> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.hypebot.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 3 Questions for Shannon Connolly, SVP Music Strategy for MTV/VH1/CMT on New Artist Hub - URL: https://www.hypebot.com/3-questions-for-shannon-connolly-svp-of-music-strategy-for-mtvvh1cmt-on-expanded-artist-hub/ - Published: 2013-04-18T09:59:52.000Z - Updated: 2013-04-18T09:59:52.000Z - Description: Today Viacom music properties including MTV, VH1 and CMT expanded their artist/fan hub to include direct opportunities for artists across the company's many online, broadcast and live channels. To learn. Continue reading [https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2013/04/3-questions-for-shannon-connolly-svp-o - Author: Bruce Houghton - Tags: DIY Advice & Tips, Music Business, Music Marketing, YouTube & Video, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 10:43 [![image from www.billboard.biz](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e2017eea5cd8ce970d-100wi "image from www.billboard.biz")](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e2017eea5cd8ce970d-popup?ref=hypebot.com) Today Viacom music properties including [MTV, VH1 and CMT expanded their](https://www.hypebot.com/mtv-vh1/) [artist/fan hub](https://www.hypebot.com/mtv-vh1/) to include direct opportunities for artists across the company's many online, broadcast and live channels. To learn more, we asked Shannon Connolly, SVP of Music Strategy for MTV,VH1 and CMT about how the artist opportunities hub encourages fan participation, brand involvement and direct to fan sales on the sites. **Hypebot**: A major component of the expanded artist hub is fan engagement. How have fans been using the sites, and will they be part of choosing which bands are chosen for various opportunities? **Connolly:** We’re seen strong fan engagement from the day we launched in beta, about 7 months ago. Currently, we have more 2 million music fans coming to the artist platform each month, and on average, they're spending over four minutes per visit. That means not only are they watching videos on individual artist's pages, they're navigating between different artist pages pretty fluidly, using features like "similar" and "home town" and "year started." This means the incredible traffic we see for an artist like [Macklemore & Ryan](http://www.mtv.com/artists/macklemore-ryan-lewis/?ref=hypebot.com) [Lewis](http://www.mtv.com/artists/macklemore-ryan-lewis/?ref=hypebot.com) will spill over to a similar but lesser known artist like [Blueprint](http://www.mtv.com/artists/blueprint/?ref=hypebot.com). [![image from www.hypebot.com](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201901b5f7f42970b-200wi "image from www.hypebot.com")](http://hypebot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b36c69e201901b5f7f42970b-popup?ref=hypebot.com) That's why we built the platform – for those serendipitous connections and moments of discovery. **Hypebot:** Brands are also part of your overall strategy. Can you explain a bit more about how that will work for artists. **Connolly:** Increasingly, we are hearing from our advertising partners that they are see value in linking their brands with artists and genres on the rise. With the launch of artist opportunities, we have the potential to work with brands to help find the artist that best suits their needs/goals and then create custom campaigns with tremendous scale that could play out across all of our platforms and screens. It's incredibly exciting actually, because we can pair our trusted A&R services with a television and web-platform with tremendous scale. There aren't many other places brands can get that today. We're in conversations with several brand partners and cant' wait to bring these opportunities to our community of 20K artists (and growing!) **Hypebot:** The announcement mentions plans for an artist commerce tool. What do you envision? **Connolly:** With our partner, Topspin, we'll be launching tools that allow artists to sell digital products directly to the CMT/VH1/MTV audience. Physical products will soon follow. We're also in discussions with some of the top digital and physical commerce providers about integrations that would yield revenue for artists and give fans a seamless way to support the artists they love. **MORE: [MTV, VH1, CMT Debut Free Artist Opportunities Hub](https://www.hypebot.com/mtv-vh1/)** Related articles [![](http://i.zemanta.com/152019424_80_80.jpg)](https://www.hypebot.com/poor-fan-engagement-is-costing-music-industry-450m-27b-annually-nielson-study/)[Poor Fan Engagement Is Costing Music Industry $450M – $2.7B Annually \[Nielson Study\]](https://www.hypebot.com/poor-fan-engagement-is-costing-music-industry-450m-27b-annually-nielson-study/) [![](http://i.zemanta.com/149709647_80_80.jpg)](https://www.hypebot.com/the-simple-truth-for-musicians-who-want-media-attention/)[Ryan Holiday Shares The Simple Truth For Musicians Who Want Media Attention](https://www.hypebot.com/the-simple-truth-for-musicians-who-want-media-attention/) [![](http://i.zemanta.com/155201724_80_80.jpg)](https://www.hypebot.com/next-big-thing-launches-a-reddit-for-music-music-news/)[Next Big Thing Launches Reddit For Music & Music News](https://www.hypebot.com/next-big-thing-launches-a-reddit-for-music-music-news/) [![](http://i.zemanta.com/151735878_80_80.jpg)](https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2013/03/the-artist-as-entrepeneur-d2f-more-with-ceo-of-.html)[The Artist As Entrepeneur, D2F & More w/CEO Of ioumusic \[Upward Spiral Podcast\]](https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2013/03/the-artist-as-entrepeneur-d2f-more-with-ceo-of-.html)