Service Tiers
Clifton Consults offers three levels of service.
Full Consultancy
Clients engage the practice on projects with a set goal. Timelines and deliverables are agreed, as well as a fee structure based on time required to complete the project; scope of work can be tailored to fit budgets, or a retainer structure established. Full consultancy clients enjoy dedicated weekly check-ins and regular status reports.
Situation Audit
The practice offers an intensive one week project commitment for clients looking for a finite engagement. Relevant staff and leadership in the client organisation as well as external stakeholders will be consulted; relevant data will be viewed and analysed. At the end of the week a report with recommended actions and next steps will be delivered and meetings held to discuss findings.
Hourly Consultancy
Clients value external perspectives and expertise to mull over ideas, discuss specific issues or get advice on business problems. Clifton Consults offers one-hour consultations which are a cost-effective means to get support and are very easily bookable.
Specialist Areas
The New Music Economy: the value chain that exposes and connects artists to potential fans has completely changed in the last five years. Old certainties and ways of working are no longer effective. Clifton Consults works with management companies, record labels and other music firms to navigate this evolving landscape. They work with clients to refocus their vision and purpose, to break down the constituent elements artist development process, to overhaul their streaming strategy and to develop resources in insight and analysis. The practice also helps optimise label catalogues for streaming and for re-monetisation through e-commerce and D2C. The consultancy has helped frontline major labels reimagine their artist-focused strategies, as well as advised independent labels in niche genres on the next phase of their evolution.
Fan Engagement and Commerce: the barriers in the relationship between artist and fan have broken down; artists and their teams are now laser-focused on building better infrastructures to capture and monetise that relationship. Additionally, artists need to devise and deploy cohesive strategies to communicate and engage with, as well as sell to, their fans. Clifton Consults are experts in this area, advising on fan valuation, fan engagement, physical music and merchandise, direct-to-fan infrastructure and commerce, subscription economics, distribution and retail.
Music and Entertainment Technology: founder and principal Patrick Clifton led the launch and growth of a number of music and entertainment products for Amazon in the UK, from Prime Music to Amazon Music Unlimited, Amazon Podcasts to Livestreams on Amazon and Twitch. He has subsequently worked with and advised start-ups and early-stage companies in both consumer and B2B technology. Clifton Consults can advise on product, funding, go-to-market, growth, business development, organisational and content, licensing and artist strategies.
Business Advisory & Development: growing businesses are faced with critical decisions on strategic direction, brand positioning, business expansion and resource allocation. Clifton Consults are not only on hand to provide clients with advice, but also to devise and execute business development plans, connecting them with Patrick’s extensive network of contacts in music and tech.
Other Services
Analysis & Insight: Clifton Consults delivers MBA/tech-firm-quality data analysis and can brief, source, and interpret qualitative and quantitative insight methodologies.
Moderation, Training & Facilitation: we regularly present to clients, conferences and educational establishments on a number of topics pertinent to music and tech. We can also host participant-led seminars and can deliver coaching and training.
Sourcing & Hiring: as part of our organisational design expertise, we are able to scope candidate briefs, source for talent and hire for new roles.
Institutional Expert: Clifton Consults is the member of a number of so-called “expert networks”. These companies take care of the regulatory requirements for advice which allows us to act as advisors to private equity, venture capital, investment bank, and corporate clients looking to learn about the music industry. We also participate in advisory boards. Please contact us for a list of expert network partners.