her version of Rihanna's "Umbrella" proved a nearly instant hit.

Marié Digby's homemade YouTube music videos, in which she covers popular songs and sings
her own compositions, helped launch her career. But the 24-year-old singer and guitarist
had help from a record label. Below, links to some of her

The Lucky Nobody

As Ms. Digby's star rose, other media outlets played along. When Los Angeles
adult-contemporary station KYSR-FM, which calls itself "Star 98.7," interviewed Ms. Digby
in July, she and the disc jockey discussed her surprising success. "We kind of found her
on YouTube," the DJ, known as Valentine, said. Playing the lucky nobody, Ms. Digby said:
"I'm usually the listener calling in, you know, just hoping that I'm going to be the one
to get that last ticket to the Star Lounge with [pop star] John Mayer!" The station's
programming executives now acknowledge they had booked Ms. Digby's appearance through
Hollywood Records, and were soon collaborating with the label to sell "Umbrella" as a
single on iTunes.

"We did discover this artist through YouTube," says KYSR Program Director Charese Fruge.
The DJ couldn't be reached for comment.

"I don't think we need a television show to find talent in America," crowed NBC
late-night talk show host Carson Daly, introducing a performance by Ms. Digby last month.
"We have the Internet." Mr. Daly's music booker, Diana Miller, says she booked the singer
through Hollywood Records' public-relations department.

At the show's taping, Ms. Digby gave a backstage interview that was posted online by NBC.
"I just did this YouTube video two months ago and never, ever imagined that it would
actually get me on TV or radio or anything like that," she said. "I just did it in my
living room and it blew up first on YouTube and then I guess it got to Star 98.7 and then
Carson Daly found me so that's why I'm here."

Most of Ms. Digby's new fans seem pleased to believe that they discovered an underground
sensation. A YouTube user posting a message in response to a cover of Linkin Park's "What
I've Done" wrote, "you truely have talent! get urself out there...if u really wanted im
positive u could land some sick record deals!! id buy a CD 4 sure!"

At a concert last week at a Los Angeles nightclub called the Hotel Cafe, Ms. Digby played
to a sold-out crowd of young fans. Even with the club's handful of tables reserved for
Hollywood Records executives and their guests, Ms. Digby continued to play the ingénue.
Introducing "Umbrella," Ms. Digby told the audience: "I just turned on my little iMovie,
and here I am!"

Write to Ethan Smith at ethan.smith@wsj.com6 and Peter Lattman at peter.lattman@wsj.com

duped again

"We did discover this artist through YouTube," says KYSR Program Director Charese Fruge.

---------

bullshit.

Inevitable label tactic. I figured "What the hell" and posted this elsewhere, especially on MySpaz... Wonder how many flamers I'll get?

Well, If I was stupid enough to sign with an RIAA label, I'd probably not want to admit it either.

Perhaps it's a good sign when the Industry has to pretend they are not involved and fake like the artist is an indie when trying to sell one of their slaves.

Major Media now owns YouTube, so this
kind of thing may be easier to spot.


" Ms. Digby's simple, homemade music videos of her performing popular songs have been
viewed more than 2.3 million times on YouTube. "

Popular songs .. that didn't get taken down.
A woman takes a video of her kid,
with a Prince song in the bacground,
and gets taken down, and yet this
person performing pop tunes doesn't ?

That would make me suspicious.

Expect many more 'revelations' in the
coming weeks, now that the majors
control YouTube.

" Ms. Digby says she doesn't mention her record label on her Web sites because "I didn't
feel like it was something that was going to make people like me."

Damn right.
Deception makes me like you even less.

Her biggest fans have tossed that WSJ article out, saying it's nothing more than negative attention... I'm afraid to say that some people will never see the bad in the music industry, they think the sun shines out of its' arse... And probably kiss it too, just for a deal. Well, if they want to learn the hard way, fine... Just keep exposing fakes like Marie who give us REAL indie artists a bad name.

In case the industry is still trying to figure out why sales are at an all time low, this explains a lot.

Lack of sincerity.

Would-be buyers can sense it from miles away. It comes through in the songs themselves... even when you're not paying attention to the hype.

Makes me wonder if the "legions of fans" are a street team, as well. You know... to create the illusion...

"Everybody else likes it, so there's obviously something wrong with you, if you don't".

Of course, what can you expect from the same media machinery that could make you believe that a kid could fly on a bicycle with an alien?

" Makes me wonder if the "legions of fans" are a street team, as well. You know... to create the illusion... "

I have little doubt of this.

Youtube is sucking more and more every day, this is just more proof.

We get occasional in the forums from UMG, and I usually follow them to MyDeadSpace. One actually listed type of label as independent--name of label, UMG. They never give up, though.

headline: Major Label pretends to be Indie (again)

good news for the truely Indies tho', a well planned "attack" could work. Send yer CD to all the radio stations (with royality-free letter perhaps?), get yer mysuck... er myspace page all ready, a youtube page all ready, and a 'net store stocked and waiting to sell yer CD, mp3s, ringtones.... and never stop gigin' at the bars! (webcasts from the bar?!?)