Music as an Investment – Part 3: Primary Wave

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Primary Wave is a new type of music publisher founded in New York City in January 2006 by former Virgin Records CEO, Larry Mestel. Primary Wave does not aim at the acquisition and exploitation of classical publishing rights, but instead purchases the artist’s share of publishing rights and master rights, primarily to monetise their use in TV, film and advertising (synchronisation rights to musical works). Part 3 of the series “Music as an Investment” analyses Primary Wave’s rise to one of the most influential players in the international music rights market.

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Music as an Investment – Part 2: BMG re-enters the music rights business

Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) is an interesting case of a company exiting the music business in the 2000s and re-entering it in 2009 to invest billions of dollars in publishing and master catalogues and to become the fourth largest music company in the world behind the three majors – Universal, Sony and Warner. BMG’s re-entry into the music industry thus marks the first phase of the boom around the purchase of music rights, which is examined more closely in this case study of BMG.

Music as an Investment – Part 1: An Overview

Until a few years ago, music publishing was considered to be a rather boring business field in which music rights are acquired and licensed for various uses. This business model has not principally changed, but music rights have become a speculative investment in recent years, when new players such as Hipgnosis, Primary Wave and Round Hill entered the market with spectacular music catalogue acquisitions in the multi-digit million range.

This blog entry traces the development of the music rights market and the most important players in recent years and is the introduction to a multi-part blog series on “Music as an Investment”.

The Economics of Music – 2nd Edition

In July 2021, the fully updated 2nd edition of “The Economics of Music” has been published by Agenda Publishing, which was reviewed by the eminent cultural economist David Throsby in the TIMES Literary Supplement: https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/the-music-business/

 

Promotional text:

The music industry is one of the most dynamic business sectors. It has had to evolve and adapt to continually changing technologies and business models. Its latest challenge has been Covid-19 and the loss of live music at a time when live performance outstrips music sales as the primary source of income for today’s artists. The second edition of this much used introduction to the economic workings of the music business explores the impact of the pandemic at every level of the sector and considers how the business model may need to change going forward as different stakeholder positions shift. The new edition also examines new trends in the music industry such as the increasing dominance of tech companies and data, the increasing importance of CMOs as market players, the increased role of artist management, which has impacted on new business contracts, as well as changes to how we use music in our everyday lives and how this impacts on new entrepreneurial behaviours around music.

The Economics of Music SECOND EDITION

Peter Tschmuck

Hardback  €79,71 | £60.00  |  $90.00   ISBN 9781788214261

Paperback €26.57 | £18.99  |  $30.00   ISBN 9781788214278

e-book      €18,38 | £18.99  |  $30.00   ISBN 9781788214292

 

264 pages   |  210 x 148mm   |  08 July 2021

 

Series: Economics of Big Business

 

Book order: https://www.agendapub.com/books/165/the-economics-of-music-second-edition

The Music Industry in the COVID-19 Pandemic – Live Nation

The COVID-19 pandemic hits the live music sector hardest since the end of World War II. The sector has been shut down since March 2020 in most of the countries. Concert and festivals were cancelled or postponed due to social distancing and lockdown measures. A report of Media Insight Consulting[1] estimates that 64 per cent of the UK’s live music workforce of 262,000 full-time employees will have lost their jobs by Christmas. Thus, 170,000 cultural workers in the music sector – most of them self-employed and freelance workers – will be out of work. At the end of March 2020, the German music industry associations estimated a loss of revenue for the live music sector of EUR 4,543 million for the period from April to September 2020. We can expect a much higher revenue loss for the last quarter 2020 due to the continued lockdown of the German music festival and concert sector.

However, the live music sector is highly fragmented and diverse. The international concert promoting market is dominated by large live music conglomerates such as the US-based Live Nation and Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) as well as the German CTS Eventim. They control an oligopolistic industry with myriads of small music venues, concert promoters, bookers and management agencies that have no impact on the market structure and processes. These medium and small sized live music organizers struggle for survival and are dependent on public financial support. However, how is the situation for the large conglomerates? Is their existence also at stake? This blog post tries to answer these question by analysing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world’s largest concert and ticketing conglomerate Live Nation. Based on the quarterly reports from January to September 2020, it is analysed how the live entertainment giant has been affected by the pandemic and highlights Live Nation’s strategy to weather the storm.

International Journal of Music Business Research – October 2020, vol. 9, no. 2

The October issue 2020 of the International Journal of Music Business Research (IJMBR) is a special issue on the “Festivalisation of Live Music” edited by Erik Hitters and Carsten Winter. After a introductory editorial, the first article by Jeff Apruzzese presents a close-up look into the practices of the music festival industry in the USA, by focusing on radius clauses, also known as exclusivity deals. Apruzzese draws up a compelling argument on how these clauses affect local venues and other organizers of live music, effectively obstructing their choice of bands to play for local audiences.

Erik Hitters & Marijn Mulder explore local policies on live music and festivals in their contribution “Live music ecologies and festivalization: the role of urban live music policies”. In particular, their focus is on how such policies have been subject to festivalization.

A special contribution is from renowned live music researcher Martin Cloonan, who looks back at fifteen years of active involvement in live music research in the UK. In “Trying to have an impact: Some confessions of a live music researcher” he mindfully reflects on the paradoxes of his role as an academic observer and analyst and the need for informed and impactful interventions in the business and policies of live music.

The special October issue rounds up with a book review by Daniel Nordgard on “Can Music Make You Sick? Measuring the price of musical ambition” by Sally A. Gross and George Musgrave.

 

 

Volume 9, no 2, October 2020 – special issue on the festivalization of live music

Editorial by Erik Hitters & Carsten Winter: The festivalization of live music, pp. 4-12

Jeffrey Apruzzese: Navigating troubled waters; how are music festivals affecting the local concert industry, pp. 13-37

Erik Hitters & Martijn Mulder: Live music ecologies and festivalisation: the role of urban live music policies, pp. 38-57

Martin Cloonan: Trying to have an impact: Some confessions of a live music researcher, pp. 58-82

Book review by Daniel Nordgård: Can Music Make You Sick? Measuring the price of musical ambition by Sally A. Gross & George Musgrave, pp. 83-86

 

 

Introducing our guests: Ania Kasperek (Chimes Agency, Poland)

In times of the COVID-19 crisis it’s impossible to have an international conference with guests from all around the world in Vienna. Therefore, the 11th Vienna Music Business Research Days on “Emerging Music Markets” will be held as an online conference only. Nevertheless we will have exciting conference guests from Asian as well as Eastern European countries to highlight the specifities of emerging music markets in these regions. Find the program (Central European Summertime) here.

Ania Kasperek (Chimes Agency, Poland) gives a short presentation on the Polish music market on Zoom on Sep. 23, from 14:20-14:40 (CEST) and will then join the virtual panel discussion on “Emerging Eastern European Music Markets” with Dartsya Tarkovska (Soundbuzz & Music Export Ukraine, Kiev) and Carina Sava (Agentia de Vise, Bucharest, Romania.

Ania is a manager with a demonstrated history of working in the Music Industry. Skilled in Artist Management, Music Business, Digital Strategy and International Strategy. Strong arts and business professional. Works hands-on with talent, plans and executes strategy, builds and manages teams around artists. Co-founder of all-female Chimes agency – artist management & consulting agency supporting artists & brands in strategy development and implementation. Part of Balance It Out talent development collective. Currently heads management teams for Hildur (IS), Wojtek (PL) and Reuben Gray (UK). Additionally, Ania is among the co-founders and serves as Operations Manager at European Music Managers Alliance (EMMA).

 

 

Introducing our guests: Philipp Grefer (WISE, Beijing, China)

In times of the COVID-19 crisis it’s impossible to have an international conference with guests from all around the world in Vienna. Therefore, the 11th Vienna Music Business Research Days on “Emerging Music Markets” will be held as an online conference only. Nevertheless we will have exciting conference guests from Asian as well as Eastern European countries to highlight the specifities of emerging music markets in these regions. Find the program (Central European Summertime) here.

Philipp Grefer (WISE, Beijing, China) gives a keynote talk on the “Music Market in China” on September 23, 10:15-11:00 (CEST) and will then join the virtual panel discussion on “Emerging Music Markets in Asia” with Weining Hung (LUCfest, Tainan, Taiwan), Bernie Cho (DFSB Kollective, Seoul, South Korea) and Achille Forler (Music Curator and The Indian Performing Right Society, Mumbia, India).

In 2018 Philipp Grefer founded WISE – The Future Think Tank, (www.wisenotwise.com) in Beijing, bringing together thought leaders of the creative industries, science and tech to discuss how we will and should live in the Future.

He has been at the forefront of China´s music and events industry for over a decade – the only German and one of the few Westerners with such a deep experience in China’s music industry.

Since he first visited China in 2007 for the Midi Festival, he has worked at one of the world´s largest events, the EXPO 2010 Shanghai for German government institution GIZ, and co-founded his own music & creative agency / label FakeMusicMedia (FMM) / FakeLoveMusic (FLM)

He brought over 300 artists and speakers to China since (e.g Die Toten Hosen, Hot Chip, Royksopp) and has managed some of China´s best talents. Philipp has authored several reports about the Chinese Music Industry and consulted & curated for various brands and government organizations and is author of The China Music Industry Report.

He is fascinated by the possibilities of AI & VR for the creative sector and DJs sometimes under his moniker Metro Tokyo.

He holds a master in International Relations / Economics which he studied alongside Latin American Studies in Cologne and San Diego. Before coming to China he worked as a freelance journalist at Germany´s biggest broadcaster.

 

Introducing our guests: Weinig Hung (LUCfest, Tainan, Taiwan)

In times of the COVID-19 crisis it’s impossible to have an international conference with guests from all around the world in Vienna. Therefore, the 11th Vienna Music Business Research Days on “Emerging Music Markets” will be held as an online conference only. Nevertheless we will have exciting conference guests from Asian as well as Eastern European countries to highlight the specifities of emerging music markets in these regions. Find the program (Central European Summertime) here.

Weining Hung (LUCfest, Tainan, Taiwan) is one of the discussants in the panel on “Emerging Music Markets in Asia” with Bernie Cho (DFSB Kollective, Seoul, South Korea), Achille Forler (Music Curator and  The Indian Performing Right Society, Mumbai, India) and Philipp Grefer (WISE, Beijing, China) on September 23 from 12:00-13:00 (CEST).

Weining Hung is the co-founder of LUCfest, a three-day showcase festival and conference in Tainan, Taiwan. She has always been a force for getting Asian musicians into European market. She is also the international manager for emerging artists like Phum Viphurit and ADOY. All over the years, she develops good knowledge of music market, especially Asia and Europe. Nowadays, Weining splits her time between Asia and Europe and passionate about stimulating networking activities and building Asian music industry platform.

 

 

11th Vienna Music Business Research Days on “Emerging Music Markets”

The 11th Vienna Music Business Research Days on “Emerging Music Markets” will be held as an online only conference in times of the global COVID-19 crisis. Nevertheless we will have guests from all over the world to talk and discuss on emerging music markets in Asia and Eastern Europe.

 

Join the Zoom-conference here: ZOOM-LINK TO THE VIENNA MUSIC BUSINESS RESEARCH DAYS 2020

 

or stream us on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ViennaMusicBusinessResearchDays/

and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSQ_kzb0cbCThmPLpGYNM6A

The conference day on September 23 will be also live video-streamed from 9:00-16:30 CEST at mdw’s Mediathek: https://live.mdw.ac.at/

 

The morning sessions of the conference day on September 23 will highlight the specifities of several booming Asian music markets. Bernie Cho from the DFSB Kollective in Seoul/South Korea will talk about the South Korean music market and the economic relevanve of K-Pop. In the following sesssion the founder of Fake Music Media, which organizes the WISE Festival in Beijing, Philipp Grefer, highlights the network of the Chinese music industry and music market. The music market in India, which is still driven by the Bollywood film studios, will be analyzed by Achille Forler from the Indian-based sound design agency Music Curator and The Indian Performing Right Society in Mumbai. All three speakers will then discuss with Weining Hung, founder and organizer of the LUCfest in Tainan/Taiwan on “Emerging Music Markets in Asia”.

In the afternoon of September 23, Carina Sava (Agentia de Vise, Bucharest/Romania), Ania Kasperek (Chimes Agency, Poland) and Dartsya Tarkowska (Soundbuzz & Music Export Ukraine, Kiev) will highlight the specifities of the music markets in Romania, Poland and the Ukraine in short presentions in order discuss the economic relevance and future development of “Emerging Eastern European Music Markets”.

The Vienna Music Business research Days will be opened on Sep. 21^th with the Young Scholars’ Workshop for master and PhD students to present their research to renown music business researchers in a closed online workshop.

On Sep. 22^th music business researchers from all around the world will present their findings on different music business/industry topics (see program).

 

Join the Zoom-conference here: ZOOM-LINK TO THE VIENNA MUSIC BUSINESS RESEARCH DAYS 2020

 

or stream us on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ViennaMusicBusinessResearchDays/

and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSQ_kzb0cbCThmPLpGYNM6A

The conference day on September 23 will be also live video-streamed from 9:00-16:30 CEST at mdw’s Mediathek: https://live.mdw.ac.at/