Music albums prefer regional music TV channels as an advertising medium, and they prefer the commercial breaks on TV to programmes tailored for them.

These are the key findings of a special report prepared by Adex India, a division of Tam Media Research, recently. The report, which contrasted the use of TV by film trailers and music albums, also found that while music albums used the medium extensively in the first quarter of 2007, the trailers have beaten them in the second quarter.

Clearly, the film trailers are leading the segment when it comes to pushing their wares, either through the commercial breaks or in programme placements on TV. Film trailers grabbed nearly two thirds of advertising volumes in the trailers/albums segment, accounting for 64 per cent of the volumes in H1 2007. Music albums had to be content with a share of 36 per cent.

An analysis of the commercial breaks versus in programme activities shows that 69 per cent of advertising by music albums is during the commercial breaks. In contrast, filmmakers use a more judicious mix - 50 per cent during the commercial breaks and 50 per cent during the programmes. An average 1800 ads were put out by filmmakers for their flicks in the six month period, equally across breaks and prgrammes.

The corresponding figures for music albums stand at 1353 ads during breaks and 628 during the programmes. Music Albums used nearly half of advertising frequency during programming compared to that during Commercial breaks, indicating that music album ads are supposed to catch eyeballs only between shows and not during programmes dedicated to such promos.

It is also the regional music albums that are receiving a greater push through television, it would appear. 59 per cent of of music album ads were put out on regional music channels during the six month period, and 22 per cent on regional general entertainment channels. A mere five per cent were devoted to Hindi music channels, while the Hindi GECs do not even figure signficantly on their list. Compare this with the film trailers, which made extensive use of regional GEC, along with Hindi music and Hindi movie channels too.

The Hindi GECs, as expected, however, tops the list when it comes to in program advertising in both categories. Music Albums used maximum advertising on Hindi GEC followed by Regional GEC.Regional GEC ranked higher in Music albums than Film Trailers.

Lastly, it was Universal Music that made maximum use of TV for promoting its music albums during June 2007. These were the top 10 new music albums that made it to television during June 2007.