Flom asked the panel about disconnect that can exist between social and sales; that is, artists with strong digital metrics and social media presences who fail to sell records, which elicited a frank response from Lipman.
The Republic exec brought up the example of Austin Mahone, whose sales are less than expected. “The kid can close down any mall in America,” Lipman said, “but we are struggling to sell a meaningful amount of records.” Mahone’s new EP, “The Secret,” sold 46,000 copies this past week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, debuting at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. Lipman used a golf metaphor to explain what happened: “It sounds good, looks good; goes right in the weeds.”
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