Five Questions for Chris Maehr – Director of Content Operations & Programming, Vevo

by Jamison Antoine

Chris Maehr is the Director of Content Operations & Programming at Vevo. Prior to this role, he was the Manager of Mobile and Video production at Universal Motown, where he launched successful mobile marketing campaigns for Lil Wayne, Taylor Swift, and Q-Tip.

Q1 - What makes experiencing music content unique on Vevo?

Chris Maehr - We’re going to program content that matters to music fans. Artists are the new movie stars. If you want to view the latest blockbuster Nicki Minaj video the second it hits the web, you can on VEVO. If you can’t make it to SXSW or Coachella, VEVO has got you covered with news, interviews, and performance clips as the independent festivals are happening. We’re offering a product that can be tailored to your musical preferences by syncing with Facebook and your iTunes library. We’re incorporating our apps into your Apple TV and your Xbox so access to music content is truly “on demand.”

Q2 - When you think of artist development, Vevo isn’t the first name that comes to mind. Can you speak to some of the programs Vevo has for emerging artists?

CM - We have two programs, Detected and LIFT. The Detected program highlights artists that have just arrived on the scene. The LIFT program is reserved for artists that are approaching the tipping point into the music world’s mainstream consciousness. These artists are ready to “break” and we want to help by putting 100% of VEVO’s promotional power behind them. We’ll shoot multiple video diaries, interviews, and an exclusive showcase. The events of the LIFT cycle are strategically timed to coincide with singles going to radio, videos premiering, major tour announcements, and an eventual album release. We want to make sure every view, like, and listen translates into continued sales and success for the artist.

Q3 - What are your top priorities at Vevo. Is there anything you’re psyched about?

CM - I’m excited about the updates we’ve made to our recommendation service. I’m looking forward to finding ways we can manipulate the information our partners send us and add extra layers with keywords and sub-genres to create the perfect mixture of back-end data that will serve the end user with content they didn’t even
know they wanted.

Q4 - How do catalog artists fit into the picture for Vevo? Is there an appetite for content from more seasoned artist a la live concerts, and rare footage?

CM - It’s important for us to find ways to incorporate our catalog into our regular programming. We can feature those artists in a daily feature like “Throwback Thursday” and the artists themselves can share a “Video Of The Week” on their own properties. Recently, we got our hands on a vintage James Brown concert from 1985 that featured B.B. King performing and Michael Jackson moonwalking on stage with J.B.!  Music fans will always have an appetite for the Icons and the “good old days,” you just have to make the content available.

Q5 - What service outside of Vevo, offers a great experience for music fans online?

CM - Spotify. Let’s face it, there are a ton of music streaming services to chose from. It just feels liberating, like an empty record store where anything you can think of is available for you to sample. The labels and artists have given the service their stamp of approval as well, which is very important to music fans.

Jamison Antoine is a social media marketer, with a background in A&R and e-commerce, at Island Def Jam and Universal Music Group, respectively. In his role at 360i, he’s responsible for developing content and analyzing social media campaigns for major brands.