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

 

 

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The 10th Vienna Music Business Research Days 2019 in retrospective

At the 10^th anniversary Vienna Music Business Research Days music business researchers and music industry representatives from around the globe looked into the crystal ball to highlight and discuss the “Future of the Music Business”.

The Young Scholars Workshop traditionally opened the conference as a forum for master and PhD students to present and discuss their research results with renown international music business scientists. This year two papers were awarded by an international jury with the first prize: “THE NEW MAGIC PEOPLE: An Ethnographic Study of East London’s Cultural Workers at Shoreditch House” by Sam Edrisi of Westminster University and King’s College London and “Creativity, Constraints, and Copyright – Hired Music Guns and the Case of Soundalikes” by Konstantin Hondros of the University Duisburg-Essen. Both papers are considered tob e published in the International Journal of Music Business Research (IJMBR).

On the following Conference Track Day, music business researchers from Australia, Austria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Romenia, Spain, South Africa, UK and the US presented their research results on a broad range of music business topics, such as gender aspects in the classical music sphere, the live music business in the Netherlands, self-management and entrepreneurship of musicians, the demand for music in the music streaming age, music branding, music labour markets and music education issues (see program).

The final Invited Conference Day on September 13^th focused on the conference main topic the “Future of the Music Business”. The London-based entertainment lawyer Cliff Fluet held the introductory keynote “The Music Business & Technology – How Their Past and Present will Dictate Their Future” and joined the following panel discussion on “The Future of Music Copyright” with Ros Lynch (Intellectual Property Office, London) and the blockchain start-up founder Steve Stewart (vezt, Los Angeles), moderated by Sally Gross (University of Westminster, London). The panelists discussed the impact of new technologies such as the blockchain and artificial intellectual on copyright legislation.

Michael Smellie, the former COO of Sony/BMG and Australian start-up investor, closed the morning session by looking back into the music industry’s recent past with his keynote on the music industry’s “Seven Deadly Sins” to learn more about the industry’s future.

 

After the lunch break Paul O’Hagan of the University of Ulster had a conversation with music manager Peter Jenner on the concept of label service contracts, which Peter Jenner introduced by signing Billy Bragg to Cooking Vinyl. Label service contracts have become very popular among superstars such as Taylor Swift, since there is no need to contract away all rights to the labels. Peter Jenner was also a mastermind and initiator of the “Music 2025” project, which was introduced for the first to the public by him and Dennis Collopy (University of Hertfordshire, UK) in 2014 at the Vienna Music Business Research Days. This year Dennis Collopy presented the project’s results to an international audience.

In the following keynote “What Are the Key Drivers of Growth in Music Streaming?” music industry analyst Chris Carey outlined the past, present and future developments in the music streaming economy. This was a good starting point for the final panel discussion on “Future of the Music Business – What’s Next after Music Streaming?” with Rebecca Brook (music industry consultant, London), Chris Carey (Media Insight Consulting, London), Phil Graham (University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia) and Michael Smellie (start-up investor, Australia), moderated by Dennis Collopy (University of Hertfordshire).

The 10^th Vienna Music Business Research Days were supplemented by a book presentation event in the evening of September 11^th. Daniel Nordgård of the University of Agder in Kristiansand/Norway presented the first volume of the Springer book series “Music Business Research” entitled “The Music Business and Digital Impacts. Innovations and Disruptions in the Music Industries“. Phil Graham of the University of the Sunshine Coast/Australia followed with the presentation of the book series’ second volume “Music, Management, Marketing, and Law. Interviews Across the Music Business Value Chain“. Subsequently both authors joined a panel discussion on “Big Data in the Music Business” with the Vienna-based start-up entrepreneur Nermina Mumic and music manager Peter Jenner.

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.

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.

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: 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.

 

 

The Economics of Streaming – book presentation event in London on June 15, 2017

My new book – The Economics of Music – that has been recently published by Agenda Publishing will be presented to the public in a MusicTank event at the University of Westminster from 7:00pm-9:30pm on June 15, 2017. After a short introduction to the book , I will discuss the question “The Economics of Streaming: Full Stream Ahead?” with Sally Gross (University of Westminster), Peter Jenner (Sincere Managment) and Mark Mulligan (Midea Research Consulting) chaired by Keith Harris (Keith Harris Music Ltd.).

Location: Fyvie Hall, University of Westminster, 309 Regent Street, London, W1B 2UW

Date: June 15, 7:00pm to 9:30pm

Click here for more information: MusicTank webpage

 

Peter Tschmuck, 2017, The Economics of Music. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Agenda Publishing.

Hardback £55.00 | $70.00 ISBN 9781911116073

Paperback £16.00 | $23.00 ISBN 9781911116080

e-book £16.00 | $23.00 ISBN 9781911116097

Buy a book copy here: Agenda Publishing

 

 

 

 

 

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

The 8th Vienna Music Business Research Days will be held again at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna from September 12-14, 2017. This year’s conference topic is “Unchaining the Digital Music?”. Digitization has brought music streaming to the centre of the music industry’s value-added network and new gatekeeping processes have been established by new and “old” players of music business.

The morning session of the the invited conference day on September 14, therefore, will focus on new gatekeeping process in the digital business with a introductory talk by Daniel Nordgård of University of Agder/Norway and a panel discussion with Sally Gross (Westminster University, 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) moderated by Daniel Nordgård.

George Musgrave of the University of Westminster in London will wrap up the panel discussion with his talk on  “Control and Autonomy in the Digital Music Business” providing a model for new gatekeeping processes in the digital music industry.

 

In the afternoon session the keynotes by Paul Crick (Senior Managing Consultant, Digital Transformation, Media & Entertainment, IBM, Flintham/UK) and Wolfgang Senges (Strategic Consultant in Digital Media, ContentSphere, Berlin) will explain the fundamentals of blockchain technology and how it could disrupt the music industry again. Please read my blogpost “The Music Business in the Blockchain” to learn more about the impact of blockchain technology In the following panel discussion both keynote speakers will discuss the question “Unchaining the Digital Music Business?” by new technologies such as the blockchain with Carlotta de Ninni (Mycelia for Music Foundation, London), Kelly Snook (Professor of Media Arts Technology, University of Brighton/UK), Peter Harris (resonate, Berlin).

On September 12, the VMBR-Days 2017 will traditionally be opened by the  Young Scholars’ Workshop. Master and PhD students from Austria, Barbados, Canada, Germany, Serbia and South Africa will present their research result in a closed workshop to an international group of highly regarded music business researchers.

The next conference day on Sep. 13 will be devoted to a broad range of music business research papers submitted by academics from all around the globe.

Find the conference’s program – including registration details – here: https://musicbusinessresearch.wordpress.com/vienna-music-business-research-days-2/