Page Text: Wednesday 9th March, 4pm - 6pm AEDT
In 2022 what does it mean to navigate a modern day music career?
We already know that the artist's career involves so much more than recording and touring. With a vast amount of alternative revenue streams at the artists finger tips, what areas are worthy of their attention? From sponsorships, sync licensing, songwriting and side hustles, the opportunities appear to be endless, but navigating them requires a clear road map and strategic thinking.
Additionally, increased opportunities brings new challenges. Artists (and their teams) are being asked to do more than ever before, so how can we cultivate a supportive environment and manage the risk of burn out?
Leading the discussion is music strategist Amber Horsburgh. She'll be joined by Ben Dennis (Myriad Management) and artists Beatrice and Jade Empress. We'll take a deep dive into what alternative revenue streams are grabbing their attention and discuss what a sustainable music career looks like.
Moderator: Amber Horsburgh
Amber Horsburgh is the founder of Deep Cuts , an online course that teaches independent musicians how to get their music heard by millions using major label strategies.
She has spent the last decade working in NY and LA as SVP of Strategy helping to build marketing strategies for artists. Her current and previous clients include Mura Masa, Smino, Chet Faker, Miike Snow & Cold War Kids, YouTube Music, Spotify, SoundCloud, Sonos, and Google Play.
Speakers: Beatrice, Ben Dennis (Myriad Management) and Jade Empress
Electronic music producer Beatrice Lewis is one of the most exciting multifaceted artists in the current Australian music landscape. She is a songwriter, performer and producer of one of Australia’s most electrifying new dance acts, Haiku Hand; a songwriter and producer for award-winning indigenous band Kardajala Kirridarra, and enjoys a flourishing career as a solo artist.
Beatrice won the 2019 APRA’s Personal Development award in the Dance/Electronic category, is an alumni of the Red Bull Music Academy, has performed at major electronic music festivals from Pitch to MONA FOMA, and was named one of Beat Magazine’s “Melbourne producers that owned 2017”.
As a songwriter, singer and producer of innovative pop art band Haiku Hands, Beatrice has amassed millions of streams and impressed audiences and critics worldwide. Haiku Hands have toured Europe, had a sold-out headline Australian tours, a break-out performance at SXSW and a run of US dates. Having bagged a coveted spot on the NME 100, Haiku Hands has been tipped as one of the most exciting new bands in music by the likes of Vogue, Clash, DIY, Dork, BBC Radio 1 and Beats 1.
Ben Dennis is the owner & director of Myriad Management a boutique management company that looks after ARIA award, platinum selling duo Peking Duk, House music mad man Benson and most recently Sydney's brother & sister duo - Caroline & Claude. As well as managing bands Bennis also finds time to consult on various brand partnerships including the successful Nandos Music Exchange, Runs a soup review page @soupfluencer and when we aren't in the middle of a pandemic DJs around town at clubs and festivals.
Jade Empress (Dr Jade Goodge) is an artist and medical doctor, who has spent the last 18 months on the frontline in rural/remote Australia. She counts participating in Ben Folds’ 2021 songwriting intensive workshop as a pivotal moment in her songwriting journey.
Her debut single Golden Hours, released February 3rd, presents an ode to commitment-phobia where the primary goal is not to run away, but to chase an endless sunset. In its first week of release, it received airplay on Triple J, Double J, multiple community stations, and has been added to rotation on multiple commercial stations throughout Australia.
Top Music Industry Trends of 2021
Presented by the Victorian Music Development Office and Music Ally
Wednesday 10th November, 5pm - 6.30pm AEDT
Music Ally has spent 2021 covering a blizzard of music business news: market data, deals, new startups and (sometimes!) heated rows about what it all means for the future of this industry.
In this session, we'll be joined by Stuart Dredge, Head of Insight at Music Ally (UK) who will be taking a step back to talk about the bigger picture in some of the key trends. Streaming's growth and the artist activism that goes with it, for example, or the excitement around high-potential markets like China, India and Africa.
In this session we'll also explore how livestreaming is evolving; TikTok and the wider short-video space; what the podcasts and live audio boom means for artists and labels; and music creation for non-musicians.
Plus, we'll dig below the hype around the metaverse and NFTs to offer our views on what potential these technologies *really* have for the music industry. The session will focus on our observations, questions and predictions on these trends, as well as some recommendations for how you can explore them yourself in the coming months.
Presenter: Stuart Dredge
Stuart Dredge is a UK-based journalist who writes about the music industry, consumer technology and digital culture. He is Music Ally's head of insight, writing its daily news bulletin and working on its deeper research on industry trends. He has also written for publications including The Guardian and The Week Junior.
Alternative Platforms for Music Marketing
Presented by the Victorian Music Development Office and Music Ally
Wednesday 13th October, 5pm - 6.30pm AEDT
Platforms like Instagram, Facebook and TikTok are used in virtually every artist marketing campaign – but to unlock international or niche audiences, you’ll need to engage with platforms that you may never have used before.
It’s clear that managers and marketers with global ambitions or who understand the need to engage authentically with fans need to know how to use a wider range of platforms than ever – and understand local user expectations.
For example – to capitalise on the viral power of short-form video in a rapidly-growing market like India, you’ll need to get to grips with Moj, not TikTok, and to build a fanbase in Russia, artists need to grow a genuine presence on VKontakte and Yandex.
In this session, Music Ally will teach you everything you need to know to start leveraging some of the most important, non-traditional, digital platforms in your artist marketing campaigns. We’ll explain how to engage correctly with unfamiliar – but huge – apps, platforms and audiences. We’ll also answer some of the trickier questions about important burgeoning platforms: how do you build authentic and bustling communities on Discord, a platform ready for its “mainstream moment”; and, as streaming service Audiomack continues to grow rapidly, how can artists be discovered?
Presenter: Marlen Huellbrock
Marlen has been working at Music Ally since 2019 and now heads up their Marketing Services department, supporting management and label clients in all things digital marketing. She's also part of Music Ally's Training team, where she develops and delivers digital marketing training to a wide range of industry clients.
Before joining Music Ally, Marlen worked within Universal Music's brand partnerships team in Germany and Switzerland and completed an MA in Music Business Management at the University of Westminster.
VMDO Links - An Introduction to Music & NFTs
Interest in NFT's (Non-Fungible Tokens) is surging in 2021 and musicians across the globe are taking to this relatively new innovation.
The Times describe NFT's as '...virtual tokens that use blockchain technology to record proof of ownership of pretty much anything unique or scarce – such as collectible playing cards to digital artwork.'
But what does this mean for the music industry?
Join our recent VMDO Links event with Reggie Ba-Pe III from Club Media, who presented an Introduction to Music & NFT's. Reggie unpacks the key need-to-knows, including:
An introduction to NFT's, the new digital asset class
How they benefit creators & musicians
Music NFT case studies
Future and possibilities of NFTs
Presenter: Reggie Ba-Pe III
Reggie is a Burmese-born Australian creative entrepreneur with over 15 years’ experience in music, media, advertising, nightlife, and youth culture in China and the broader Asia-Pacific region. He is the co-founder of CLUB MEDIA , a transformative media company that pioneers the entertainment tech landscape and champions Asian creatives in the Asia-Pacific region.
As an entrepreneur, Reggie first founded Sonically Transmitted Disease in 2007, one of China’s most respected promotions and event agencies. In 2012, he opened Arcade, a video game themed cocktail lounge frequented by Shanghai’s creative elite. He later opened Arkham in 2013, Shanghai’s most prolific underground club. In 2017, Reggie was appointed General Manager and Creative Director of 88rising, one of the most influential Asian entertainment companies that bridges the East and West.
Reggie thrives in leadership and collaborative roles that enable creativity and foster communities. His vast experience in the creative industries has led him to speak at SXSW, MIDEM, All That Matters, EDC, WAM, Big Sound, OYA, Reeperbahn Festival and covered by publications including The Guardian and Forbes.
Having recently repatriated back to Australia, Reggie aims to share his knowledge to empower Australian businesses, artists and professionals.