As we enter the ‘new normal’ and adjust to life without concerts, musicians need to embrace live streams and the marketing power they provide.
There are very few things we miss about life before coronavirus more than concerts. Live music is a cathartic community-building experience unlike anything else our civilization has discovered, and many are reeling from its loss. We know we will be crowded in a sweaty venue again eventually, but the wait for that time feels eternal, which is why countless millions are turning to live streams to get their performance fix.
We will be the first to admit that live streams are nowhere near as fun or memorable as concerts. Performers often fumble with their equipment or meander from song to song with no real plan or purpose other than attempting to engage fans currently stuck at home under various coronavirus prevention measures. That said, some artists are finding ways to use live stream technology to their advantage, and that is what we want to focus on today.
Live streaming is a great way to make money and build an audience, but far too many musicians don’t consider it as such. Many think it is a temporary means to fill a void that will be immediately abandoned as soon as touring resumes. The thing is, no one knows when tours will happen again or when fans will feel safe attending gigs. Fans, for the most part, like the access and safety live stream performances make possible. They also want to support the artists who are going out of their way to be present with their audience during these strange times.
In this episode of Music Biz, host James Shotwell explains how anyone can build their audience and earn money with live streaming. We also explore the importance of investing in your live stream efforts and why the current trend of digital content won’t go away when the coronavirus pandemic ends.
After a series of conflicting comments from health experts, the Music Biz team weighs in on when we feel concerts will return.
The hardest part of living in unprecedented times is that no one knows what will happen next. Two months ago, most people couldn’t believe that a then largely unknown virus would soon grind the global live music economy to a standstill. A month ago, many states were resisting shelter in place orders because they didn’t know whether or not to believe that such tactics were necessary to combat the spread of COVID-19. This week, many don’t know how they will feed their families if the current pandemic keeps businesses closed longer than the end of April.
For music fans and professionals, one of the biggest questions right now is when live music will return. Every state has a ban on large gatherings for the time being, and most have no concrete plans to allow such happenings anytime soon. Some promoters are hopeful that these guidelines will be lifted by June or July, but others are anticipating a much longer wait.
Recently, a health expert speaking to the New York Times about when and how the American economy upset people with a claim that live music may not return until Fall 2021. To be specific, bioethicist Zeke Emanuel said:
“Restarting the economy has to be done in stages, and it does have to start with more physical distancing at a work site that allows people who are at lower risk to come back. Certain kinds of construction, or manufacturing or offices, in which you can maintain six-foot distances are more reasonable to start sooner. Larger gatherings — conferences, concerts, sporting events — when people say they’re going to reschedule this conference or graduation event for October 2020, I have no idea how they think that’s a plausible possibility. I think those things will be the last to return. Realistically we’re talking fall 2021 at the earliest.
“Restaurants where you can space tables out, maybe sooner. In Hong Kong, Singapore and other places, we’re seeing resurgences when they open up and allow more activity. It’s going to be this roller coaster, up and down. The question is: When it goes up, can we do better testing and contact tracing so that we can focus on particular people and isolate them and not have to reimpose shelter-in-place for everyone as we did before?”
We understand the reasoning behind Dr. Emanuel’s claims, but after speaking with multiple industry sources, we also know how the music industry is likely to behave.
As soon as bars and other spaces where live music often occurs are allowed to open, likely with reduced capacities, live music will return. The first artists to perform will probably be DJs, local acts, and cover bands who are available at a moment’s notice. If the spread of COVID-19 continues to decline, bigger artists and shows will slowly start to return as well.
But this won’t happen all at once. Most economists agree that reopening the country will happen in steps, and guidelines will change region by region rather than nationwide. States with fewer cases of the novel coronavirus who are successfully slowing the spread will be among the first to attempt something akin to normalcy, but more impacted areas like New York and California may take much longer.
In this episode of Music Biz, host James Shotwell examines the data available and draws conclusions based on the information available to people today, April 13, 2020. Will that data change in the next week or month? Almost certainly. But for now, this is what seems most likely based on what we know.
Boston punk favorites Dropkick Murphys won’t let the fear of Coronavirus stop them or their fans from celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.
Following the live stream success that Code Orange experienced over the weekend, more artists are lining up to perform for fans currently stuck at home due to COVID-19. Dropkick Murphys are throwing a St. Patrick’s Day party this year and the whole world is invited. Dropkick Murphys’ Streaming Up From Boston online concert will be simulcast worldwide on Tuesday, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day) at 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT via the band’s YouTube, Facebook Live and Instagram pages, as well as via Twitch.
Founder Ken Casey explains, “For the first time in 24 years, we are not playing on St. Patrick’s Day weekend. The current world situation is the ONLY thing that would ever stop us from doing so.”
Dropkick Murphys’ originally scheduled hometown St. Patrick’s Day Week Boston Blowout shows have been postponed until later this year. Visit the band’s official website for details.
The band recently released the single “Smash Sh*t Up,” and will release a new album on September 11 through the band’s own Born & Bred Records. “Smash Sh*t Up” is available digitally and on limited edition colored vinyl paired with B-side “The Bonny,” a cover of Gerry Cinnamon’s 2019 song.
Despite more artists touring than ever before, total ticket sales and revenue for live music is down compared to the same period in 2018.
Are the cost of concerts too high for consumers, or are there not enough megastars touring right now? Are people growing tired of live music, or has the number of tours happening at any moment time overwhelmed audiences? We don’t have any answers, but these questions need to be addressed.
Pollstar released data regarding the top 100 tours of the year so far, and the results show a steep decline in sales compared to the same period in 2018. The stats show that Sir Elton John had the global highest-grossing act in the first-half of 2019, generating $82.6m across 56 shows. The British singer/songwriter, currently on his farewell tour as biopic Rocketman graces movie theaters, brought in more than P!nk (No.2 with $81.8m), Justin Timberlake (No.3 with $75.5m), Metallica (No.4 with $69.7m) and Fleetwood Mac (No.5 with $67.7m).
Those figures are impressive, and they represent countless sold out shows in large arenas, but they pale in comparison to sales from last year. According to Pollstar’s data from the first-half of 2018, the Top 100 global tours turned over $2.81bn in gross sales. In the same period this year, however, this worldwide figure for the Top 100 tours stood at $2.06bn – falling by 26.8%, or $752m, year-on-year.
That three-quarter of a billion-dollar decline is setting off alarms throughout the industry, and raising a lot of questions about what could explain such a change.
Not surprising, total ticket sales for 2019 so far are down as well. Data from 2018 reveals 31.29 million tickets sold in the first six months of the year, but in 2019, that number is down to 22.28 million. That’s a 28% change.
The one area of ticketing that increased this year? Ticket prices.
Calculations by Music Business Worldwide suggest that the average ticket price of the world’s Top 100 shows was $92.42 in H1 2019 – up from the $89.85 average price posted in the first half of last year.
Bruce Springsteen, Springsteen On Broadway ($506.39 average)
Lady Gaga ($269.94)
Aerosmith ($205.02)
Bruno Mars ($193.76)
Andrea Bocelli ($176.41)
George Strait ($173.74)
Gwen Stefani ($170.24)
Eagles ($157.86)
BTS ($146.62)
Fleetwood Mac ($143.58)
The possible explanations for these changes are numerous. More artists touring could mean less income for top-tier talent, but the number of festivals and tours for talent at all levels that have struggled to fill venues says otherwise. The increasing cost of tickets for good seats, coupled with the continuing reign ticketing bots, may also explain the change, but there is not enough data to support that idea at this time.
With streaming revenue remaining stagnant, artists are depending on tour revenue to keep their careers afloat. That may, in part, explain rising ticket prices, but if the cost of admission alienates consumers then artists will be in more trouble than they are right now.
Festival performances can change your career, but they can also be a waste of money. Marketing, or lack thereof, makes all the difference.
Every musician dreams of headlining a major music festival. The idea of performing for tens of thousands gathered to hear songs you developed is a career peak many artists spend a lifetime chasing. There is never a guarantee any amount of good songs and hard work will be enough, but that is no reason to not try in the first place.
For those musicians on the come up, festival performances often look very different from the one describe in the preceding paragraph. Most young artists lucky enough to land a festival time slot perform while the sun is high in the sky and the crowd is scattered. Some artists perform to only a handful of people, despite appearing at a festival whose headliners see a sea of people when they take the same stage hours later. It seems festival crowds, like every other audience in entertainment, are fickle.
But don’t fret! There are many things young musicians can do to maximize their return for performing at music festivals. What time a group or artist performs matters far less than how they promote the event, how they engage with festival attendees, and what they day in the weeks following the event. Don’t believe us? Just watch the video below.
On this episode of Music Biz 101, host James Shotwell explains the importance of festival appearances and what artists can do to maximize the exposure they receive for festival performances.
The ‘end-to-end’ solution for live entertainment booking recently raised millions to further their cause.
Austin-based music promoter software company Prism has secured a new round of funding from angel investors. As DigitalMusicNews revealed, the business raised more than $2.2 million from a number of different investors, including Mario Fighali of Sparefoot, Bill Babel of Capital Factory, Kip McClanahan of Pershing, and Jay Jensen of Clasen Quality Coatings.
Prism promotes itself as an ‘end-to-end’ solution to the live music booking. According to the company website, that means offering calendar management, one-click integrations with ticketing platforms, offer generation, budgeting, forecasting, revenue tracking, settlement, task management systems, and financial reporting in one package. By combining all these workflows into one system, Prism hopes to offer a time-saving and efficient tool for live music management and promotion. You can view a quick overview of the platform below:
Some prominent adopters include Brooklyn Bowl (NY), Ad Hoc (NY), PopGun Presents (NY), MOKB Presents (IL), Noise Pop (SF), McMenamin’s (OR), and Laramir Lounge (CO).
The timing of Prism’s rise could not be better for the startup. A study from Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) released in October 2018 predicts live music revenue will increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3% heading into 2022. This includes ticket sales and sponsorship. That means the total revenue for the live music industry should reach $31 billion over the next four years, with $24 billion being contributed by ticket sales.
It’s unclear if larger live event companies such as Live Nation will consider adapting Prism, but anything is possible. Larger companies tend to rely on older software because it’s easier to stick with what works than to train thousands of employees to use a new service. If Prism’s software is as easy to use as the company claims there is a chance they could change the live music industry as a whole in the years ahead.
Interested in trying Prism for your business? Click here and sign up today.
Reviews are a dime a dozen these days, but a great live review by an engaging author can still make the difference between a tour’s success or failure.
Ah, the concert review. It has been a staple of entertainment journalism longer than almost any other feature, appearing long before recorded music was even thought possible, and it will most likely outlast us all. Why? For starters, the financial risk in seeing virtually any show is much higher than consuming a single song, album, or movie. Most people will risk $10 on a new release, but far fewer people are willing to spend $30 (or in many cases, much more) to see a performance whose quality is uncertain.
Then there’s the YouTube problem. Just last week, I saw Kelly Clarkson tell a crowd of thousands at Van Andel Arena how much she appreciated their attendance by admitting, “I don’t know if I like anyone enough to leave my house. You could have watched this whole thing on YouTube from your couch, but you’re here, and that means something.”
There are thousands of hours of concert videos on YouTube. In the time it takes to read this article there will likely be hundreds, if not thousands more than when you started. A lot of the clips feature muddy sound and poor video quality, but there remains more than enough decent uploads to sustain those unwilling or unable to purchase tickets for themselves. Just look at this video from the latest Panic! At The Disco tour, which is currently making its way across North America:
The clip above may not duplicate the live experience, but for many, it’s good enough.
These reasons, as well as many others, explain why creating quality live reviews is so important in entertainment today. A compelling live review can determine whether or not a ticket is bought, which plays a role in whether or not artists can support themselves and continue to create.
The importance of criticism in regards to concerts is as much about the performers on stage as it is the production, the crowd, and the overall vibe of the event. Journalists can speak to all these elements on a technical level, but what really grabs today’s easily distracted reader is the critic’s own journey. The consumer of your material may never make it to the show in question themselves, and the reasons for that are numerous (schedule, cost, etc.). What they can do, however, is live vicariously through you.
In today’s entertainment writing culture, the key to crafting a great live review lies in learning how to tell a good story — your story. You should consider yourself, your feelings, and everything that goes into a night out on assignment as a vessel for others. Capture as many moments as possible, especially the tiny moments that others in the crowd might miss, and use them to make your story more engaging for the reader. Here are some questions to get you started:
What is the weather like?
Is it hot or cold inside the venue?
Do people look happy to be there?
When did the venue staff notice people lining up? (Don’t be afraid to ask!)
What are people in the crowd talking about?
What are people in the crowd wearing?
How much time between sets?
Did the performers engage the audience? If so, how?
What moments from this show will you remember in six months?
What would you change, if anything, to improve the night?
How did you feel during the show?
Were your expectations met?
Where were your expectations?
2019 is shaping up to be a banner year for live entertainment. Legendary acts are returning to the stage for a final run, new artists are trying to fill large venues, and there appear to be more festivals than ever before. Everyone who is anyone is trying to get a piece of consumers’ live entertainment budget. The reality is, only a few will succeed, and critics can play an active role in determining who comes out on top.
On Manchester, security, and the future of live music
Words cannot express the pain we feel in our chests following the news coming out of Manchester earlier this week. Countless people have tried to summarize the enormity of this tragedy, many with a gift for words far greater than our own, and we feel everything they – and you – do as well. Terrorism is horrific in any form it takes, but where children are involved it’s particularly devastating. This is only further emphasized that the incident occurred at a concert, a place where most of us find safety in numbers and community. The people there were present to escape the troubles of the world around them, but the horror found them, and now it seems life will never be the same again.
Details on the moments immediately before the explosion at Manchester Arena are still pouring in, but authorities believe the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber carry a backpack with a homemade device inside it. It is unclear if the individual in question attended the concert or ran up on the gate in the moments immediately following the show. We do no know for certain that they acted alone, but on May 23 the Islamic State group did claim responsibility. The known terrorist organization claimed “a soldier of the caliphate planted bombs in the middle of Crusaders gatherings.”
When the Bataclan concert venue was attack by terrorists in 2015 Bono, frontman of U2, was quoted in the press as claiming the event was “the first direct hit on music.” Whether or not that statement is based in hard facts it is undeniable that most never considered concerts or the venues that host them to be anything less than safe. Hundreds, if not thousands, of live events happen all over the world every single day without incident. Concerts are a place where people can go to feel a part of something bigger than themselves and, for a brief amount of time, escape the troubles of their lives. In an increasingly chaotic world, concerts remain a fairly accessible oasis for most people.
Speaking with The New York Timesaround the same time as Bono, Pollstar editor Gary Bongiovanni recognized a dark truth. “It’s only logical for major venues worldwide to have heightened security,” said Bongiovanni. “But the truth is that there is only so much anyone can do to stop a wave of suicidal attackers.”
We talk about this a lot for numerous reasons, but incidents like this further exemplify the simple fact that people cannot control the world around them. The only thing a person can really do is choose how they respond when tragedy occurs. Do a person pull back from the world because they fear the next place they go or event they attend will be the next to be attacked? Are people supposed to simply accept the old adage that it’s dangerous business walking out their front door and therefore not be so shocked to see horrors unfolding in the world around? Should people break down and cry for those lost while searching for a way to move forward and, to whatever extent is possible, influence positive change in the world around them?
It’s not our place to answer these questions, but anyone reading this should know we are asking the same things of ourselves and one another. Summer is festival season, and many people we know are planning to attend large scale, sometimes multi-day, music event with thousands of strangers in places that often outsource security work to the most affordable company. It is important in times like this to remember the risk being taken when you attend concerts now is the same risk that has always existed. The chance that something horrible may happen is always a possibility in nearly every situation you find yourself in day to day. There is no way around it, and if we allow the fear we feel now that such realizations are brought to mind then those who wish to destroy our way of life through such horrific actions win. They feed on our fear. They want us to abandon our way of life because of they made us feel weak, defenseless, and afraid.
There will no doubt be much discussion about security and live events in the days ahead. It is likely we will even see some changes made, especially at arena events. Follow closely and watch how the industry responds. Be cautious of trusting anyone who promises this will never happen again. That kind of guarantee is no achievable in today’s world. As with all things in life, people will ultimately need to rely on – and turn to – one another to create spaces where we can feel safe once more. We need one another, and right now there are dozens in Manchester who need our support more than most. Lift them up.
James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also the host of the Inside Music Podcast. You should follow him on Twitter.
The following post is the latest in our ongoing content collaboration series with the fine folks from SonicBids. If there is ever a music related topic you cannot find covered on our blog we highly recommend giving their site a visit. Heck, go ahead and make them a bookmark. They’re great people doing great work for the same reason as us: They want to see the industry continue to grow for many years to come.
Being a musician involves wearing many hats. Most great musicians have mastered the art of both practicing their chops alone, and displaying those chops in front of large crowds. As an introvert, you may feel more comfortable practicing alone, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be an amazing performer as well; you might just have to change the way you approach performance in order to make it work for you. Here are some tools introverted musicians can use to improve their stage presence and overall performing abilities.
1. Throw away the misconceptions
Many people (including introverts themselves) have misconceptions about what introversion actually means. Susan Cain, bestselling author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, points out that shyness and introversion aren’t the same, even though most of us assume they are.
“Shyness is the fear of negative judgment, and introversion is a preference for quiet, minimally stimulating environments,” she writes. Barbra Streisand, for example, is someone that most of us would immediately identify as being comfortable in front of other people, but not so, says Cain. “Barbra Streisand has an outgoing, larger than life personality, but a paralyzing case of stage fright: she’s a shy extrovert.”
Another misconception is that introverts get stage fright. But even if you’re a shy introvert, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have performance anxiety. (By the way, if you’re curious to see if you’re a shy introvert or not, you can take this online shyness test developed by researchers at Wellesley College.) Most shy people are moderately shy and can get by just fine in front of people despite their shyness. It’s only when this shyness becomes extreme that it can lead to cases ofperformance anxiety (which, by the way, it something you can conquer, just as other performers like Barbra Streisand have).
2. Develop a pre-gig routine
Just like in other areas of DIY musician life, introverts have the upper hand over extroverts in some ways when it comes to performing. Psychologists have found that introverts often make better public speakers than extroverts, because introverts tend to take more time to prepare and think things through. So while your extroverted bandmates might be chatting it up with fans or other musicians before the gig, you can feel justified in taking this time to go over the setlist in your head, warm up your voice, or simply spend some quiet time alone.
3. Prepare some topics for between songs
Sometimes the most daunting thing about performing is not playing the songs, but thinking about what to say between songs. Because introverts don’t tend to be as quick on their feet as extroverts in social situations, it could be a good idea to prepare some topics beforehand to help fill those awkward silences if you’re the one tasked with talking to the audience.
4. Know when to fake it…
As Cain has pointed out, introverts don’t always act like they feel. “Introverts are capable of acting like extroverts for the sake of work they consider important, people they love, or anything they value highly,” she says. This is because of a phenomenon she calls Free Trait Theory, which says that people are born with certain natural dispositions, but can successfully act against these dispositions when pursuing “core personal projects.” So even if you don’t feel like going up onstage every time you have a gig, you can learn when to turn on the extrovert tap, so to speak.
5. …and when to be real
At the same time, going too far into Free Trait territory can be dangerous for your stage presence, if not for your personal health. According to research from Cambridge University, faking your personality for too long could lead to health problems such as decreased immune system functioning. Plus, there’s always the danger that you could get tired of pretending to be an extrovert onstage and come across as fake and awkward.
It’s also important to remember that performing onstage isn’t the same as interacting with people at a party or a networking event; while it may serve you well to act more gregarious than normal in a networking situation, you might actually have more luck capturing the attention of fans on stage simply by being real. Sometimes you can actually exude more energy simply by standing stoically rather than jumping around like a spastic monkey.
6. Take time to recuperate
Both extroverts and introverts need time to recharge. Research has found that extroverts feel less stressed at work when they take time throughout the day to be social. If this is the case, then it would follow that the opposite is true for introverts. If performing takes a lot of your energy, then naturally, you’ll want to take time after each gig to regain that energy.
Even if you don’t feel comfortable at all onstage, it may help to think of performing as part of your art, just like writing songs or recording an album. It may be the part you dread the most, but for your fans, it could be the best way to experience your music. You may find performing exhausting, but if you learn to do it right, your fans will find it exhilarating. And after all, isn’t playing music all about creating amazing experiences?
Casey van Wensem is a freelance composer, musician, and writer living in Kelowna, B.C., Canada. You can hear his musical work at birdscompanionmusic.com and read his written work atcaseyvanwensemwriting.com.
This may seem hard to believe, but it’s already time to begin preparing for SXSW 2016. We are just seven months away from the largest gathering of music industry professionals in the world, and if you want to make the most of it you need to start planning your time on the ground as soon as possible. You should also book your hotel soon, but that’s not really something we cover here at Haulix.
One of the most important components of all music conferences are the panels, and SXSW has a long history of providing a diverse variety of topics for attendees to enjoy. In 2015 alone, we caught panels on the future of profitability and discovery in the streaming industry, the changing purpose of blogs, the things to look for when seeking management, and more. If we had to guess, we’d predict 2016 will have even better offerings, but in order for that to happen we need a little help from you.
SXSW allows anyone with a panel idea to submit their topic to a program called ‘Panel Picker.’ The best entries are accepted and placed into a competition where users must vote for the panels they want to see happen in 2016. SXSW received a record number of submissions this year, so voting means more now than ever.
We love attending SXSW, and we cherish the panel portion of the conference above all. We want to make the 2016 panel sessions the best the festival has ever held, and in order to help make that happen we gathered a few of our favorite panel ideas into a single post in hopes you will vote and aide us in making each a reality. Voting only takes a minute, so please help us make these important conversations happen by casting your ballot(s) as soon as you are able.
(AKA – ‘Digital Distribution & Security: The End Of Piracy’)
In 2015 there was not a single panel at SXSW focused on piracy or the battle to eradicate the unwanted spread of copyrighted materials, which seems kind of crazy when you consider that music piracy is currently at an all-time high. We want to host a conversation that not only tells of our efforts in this fight, but of the numerous battles being fought to defeat digital piracy once and for all throughout the entertainment industry. We will also discuss how artists and labels alike can protect their music from leaks, as well as the tools currently being created to remove links if leaks do occur.
Going to a festival or a concert at a club is something most of us do without a thought. But if you have a disability, the live music experience is often more complicated, and fraught with obstacles. Concert clubs aren’t always accessible, and there’s no guarantee festivals are either. This panel will bring together advocates for accessibility in live music–including several with disabilities–to educate attendees about these issues. The goal is to raise awareness of (and advocate for) greater accessibility at concerts, festivals and live music experiences, because music should be available to all.
When it comes to the proper pitch, it’s important to remember the audience you are trying to reach out to: PEOPLE. It may seem easy to assume music journalists are just drones spewing out reviews, but we are indeed humans who love this crazy industry we call music. Most successful publicists start off as journalists, and those who don’t can sometimes lack the perspective necessary to provide a successful pitch to a potential writer. In this panel, take a lesson from the publicists who are also journalists, featuring publicists/writers at companies like Another Reybee Production, Alternative Press, Bottle Cap Media, Diffuser.fm, Muddy Paw PR, Sonicbids, Substream Magazine, and many more.
HM Magazine was founded in 1985 (the same year as Spin, Alternative Press and Metal Edge). It weathered the self-proclaimed music revolution of the mid-’90s with a name change (from Heaven’s Metal to HM – The Hard Music Magazine). With international distribution and acclaim covering the subgenre of a subgenre (so-called “Christian metal” under the musical umbrella of heavy metal, which was birthed out of rock), this magazine captured a vibrant scene, but went out of print in 2011, taking a paid print circulation of 13,000 to a free online viewership of 100,000+ per issue. In the summer of 2015 HM Magazine ceased to exist as a regular publication. This panel is about what it’s like to see your dream come true, as well as what it’s like to watch it die.
It seems so straightforward; you click on an app and endless music is at your fingertips. But behind all of the technology, songwriters and artists are making money through a complex web of music licensing law. This panel will discuss the sometimes controversial way artists get paid, the role Congress has in making it all work and a policy discussion on where we can improve the system. Panelists include Congresswoman Mimi Walters who serves on the Committee with jurisdiction over music licensing issues, the Director of Government Relations at Pandora, Katie Peters and Casey Rae, a musician and CEO of the Future of Music Coalition.
We all have a job to do, but when it comes down to doing it, we’d rather work with those we like (& who are liked by others). We should all be too busy for high maintenance business relationships, so what’s the benefit of working with a jerk? The point of this panel is to explore how to work together – even if on opposing teams. Competition doesn’t always have to mean cutthroat; it can also mean collaboration & inspiration. Do you know what’s fair? We want to explore fair practice, the literal & metaphorical “costs of doing business” & how music fits into corporate & indie business models. We have juicy horror stories to share but aim to broach these subjects with humour & diplomacy.
If you’re an independent artist, songwriter, producer or manager, this panel is for you! Four prominent entertainment lawyers dig into the key contracts you need to understand to be successful: Management, Label, Publishing, and Band Member agreements. You will learn key terminology, negotiation points, and the pitfalls you need to look out for. If you are serious about your career, then this is a must-attend panel.
The panelists are four independent music and tech industry professionals who have formed a new alliance to converge music brands with the emerging cannabis industry. We will have some real-life case studies to share with the audience about how music brands and artists can get into the cannabis industry. Many artists are already getting in some to have signature cannabis strains, some want to participate in the medical marijuana sector to help move the industry forward with their celebrity. Cannabis is already a multi-billion dollar industry and is still not legal across the nation. The time to get in is NOW!
Data transparency is typically discussed as an issue that benefits only artists. However, labels, publishers, distributors, music tech companies, and more all have just as much to gain from open access to information regarding music sales, streaming activity, and more. This panel will explore why widespread data transparency is a win for all parties, focusing on issues such as the need for updated technology to govern sales reporting, auditable royalty accounting, clear ownership of data, and more. By addressing these problems, all sectors of the music industry can benefit from powerful data intelligence while reducing the sense of distrust that currently pervades the business.
Artists are brands. And, like any brand, artists must have the tools to identify, incentivize and grow their audience and, ultimately, their business. Today, as consumers have seemingly limitless access to artists and music across an array of services and outlets, it’s not easy for an artist to stand out, much less command attention and frequent engagement from fans. Loyalty will lead to revenue, but how does an artist build a relationship with a fan, earn their loyalty and empower these fans to take action on their behalf? This panel will discuss the trends, challenges and opportunities of leveraging D2C, crowdfunding and loyalty/rewards platforms to build meaningful fan relationships.
