Read the latest Australian music industry news - From DMAs' Johnny Took opening Small Time Studios to younger age groups cutting back on events due to rising costs of living.
Been out of the loop with everything that’s been going on in Australian music industry news recently? We don’t blame you. Here’s a wrap-up of all the biggest Aussie music biz stories from the past fortnight.
Read all the latest product & music industry news here.
The top headlines:
- In a blow to music and arts events recovering from the pandemic, younger age groups seem to be cutting back on events due to rising costs of living and economic uncertainty.
- Steve and Liz Hibberd, who launched Small Time Group in Brunswick, Melbourne, will help artists in the early parts of their careers, have expanded their services to Small Time Studios in collaboration with Johnny Took.
Younger Audiences Cutting Back On Music/Arts Events
In a blow to music and arts events recovering from the pandemic, younger age groups seem to be cutting back on events due to rising costs of living and economic uncertainty.
The Australia Council’s Audience Outlook Monitor, which surveyed 1,318 in April 2023, found that in the under-35s (the ‘Young and Restless’, the report calls them), 67% attended an event, down from 77% in October 2022.
The demographic is more price conscious (59% of recipients think they are), less impulsive about going out, and more likely to be buying tickets at the last minute.
Those aged 35-54 with children living at home (‘Family Frugality’) were next, saying they were “worse off” than a year ago and had changed their attitudes about how they use their time.
Even a free events have faced a rethink, with travel, parking and drinks & snacks having to be factored in.
However the over-55s (‘Older and Bolder’) seem untouched by the financial blues, spending more in the last six months – 78% attending a cultural event within the two weeks before.
The report, made with cultural research agency Patternmakers and WolfBrown, recommended organisers try multi-price tiers, split repayments, schemes where wealthier patrons subsidise struggling strangers and holding events in suburbs where parking is cheaper.
They could also cater more for what audiences are drawn to – 68% want uplifting themes, 53% want to try new things, 49% will check out events with great reviews, 42% seek challenging topical themes, 34% want productions with big names, and 29% like stories about their local community.
New Studios In Melbourne & Albany
Steve and Liz Hibberd, who launched Small Time Group in Brunswick, Melbourne, will help artists in the early parts of their careers, have expanded their services to Small Time Studios.
In partnership with Johnny Took of the DMA’S, the space has three writing rooms and a production studio, filled with synths, guitars and mics.
Albany, WA, gets a rehearsal and recording space – Moose Rooms, courtesy of local musicians Michael Paver and Saira Spencer.
To get local acts “out of tin sheds”, they have two rehearsals spaces (with mixing desks, foldback speakers, mics) and a third room for studio sessions and tutoring, in six hour blocks.
APRA Changes Rules For Concerts
For years APRA’s method of calculating concert performance right royalties was to take all of the songs performed at the show – headliner and support acts – and equally weight them.
This caused much grumbling from international acts, who sometimes only got a 50% share, even though they drew 90% of the crowd.
From November, APRA will adopt the international calculation of 80% headliner and 20% support.
Google Must Pay Sonos $32.5M
The long-time legal biffo between Google and Sonos took another turn for the worse when a San Francisco jury agreed that the Googlies infringed upon one of Sonos’ smart speaker patents.
That technology was used in 14 million Google devices that were sold, so the jury worked out the damage bill was $32.5 million.
ARCA Find New Funding For Crews In Crisis
The Australian Road Crew Association (ARCA) generated 20 million streams from its flagship Desk Tape Series – tapes made from the sound desk by a crew member and released through ARCA’s Black Box Records/MGM.
Royalties go to both ARCA’s and Support Act’s Roadies funds to help with medical, financial legal and well-being issues.
Last month ARCA experimented with CDs, which of course generate more royalties.
With the encouragement of music retailer “Frog” Harris of Canberra store Songland Records, Midnight Oil Live At The Old Lion Adelaide 1982, which was released as a tape last December, was issued on compact disc format with the blessing of the band and its management.
The first pressing sold out in days, and Live At The Old Lion debuted at #7 in ARIA’s Top 100, at #1 on the NSW/ACT Chart and #3 on the Physical Album Chart.
Over on the AIR Charts, the Oils debuted at #1 on both the Independent Albums and Independent Labels Album Charts.
Crowded House look to be the next CD release, while ARCA is about to announce a deal with a major music identity to release 42 rare jazz recordings dating back from the 1940s.
The 35th release, out early June, will be Melbourne mega-thrash/metal/punk band Depression’s Live at the Seaview Ballroom 1987.
Campaign Against 1% Caps On Radio
The music industry has started a campaign for Australian Parliament to drop a 54 year old law which puts a cap on what royalties commercial radio stations pay to artists and labels.
A change in the Copyright Act 1968, which came into effect a year later, mean that a station doesn’t have to pay more than 1% of the station’s gross annual revenue.
Radio execs claimed they’d go bankrupt if they had to pay more, and the pollies swallowed it.
The industry also noted that since the late ‘60s, the ABC hasn’t had to pay over half a cent per head of population for broadcasting on radio.
The biz complained, “Since the imposition of the radio caps in 1969, the amount payable by the ABC has not been adjusted to reflect any movements in the cost of living or the expansion of the ABC radio networks”.
Collection society PPCA launched a petition Radio Fair Play at https://www.aph.gov.au/e-petitions/petition/EN5134.
Govt. Reps Speak At Festival Conference
Two government reps will speak at the Australian Festival Industry Conference, held at Luna Park Sydney on August 30 and 31.
Arts Minister John Graham will outline the NSW Government’s priorities and what this means for the major events and festival industries.
Samantha Palmer of Austrade will speak on THRIVE 2030, a national strategy for long-term sustainable growth of the visitor economy and what it means for the major events and festivals industry.
“Songwriters Speak” Book Re-Released
One of the best books on Australian music, Songwriters Speak, gets a timely re-release this month via Sydney-based Bouley Bay Books.
First out in 2005, one time Variety/ APRA exec Debbie Kruger spent four years interviewing 45 songwriters from Australia and New Zealand covering rock, pop and country.
Six of them have died since.
For a new generation, it’s a buzz to read how “Friday on My Mind”, “The Real Thing”, “Eagle Rock”, “Khe Sanh”, “Deep Water”, “Down Under” and “Beds Are Burning” came to light.
Songwriters Speak looks at the great mystery of how creativity works – and how each of the 45 names interviewed have a different take.
Suggested Nick Cave: “The whole thing with writing and making music is that when I’m in the moment with it I feel like a different person.
“Like what I’m doing is the greatest thing not only that I have done but that has ever been done. It’s this extraordinary feeling.”
Personally, this columnist always felt the best description came way back from ‘60s hippy trippy folk singer Donovan: “Songs are all around you, just reach out and grab one.”
Vic Govt. Boosts Creative Careers
The Andrews Labor government has committed $1 million towards Victoria’s artists, creatives and road crews with research and development activities, mentorships and training.
It covers fashion, music, sculpture, jewellery design, filmmaking and podcasting.
For a full list of Creators Fund recipients visit creative.vic.gov.au.
To help solve staff shortage in the live sector, $190,000 went to a crew training initiative, the Weasle Eicke Scholarship Program, developed and delivered by CrewCare.
It provides dedicated training, mentorships and placements to students studying Live Production and Sound Production, as well as casual workers from crewing companies, to build their skills and gain employment in lighting, sound, staging, rigging and more.
Applications close on June 16, for details visit crewcare.org.au/weasle-eicke-scholarship.
Second Sydney Suburb Gets Purple Flag
The City of Parramatta has become the second Sydney district to get a Purple Flag, joining the YCK (York, Clarence and Kent Streets) precinct in the CBD.
Purple Flag is an internationally-recognised initiative that originated in the UK by the Association of Town and City Management, and been rolled out in more than 90 locations in Ireland, Sweden, New Zealand and Australia.
It recognises a high standard in managing its night-time offerings and safety through 80 restaurants and bars and arts and culture scene along with its safe access to all kinds of public transport, adequate street lighting and 24-hour car parks.
The next two areas to be tested are Lakemba and Marrickville.
Nominees For AIR’s New Industry Categories
The AIR Awards’ list of nominations also covered this year’s new industry categories.
The Independent Marketing Team of the Year:
ABC Music, The Orchard: The Wiggles, ReWiggled
Chugg Music, The Annex – Lime Cordiale, Cordi Elba
Domestic La La – Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Pretty Good For A Girl Band
Future Classic— Flume, Palaces
I OH YOU, Mushroom Marketing – Confidence Man, TILT
Independent Publicity Team Of The Year:
Genna Alexopoulos – Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, Pretty Good For A Girl Band
Mushroom Publicity – Confidence Man, TILT
Positive Feedback – Lime Cordiale, Cordi Elba
RPM, The Comms Department— The Wiggles, ReWiggled
Thinking Loud— Genesis Owusu, Get Inspired
For nominees in other categories, head here. The awards are held at the Freemasons Hall, Adelaide on Thursday August 3.
The awards are held at the Freemasons Hall, Adelaide on Thursday August 3.
