Music Business Research 2015 – in retrospective

Dear readers of the music business research blog,

2015 Music streaming was again the main topic in the music business. In June, Apple Inc. introduced the long rumoured music streaming portal Apple Music to the public. Instead of a freemium tier Apple Music is built around an online radio station – Beats 1 – and enables direct contact between musicians and fans by Artist Connect. Nevertheless, Taylor Swift was not amused. She threatened to withdraw her music catalogue from Apple Music as long as no licensing fees are paid to rights holders in the initial trail period. Apple’s VP of iTunes, Eddy Cue, immediately responded by Twitter to announce that Apple Inc. has changed its mind and “will pay artist for streaming, even during customer’s free trial period”. However, the conflict shows that the discussion on music streaming payments to artists will continue in 2016. An analysis on the blog already addressed that problem – Music Streaming Revisited – the Problem of Income Distribution – and even superstars cannot afford a living from music streaming revenues: Music Streaming Revisited – The Superstars’ Music Streaming Income. It was also highlighted on the blog that the main winners of the music streaming boom are the major recorded music labels which can successfully market their catalogues: Who Benefits from Spotify & Co.?

Before Apple Music was introduced to the public, premium music streaming service Tidal was launched by Jay-Z and 16 further superstars of the music business in March 2015. It remains to be seen if the music fans are prepared to pay a monthly fee of US $19.99 for high fidelity music streaming. The number of subscribers since Tidal’s launch tells a different story.

In November 2015, Google unveiled the first details on YouTube Red. YouTube Red is the successor of Music Key, which never made it out of the beta version. The new streaming service aims to successfully compete with Spotify & Co. 2016 will show if the dreams will come true.

It is striking, however, that all the new music streaming services lack a freemium tier. This nurtures speculations that the end of free music streaming is near what would be applauded by high ranking music industry representatives who regularly clamoured the dismissal of Freemium music streaming models in 2015. It is, however, questionable if a stop of free music streaming is the golden rule for the music business since most of the music streaming markets are not fully developed yet as highlighted in a blog entry: Music Streaming Revisited – the International Music Streaming Market 2014.

Although music streaming seems to stabilize the recorded music markets – see e.g. U.S. and Germany – the first signs of a market consolidations has become visible. The German music streaming pioneer Simfy had to close down and the U.S. based streaming platform rdio went bankrupt in 2015.

Investors, however, do not bet on music streaming services anymore as the panel discussion “Financing Music in the Digital Age” within the 6^th Vienna Music Business Research Days highlighted. The international music business research conference that again was held at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna in cooperation with Waves Vienna Festival & Conference also addressed the question in a presentation and panel discussion if streaming is a relevant revenue source for opera houses and concert halls. And the economic relevance of crowdfunding for the music business was analysed in a keynote talk too.

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6th Vienna Music Business Research Days in Retrospective

“Financing Music in the Digital Age” was this year’s main topic of the 6^th Vienna Music Business Research Days 2015 held at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. International music experts and music business researchers approached this topic from different perspectives on the third conference day on Oct. 1.

However, the conference started with the Young Scholars’ Workshop on September 29. Graduate and PhD students from Brazil, Ecuador, Germany, Hungary, Norway and Poland presented their theses in a closed workshop in group of highly regarded music business/industry researchers. The best paper of the Young Scholars’ Workshop was awarded to Abner Pérez of the Universidad de las Americas Quito, Ecuador for his paper “Compulsory Licensing in the Recording Industry”. The paper will be published in the International Journal of Music Business Research (IJMBR).

The second conference day on September 30, was devoted to academic music business research. Scholars from the Australia, Austria, China, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain highlighted in their papers the results of their music business/industry research.

The third conference day was then held in cooperation with the Waves Music Festival & Conference, Vienna & Bratislava.

For a detailed coverage of the entire conference– including most of the papers and presentation slides as well as the audio and video streams of almost all talks and discussions of Oct 1 – please click here.

6th Vienna Music Business Research Days, Sep. 29 – Oct.1, 2015

The 6th Vienna Music Business Research traditionally start with the Young Scholars’ Workshop in the Large Conference Room of the Institute for Cultural Management and Cultural Studies (IKM) at 9:00am on September 29, 2015. Graduate and PhD students from Brazil, Ecuador, Germany, Hungary, Norway and Poland will present their theses in a closed workshop to highly regarded music business/industry research who will comment on and discuss the papers.

The second conference day on September 30, will be devoted to academic music business research in Joseph Haydn-Hall in the main building of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna from 9:00am to 18:00pm. Scholars from the Australia, Austria, China, Brazil, Germany, Iran, the Netherlands and Spain will highlight current results of their reseach on the music business/industry.

“Financing Music in the Digital Age” is the main topic of the third conference day in Joseph Haydn-Hall of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna  from 9:00am to 17:00pm on October 1. The conference day will be opened at by Dagmar Abfalter (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna) with a paper – co-authored by Serge Poisson-de Haro (HEC Montreal) – answering the question is “Opera Streaming a New Revenue Source?” . In the following panel discussion – conducted by Dagmar Abfalter – Luke O’Shaughnessy (The Oper Platform, Brussels), Christof Papousek (Cineplexx International GmbH, Vienna), Christopher Widauer (Vienna State Opera) and Robert Zimmermann (Berlin Phil Media GmbH of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra) will discuss on “The Economic Relevance of Classical Music Streaming” from 10:15-11:15.

Before lunch – from 11:45-12:30 – Kieran Garvey, Policy Programmes Manager and Research Associate at the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, will highlight the role of “Alternative Financing of Music” with a special focus on music crowfunding.

After lunch – from 14:00-14:45 – start-up entreneur Andreas Mahringer and business “angelina” Selma Prodanovich will unveil the processes and structures behind start-up funding in a case study on the Viennese-based music start-up Record Bird.

Andreas and Selma will then participate in the following panel disuccion – conducted by journalist Jakob Steinschaden – on “Music Start-up Funding in the Digitized Music Economy”. The other panelists are Michael Breidenbrücker (co-founder of LastFM; speedinvest, Vienna and London) and Peter Jenner (Sincere Management, London).

The conference will be closed with awarding the best paper of the Young Scholars’ Workshop in Joseph Haydn-Hall of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna at 17:00 on October 1, 2015.

 

Find more details on the conference program here: https://musicbusinessresearch.wordpress.com/vienna-music-business-research-days-2/

 

The conference day on October 1 will be audio live-streamed here: http://www.mdw.ac.at/mdwMediathek/livestream/ and please follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Tickets for passive participation of EUR 40.- are available on Ticketgarden: https://www.ticketgarden.com/en-at/tickets/vienna-music-business-research-days-2015/

The tickets are also valid to visit the Waves Music Conference that also take place at University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna on October 1, 2015.

 

Conference site & how to get there

Ticketing and conference accomodation

 

Introducing our guests: Christopher Widauer (Vienna State Opera)

The 6^th Vienna Music Business Research Days 2015 focus on “Financing Music in the Digital Age”. International experts and academics discuss new and alternative revenue sources for the music scene such as music streaming for the classic music business, crowdfunding and business angel funding.

Christopher Widauer, Head of Digital Development at the Vienna State Opera, will participate in the discussion on “The Economic Relevance of Classical Music Streaming” in Joseph Haydn-Hall of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna from 10:15-11:15 on October 1, 2015.

Christopher Widauer studies and works at Department of Philosophy, Salzburg and was then an arts manager in Germany and Austria, e.g. at Schubertiade Hohenems and as director of Styriarte Festival in Graz with Nikolaus Harnoncourt. From 1988-1991, he Developed a ticketing software that was installed in venues such as Viennese Konzerthaus Vienna, Salzburg Festival or Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. In 1989, he founded a puppet theatre for contemporary literature and music, touring internationally and playing at important festivals such as Biennale di Venezia, Bregenz, Lucerne, Kiev, Seoul, Bangkok, or Paris. From 2010-2013, he was Head of Theatre Department for Vienna’s City Councillor of Cultural Affairs. Since 2013, he is Head of Digital Development at Vienna State Opera, by developing and implementing a live broadcast programme that was launched in fall 2013.

 

 

Introducing our guests: Christof Papousek (Cineplexx International GmbH)

The 6^th Vienna Music Business Research Days 2015 focus on “Financing Music in the Digital Age”. International experts and academics discuss new and alternative revenue sources for the music scene such as music streaming for the classic music business, crowdfunding and business angel funding.

Christof Papousek, CFO of the Cineplexx International GmbH, will be joining the discussion on “The Economic Relevance of Classical Music Streaming” in Joseph Haydn-Hall of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna from 10:15-11:15 on October 1, 2015.

Christof Papousek has a high school degree in technical engineering and made his master of business administration at Vienna University of economy and commerce. He is specialized in accountancy, tax law and revision. During his studies he worked already as audit assistant at KPMG where he joined as a consultant after his university degree. After a couple of years of consulting and auditing work, Christof Papousek joined Constantin-Film group of companies, where he reconstructed the financial department and company structure. In 2004 he became managing director and in 2008 he joined as entrepreneur and Co-share holder in the international cinema operation. He is also covering several functions in the Austrian chamber of commerce representing film & cinema industry.

 

 

Introducing our guests: Luke O’Shaughnessy (The Opera Platform, Brussels)

The 6^th Vienna Music Business Research Days 2015 focus on “Financing Music in the Digital Age”. International experts and academics discuss new and alternative revenue sources for the music scene such as music streaming for the classic music business, crowdfunding and business angel funding.

Luke O’Shaughnessy, Secretary General of the Opéra de Dijon and Project Manager of The Opera Platform in Brussels will be one of the panelists in the discussion on “The Economic Relevance of Classical Music Streaming” in Joseph Haydn-Hall of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna from 10:15-11:15 on October 1, 2015.

Born and raised in London, Luke O’Shaughnessy started his career working as an administrator of several contemporary music festivals including Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in the North of England, the Almeida Opera Festival in London and Ars Musica in Brussels.  Between 2002 and 2008, Luke worked as Director of RESEO (European Network for Opera and Dance Education); during this period the network grew considerably and secured a number of grants from the European Commission (EC).  Based in France since 2009, Luke worked for four years as Secretary General of the Opéra de Dijon.  In parallel to work as a freelance consultant on international cooperation projects, Luke’s main activity is now as Project Manager of The Opera Platform, Opera Europa’s innovative project, funded by the EC’s Creative Europe programme, to bring live streams from 15 partners opera houses in 12 countries to audiences on the web.

 

 

Introducing our guests: Robert Zimmermann (Berlin Phil Media GmbH)

The 6^th Vienna Music Business Research Days 2015 focus on “Financing Music in the Digital Age”. International experts and academics discuss new and alternative revenue sources for the music scene such as music streaming for the classic music business, crowdfunding and business angel funding.

Robert Zimmermann, CEO of the Berlin Phil Media GmbH of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, will join the panel discussion on “The Economic Relevance of Classical Music Streaming” in Joseph Haydn-Hall of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna from 10:15-11:15 on October 1, 2015.

Robert Zimmermann, management consultant and film producer with a long track record within the media industry, is the CEO of Berlin Phil Media GmbH and initiator of the Digital Concert Hall of the Berliner Philharmoniker. In this unprecedented online concert venue, all concerts of the Berliner Philharmoniker are broadcast live online and later become available within a video archive. This archive, a who is who of classical music, already boasts more than 320 concerts from seven seasons.

As manager and consultant, Mr. Zimmermann has worked on a wide variety of projects for prestigious clients such as Lufthansa, the World Bank Group and various international banks. He has held several posts as restructuring manager and is managing partner of eins54 Film GmbH.

As a film producer, he produced award-winning culture and music programs such as “One Night. One Life” and “Dichterliebe” which both feature Christine Schäfer. Mr. Zimmermann’s connection with the Berliner Philharmoniker goes back to his production of the silent movie “Le Sacre du Printemps” which was accompanied by the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle during Berlinale 2004.