Music Business Research 2017 – in retrospective

Dear readers of music business research blog,

The music streaming boom dominated 2017. Market statistics highlight that music streaming revenue has become the most important income stream for the phonographic industry. The US figures for 2016 highlight a tremendous shift from selling music (CDs and downloads) to accessing music (by streaming services). In the US, music consumers paid for the first time more for music access by ad-supported and paid streaming services (US$ 3.9bn) than for CDs, music downloads and ringtones (US$ 3.5bn). In the UK, the massive growth of music streaming revenue also increased overall recorded music sales in 2016. Gains of £103m in the music streaming segment, thus, compensated not just for the loss of £5.8m of physical sales, but also for the £56m decrease in download sales in a year-to-year comparison, as a long-term analysis of the UK recording sales indicates. We can, thus, expect a further massive growth of music streaming revenue in 2017 also on markets with a still strong physical segment such as Germany.

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The 8th Vienna Music Business Research Days in Retrospective

The 8th Vienna Music Business Research Days on “Unchaining the Digital Music Business?” were held at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna from September 12-14, 2017. Over the past few years new gatekeeping processes in the digital music business have emerged and international music business experts, therefore, highlighted the role of new and old gatekeepers as well as the impact of innovative technologies such as the blockchain on structures and processes in the music business.

Students from Austria, Bardados, Canada, Germany, Serbia and South Africa on a master and PhD level opened the conference with the Young Scholars Workshop presenting and discussing their research findings with reknown academics in the field of music business research (workshop program). The article “Virtual Songwriting: Fostering Creative Processes through ‘Challenge’ and ‘Collaboration'” by Benjamin Schiemer from the Johannes Kepler University Linz in Austria was awarded by an international jury as best paper and is considered to be published in the International Journal of Music Business Research (IJMBR).

Music business researchers from Austria, Australia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom and the US gathered on the conference track day (September 13) to present their recent findings on the music business and discuss them with the audience. The topics ranged from the economics of music festivals, music piracy, regulatory aspects in the music business and on choreographies to artist-fan engagement, music management, social media in the music business to the impact of blockchain technology on the music industry (see program).

The invited conference day on September 14 highlighted the role of new gatekeepig processes in the digital music bsuines by new and old players of the music industry. Daniel Nordgård from the University of Agder in Kristiansand/Norway held the introductory talk on “New Gatekeeping Processes in the Digital Music Business” and moderated then a panel discussion with Sally Gross (University of Westminster, London), Sarita Stewart (Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business, Belmont University Nashville/USA), Scott Cohen (The Orchard, London and New York) and Stefan Baumschlager (Record Bird, Vienna). In the following presentation George Musgrave from the University of Westminster in London talked on “Control and Autonomy in the Digital Music Business”.

In the afternoon Alan Graham and Wolfgang Senges critically reflected in two keynotes – “The Applications of Blockchain Technology in the Music Business” and “The Benefits and Challenges of Blockchain Technology in the Music Business” the current hype about blockchain technology  and discussed with Carlotta de Ninni (Mycelia for Music project) and Kelly Snook (University of Brighton) its impact on the music business.

Introducing our guests: Stefan Baumschlager (Record Bird)

The 8th Vienna Music Business Research Days from Sep. 12-14, 2017 are devoted to the question “Unchaining the Digital Music Business?”. Over the past few years new gatekeeping processes in the digital music business have emerged and international music business experts, therefore, highlight the role of new and old gatekeepers as well as the impact of innovative technologies such as the blockchain on structures and processes in the musis biz. Find the program here.

Due to a last minute cancellation Stefan Baumschlager of Record Bird will replace Jake Beaumont-Nesbitt as discussant in the panel on “New Gatekeeping Processes in the Digital Music Business” with Sally Gross (University of Westminster, London), Sarita Stewart (Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business, Belmont University Nashville/USA), Scott Cohen (The Orchard, London and New York) moderated by Daniel Nordgård in Joseph Haydn-Hall on September 14 from 10:15-11:15.

Stefan Baumschlager currently heads up marketing and business development at Record Bird. He joined the young company based in Austria’s capital from Google where he’s been managing European publishing partnerships and licenses for the past 2+ years. Prior to Google Stefan helped now defunct streaming service Rdio from the creators of Skype with their roll out across Europe in the capacity as Head of European Partnerships. Before joining Rdio, Stefan spent close to 6 years at Last.fm, the last two heading its music department overseeing global label relations as well as indie content licensing. Prior to Last.fm, Stefan held several roles in terrestrial radio and worked with Gilles Peterson, Karen Pearson, Somethin-Else Productions and Austria’s public service broadcaster ORF among others. He holds an MA in Communications and a BA in Media Studies from the University of Westminster in London.

 

 

Introducing our guests: Jake Beaumont-Nesbitt (IMMF, London)

The 8th Vienna Music Business Research Days from Sep. 12-14, 2017 are devoted to the question “Unchaining the Digital Music Business?”. Over the past few years new gatekeeping processes in the digital music business have emerged and international music business experts, therefore, highlight the role of new and old gatekeepers as well as the impact of innovative technologies such as the blockchain on structures and processes in the musis biz. Find the program here.

Jake Beaumont-Nesbitt (International Music Managers Forum) is one of the panelists of the discussion on “New Gatekeeping Processes in the Digital Music Business” with Sally Gross (University of Westminster, London), Sarita Stewart (Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business, Belmont University Nashville/USA), Scott Cohen (The Orchard, London and New York) moderated by Daniel Nordgård in Joseph Haydn-Hall on September 14 from 10:15-11:15.

Jake Beaumont-Nesbitt manages composer Peter Gregson, and advises a number of artists on rights management and career development. He is the policy advisor to The International Music Managers Forum (IMMF), an organisation that brings together artist representative associations from 30 countries. It represents managers and the artists they work with to establish better trading conditions for creators through networking, sharing and discussions.

 

8th Vienna Music Business Research Days

New technologies had always an impact on the music business – last but not least in the course of the digital revolution. However, new disruptive technologies as the blockchain technology, 3D concert projections and interactive human-computer-interfaces might revolutionize again the value-added processes in the music industry. The 8th Vienna Music Business Research Days at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw) from September 12-14, 2017 will highligh recent technological developments and their impact on the music business.

Live video stream from Joseph Haydn Hall of mdw starts on September 14, 2017 at 9:15.

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8th Vienna Music Business Research Days on „Unchaining the Digital Music Business?“

September 12-14, 2017, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw)

Anton-von-Webern-Platz 1, 1030 Vienna

Tickets for passive participation for EUR 50.- are available on Eventbrite.

A detailled programme of the 8th Vienna Music Business Research Days can be found here: https://musicbusinessresearch.wordpress.com/vienna-music-business-research-days-2/

 

 

Introducing our guests: Alan Graham (OCL – OneClickLicence, London)

The 8th Vienna Music Business Research Days from Sep. 12-14, 2017 are devoted to the question “Unchaining the Digital Music Business?”. Over the past few years new gatekeeping processes in the digital music business have emerged and international music business experts, therefore, highlight the role of new and old gatekeepers as well as the impact of innovative technologies such as the blockchain on structures and processes in the musis biz. Find the program here.

Alan Graham is the keynote speaker on “The Applications of Blockchain Technology in the Music Business” in Joseph-Haydn Hall at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna in the afternoon of Sep. 14. He is also a discussant in the following panel discussion “Unchaining the Digital Music Business?” that highlights the impact of blockchain technology but also other innovative technologies on the digital music business.

Alan Graham discribes himself as a digital chameleon, technologist, and producer, working in over 10 profound technologies in his 20+ year career, from digital video, animation, e-commerce, online hiring, presence detection, blogging, mobile computing, RSS, online publishing, and more. He has appeared as an author in numerous magazine, several O’Reilly books and blogs, the ZDNet Web 2.0 founding author, as well as being a widely cited expert in design.  In 2003-04 Alan created the world’s first book dedicated to blogs as literature, “Never Threaten to Eat Your Co-Workers.” Many of the writer’s featured have gone on to be recognized for their online writing, including Heather Armstrong (Dooce), Will Wheaton (Star Trek), Choire Sicha (The Awl), & Mark Fraunfelder (boing boing).

Alan also spent three years at Discovery Channel as the Community and Music Liaison during the launch of their Planet Green TV channel and was responsible for the creation and launch of Discovery’s first music website.

 

 

The Economics of Music Streaming – Book presentation & Panel Discussion

In collaboration with the Austrian and Viennese Chamber of Commerce an additional event of the 8th Vienna Music Business Research Days 2017 wil take place in Gewerbehaus of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (3., Rudolf Sallinger Platz 1) on September 13 from 19:00-21:00. After the book presentation “The Economics of Music” by Peter Tschmuck, Peter Jenner (Sincere Management, London), Sally Gross (University of Westminster, London), Hannes Tschürtz (ink music, Vienna) and Alexander Hirschenhauser (VTMÖ – Austrian Indie Label Association, Vienna) discuss on “The Economics of Music Streaming – Revenue Streams for Musicans and Music Producers from Spotify & Co?”

Entrance is free, please register here: Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKO)

 

The Economics of Music Streaming – Revenue Streams for Musicans and Music Producers from Spotify & Co?
September 13, 2017
19.00-21.00
Gewerbehaus
Große Dachterrasse
Rudolf Sallinger Platz 1, 1030 Wien

 

in collaboration with        and      

 

 

Introducing our guests: Carlotta de Ninni (Mycelia for Music, London)

The 8th Vienna Music Business Research Days from Sep. 12-14, 2017 are devoted to the question “Unchaining the Digital Music Business?”. Over the past few years new gatekeeping processes in the digital music business have emerged and international music business experts, therefore, highlight the role of new and old gatekeepers as well as the impact of innovative technologies such as the blockchain on structures and processes in the musis biz. Find the program here.

Carlotta de Ninni is one of the discussants of the panel “Unchaining the Digital Music Business” in Joseph Haydn-Hall on September 14 from 16:00-17:30. Other panelists are Kelly Snook, Professor of Media Arts Technology at the University of Brighton/UK), Alan Graham (OCL – OneClickLicence, London) and moderator Wolfgang Senges (ContentSphere, Berlin).

Carlotta has a background in audio engineering. But after further studies in media management she has been involved in many projects about the implementation of blockchain technology into the music industry. She is currently working with Imogen Heap as the Head of Research for Mycelia, where she is specialised in music copyright and licensing, blockchain technology, smart contracts and AR/VR.

 

 

Introducing our guests: Sally Gross

The 8th Vienna Music Business Research Days from Sep. 12-14, 2017 are devoted to the question “Unchaining the Digital Music Business?”. Over the past few years new gatekeeping processes in the digital music business have emerged and international music business experts, therefore, highlight the role of new and old gatekeepers as well as the impact of innovative technologies such as the blockchain on structures and processes in the musis biz. Find the program here.

Sally Gross is a discussant on “New Gatekeeping Processes in the Digital Music Business” along with Scott Cohen  (The Orchchard, London and New York),  Sarita Stewart (Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business at Belmont University in Nashville/USA) and Jake Beaumont-Nesbitt (International Music Managers Forum, London).

Sally Gross is the Program Director, MA Music Business Management at the University of Westminster. She started her career in the music industry as a music manager in 1990 and over the course of two decades has been involved with 5 acts (either as a manager or a record company director) that have each sold over a million records: Adamski, Rollo and Rob D (who are responsible for Dido), Urban Cookie Collective, William Orbit, Gotan Project and now One Direction with the song Little Things, penned by her client Fiona Bevan.

In 2000, she won the Helena Kennedy Award for Outstanding Legal Criticism whilst studying law at Birkbeck University, after which she spent a couple of years working in entertainment law.  She has been involved with all aspects of the music industry from raves in the French Alps to sold out shows at Hollywood Bowl to Sydney Opera House.

Sally continues to work as international business affairs manager for Ya Basta Records and Science et Melodie Publishing in Paris, home of Gotan Project and producer and DJ Philippe Cohen Solal and is currently working on an album and stage project about the world renown US outsider artist Henry Darger.

More recently Sally’s research interests have concerned working conditions and mental health issues within the music industries.

 

 

Introducing our guests: Scott Cohen

The 8th Vienna Music Business Research Days from Sep. 12-14, 2017 are devoted to the question “Unchaining the Digital Music Business?”. Over the past few years new gatekeeping processes in the digital music business have emerged and international music business experts, therefore, highlight the role of new and old gatekeepers as well as the impact of innovative technologies such as the blockchain on structures and processes in the musis biz. Find the program here.

Scott Cohen is a discussant on “New Gatekeeping Processes in the Digital Music Business” along with Sally Gross (Westminster University, London),  Sarita Stewart (Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business at Belmont University in Nashville/USA) and Jake Beaumont-Nesbitt (International Music Managers Forum, London).

Scott is the co-founder of digital distribution pioneer The Orchard.  The Orchard is the world’s leading distributor of music, film and video with operations is 25 global territories.  As a well-recognized public speaker and lecturer, Scott travels the world evangelizing new business models for the digital age.

Scott’s music career started in the late 80’s in independent and major label artist management.  In addition to his responsibilities at The Orchard, he manages the Raveonettes, Dan Owen and Fallulah.