Catch up on the latest from our industry with news on ticketing, changing roles, recent industry reporting and more!
SUMMER FESTIVALS BURST OUT WITH BIG NUMBERS
Australia’s summer festival had a strong out-of-the-box surge. In one weekend in Sydney, Knockout Outdoor drew 53,000 and Listen Out had an estimated 23,000.
The multi-city Laneway in February is on its way to repeating its 125,000 figure from this year.
Sydney and Melbourne sold out on the first day of sale, the first time it’s happened in its 20-year history. “Limited tickets remain in other cities,” organisers said.
The metal/punk/alt Good Things (Dec 6, 7, 8) is heading for its 110,000 total. Six weeks out it had already taken to social media it was selling fastest in Brisbane (82% of tickets snapped up), Melbourne (81%) and Sydney (76%).
Disappeared
The 8,000 tix for Harbourlife in Sydney in Nov. disappeared in 15 minutes and CMC Rocks in QLD also rapidly hit its capacity of 23,000.
Ultra is expected to again sell out 40,000 over two shows, with A1 list headliners attracting fans from overseas.
So will the just announced Knotfest over three days in late Feb. In its first year it drew 110,000 and the presence of Slipknot in 2025 probably makes it a dead cert.
Boost
The three-day Groundwater country music festival on the weekend in Broadbeach, Queensland, celebrated its 11th anniversary.
Festival director Mark Duckworth predicted it would boost the local economy by $1 million. In past years it’s brought 65,000 to 70,000 together.
Big Pineapple Music (QLD) returning after three years on the weekend as temperatures climbed to 34 degrees and hit its capacity 16,500 crowd.
Bulling Out
The 21st Bull and Barrel in Dardanup, WA (mid-Oct) reported a record 15,000+, while Penrith City Council (Sydney) advised that the Real Festival (Sept 20 & 21) at Tench Reserve, drew 45,000 over the two days.
EDM gathering in NSW, Subsonic, which applied to double its capacity to 10,000, celebrates its 15th year from Nov. 29 to Dec 1.
SPOTIFY ADDS MUSIC VIDEO
Australia is one of the countries where Spotify has just launched music videos for premium subscribers.
The move is to enhance the bond between artists and fans.
It found 34% of users more likely to re-stream a song in the week after watching its video.
Discovered
Songs discovered through music videos are 24% more likely to be saved or shared.
As part of its video addition, Spotify has introduced new features allowing users to switch from desktop to mobile to continue listening on the go, be alerted to tracks with music videos, and discover videos quickly via artists or tracks.
REPORT: AUSSIE MUSICIANS FACE POVERTY, JOB ANXIETY, BURNOUTS
The lot of an Australian musician and one in the broader creative scene is not a happy one, says a new report, Mental Health and Wellbeing In The Creative Industries Australia 2024.
A survey of 1,500 found they were worried about cost of living (68.1%), low level of income from working in creative industries (56.5%), burnout and fatigue (51.7%), job insecurity (43.2%) and lack of opportunities drew to external factors as venue and festival closures.
Poverty Line
Almost a fifth (19.6%) reported a total annual income that’s behind the poverty line for a working single person.
The report, released by Support Act, was prepared by Dr Aurora Elmes and Emma Riseley from The Centre for Social Impact Swinburne with support from Entertainment Assist.
Disruption
Support Act CEO, Clive Miller, says of the report, “Music and creative industry workers have experienced so much disruption over the past five years.
“This updated survey shines a light on the issues that are impacting their mental health and wellbeing in a post-COVID environment, along with some recommendations from participants about what things need to change to ensure improved mental health outcomes over the long term.”
Distress
The report found elevated psychological distress among music and creative arts workers.
Over half of the survey participants (53.5%) reported high or very high levels of psychological distress.
While this constitutes a reduction since the 2022 survey results amidst the full effects of the COVID pandemic (66.1%), it is still concerningly high as compared to the general population (15%, Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021).
Improve Conditions
The report cited the need to “improve safety and conditions” in workplace environments, which includes investment in equipment and resources, awareness of the importance of mental health and its impact on work, and greater investment in First Nations Arts and Culture, to increase positive outcomes within the sector.”
Read the full report here.
UNIFIED LAUNCHES COMMUNITY MUSIC PLATFORM WITH $10M COMMITMENT
UNIFIED Music Group has launched Community Music, a platform with its own designed technology to “enhance artist independence and choice when it comes to music distribution and amplification.”
It comes as UNIFIED founder and mega-entrepreneur Jaddan Comerford committed $10 million over the next three years to develop Australian talent on a global scale.
Artists can pitch for triennial funding for projects including recording and touring. The investment is recouped, with a small profit, by sharing in the revenue generated.
Global Deals
Community Music comes just as UNIFIED struck two new global deals – indie licensing group Merlin to access its DSPs deals, and US-based music distribution group FUGA also to access more streaming services as well as for technology, physical distribution, strategic marketing and neighbouring rights services.
The new Community Music team is tech kid Will Cuming (aka the artist LANKS) as product development manager, Dan Nascimento as general manager, and Los Angeles based Francesca Caldara who is VP of UNIFIED Recorded Music.
Acts signed on to its roster were Ocean Alley, ISHAN and Sarah Saint James, Maddy Jane, Azure Ryder, Jahnavi Harrison, The Stamps and Mulga Bore Hard Rock, as well as the labels Domestic La La and UNFD.
MORE IDEAS FOR NSW NIGHT TIME
How to turn precincts across NSW as must-go night time destinations? About 20 teams of businesses, venues and councils met at the Fortress in Sydney to give their pitches in two-minute bursts.
According to the NSW Government, “They captivated an audience of potential corporate and government partners including Organic Food Markets, American Express and Local Councils.”
Accelerator
The Uptown District Acceleration Program is hosted by the Office of 24-Hour Economy Commissioner, and has run in 2022 and 2023.
In those years, 50 districts took part representing 350 businesses.
800 connections were created between precincts and potential collaborators.
Workshops
Each time, as happened in 2024, they attended
12 week workshops learning about corporate governance, their assets, marketing, AI, pushing for districts to support each other, branding, collaboration, sponsorship and grants writing.
This year regional areas as Newcastle, Central Coast and Illawarra-Shoalhaven (Wollongong) participated alongside Greater Sydney including councils representing Blacktown, Northern Beaches, Parramatta, Hornsby and Haymarket.
Hub
Western Sydney reps for Fairfield and Canley Heights shared a vision to set up a late-night entertainment district known as Canley Heights Nights, designed to attract people from across Sydney because of its gourmet food and late-night entertainment.
Newcastle’s independent bars joined forces to put Midtown on the map for their world-class brews and tunes.
A Central Coast group in the Gosford Strip shared plans to invigorate it into a cultural hotspot with the local council working with the State Government to deliver Safer Cities – Her Way to improve safety in Gosford and working on a Night Time Economy Strategy.
Koreatown
In the first round, one idea pitched was Koreatown in Eastwood and Chippendale Collective.
24-Hour Economy Commissioner Michael Rodrigues said: “NSW is blessed with so many topographies, different nationalities and a story telling tradition dating back more than 60,000 years.
“We simply need to do a better job of elevating this tapestry for local communities and visitors to see and experience.
Shrimp On Barbie
“While a shrimp on the barbie and a parmy down the local have their well-earned spot on our cultural buffet, there is way more to discover, to enjoy and inspire.
“What Uptown does is give groups of like-minded businesses the skills they need to shape narratives and experiences by working together that has the power to draw visitors from near and far, time and again.”
The upcoming Round Three of the Uptown Grant Program will offer $5.5 million in funding to help district teams across the state fast-track these ideas into reality, with applications set to open this December.
To find out more, visit: nsw.gov.au/uptowngrantprogram
NICK ENGEL AT RØDE
RØDE appointed Nick Engel as Senior Director of Engineering, to continue his skills in innovation. Engel has spent 20 years developing cutting-edge audio technology for consumer products, both hardware and software, with senior engineering positions at Dolby and Apple.
SONGWRITERS ALL TIME HIGH
Australian and New Zealand songwriters, composers and publishers took the world by storm, with APRA AMCOS reporting international revenue at all-time high, reaching a record $86.1million, up 22.5% from last financial year.
APRA AMCOS’ released its annual Year In Review report, revealing its highest group revenue to date of $740 million, up 7.2% from the previous financial year.
Public performance has grown by 43.3% since 2019, with increases across the board including retail, hospitality, fitness and background music.
Concerts & Festivals
Major concerts and festivals have grown 8.4% from last year to $37.4 million, with blockbuster international tours like Taylor Swift and P!nk drawing sizable audiences.
But the crisis for grassroots live music remains. APRA AMCOS reported, “Live music revenue and venues still below pre-Covid levels, staggering $600m in estimated lost income for artists since financial year 2019.”
YOURS AND OWLS EXPANDS
Wollongong-based Yours and Owls expanded their venue booking roster, entering the Victorian music market for the first time.
It has added Melbourne’s Thornbury Theatre, the one-time cinema in the 1920s, which has 845 standing or 569 seated theatre style in the ballroom, and an extra 55 in the mezzanine.
Also added is the Sunshine Coast family-friendly entertainment hub The Station, which runs three setups: 3000 full capacity, 1450 mid-capacity standing and 630 smaller-room capacity.
UTS
Joining the roster are the University of Technology Sydney (UTS)’s The Underground and The Loft On Broadway.
The Underground has a reputation for finding new acts, with a capacity of 500 for bands and 600 for DJs.
The Loft On Broadway is a space for new music discovery, comedy, DJs, jazz, a launch, or a rowdy get-together offering a 170 capacity for bands and a 220 capacity for standing events.
Healthiest
Says Y + O co-founder Ben Tillman, “Melbourne is a music city and hosts one of the healthiest live scenes in the country; we are excited to be a part of that ecosystem.
“The Station is an epic space with so many possibilities for hosting incredible events, and we can’t wait to deliver some unforgettable shows to the Sunshine Coast in partnership with the team up there.
“Having two venue options in the heart of Sydney’s CBD will allow us to offer our partners inner city options to add to our more regional offerings.”
FIVE NEW SIGNINGS
Babe Rainbow @ p(doom)
Melbourne psych-folkers Babe Rainbow, currently on a US tour, have landed at King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s newly minted p(doom) records imprint.
New single “Long Live The Wilderness” is, explains singer Angus Dowling, “a celebration of the sheer beauty of the lush Hinterland landscape, in autumn time in particular.”
He adds: “The major theme of the song is the loss of innocence, which is reflected through Babe Rainbow’s reaction to the changing seasons and realisation of the transient nature of life.”
Bloodywood @ Fearless
Australian label Fearless Records inked rising Indian folk metal outfit Bloodywood, issuing its new single “Nu Delhi”, a tribute to their hometown.
The band, which blends Punjabi and English lyrics and incorporates traditional sounds as flute and the dhol against its stomping metal backdrop, revealed plans for its biggest European and UK tour.
Brad Cox @ Warner Music Australia
Fast rising country music singer songwriter from Jindabyne in NSW’s Snowy Mountains, Brad Cox, joined the roster of Warner Music Australia, with a single and tour, both titled “Everything I’ve Got” currently going live.
“Brad’s genuine authenticity, admirable work ethic and undeniable talent has already captured the hearts of fans around Australia and we can’t wait to help take his music to more fans at home and around the world,” observed Warner Music Australia president Dan Rosen.
Belle Haven @ Open Door
Melbourne-based alternative rock band Belle Haven have joined Chris O’Brien & Joshua Smith’s Open Door Management alongside Northlane, Make Them Suffer and Void Of Vision.
The band, who formed in 2010, showcased last month at BIGSOUND has dropped new EP something new.
AXS @ CMC Rocks
AXS Australia and New Zealand were selected as official ticketing partner for CMC Rocks, which will see the AEG subsidiary leverage its Mobile ID technology to provide fans with a “seamless and secure ticketing experience”.
It already is a ticketing partner for Stagecoach in Palm Springs, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and the Ridin’ Hearts festival in Australia.
ALEX NELSON AT LOUD AUDIO LLC
Alex Nelson, who retired as CEO of pro audio products designer and manufacturer Mackie after 18 years, has taken over a new role as an advisor and board member for Loud Audio, LLC.
US based Mackie was bought by Australia’s Freedman Group, parent company of RØDE Microphones LLC.
VALE
From 1978, Melbourne nightclub legend Jamie Nasser, along with his brother Peter and Garry Spry, ran nine nightclubs ran nine clubs including Chasers, Silvers and Santa Fe. He died from the effects of a triple bypass.
Paul Glen, who ran Adelaide nightclubs Electric Circus, Mr Kim’s, Limbo and Rocket, died at 47 as a result of complications of a car crash. He got his start as a club DJ in Scotland.
Multi-Instrumentalist
US-born Sydney-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Alan Mansfield played keyboards with Dragon, Dead Daisies and Robert Palmer, at 72, after a battle with cancer.
Ollie OIsen was an underground visionary who was associated with names as The Young Charlatans, Whirlywirld, Orchestra Of Skin And Bone, NO, Max Q, Third Eye, Hugo Klang, Primitive Ghost and Taipan Tiger Girls. He was diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy in 2019 and died in hospital in his sleep at 66.
Spero Davias was a major music retailer in Newcastle, setting up Sound World in December 1974 and expanding it to various locations through the years. The one time electrical contractor was 75.
Contribution
Melbourne bassist Andrew Picouleau made significant contribution to the alt-rock and electro scenes from the ‘70s, with Dave Graney and The Coral Snakes, The Metronomes and Sacred Cowboys.
Marc Leon was a regional Victoria-based guitarist and exhibition holding painter who was born in Bavaria, Germany (as Fred Himmelsbach) and moved to Australia in 1954, at 12.
He studied art at East Sydney Technical College for four years before joining the hit band The Vibrants, and more recently MTB and The Old Buzzards Medicine Show.
Intense
Sydney-based intense singer-songwriter and artist Jack Colwell made a critically acclaimed debut single “Don’t Cry Those Tears”, produced by Sarah Blasko and followed it up with an album Swandream in 2020.
The 34-year old, also lauded by the LGBTQIA+ community, mooted a second album on a social post a week before he passed.
