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.

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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.

 

Introducing our guests: Daniel Nordgård (University of Agder/Norway)

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.

Daniel Nordgård holds the introductory talk on “New Gatekeeping Processes in the Digital Music Business” in Joseph Haydn-Hall on September 14 from 9:30-10:15. He will then moderate the panel discussion on the same topic 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), Jake Beaumont-Nesbitt (International Music Managers Forum, London).

Daniel Nordgård is associate professor at the University of Agder in Kristiansand/Norway. He has a broad background from music, foremost as musician and artist, but later working as a project manager and occupying different positions in the Norwegian music sector. In particular Nordgård has been working with music festivals and the live-sector in various positions, and in the period 2007-2008 as the festival manager for the Quart-festival in Norway. Nordgård recently finished his doctorate in music with the dissertation: Determining Factors on Digital Change in the Music Industries (2017). Nordgård teach music business at the University of Agder’ master’s program on music management and works as a senior researcher at Agder Research, a private research institute. His research is very much devoted to the music industry and the cultural industries, however with a special emphasis on digital change in the music industry. In 2013 Nordgård was appointed by the Norwegian Government to lead their committee on digital changes in the music industry. He holds several positions in different boards, nationally and internationally, including Gramo (the Norwegian collecting society for recording artists and record companies), The Norwegian Film Institute, Gramart (The Norwegian featured artist organization). He also sits on the board of the International Music Business Research Association (IMBRA) and is boor review editor of the International Journal of Music Business Research (IJMBR).

 

 

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.

 

 

Introducing our guests: Sarita Stewart

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.

Sarita Stewart, Assistant Professor in the Entertainment Industry Studies program in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business at Belmont University in Nashville/USA, is one of the panel discussants on “New Gatekeeping Processes in the Digital Music Business”. Along with Sally Gross (Westminster University, London),  Scott Cohen (The Orchard, London and New York) and Jake Beaumont-Nesbitt (International Music Managers Forum, London) she discusses the role of new and old gatekeepers in the digitized music industry.

Dr. Sarita Stewart teaches in the area of public relations, music marketing, and consumer research. Her main research focus is the topic of music consumption, with accompanying interests in the areas of video games, social media, and mood management. She also serves as a Series Editor for the forthcoming Springer Music Business Research series.

Dr. Stewart also presents a paper on “The use of the artist-fan engagement model as a strategy tool” at the preceding conference day on September 13.

Stewart’s previous entertainment industry experience includes stints as Director of Marketing at Curb Records; U.S. Marketing Manager at AKG Acoustics; as well as entrepreneurial endeavors in the field of artist management. Stewart holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Oregon State University, Masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University, and a Ph.D. in Communication from The University of Alabama.