Pepsi Launches The Sound Drop to Identify and Support the Next Generation of Breaking Artists in Partnership with iHeartMedia, Shazam and MTV

PURCHASE, N.Y., Aug. 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Pepsi today announced the launch of The Sound Drop, a new music platform, in partnership with iHeartMedia, Shazam and MTV, that will provide emerging artists with a powerful stage to promote their story, share their art and connect directly with their fans. The Sound Drop will officially launch at this weekend's MTV Video Music Awards with appearances by Lukas Graham, Alessia Cara and Jidenna, the first to become part of the platform. 

The Sound Drop identifies the next generation of breaking artists and then heightens awareness by promoting the artist to millions of fans across the country through iHeartMedia's platforms. Shazam will provide additional amplification through artist discovery and introduction, while Viacom Velocity, Viacom and MTV's integrated marketing and internal creative agency will create and help distribute content that tells each artist's inspirational story.

There is also a significant social component, leveraging influencer networks and providing additional visibility through social media platforms. All of the on-air, mobile and social amplification will direct music lovers to the content, enabling them to discover more about the individual artists.

"The music industry has changed dramatically, making it even more difficult for artists to cut through the clutter – we've created an amplification platform that will provide greater visibility for the artists, allow them to share the stories that helped shape them and ultimately, connect fans to the artists in a more meaningful way. Supporting new artists is incredibly important to us, The Sound Drop will be the destination for the next crop of breakthrough artists and the goal is to help create a success story for each," said Emma Quigley, Head of Music, PepsiCo. "For decades, Pepsi has harnessed the power of music to connect with generations of fans like no other brand has done before and we're excited to partner with some of the music industry titans to do it again in a new and innovative way."

The goal of The Sound Drop is to launch a new artist with corresponding content approximately 10 times throughout the calendar year. Additionally, The Sound Drop featured artists will perform an intimate show at Kola House – a new restaurant and lounge opening this Fall in NYC's Meatpacking neighborhood.

"We are thrilled to partner with Pepsi and help amplify this music initiative and bring awareness of these emerging artists and their music," said Tom Poleman, President of National Programming Group at iHeartMedia. "We are passionate about artist development and through the power of our massive reach and multiplatform assets we can connect music fans across the country with these artists and their stories in a big way."  

"For listeners, Shazam has become the best way to discover and share the content they love. For artists, it has become the industry standard in how they connect with their very first fans," said Greg Glenday, CRO, Shazam. "We are extremely pleased to see brands like Pepsi engage wide audiences and activate consumers globally with Shazam."

For more information visit http://www.thesounddrop.com and #thesounddrop to join the conversation.

About PepsiCo:
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $63 billion in net revenue in 2015, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth and shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where we operate. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

About iHeartMedia:
With over a quarter of a billion monthly listeners in the U.S. and over 85 million social followers, iHeartMedia has the largest reach of any radio or television outlet in America. It serves over 150 markets through 858 owned radio stations, and the company's radio stations and content can be heard on AM/FM, HD digital radio, satellite radio, on the Internet at iHeartRadio.com and on the company's radio station websites, on the iHeartRadio mobile app, in enhanced auto dashes, on tablets and smartphones, and on gaming consoles.

iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia's digital radio platform, is the No. 1 all-in-one digital audio service with over a billion downloads; it reached its first 20 million registered users faster than any digital service in Internet history and reached 90 million registered users faster than any other radio or digital music service and even faster than Facebook.  The company's operations include radio broadcasting, online, mobile, digital and social media, live concerts and events, syndication, music research services and independent media representation. iHeartMedia is a division of iHeartMedia, Inc. (OTCBB: IHRT). Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.

About Shazam:
Shazam is one of the world's most popular apps, used by hundreds of millions of people each month to magically connect to the world around them. Building on its pioneering leadership in music identification, Shazam now helps people discover, interact with, and share video, audio, or printed content on TV, radio, movie screens, magazines, newspapers, packaged goods, and retail stores -- and now Shazam lets music fans follow their favorite artists to see their Shazams and share in the thrill of discovery. The app has exceeded 20 billion total Shazams since its launch, and users Shazam over 20 million times each day. For more information about Shazam, follow us on Twitter @Shazam or visit www.shazam.com

About MTV:
MTV is a global youth culture brand driven by the creative spirit of music.   For more information, check out http://www.mtvpress.com.  MTV is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA). 

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