Month: January 2016

Categories
Job Board News

Music Industry Job Board (1/31/16)

A lot has been written about the supposed dire state of the music industry, but truth be told there are a number of successful and growing companies, including record labels, that are thriving in 2016. In this column we bring together every job opening we can find from the companies responsible for building the future of the business and present them to you, our reader, in hopes of aiding you on your journey to join the global music industry professional family.

Each week we scour the internet for the latest and greatest job postings throughout the music industry. You can help us better serve our community by sending any job openings you find or have to james@haulix.com. Be sure to include the name of the company hiring, a detailed description of the position being offered, a desired start date, contact information, and any additional supplemental information you feel may be needed.

New openings:

Marketing Director (Sony Music – Nashville)

Job summary: Provide key input into development of strategic and tactical marketing campaigns. Serve as project manager. Communicate with artist management. Provide budget oversight. Evaluate effectiveness of campaign

Festival Specialist (Red Bull – Atlanta) 

Job summary: The Festival Specialist is responsible for assisting the Festival Manager in all aspects of their role’s business scope. This includes the development, management, production and success of all business unit (BU) sponsored music festivals; as well as assisting cross-functionally with On-Premise Marketing on large scale and big moment activations. The ideal candidate should be passionate about live event production, experiential marketing, festivals and both the nightlife & music scenes. This position will operate cross functionally with On-Premise Marketing/Sales, Culture Marketing, Operations, Activations, Consumer Collecting, Brand, Key Accounts and outside vendors to drive Red Bull’s relevance within the festival landscape. The Festival Specialist will ensure quality event execution at larger A-Top festivals/image building events as well as leading the development and on-site execution of select A-Image and A-Volume festivals/events including multi-city tours.

Digital Advertising Coordinator (Orchard – NYC) 

Job summary: The Orchard seeks an enthusiastic individual for the Digital Advertising Department with a passion for music, film, video, and other media. This passion must be personal, but also exist as an academic interest in how these media are positioned within culture. To continue to advance our groundbreaking services to clients and owned/operated properties, You will report directly to the Director of Digital Advertising.

Event Crew/Activation Specialist (CMG Miami Radio – Miami) 

Job summary: Cox Media Group – Miami Radio has two part times positions for an Event Crew/Activation Specialist. Are you pursuing a career in Communications, Media, and/or Marketing? We are looking for outgoing, hard working and creative individuals to join our Marketing/ Promotions team.  Responsibilities include working on location at radio station events, live broadcasts, interacting with listeners, social media activation and clerical duties. Knowledge in video recording, editing and Photoshop are a plus. Ideal candidate is energetic, efficient and capable of multi-tasking in a lively fast paced environment. We are seeking a highly results oriented and talented individual with a passion for original entertainment to join our growing marketing team. The right candidate will be a team player who takes initiative with excellent written and verbal communication skills. All employees are expected to bring a positive attitude to the work place and be cheerful, cooperative and productive and to perform other such duties as may be required for the efficient operations of the stations.

Consumer Engagement Operations Manager (Universal – NYC) 

Job summary: Universal Music Group is seeking a Manager, Consumer Engagement Operations to manage and support creation and operational execution of consumer engagement campaigns, products, D2C stores and marketing campaigns.  The Manager will be the first line of command for the UMG Consumer Engagement Operations team in all D2C projects assigned, including involvement in artist strategy, product development, marketing and ecommerce, and help with collaboration with label departments (product managers, digital marketing, and artist management, etc.) during the release setup.  He/she will be responsible for overseeing and managing operational details associated with all D2C stores.

Director, Music Supervision & Partnership Marketing (Harmonix – Los Angeles) 

Job summary: Harmonix is looking for a music supervisor and music business expert, who has sophisticated knowledge of the music industry and who will be responsible for securing music/artist participation for inclusion in the game, add-on content, advertisements, trailers, promos, partnerships or any other form of visual media. The ideal candidate will act as the liaison for Harmonix with the music community. The role also includes engaging the music community from a marketing partnership perspective in order to leverage the artist/music in the games to create additional exposure and marketing opportunities. The level of partner participation varies from social posts by artists and gaming partners to in-game artist participation, live performances, advertisements, retail executions, etc. The music marketing partnership director will be responsible for fulfilling all marketing needs and driving execution from a music perspective. 

Associate Director Of Marketing (Florida Grand Opera – Miami) 

Job summary: As part of our new vision for the future, we are looking for an excellent, aggressive, career-minded professional for the position of Associate Director, Public Relations for Florida Grand Opera. Ideal candidates will have a strong knowledge of opera, a minimum of four years’ work experience in opera public relations or a closely related industry, as well as a Bachelor’s degree. Personal strengths must include strong attention to detail, knowledge of opera, hands-on experience with social media, and strong verbal and written communication skills. Ideal candidates will be self-directed, able to work independently and bi-lingual in English and Spanish.

Marketing Manager (TICKETON – Los Angeles, CA)

Job summary: We are actively looking for a self-motivated Box Office & Client Service Coordinator. This detail oriented position requires excellent organizational skills, professional interaction with management personnel, vendors, clients of all levels. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in ticketing software, client and customer service service. This position will oversee the day to day operations of the Box Office Department within the scope of generally accepted procedures and practices for a major clients nationwide.

Assistant Music Manager (Nike – NYC)

Job summary: Consumer conversations and relationships fuel the work of Nike Marketing. It’s the fuel that has built one of the most recognizable brands in the world. Nike Marketing captures the science, art and emotion of Nike’s innovations and connects them with the hearts, minds and souls of athletes. The pros in brand strategy, advertising, digital engagement, product presentation, consumer analytics and more foster consumer connections via channels ranging from Nike Stores to social media. They approach marketing in a way that only Nike can: taking risks, pushing boundaries and inspiring consumers to be champions.

Marketing and Communications Associate (Austin Opera – Austin, TX)

Job summary: The Marketing and Communications Associate is responsible for facilitating and overseeing the execution of all marketing and communications functions for the organization, with an emphasis on digital marketing. The Associate reports directly to the Marketing and Communications Strategist and interacts with web developers, graphic designers and other vendors that are identified by the organization to work on select projects.

Team Coordinator (Caroline/UMusic – Hollywood, CA)

Job summary: The ideal candidate will have Music or Entertainment experience and have experience supporting an SVP, GM or other high-level executive with discretion and confidentiality. Must be very efficient and highly attuned to the smallest of details. Multi-tasking and working on tight deadlines in a high pressure environment is crucial. No task is too small and no challenge too great. A “can-do” attitude is essential.

Account Executive (KCRW – Santa Monica, CA)

Job summary: In this outside sales position you will sell radio sponsorship messages, digital media and event sponsorships. An account executive in public media is similar to that of a salesperson in commercial broadcasting or local print media. In this consultative sales role you will make cold-calls to decision makers at local businesses, meet with them to understand their marketing needs and develop proposals that offer marketing solutions to help them grow their businesses. This is a full life cycle sales position in that you will prospect, conduct needs assessments, create and present proposals, close the deal, write copy and service the account. You will focus on developing new business while managing and growing an account list.

Assistant General Manager (Warner Theater – Washington DC)

Job summary: Full responsibility for all aspects of assisting with venue business operations. Passionate and motivated. Driven, with an entrepreneurial spirit. Resourceful, innovative, forward thinking and committed. At Live Nation Entertainment, our people embrace these qualities, so if this sounds like you then please read on!

Coordinator Music (Paramount – Hollywood)

Job summary: his position is responsible for coordinating and executing daily operations for Vice President, Motion Picture Music & Marketing, which are vital to the Department’s general workflow.

Music Publisher Relations (Apple – Santa Clara Valley, CA)

Job summary: This role in Apple Music and in iTunes is working with music publishers. Music publishers supply the songs that we all enjoy listening to in Apple Music. Your job will be to work with the publishers to develop the processes and systems and reports we need to make sure the songwriters around the world get paid for their work. It is a business critical role and you’ll need to be entrepreneurial, quick to turn around solutions to our partners and accurate in everything you do.

Marketing Director (Splice – NYC)

Job summary: We are looking for a marketing manager to join our team in NYC to run growth marketing initiatives for one of our products, Splice Sounds.  You will be responsible for driving new customer acquisition through planning, execution, and monitoring of marketing initiatives.  The ideal candidate will have experience growing sales at a consumer e-commerce startup.  Knowledge of music creator tools or music production appreciated but not required.

Marketing Coordinator (Beatport – Denver)

Job summary: Beatport is looking for a Marketing Coordinator to join our team. You will work with a cross-functional and will be responsible for coordinating, launching, and driving marketing projects along the critical path to completion.

Marketing Associate- Extreme (Sony – Santa Monica, CA)

Job summary: The Marketing Associate’s focus is front-line contact with clients and assisting the team in servicing the diverse needs of our professional music user clients. This involves contacting clients via email, telephone and in person on a day to day basis and all other aspects of client relations.

User Acquisition (Marketing) Associate (Backstage – NYC)

Job summary: At Backstage, we’re focused on providing the best career platform and marketplace to match actors and performers with talent seekers.The marketing team at Backstage is responsible for building brand awareness, focusing on growth and retaining our user base of performers. We are looking for a creative, technical, strategic and analytical marketing professional to join the team as our Marketing Associate. The role will report to the Vice President and Digital Director of Backstage and will work closely with product, marketing, engineering, and content teams across the business.You will be tasked with demand generation, traffic growth, strategic partnerships and conversion optimization using inbound and outbound marketing tactics. You will set up and use comprehensive analytics to support your strategy and execution of user growth. As a company we really value problem solvers and being able to learn a new technical skill (in a day).

Concert Promoter (The Brain Trust – Boston)

Job summary: Want to go to concerts and live music shows in the Boston area for FREE, while developing your resume and work experience in the marketing or music industry? The Brain Trust is looking for music lovers in the Boston area who are interested in doing concert promotion in exchange for FREE admission to a wide variety of quality live music events. Promotion can include online posts, as well as hanging up flyers in your neighborhood.

Artist Manager (O-Town Records – Orlando)

Job summary: O-Town Music Group is seeking an Artist & Repertoire Manager. A&R Managers are creative people with good business skills and a solid understanding of the music marketplace. It is not enough to like the music, an A&R Manager needs an excellent knowledge of the contemporary music scene and to understand what sells.The main job is picking acts that will be successful and then working with the act to find the right producers and writers. The process is very much a nurturing one to ensure the band or solo artist impacts at the right time with the right material. Besides scouting for new artist the a&r manager also manages the current roster of artist. Duties include booking performances for artist, updating social media for artist,booking tv appearances and publicity for artist, booking recording studios for artist and much more.

Digital Sales & Marketing Coordinator (Naxos of America – Franklin, TN)

Job summary: Naxos of America is hiring a full time Digital Sales & Marketing Coordinator position who will report to the Director of Digital Sales. The candidate will do a variety of tasks such as helping manage and organize new release information, curating playlists, organizing and prepping marketing plans as well as digital sales reports.

Music Licensing Representative (Naxos Of America – Franklin, TN)

Job summary: Our ideal candidate has a passion for constantly finding new music, a working knowledge of the classical music genre, a strong and proven sales background, and a desire to discover new licensing opportunities day in and day out. Strong communication skills, knowledge of U.S. copyright law (as it pertains to sound recordings/musical compositions), and the confidence required to effectively communicate with clients, music supervisors, and industry leaders is a must.

Sales Coordinator (LiveNation – Chicago)

Job summary: Across multiple live music venues, the Premium Seat Sales Coordinator assists the Director of Premium Seat Sales and the team. Premium Seat Sales is responsible for generating Premium Seat revenue which may include box suites, season tickets, PSLs, some hospitality events and other revenue-generating programs as added to portfolio of menu items to sell. Packages and inventory will be specific to assigned venue(s).

Account Director (Universal Music Group – NYC)

Job summary: Account Director for central brand partnership team will work with executives on the team to develop, manage and execute project outlines and schedules, assist with the planning and management of high profile corporate and sponsorship events, and conduct research and analyses on Fortune 500 brands. The person will help create innovative marketing concepts, support team in preparing client pitches and build brand proposals utilizing key metrics and success measurements.

Publicity & Marketing Assistant (Sideways Media – Los Angeles)

Job summary: Join the Sideways team as a publicity & marketing assistant. You should be online savvy and familiar with the online music and media space. This is a detail-oriented position where you will be responsible for the management and communication of information to not only the media, but to clients as well. Work from the heart of Silver Lake in an easy-going, fun workplace for a variety of local and national musicians, record labels, management companies and brands.

Digital Marketing Manager (SonicBids – Brooklyn, NY)

Job summary: Aggressively grow the number of musicians and opportunity owners that use Sonicbids as their solution to landing and booking live gigs, with a focus on CPA / LTV across all channels.

Campaign Manager (Pandora – Minneapolis)

Job summary: Pandora is looking for an experienced Campaign Manager who has a background in digital or radio advertising with a proven track record of building and maintaining strong client relationships. This individual will partner directly with the sales team to build strategic media partnerships while providing a high-level of client service for assigned Advertisers, Agencies and internal Clients.  

Marketing Coordinator (Beatport – Denver, CO)

Job summary: Beatport is looking for a Marketing Coordinator to join our team. You will work with a cross-functional and will be responsible for coordinating, launching, and driving marketing projects along the critical path to completion.

Categories
Job Board News

Haulix Weekly Update #119: “Your secret identity is safe with me.”

Hello, everyone! We’re a day late posting this update, but rest assured that all is well at Haulix HQ. We have some big changes on the horizon, and starting with this post we are going to reveal some of what lies in store. Before we get there however, we would like to begin this recap with a song we have had on repeat all week long. Check this out:

As I mentioned above, each and every weekend we like to take a brief break from our regularly scheduled programming to update and reflect on everything happening at Haulix HQ. We are far more than a music blog, as many of you already know, and posts like this give us an opportunity to share more our efforts with all of you.

Company news:

Starting this coming Monday, February 1, the entire Haulix team will be entering our first-ever proper office in order to start a new chapter in life. We have all worked remote since inception, but thanks to you, the client and dedicated journalist, we are able to take this step toward further legitimizing all we do. We will share photos online next week, but for now we just want to say THANK YOU over and over and over again.

Also, we are beyond thrilled to announce that we have 3 major conference appearances planned for 2016. First off, James will be hosting a panel on piracy and digital distribution at SXSW in March. James then heads to Launch Music Conference in April and, as of this weekend, MusicBiz Conference in Nashville in May. If you are planning to attend one or more of these events, PLEASE take the time to meet with us. We love getting to know the people who use our service, and we definitely want to know how you would like to see us further improve as we move forward.

Development news:

Last week’s server switch was a great success. Haulix is now relying on Microsoft Azure, and as a result we are more powerful than ever before. This was the first and biggest piece needed to make our long-planned relaunch happen, and now that it is in place we can finally focus on pushing this massive update to the public. It won’t happen overnight, of course, but before Spring arrives we plan to have an entirely new platform for clients and press to enjoy.

Blog news:

With all the planning and work being put into the next phase of product development we have admittedly put our blog efforts on the back burner a bit. That said, we are still churning out 5-10 original columns every week, including our podcast (Inside Music). We may not be hitting the same quantity we did three months back, but we believe the quality of what we create is better now than ever before. Don’t believe us? Head over to the archives and see for yourself.

That is all the news we have to share this week. Have a wonderful weekend and be sure to check back tomorrow for a brand new Job Board.

Best,

Team Haulix

Categories
News

Here’s the Right Way to Release Your Songs for Free

Here’s the latest post from our ongoing collaboration with SonicBids.

Everybody loves getting something for free, and indie musicians often use this to their advantage by offering up free releases. There’s a right and a wrong way to release your music for free, however, and if you’re doing it the wrong way, you could actually be setting yourself up for a very difficult future.

It seems so simple: make an album, give it away. If you stop right there, you’ll have some people enjoy your music. That, however, will be the end of it. If, on the other hand, you follow these four easy steps, you can turn that free release into a powerful force for your career.

1. Make it an EP, rather than a full-length album

You may have an album’s worth of material you want people to hear. Heck, you may have multiple albums’ worth of material you want people to hear, but don’t let what you have dictate what you release, especially when you’re contemplating a free release. Free is a price point, and unless you’re dealing in illegal narcotics, once people have received something for free, it’s tough to get them to pay for it. This is why you shouldn’t give away a full-length effort.

Giving away a full-length album creates an uphill battle you may never be able to climb out of. If you give away an EP instead, you’ll not only be getting your music to people and have something to promote, you’ll also be adding value to your full-length effort, because fans will recognize your albums as releases that require a monetary transaction. There will be no, “Hey, the last album was free” if you only give away an EP.

2. Require fans to sign up for your email list

First off, if you don’t have an email list and you’re relying solely on free social networking sites to stay in touch with your fans, you’re slippin’! Email lists are still the best way to stay connected with those who support you. You know your message will be in their inbox, and being that they opted in to your list, you know they’re interested in hearing from you.

By requiring a listener to sign up for your email list to download your free EP, you’re creating a relationship with that listener. It allows you to thank them for downloading your music (which you should do), and it creates a list of people you that will likely be interested in your eventual full-length release.

In this case, your free EP is less about the present, and more about being a catalyst for future album sales.

3. Collect data

If you release your free EP on a service like Bandcamp, you’ll have the option of collecting data. Use that option! Major companies collect data based on our purchases, and you should be doing the exact same thing with your free EP. By asking for something as simple as a downloader’s zip code, you can better map out your future tours, tours that will be far more successful because you’ll know the locations of where your music is being downloaded the most. Today’s free EP can easily end up next spring’s multi-city tour with large paying crowds in every city.

4. Make a music video

Yes, a video is an investment, and some artists may balk at the idea of putting money into a free release. But it actually makes a lot of sense when you stop thinking about your EP as just a free release and start thinking about what you’re using it for. You’re not just giving away music, you’re creating your email list and discovering where your fanbase lives, giving you the ability to both directly promote your next album, and more effectively plan your future tours.

With that in mind, investing in your free album is really investing in all those other aspects of your career, so the next logical step is to use a tried-and-true method of promotion – the music video. People discover new music on YouTube, and blogs love to post videos of the artists they like, so pick a song, make a video, and make sure the information in the video’s description directs people to where they can download the EP. Don’t clutter it up with too many social media links. The point of the video is to get people to download the EP so you can add them to your email list and discover where your fans live, not to get people to heart your latest picture on Instagram.

If you’re going to give away your music, it only make sense to get as much out of it as possible. None of these four steps requires a ton of effort, but they can all reap huge rewards.

Who ever said free can’t also be valuable?

Adam Bernard is a music industry veteran who has been working in media since 2000. If you live in the NYC area, you’ve probably seen him at a show. He prefers his venues intimate, his whiskey on the rocks, and his baseball played without the DH. Follow him at @adamsworldblog.

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News

Inside Music Podcast #57 – Wills Weller (Toothgrinder)

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls Wills Weller of New Jersey rock band Toothgrinder. Wills tells James about his group’s new album, Nocturnal Masquerade, as well as how they found themselves on the Spinefarm Records roster. In all the time we’ve been doing this show there has probably never been a more excited guest on the show than Wills, nor have we ever encountered anyone who so clearly appreciated the opportunity they have been given to share their voice and creativity with the world at large. You might not know the name of Toothgrinder going into this episode, but there is a very good chance you will be a fan by the time our conversation comes to a close.

The music you hear in this week’s episode is “Blue” from Toothgrinder.

You may already know this, but ‘Inside Music’ is now available on iTunes! Click here to subscribe.

Categories
News

…On Being Socially Conscious With Your Music

The following guest blog was written by up and coming rapper Marco Pavé.

What does music mean to you? According to Huffington Post writer Selena May Santos and participants of her 2013 survey music is far more important than meets the eye, or better yet, the ear. One anonymous participant responded with, “Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand.“ For me, music is a means to discuss issues that you have experienced or have heard others experience. There’s always a lesson in every song, even if the writer wasn’t explicitly trying to teach that lesson. For example, the singer/songwriter, rapper, modern-day blues man—Future. Who recently was quoted saying,  “Yeah because I feel like that’s the number one thing everybody likes to talk about. It’s a catch,” after an interviewer asked him, why he portrays himself as a drug addict. For me as person who knows numerous people who have some form of drug addiction, this is jarring for me. Not because I think that he is making people want to do drugs (even though there are kids that are going to experiment with drugs because, future), but because drug addiction, or any addiction for that matter is a serious issue in communities around the country.

Artists need to be a bit more socially conscious, and no I am not saying that everyone needs to make a heal the world song, I’m just saying think about the message that you are sending and have a better fucking answer to why you’re sending said message than, “it’s a catch.” It’s not a catch when teens are being admitted into rehab for prescription pain medication overdoses. It’s not a catch when father pawns his kid’s bikes to get money for his next fix. It’s not a catch, period. Some may disagree, and say that it’s fine for it to be a catch, but the fact that we do have so many artists who have overdosed on drugs and who are currently addicted he walks a fine line between being a straight up sell out and a liar (maybe he is actually addicted and is trying to backtrack now that we are catching on).

To me being a socially conscious artist doesn’t take much, I believe 100 percent that Future’s music is already socially conscious. Okay, before you call me a hypocrite, let me finish. He is using his music and his brand as an artist to talk about all the problems of being a drug addict. He is also walking the line of having a shit load of survivor’s guilt– he made it from a crazy place and now he’s a multi-millionaire, it takes tremendous strength to handle all that emotionally. His music is very socially conscious it features everything from, drugs addiction, to hyper-sexuality, to misogyny, and the occasional person (groupie) with ulterior motives, these are all social issues. But what makes him not a socially conscious artists, is future outside the studio, in an interview where he can say, speaking someone’s truth is “a catch.” Even if he is playing a character, as any novice acting coach can tell you, “NEVER, break character.” When he stated that it was a catch, he stopped being a social conscious artist that is aware of people pains and is going through, or at least pretending to be going through similar pains, and became a sellout, because this means that he is only making music about drugs because it sells and not because he is thinking about the social effects of drugs and addiction.

In 2016, artists don’t have to make the next “We are the world,” they don’t have to enlist the help of all the neighborhood kids like Nas in, “I Know I Can,” they don’t even have to donate to charities and start foundations, they just need to be more aware of their messages and how they are socially affecting people. Jay-Z, one of the notorious know drug dealing rappers in hip-hop history once said “As a youngin, dumb and, gun in the waist / Sold crack to those who couldn’t take the pain and had to numb it with base.” But when asked about the repeated mention of drugs and crack in his music in 2013 by a reporter with Vanity Fair Jay-Z said, "There wasn’t any place you could go for isolation or a break. You go in the hallway; [there are] crackheads in the hallway. You look out in the puddles on the curbs—crack vials are littered in the side of the curbs. You could smell it in the hallways, that putrid smell; I can’t explain it, but it’s still in my mind when I think about it.” That’s socially conscious, we can tell that even through all the fucked up things that Jay-Z had to do he still has a heart and he fells pain just like any of us. Being a socially conscious artist doesn’t mean that you play holier than thou, it just means that you don’t make a mockery of people who are dealing with issues that you are rapping or singing about, even if it is just a catch.

Categories
News

Monday Motivation: Charlie Puth

If you’re anything like me, you probably started the day by recognizing that the start of a new work week had indeed arrived and then immediately began shaking your fists at the sky in anger. Monday is rarely anyone’s favorite day, and from what I have seen firsthand it feels safe to say it’s the one day of the week some people outright hate. I guess to them the arrival of the work week symbolizes the end of their quote/unquote freedom, and as a result they head into the office/factory/restaurant/store with a negative outlook already on their mind. This leads to bad attitudes, which only makes the experience of being at work worse, and for some reason it also seems to make time slow to a crawl. We’re not about that life, and we hope this post can do the same you that the song contained within it did for us.

Over the last three or four years there has been a surge in the number of aspiring entertainers finding their way onto the national stage through digital media sites such as YouTube, Vimeo, or the like. Some have said this path to success is the new norm, but as someone who spent the first half of their life living in a world where the internet wasn’t in everyone’s pocket there are times I find that idea very hard to believe. After all, anyone can upload anything they want to the internet, so how could anyone hope to stand out?

Enter Charlie Puth. Having been born in December of 1991, Charlie is a little more than four years younger than myself, but if you were to see him or hear his music you might swear we are closer to a decade apart. Puth has the kind of croon that brings to mind the dancehall singers of yesteryear met with the ultra-clean, yet undeniably slick fashion sense of today. His music straddles the line between pop and soul more often than not, though that was not always the case. Puth actually built has brand through YouTube. He would upload performances recorded in front of his computer for the world to see, and slowly members of that ever-important young female demographic began to take notice. That attention was followed by the attention of major labels, and now Charlie is just days away from sharing his Atlantic Records debut.

But why should we care? More importantly, why should you care? I know some of the people who read this column are no doubt young music fans already familiar with Puth’s talent, but many of our subscribers are industry professionals or those attempting to become professionals, and those people tend to have an average age somewhere around 25. While Charlie Puth no doubt has the skills needed to pull in twenty-somethings they are certainly not his core audience. In fact, I would wager that very little marketing money has been spent on winning the over 18 crowd for Puth, but still I argue his name is one we all need to know, in only because he deserves to be the future of pop music.

You see, despite all the money Atlantic may be throwing at Puth’s brand and the high caliber producers enlisted to help make his debut album great, Charlie Puth’s moment in the spotlight is one he himself earned. Puth is the one who took it upon himself to initially post videos on YouTube, and it was Puth who took the time needed to refine his talents to the point that the music industry at large took notice. He may have an army of helpers around him now, but all of that is only possible because he first took it upon himself to be something special. Puth knew he needed to engage the world at large even if no one ever gave a damn and he did just that. I don’t know about you, but I could certainly use that kind of confidence in my own day-to-day endeavors.

Many people will be quick to write Charlie Puth off as another label made success story, but that could not be further from the truth. Charlie Puth is where he is at this point in his life because he took a chance. He felt a calling deep within his soul and he made a decision to see where it lead. He accepted that he could fail, just like he accepted that no one may ever give a damn, and still he pushed forward. Before anyone believed in him Charlie Puth believed in himself, and it’s because of that faith in what he was doing that Puth continues to find success today.

This week, spin Puth’s music and ask yourself what it is you feel compelled to pursue. Think about what makes you the happiest and how you could work to make that activity the thing you do each and every day. Apply yourself, believe in yourself, and never stop trying to improve until you are absolutely exhausted. You might not succeed, but you will learn more about yourself, and that is a reward that is all too rare in our crazy world.

James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.

Categories
Job Board News

Music Industry Job Board (1/24/16)

A lot has been written about the supposed dire state of the music industry, but truth be told there are a number of successful and growing companies, including record labels, that are thriving in 2016. In this column we bring together every job opening we can find from the companies responsible for building the future of the business and present them to you, our reader, in hopes of aiding you on your journey to join the global music industry professional family.

Each week we scour the internet for the latest and greatest job postings throughout the music industry. You can help us better serve our community by sending any job openings you find or have to james@haulix.com. Be sure to include the name of the company hiring, a detailed description of the position being offered, a desired start date, contact information, and any additional supplemental information you feel may be needed.

New openings:

Marketing Manager (TICKETON – Los Angeles, CA) 

Job summary: We are actively looking for a self-motivated Box Office & Client Service Coordinator. This detail oriented position requires excellent organizational skills, professional interaction with management personnel, vendors, clients of all levels. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in ticketing software, client and customer service service. This position will oversee the day to day operations of the Box Office Department within the scope of generally accepted procedures and practices for a major clients nationwide.

Assistant Music Manager (Nike – NYC) 

Job summary: Consumer conversations and relationships fuel the work of Nike Marketing. It’s the fuel that has built one of the most recognizable brands in the world. Nike Marketing captures the science, art and emotion of Nike’s innovations and connects them with the hearts, minds and souls of athletes. The pros in brand strategy, advertising, digital engagement, product presentation, consumer analytics and more foster consumer connections via channels ranging from Nike Stores to social media. They approach marketing in a way that only Nike can: taking risks, pushing boundaries and inspiring consumers to be champions.

Marketing and Communications Associate (Austin Opera – Austin, TX) 

Job summary: The Marketing and Communications Associate is responsible for facilitating and overseeing the execution of all marketing and communications functions for the organization, with an emphasis on digital marketing. The Associate reports directly to the Marketing and Communications Strategist and interacts with web developers, graphic designers and other vendors that are identified by the organization to work on select projects.

Team Coordinator (Caroline/UMusic – Hollywood, CA) 

Job summary: The ideal candidate will have Music or Entertainment experience and have experience supporting an SVP, GM or other high-level executive with discretion and confidentiality. Must be very efficient and highly attuned to the smallest of details. Multi-tasking and working on tight deadlines in a high pressure environment is crucial. No task is too small and no challenge too great. A “can-do” attitude is essential.

Account Executive (KCRW – Santa Monica, CA) 

Job summary: In this outside sales position you will sell radio sponsorship messages, digital media and event sponsorships. An account executive in public media is similar to that of a salesperson in commercial broadcasting or local print media. In this consultative sales role you will make cold-calls to decision makers at local businesses, meet with them to understand their marketing needs and develop proposals that offer marketing solutions to help them grow their businesses. This is a full life cycle sales position in that you will prospect, conduct needs assessments, create and present proposals, close the deal, write copy and service the account. You will focus on developing new business while managing and growing an account list.

Assistant General Manager (Warner Theater – Washington DC) 

Job summary: Full responsibility for all aspects of assisting with venue business operations. Passionate and motivated. Driven, with an entrepreneurial spirit. Resourceful, innovative, forward thinking and committed. At Live Nation Entertainment, our people embrace these qualities, so if this sounds like you then please read on!

Coordinator Music (Paramount – Hollywood) 

Job summary: his position is responsible for coordinating and executing daily operations for Vice President, Motion Picture Music & Marketing, which are vital to the Department’s general workflow. 

Music Publisher Relations (Apple – Santa Clara Valley, CA) 

Job summary: This role in Apple Music and in iTunes is working with music publishers. Music publishers supply the songs that we all enjoy listening to in Apple Music. Your job will be to work with the publishers to develop the processes and systems and reports we need to make sure the songwriters around the world get paid for their work. It is a business critical role and you’ll need to be entrepreneurial, quick to turn around solutions to our partners and accurate in everything you do.

Marketing Director (Splice – NYC)

Job summary: We are looking for a marketing manager to join our team in NYC to run growth marketing initiatives for one of our products, Splice Sounds.  You will be responsible for driving new customer acquisition through planning, execution, and monitoring of marketing initiatives.  The ideal candidate will have experience growing sales at a consumer e-commerce startup.  Knowledge of music creator tools or music production appreciated but not required.

Marketing Coordinator (Beatport – Denver)

Job summary: Beatport is looking for a Marketing Coordinator to join our team. You will work with a cross-functional and will be responsible for coordinating, launching, and driving marketing projects along the critical path to completion.

Marketing Associate- Extreme (Sony – Santa Monica, CA)

Job summary: The Marketing Associate’s focus is front-line contact with clients and assisting the team in servicing the diverse needs of our professional music user clients. This involves contacting clients via email, telephone and in person on a day to day basis and all other aspects of client relations.

User Acquisition (Marketing) Associate (Backstage – NYC)

Job summary: At Backstage, we’re focused on providing the best career platform and marketplace to match actors and performers with talent seekers.The marketing team at Backstage is responsible for building brand awareness, focusing on growth and retaining our user base of performers. We are looking for a creative, technical, strategic and analytical marketing professional to join the team as our Marketing Associate. The role will report to the Vice President and Digital Director of Backstage and will work closely with product, marketing, engineering, and content teams across the business.You will be tasked with demand generation, traffic growth, strategic partnerships and conversion optimization using inbound and outbound marketing tactics. You will set up and use comprehensive analytics to support your strategy and execution of user growth. As a company we really value problem solvers and being able to learn a new technical skill (in a day).

Concert Promoter (The Brain Trust – Boston)

Job summary: Want to go to concerts and live music shows in the Boston area for FREE, while developing your resume and work experience in the marketing or music industry? The Brain Trust is looking for music lovers in the Boston area who are interested in doing concert promotion in exchange for FREE admission to a wide variety of quality live music events. Promotion can include online posts, as well as hanging up flyers in your neighborhood.

Artist Manager (O-Town Records – Orlando)

Job summary: O-Town Music Group is seeking an Artist & Repertoire Manager. A&R Managers are creative people with good business skills and a solid understanding of the music marketplace. It is not enough to like the music, an A&R Manager needs an excellent knowledge of the contemporary music scene and to understand what sells.The main job is picking acts that will be successful and then working with the act to find the right producers and writers. The process is very much a nurturing one to ensure the band or solo artist impacts at the right time with the right material. Besides scouting for new artist the a&r manager also manages the current roster of artist. Duties include booking performances for artist, updating social media for artist,booking tv appearances and publicity for artist, booking recording studios for artist and much more.

Digital Sales & Marketing Coordinator (Naxos of America – Franklin, TN)

Job summary: Naxos of America is hiring a full time Digital Sales & Marketing Coordinator position who will report to the Director of Digital Sales. The candidate will do a variety of tasks such as helping manage and organize new release information, curating playlists, organizing and prepping marketing plans as well as digital sales reports.

Music Licensing Representative (Naxos Of America – Franklin, TN)

Job summary: Our ideal candidate has a passion for constantly finding new music, a working knowledge of the classical music genre, a strong and proven sales background, and a desire to discover new licensing opportunities day in and day out. Strong communication skills, knowledge of U.S. copyright law (as it pertains to sound recordings/musical compositions), and the confidence required to effectively communicate with clients, music supervisors, and industry leaders is a must.

Sales Coordinator (LiveNation – Chicago)

Job summary: Across multiple live music venues, the Premium Seat Sales Coordinator assists the Director of Premium Seat Sales and the team. Premium Seat Sales is responsible for generating Premium Seat revenue which may include box suites, season tickets, PSLs, some hospitality events and other revenue-generating programs as added to portfolio of menu items to sell. Packages and inventory will be specific to assigned venue(s).

Account Director (Universal Music Group – NYC)

Job summary: Account Director for central brand partnership team will work with executives on the team to develop, manage and execute project outlines and schedules, assist with the planning and management of high profile corporate and sponsorship events, and conduct research and analyses on Fortune 500 brands. The person will help create innovative marketing concepts, support team in preparing client pitches and build brand proposals utilizing key metrics and success measurements.

Publicity & Marketing Assistant (Sideways Media – Los Angeles)

Job summary: Join the Sideways team as a publicity & marketing assistant. You should be online savvy and familiar with the online music and media space. This is a detail-oriented position where you will be responsible for the management and communication of information to not only the media, but to clients as well. Work from the heart of Silver Lake in an easy-going, fun workplace for a variety of local and national musicians, record labels, management companies and brands.

Digital Marketing Manager (SonicBids – Brooklyn, NY)

Job summary: Aggressively grow the number of musicians and opportunity owners that use Sonicbids as their solution to landing and booking live gigs, with a focus on CPA / LTV across all channels.

Campaign Manager (Pandora – Minneapolis)

Job summary: Pandora is looking for an experienced Campaign Manager who has a background in digital or radio advertising with a proven track record of building and maintaining strong client relationships. This individual will partner directly with the sales team to build strategic media partnerships while providing a high-level of client service for assigned Advertisers, Agencies and internal Clients.  

Marketing Coordinator (Beatport – Denver, CO)

Job summary: Beatport is looking for a Marketing Coordinator to join our team. You will work with a cross-functional and will be responsible for coordinating, launching, and driving marketing projects along the critical path to completion.

Talent Buyer (World Cafe Live – Philadelphia)

Job summary: World Cafe Live is looking to add a Talent Buyer to its dynamic team. Responsible for booking shows in Wilmington, DE and Philadelphia, PA, this person is a team player with strong agent relationships and solid negotiation skills. The Talent Buyer is full time salaried position.

Account Director (Spotify – Atlanta)

Job summary: We are looking for an outstanding Ad Sales Account Director to join our team in Atlanta. We’re looking for someone with a proven record of revenue generation and a deep interest and passion for online media and innovation. We want someone who loves our product and knows how to sell creative solutions for clients and partners. You should be confident without ever being arrogant and you work hard, but know how to have fun.  Above all, your work will impact the way the world experiences music.

Creative Content Producer (Aivvy – USA)

Job summary: Aivvy is looking for a passionate team member who will work in Aivvy’s eCommerce team. The position will be initially focused on eCommerce-related content creation, including copywriting, production, publishing to website, blog and different social media channels, with future growth into customer services, community management and online sales.

Digital Marketing and Sales Associate (Artlandia Publishing – Portland)

Job summary: Project Coordination Team is accountable for managing the Customer installation experience of our cutting-edge World Class products and services.  

Publicity Coordinator (Entertainment One – Los Angeles)

Job summary: Reporting to the Publicist, is responsible for coordinating and executing publicity programs and campaigns for eOne Films ensuring that these publicity activities are in-line with the corporate strategy to achieve the company’s annual goals. This position is responsible for the timely execution of all publicity and social media campaigns for all eOne Films titles. Further, this position will also act as a liaison, between the Marketing team and other departments, as well as clients and the media.

Director of Public Relations (John F Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts – Washington, D.C.)

Job summary: The Director of Public Relations is responsible for maintaining and positively positioning the public image of the Kennedy Center through local, national, and international media placements, new media, self-generated content and storytelling, and by influencing a range of internal platforms including the Center’s social media and website. The Director will manage the day-to-day media operations of a fast-paced PR office, directing artistic and program announcements, leveraging publicity opportunities, driving media cultivation, and determining positioning of institutional news and issues. He/She will be the chief strategist and partner for the Kennedy Center’s Education staff in shaping compelling stories that highlight the educational programs and initiatives both locally and across the nation. By building productive relationships with media, artistic partners and internal staff, he/she will generate significant and high-impact coverage of more than 2,000 performances and events held at the Center each year. This position will work closely and proactively with the VP of Public Relations and other senior leadership to guide the voice and messaging around pivotal institutional projects including the ongoing capital expansion project, the John F. Kennedy Centennial Celebration, and preparations for the Center’s 50th Anniversary. The Director may serve as spokesperson on occasion and when appropriate.

Account Director (Spotify – San Francisco)

Job summary: We are looking for an outstanding Ad Sales Account Director to join our team in San Francisco.We’re looking for someone with a proven record of revenue generation and a deep interest and passion for online media and innovation. We want someone who loves our product and knows how to sell creative solutions for clients and partners. You should be confident without ever being arrogant and you work hard, but know how to have fun.  Above all, your work will impact the way the world experiences music.

Account Executive (iHeartMedia, Inc)

Job summary: The iHeartMedia Account Executive will identify and solicit new business; service and grow existing account. They are responsible for developing persuasive proposals in response to client needs and/or opportunities. They will guide their clients based on market, platform or station information. They are responsible for ensuring client satisfaction through cooperative communication. They will also negotiate rates consistent with iHeartMedia operating goals and budgets and ensure prompt payment. They will utilize all available iHeartMedia resources to create effective marketing campaigns. This is a commission based outside sales position.

Manager Special Events (The Chicago Theatre – Chicago)

Job summary: The Manager Special Events at the Chicago Theatre is responsible for booking Special Events at The Chicago Theatre; a role that involves both sales and management functions, as well as working with both existing and new clients.  The role includes negotiating contracts and financial terms as well as oversight over all aspects of event implementation to ensure client satisfaction and retention.  The Manager Special Events role requires a strong team orientation and focused interaction with various executives at The Chicago Theatre and here in the New York office in order to succeed.  This role will also be on an on site presence during events and work with the Special Events team on marketing strategies.  

Social Media Coordinator (Pulp – Ferndale, MI)

Job summary: We are looking for a vibrant, creative, part-time Social Media Coordinator to join our team and help us grow. This person will help develop social content and strategies for all of our clients. The role requires the ability to manage multiple, concurrent projects and initiatives while maintaining a high level of energy and a positive attitude.The Social Media Coordinator will serve as a community manager for multiple brands, including monitoring all social properties, creating unique, engaging content and participating on social media on behalf of the brands.

Categories
Job Board News

Haulix Weekly Update #118: “Batman’s a scientist”

Hello, everyone. We’re here to talk about the music business, and to be far more specific this post is about our role in the business of music, as well as how that role is changing. It’s also a place where we share songs we love, like this:

As I mentioned above, each and every weekend we like to take a brief break from our regularly scheduled programming to update and reflect on everything happening at Haulix HQ. We are far more than a music blog, as many of you already know, and posts like this give us an opportunity to share more our efforts with all of you.

Important update:

We are doing a large server upgrade this weekend.  Our new network will be able to auto-scale as we continue to grow and you continue to create and send out more promos.

While we are working on this upgrade, there might be some down time. The scheduled block of time will be between Saturday January 23 – 9AM CST to Sunday January 24 – 6PM CST.

If you have any questions, send them to matt@haulix.com.

Development news:

After the underlying server infrastructure is upgraded (this weekend), we will be getting ready to launch the new Haulix website.

The site will include over a dozen new features, as well as a completely re-built email engine that will support press releases AND promo invitations using a new drag and drop email designer.

We will be releasing more information about the new site in the next month or so.

Blog news:

Things on the blog continue to progress with each passing week. This is always the case, I suppose, but in the past week it has especially been true as we have been attempting to plan the remainder of 2016. If there is anything you would like to see us cover, shoot James an email at james@haulix.com

If you missed anything this week, use the archive and get caught up.

That’s all we have for this week. Check back on Sunday for a new Job Board!

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News

The Changes of a Generation: Blurring the Lines of Selling Out

The following editorial comes from aspiring music professional Emma Guido.

As that soap opera comes to a commercial break, the TV screen lights up with the Pepsi logo and a familiar, yet slightly off-putting sound engages with the advertisement. It’s the Foo Fighters. The new Fall Out Boy album came out this week, but when it blares on the radio, it sounds like a debut pop star’s newest hit. The passionate subculture of music fans, the group outside of society’s mainstream radio listeners, can’t help but ask themselves, “What’s going on?” The dramatic and infamous words “sell out” have haunted the rock music community for years in its days of intense solidarity and common purpose. The intention of art for its pure enjoyment and appreciation was simple for these musicians to live off of. Anything else was selfish and greedy. “This suggests that, once artists become successful, no matter what their prior beliefs were regarding making money from music, they become very concerned about it. In the impression of some, they ‘sell out’” (Gans). The stigma associated with “selling out” left artists at a loss for how to approach their music career. However, times have changed and opinions are swaying. The question of an artist’s integrity in the issue of selling out is a conversation of the fans and music community, however a lack of understanding of the industry’s atmosphere can blur perspective. The new wave of piracy, streaming services, and other listening platforms highlights a gap in pocket that used to flourish with money. The very low income that highly successful musicians have been getting is proof that the lack of profit in one area of the industry needs to be compensated elsewhere. As these changing commercial opportunities enter the music industry, today’s musicians need these ways of income in order to survive as a culture, and the remaining cries of “selling out” are left to bitter fans who are trying to resist their own subculture’s means of survival.

At one time, the thought of altering style for mainstream engagement or advertising with Pepsi was infuriating to the subculture of music fans; those “sell outs” made their art for their own income and not for the meaning of rock and roll. This opinion holds strong even for many older artists, like Paul Simon of Simon & Garfunkel, who stated iIn Tom Hawking’s article on the issue of “selling out,””, “They’ve taken the music of my generation, and all this music I treasured so much and they’ve associated it entirely with selling and I actually really deeply resent it… The fact that the culture is co-opted and made to be entirely about money, that’s what I resent most of all.”. This statement assumes that a commercial use of his treasured music is strictly used as a method to sell an item or brand, stripping the song of any greater value or integrity. However, the fact that this song is being broadcasted to mainstream audiences, or the dominant culture, can be a sign of appreciation over appropriation. He is leaving out any argument for the significance of the subculture’s exposure to this group and how the artist can benefit from it. The belief that the culture of music has been corrupted by the industry and the desire for money is what rock and roll fans mean thrive off of when they use the term “sell out.””. It is a call for resistance against the interaction between mainstream society and their sacred subculture that lacks full and proper understanding. Long time musician Henry Rollins stated, “I wonder if it ever occurred to people that the reason the music of these interesting and alternative bands is being recruited [for advertisements] is because their fans are now the ones calling the shots. In other words, we have arrived.” This begs the question of the real issue at hand; the music subculture supporting these bands are not as concerned about how they are making money, but of their ownership of the band’s music once it reaches mainstream audiences. The moment that their culture collides with a hit radio channel or mainstream brands on the television screen, it creates a “contact zone” (Pratt) that this subculture is uncomfortable with facing. In her text Arts of the Contact Zone, Mary Louise Pratt explains this conflict: “The idea of the contact zone is intended in part to contrast with ideas of community that underlie much of the thinking about language, communication, and culture that gets done in the academy” (525). In the eyes of the diehard music fans who have lived by the rules of rock and roll, this exposure of their treasured culture to mainstream audiences is immediately assumed to be a shocking sign of betrayal to what they have loved about the music. Calling these adaptive musicians “sell outs” is the community’s way of dissociating themselves from a changing culture; it’s an act of resistance serving as an attempt to survive without surviving.

The subculture of rock music has immense ties to itstheir past; the values of integrity and respect are highly regarded and the intensity of their feelings towards the art they commonly admire has formed into camaraderie and loyalty like no other. “A generation ago, refusing these kinds of offers was a way for bands to telegraph where they stood, the sort of thing that showed their allegiance to the underground and their community” (Hopper). This attitude they have towards their ownership of the culture results in their strict cultural mediation of it. Pratt describes this as “ways for people to engage with suppressed aspects of history (including their own histories), ways to move into and out of rhetorics of authenticity; ground rules for communication across lines of difference and hierarchy that go beyond politeness but maintain mutual respect; a systematic approach to the all-important concept of cultural mediation” (529). Their culture’s exposure to the mainstream audiences that they have nothing in common with is against everything they believed they had the power to control and maintain. With this in mind, it seems to be evident that the issue of “selling out” is from the use of the term itself. The subculture tries to mediate what the mainstream gets to have exposure to by making that part of their culture no longer a part of their community anymore, otherwise calling them a “sell out.””. As Duncombe explains in his text, “Ccultural resistance can also be seen as an escape from politics and a way to release discontent that might otherwise be expressed through political activity” (161). The music community is discontent over the ways their favorite musicians, and leaders of their culture, are using their art as their career, and and therefore acting against their decisions by verbally casting them from the culture with a term like “sell out”. Though a sense of betrayal is common for the subculture’s group when their favorite musician takes a turn towards mainstream audiences, the contact zone that comes of “selling out” provides cultural insight and critical adaptation for musical communities. Though the protective and headstrong nature of the music community is commendable and an important part of its presence in today’s society, ignorance towards the realities of the music industry can poison their own purpose.

As a group that takes and appreciates art for what it is, the music subculture relies on their head, the musician, to take a stand for them through this art. However, the fans live in a one sided world of passion, whereas the musician needs to balance their passion and their business behind it. Because of this, the leaders of these communities and the communities themselves can never be on the same page. The music industry has massively changed since rock and roll ruled the world; the new forms of music consumption haves left most musicians struggling to make money, and therefore struggling to keep their art alive in their culture. Author of the scholarly article “"Selling Out" and the impact of music piracy on artist entry,””, Joshua S. Gans, analyzes how music piracy and less lucrative, or anti-artist, platforms affect the ways musicians format their business, stating that “this decline in revenue may be associated with a decline in costs as well as a diminished role for publishers. Consequently, the relevant welfare issue is whether there has been a reduction in the supply of quality music or the entry of artists” (Gans). This suggests the near fatal position that the culture of music is in, due to a lack of care for the art. The musicians who do care, and their fans that have the same passion, need to be financially supported by outside sources like advertisements to keep the cultural spirit of music in tact. In the Buzzfeed article, “How Selling Out Saved Indie Rock” (2013), author Jessica Hopper, consistent contributor to Buzzfeed, asserts that the change of income in the music industry forces its musicians to “sell out” and suggests that the blind accusations from the fan community is not grasping how this act of resistance is harmful to their culture. She talks with indie artists Tegan and Sara about their recent search for the right brands to represent: “‘A tiny sliver of bands are doing well,’  says the duo’s Sara Quin. ‘The rest of us are just middle class, looking for a way to break through that glass ceiling. The second ‘Closer’ got Top 40 radio play, we were involved in meetings with radio and marketing people who said, ‘The next step is getting a commercial.’ I can see why some bands might find that grotesque, but it’s part of the business now’” (Hopper). She supports this claim by comparing and contrasting the values of rock culture in the past and present, presenting facts about the current changes in the music industry, and evoking ethos from interviews with real, surviving musicians of the industry. Hopper’s purpose is to provide readers with an understanding of how “selling out” is today’s musicians’ way of survival in order to diminish the sting of the infamous term. Because of the author’s sincere and fair minded tone, she writes for an audience who are uneducated on the topic, yet open to learn more about the reality behind their own culture. Selling their music to successful advertisements and reaching bigger audiences needs to be the goal for musicians at this time in the music industry if they want to stay relevant.

In any career where the identity and presentation of a person is important to their success, accusations of “selling out” are just a part of the job. The profitable changes in the music industry forces musicians to craft a “commodified persona” (Bunten), in which they balance their integrity with marketability. In the scholarly article, “Sharing Culture or Selling Out? Developing the Commodified Persona in the Heritage Industry” (2008), author Alexis Celeste Bunten, senior researcher with the FrameWorks Institute, asserts that the self-commodification of tour guides is rather a way of sharing and interpreting a culture than selling it out, and does this with her specific created terms like “commodified persona.” Bunten appears to write in hopes of explaining the intentions of people within the industry to the people outside of it. Her ideas parallel the similar issue in the music industry. “Self-commodification can be broadly defined as a set of beliefs and practices in which an individual chooses to construct a marketable identity product while striving to avoid alienating him- or herself” (Bunten). A music career strives on self-commodification, regardless of the culture it surrounds. If a musician wants to make their art as a career, this process of finding market value is a necessary component, whether they like it or not. It is crucial for the community of music fans to understand the career dynamics of these artists in order to keep their culture alive. Though some think that acceptance of self-commodification or selling out is tarnishing the name of their culture, it’s important to consider the notion that this attention-grabbing, money-making tactic is one of the last remaining ways to preserve the culture. If musicians are adapting to the demands of society while still trying to remain true to their artistic mission, they need to be able to rely on their following in order to grow it and maintain the influence of rock, especially if their growth is purely due to the fact that their artistic vision changes its style. During the transition of commercializing ideals in the music community, especially in the 90s, this issue was damaging to the accused or conflicted musicians, only damaging the culture they were trying to contribute to. “Kurt Cobain went through this conflict up until his tragic death in 1994, taking the accusations of being a sell out very hard. Having the ability to write great hooks and catchy melodies should not be criticized but commended. As one community figure remarked to me recently, ‘“art is a state of mind; and for one person to slag another person’s vision or opinion is crap’” (McMartin). The fans that shame the leaders of the subculture for creating a commodified persona are blindly picking off the advocators for their cause and only diminishing the unified strength of the community.

The desperation for survival in the harsh and fast paced music industry has dropped many musicians’ need to prove their integrity among the community. This embrace of consumerism and commercial profit has blanketed a lot of the music industry, but has been simultaneously saving the very culture that is fighting it. These uneasy fans are not realizing the good that can come from change and mass exposure; a contact zone can turn into a safe haven if approached correctly. Pratt explores the complexities of this idea when explaining an observation of clashed groups: “Along with rage, incomprehension, and pain, there were exhilarating moments of wonder and revelation, mutual understanding, and new wisdom – the joys of the contact zone” (529). The resistance of the music subculture will miss out on the unpredictable experiences and feeling that can come out of this cultural fusion. Their contact zone with mainstream culture should not be intimidating or off-putting, but relieving in the fact that another group can appreciate their culture and keep the music going. Musician Macklemore observed this conflict first hand with his single “Wings”:  “If there was any trace of irony by Wings being one of the official songs of the 2013 All Star Game, that’s great. That means that we won. The song about consumerism was embraced on a national level, and played to the entire country of sports fans that tuned in. More people download the song, got the truth (the actual/full song) and we converted strangers that didn’t know who we were into fans. If that’s selling out to you, word. But to me that’s nothing but an all around win” (Hawking). Commodified musicians have created a combination of culture and an appreciation of art that goes far beyond selling an item or just pleasing society. It’s a hard reality for stubborn music fans to accept, but the artist’s utilization of the music is all in favor of the community. Duncombe had this experience in the punk rock community and came to a significant observation: “When I heard Iggy Pop’s proto-punk anthem “Search and Destroy” used to sell Nike sneakers I felt sick, but I also learned another important lesson: the politics of culture is not predetermined. Culture is pliable; it’s how it is used that matters” (161). It’s normal to feel uncomfortable by change from your own culture or community, but if the use of the culture is in favor of a community’s self expression and survival, it needs to be recognized. A Toyota commercial with an uplifting and inspirational indie rock song isn’t there for background noise; it drives emotion, captures attention, and gives meaning to the moving picture on the screen. Bringing these artistic visions into a new setting utilizes the culture in a significant and progressive way without dirtily exploiting it, so that more of the world can support the movement of music.  

There has been a distinct lack of understanding between musicians and their fans in the changing tides of the music business, and with this comes a blurred perspective of an artist’s integrity that is tearing the community apart. It is crucial for music subcultures to accept the intertwining of business into their culture, and to open their minds to change. If given the chance, recognizing these cultural interactions can lead to “the joys of the contact zone” (Pratt) and even bring their beloved culture to a new level of appreciation and expression. As these changing commercial opportunities enter the music industry, today’s musicians are responsible to do what they need to in order to survive as a culture, and headstrong fans have to leave the term “sell out” behind and explore the possibilities of this change in order to support their survival.

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News

Album Review: Toothgrinder – Nocturnal Masquerade

already-heardmusic:

Toothgrinder. As you can imagine, this is not your average top 40 artist. Straight away, the name breathes confidence in finding a vicious, hard-hitting album, and they do not disappoint.

The four-piece from Asbury Park, New Jersey hold ‘Nocturnal Masquerade’ in the palm of their hands, marking their debut release through Spinefarm Records. Having toured with The Faceless and After The Burial in America in December, they’re in the midst of a formative period behind the amps.

‘Nocturnal Masquerade’ delivers influences from the progressive metal world and the straight-to-the-point aggressive side of the alternative realm. Whilst being labelled as prog Toothgrinder also throw in some aggressive punk and, dare I say it, some nu-metal as well with some down tuned guitar sounds and frequent whispers.

Keep reading

Toothgrinder will be on the next episode of the INSIDE MUSIC podcast.

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