In diesem Blogeintrag möchte ich auf die Möglichkeiten und Klangeigenschaften von Flat Panel Speakers hinweisen und diese vorstellen. Inspiriert wurde ich von dem Youtube Channel Tech Ingrediens, auf dem viele Experimente bezüglich der Lautsprecher und deren Eigenschaften getestet wurden und eine Anleitung zum Bauen gegeben wird.
Das Prinzip dieser Lautsprecher basiert auf der Plattenschwingung. Diese Platten lassen sich infolge ihrer Biegungsfestigkeit zu Schwingungen anregen. Diese Plattenschwingungen stellen das zweidimensionale Analogon zu den Stabschwingungen dar. Die Frequenz ist proportional zur Plattendicke und von der Dichte, dem Elastizitätsmodul und dem Koeffizienten der Querkontraktion des Plattenmaterials abhängig. Diese Art von Schwingungsberechnungen sind vor allem auch in der Musikwissenschaft gängig um die Oberfächenschwingungen von Musikinstrumenten zu untersuchen.
Wird die Platte in Schwingung versetzt, bei Musikinstrumenten z.B durch Anschlagen der Saiten oder durch einen Frequenzgenerator, entstehen bei Moden auf der Oberfläche. Diese kommen durch die Eigenfrequenz der Platte und sind be unterschiedlichen Frequenzen unterschiedlich auf der Platte ausgeprägt. Wird auf eine Waagerechte Platte Sand gestreut, können diese Moden sichtbar gemacht werden. Dieses Experiment wird dann Chladnische Klangfigur genannt. Im folgenden sind beispielhaft verschiedene Moden zu sehen.
Bei der Herstellung eine Lautsprechers jedoch gilt es genau diese Eigenfrequenzen zu vermeiden, da dies ein flaches Klangspektrum verhindert. Daher empfiehlt der Youtube Tech Ingrediens, die Frequenzgeneratoren beim Bau seiner Lautsprecher nicht in der Mitte anzubringen, sondern in einem 2/5 3/5 Verhältnis. Dadurch entstehen anscheinend mehrere verschiedene Moden, die die Stärke der Eigenfrequenzen verringert. Er misst außerdem verschiedene Materialien und Formen mit eine Frequenzanalyse und versucht die Lautsprecher mit einem möglichst flachen Klangbild zu bauen. Alle Analysen und Materialien zum DIY Bau sind dafür in seiner Beschreibung zu finden.
Mein Ziel ist es, ein spielbares akustisches Instrument zu bauen, das wie ein Game Boy in der Hand liegt und in dem man den Klang interaktiv verändern kann. Effekte wie ein kurzer Loop, ein Pitch Control Knob und ein simpler Delay sollen vorhanden sein und mit den Knöpfen, die wie bei einem kleinen Game Controller angeordnet sind, bedienbar sein. Nach ausgiebiger Recherche bin ich auf den Schluss gekommen als Instrument eine Kalimba zu verwenden, da es vergleichbar einfach selbst zu bauen ist und es sich mit den beiden Daumen, (aus diesem Grund auch Daumenklavier genannt) ohne viele Vorkenntnisse von jedermann bedienen lässt. Der Korpus der Kalimba soll aus Holz gebaut sein, in dem auch die Elektronik Platz finden wird.
Nun zu dem Thema, mit dem ich mich in diesem Semester am meisten beschäftigt habe: Die Wahl des Micro Controller Boards, auf dem die Effekte und die Signalkette programmiert werden sollen. Ich werde auf die einzeln getesteten Boards später eingehen. Ich habe mich schlau gemacht vom Raspberry Pi über das Axoloti Board bis hin zum Arduino. Schlussendlich viel meine Wahl aber auf ein Teensy Board mit dessen kompatiblen Audio Adapter.
Raves are an integral part of today;’s Dance Culture. But how did they come to be? What resulted in a need to “get down” on the dance floor and forget reality for one night? This articles explores the unique and crazy history of raves.
The term “rave” was first used to describe wild bohemian parties in the late 1950s, but it wasn’t until the 80s that the term gained lasting popularity. It still took a few years until the late 80s, when Acid House was born in Chicago, which marks the beginning of raves as we know them today. These raves started out as illegal warehouse parties full of attendees of enhanced states of mind influenced by drugs. Today, raves are much more common and much less often illegal.
In 1985 DJ Pierre (Nathan Jones) bought a Roland TB-303 bass synth at a second-hand shop and experimented with it until he accidentally got the squelchy bassline, which is such a characteristic sound of Acid House. From there on, the number of raves exploded, causing so much late-night ruckus that they attracted police. Laws in England particularly resulted in more and more illegal raves, which made it hard for promoters to organise events in Clubs.
This new sound began with a record produced by Phuture, a group founded by DJ Pierre, Earl “Spanky” Smith Jr., and Herbert “Herb J” Jackson. Newly turned on to the unique sounds of the TB-303, the trio released a demo of ‘Acid Tracks’.
Acid house hadn’t really made a big impact, until a group of four DJs (Paul Oakenfold, Danny Rampling, Nicky Holloway and Johnny Walker) took a trip to Ibiza to visit the acclaimed club Amnesia. This is where they heard resident DJs play the “balearic” style- a blend of multiple genres, including the Chicago Acid House. This inspired Danny to start a rave called Shoom in a gym. The sound system used was provided by Carl Cox, another DJ who went on to become a House legend. Ravers were obsessed with a then-new drug called ecstasy. This drug went on to become tightly related to the rave scene. One of the Shoom part tickets had a smiley face on it, which went on to become a trademark sign of the Acid House scene. The late 80s and early 90s was when the era of “dressing down, not dressing up” started. Club-goers were dressing increasingly tribalistic and laid-back.
Teenagers and young adults in a warehouse, dressed up in the recognisable Acid House Smiley gear, as well as other psychedelic-looking outfits.
Organized by production companies, raves began to gain press attention. A popular fanzine written by Paul Oakenfold called Boy’s Own was responsible for publishing the first article on acid house . Boy’s Own also held the first documented outdoor acid rave in 1988. Legend has it that the young Norman Cook – aka Fatboy Slim – was turned onto house music during one of their parties.
Sunrise and Revolution in Progress groups started making bigger parties. They brought raves out of the darkness of illegal warehouses into the light of big public events. Freedom to Party was a huge campaign in Trafalgar Square which influenced the loosening of UK’s licensing laws. Clubs and dance venues were finally allowed to stay open all night long.
The rise of use of drugs and psychedelics in parties gave them a lot of negative press. During the backlash, a UK acid house record managed to break into the mainstream. Produced by a mysterious artist called Humanoid, ‘Stakker Humanoid’ reached #17 on the UK charts in 1988.
During the early 90s, it became much harder to hold one-off events due to new bylaws. However, organizations such as Fantazia, Universe, N.A.S.A. (Nice and Safe Attitude), Raindance, Amnesia House, ESP, and Helter Skelter still managed to hold large-scale legal raves in warehouses and fields.
Genre styles started developing in the scene, and thus happy hardcore was born. In 1992 a bill was passed that allowed police to stop open air parties, or events organised by more than one promoter, as well as people on their way to raves. After 1993, most raves took place in licensed venues, including Helter Skelter, Life at Bowlers, the Edge, The Sanctuary, and Club Kinetic.
During this time, drum and bass emerged from a combination of techno, house and hardcore genres, originating in the UK. Records like The Prodigy’s ‘Jericho’, Rebel MC ‘The Wickedest Sound’ and A Guy Called Gerald ‘Anything’ helped to shape the sound of this genre.
After 1995, DnB got more and more often into house-oriented clubs, starting from the Ministry of Sound. However, the rave as it was back in the day was on a decline due to bad press. An organization called World Dance put on their “last” rave at Lydd Airport. “Here is your last chance before another chapter in ‘Rave History’ comes to an end!” the adverts posted around London proclaimed.
Meanwhile in the US during the 90s the timeline was as follows. A rave scene legend, DJ Scotto, made Manhattan’s first rave at Studio 54 (the Ritz back then). Frankie Bones started his famous Storm Raves in Brooklyn, with DJs Like Josh Wink and Sven Väth. Franky may have been the person behind PLUR
Frankie Bones would go on to start his own successful series of raves in Brooklyn, Storm Raves – where future international DJs like Josh Wink and Sven Väth got a chance to perform. Frankie also allegedly was the man behind the concept of PLUR, having once famously yelled on the microphone during a fight at a Storm Rave: “If you don’t start showing some peace, love, and unity, I’ll break your faces.”
Global Underworld Network was the most famous rave promotion crew. They are behind the OPIUM and NARNIA Festivals that were attended by an astounding 60.000 people. Narnia was featured on MTV and Life Magazine, as well as winning event of the year in 1995. It was dubbed the “Woodstock of Generation X”.
In the 80s and 90s raves were extremely popular in the Bay Area. There was no curfew and soon enough venues had up to 20.000 visitors every weekend. ‘Homebase’, and ’85 & Baldwin’ were two of the biggest venues that raves were held in the Bay Area. California also became notorious for raves.
After a few tragic incidents, the scene was brought to an end- watch this Fox News report from 1998. Even though illegal drugs were part of the scene, most people were there for more than just non-stop partying. It was an experience in its own: seeing your favourite DJs live, as well as MCs from abroad.
The rave scene influenced the emergence of electronic music and made it more mainstream. Even though the golden rave era was back in the 80s and 90s, we still carried over most of its principles into the new age. It is not the same, but all the core principles are still. there. People will always gather in unity to let go of worries and dance together like the unhinged animals we are.
Die Shepard Skala ist die Illusion einer unendlich steigenden/ fallenden Tonleiter, welche 196 von Roger Shepard vorgestellt wurde. Der Effekt beruht auf mehreren Sinustönen, die langsam an Frequenz zunehmen/ abnehmen und an den Grenzbereichen der Hörschwelle die Lautstärke abnimmt. Die Töne sind eine Oktave voneinander entfernt und verändern sich Parallel mit der selben Intensität. Die ständig sich erhöhenden Töne geben den Effekt der sich immer steigernden/fallenden Frequenz. Ist der übergang fließend spricht man von einem Shepard-Risset-Glissando. Der Effekt wurde in leichten Variationen bereits von vielen Komponisten in Film Szenen verwendet, da er sich gut für den Aufbau von Spannung anbietet.
Im folgenden Videobeispiel wird die Umsetzung verdeutlicht:
Ein weiteres gutes Beispiel für guten Einsatz von Sound Design im Film, ist der Film “Eraserhead” aus dem Jahre 1977 von David Lynch. Viele der einprägsamsten Soundscapes sind im Horrorgenre zu Hause. Eine unheimliche Geräuschkulisse kann eine großartige Möglichkeit sein, die Gruseligkeit der Bilder auf dem Bildschirm zu verstärken. In den Filmen von David Lynch finden sich einfallsreiche Geräuschkulissen, die er oft selbst herstellt.
Im Film “Eraserhead” werden die Atmosphäre und das Grauen durch die kraftvolle und bedrückende Geräuschkulisse erzeugt. Die dröhnenden, surrealen Töne werden mit industriellen Geräuschen überlagert, die die düstere Natur der Umgebung des Protagonisten sehr effektiv verstärken.
Das dritte Beispiel für eine ausdrucksstarke Sound Design Umsetzung ist der Film “District 9” von Neill Blomkamp. Vorallem im Science Fiction Genre wird besonders viel mit komplizierten und umfangreichem Sound Design gearbeitet um die Kulisse möglichst hyperrealistisch und außerirdisch wirken zu lassen. Besonders in Filmen mit vielen Animationen ist es besonders wichtig. In diesem Ausschnitt des Films ist fast jedes Geräusch in der Postproduktion hinzugefügt und bietet dadurch deutlich mehr Action als ohne Sound.
Quelle für Inspirationen: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/author/samkench/ August 2020
The topic of Dance music culture is incredibly wide and rich in content. This article is the start of a blog series exploring and touching on different point of this Dance culture, ranging from history, geographic differences, external influences and even the consequences of drug presence.
Firstly, the most apparent difference between Europe and the States is in which genres are popular within Dance Music. In Europe, techno, trance, Drum and Bass, and House are way more popular, while in the States, the most popular genres are Future Bass, Dubstep and Trap.
Two festival goers exchange beaded bracelets during the Electric Daisy Carnival, Friday, June 20, 2014, in Las Vegas. Many of the attendees make the bracelets, known as “kandi” to exchange with others at the festival. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Privacy is taken way more seriously in European clubs. I remember from my own experiences (excluding Ibiza) having to sneakily take photos or videos, because camera use was not allowed in a lot of the clubs I visited.
Photo from an indoor festival at Printworks, London. Due to filming restrictions, the atmosphere is free from cellphone flash pollution.
There is a bigger segregation present in the US Clubs. VIP areas are always quite nice and big. Meanwhile, this is much less common in Europe and personally I prefer this type of experience. Money should not be the determining factor of how good a clubbing experience is. The reason for VIP segregation is that there is an obsession with celebrities in the US, while in Europe, people are more down to Earth and do not give so much significance to famous people.
Another significant difference is how hard Europeans “throw it down” in clubs. A lot of the clubs accross Europe are open 24/7 on the weekends (sometimes even workdays) and there is a party going on non-stop. It isn;t uncommon to hear stories of people being in raves for 36 hours straight. most I could handle is 24 hours back home in Bosnia! Meanwhile, most official venues have to close until 4:30 a.m. in the States.
Finally, there is a different in how people dress up, especially in club atmosphere. In the US, one can find numerous ravers dressed in crazy clothing, wigs, etc. In Europe, the most popular clubbing attire is “all black”, which is sort of the unspoken suit of the Techno scene. When it comes to festivals, one specific accessory- Kandi bracelet exchanges are extremely popular in the States and signifiy the PLUR movement, which is a huge part of rave culture. However, these bracelets cannot be found in most European festivals. In general, any type of exchange of items is way more common in the states.
Well, nowadays, as we all know, it is possible. We see its results in movies, video games and other fields of research but not everyone knows how this process works.
The technology that fuses real life and animation and makes it possible to film someone and transfer their data in computerized form is called Motion Capture (also Performance Capture or Mo-cap).
It is somehow a descendant of one animation techniques, Rotoscoping.
Rotoscoping is an animation technique that animators use to track the footage of moving images, frame by frame, to produce realistic action.
Motion capture is used in military, entertainment, sports, medical, and computer vision and robotics validation applications. In film production and video game development, it refers to recording the actions of human actors and using that information to animate digital character models in 2D or 3D computer animation.
It started as a photogrammetric analysis tool in biomechanics research in the 1970s and 1980s and has expanded into other fields as the technology matured.
How does this work? Well, some sensors are needed. Those are placed all over a person to track and record movements, to be converted into data that will create a virtual skeleton in real time.
For example, we have optical systems that use data acquired from image sensors to triangulate the 3D position of a subject between two or more calibrated cameras to provide overlapping projections.
One of the largest motion capture providers in the world is OptiTrack, developed in 1996 by NaturalPoint, Inc. It offers high-performance optical tracking and its product line includes motion capture software and high-speed tracking cameras.
There are many additional accessories, but we may summarize the process like this:
The human body is tracked thanks to markers
identified by camers
then the data is processed in a specific software: Motive.
Here some examples on how does it works:
This system is also used in live performances, to make the human body able to control electronic instruments with its movement.
An example is the composition Bodyscapes from V. Moar, G. Eckel und D. Pirrò:
Everybody thinks online marketing is an easy job due to all the social media that are available to us. Just share your releases on Facebook and Instagram, they say. But there is actually so much more work behind a successful promotional campaign, especially if the budget is tight/non-existent. This article will discuss all the possible ways of free promotion, including the timeframe for one campaign. Before starting this process, it is essential to have a digital distributor (for self-releasing).
The first 2-4 weeks of a release promo campaign are what comes before actually releasing anything. The artist should upload their work through their distribution service as a pre-release and set a later release date. This time during the pre-release will be used to garner Spotify saves that are beneficial for the algorithm, as well as pitching your work. It will be important to find promoters, playlists and curators who are willing to include your release on their channels in order to gain you a bigger following post-release. The reason why we leave so much leeway before the release date is because it takes promoters time to come across your submission. Sometimes it can take even 6 weeks. My favourite submission networks for this are LabelRadal and SubmitHub. The first platform gives you access to both labels (if you have unreleased music to pitch) and promoters with YouTube channels, who will share your work if they like it. On SubmitHub, you will find different types of curators- Youtubers, instagram influencers, and Spotify Playlists. Both of these networks allow you to pitch to a certain extent for free, but better features come with a subscription. However, most of the time, I could get away with sticking to the free version, especially on SubmitHub.
The next step is to figure out your social media campaigns. Have a total of 3 announcements- the day of pre-release, one day before the official release, and then finally the day of release. This way you will build up hype and interest. Also, make sure you are always active on your social media and have quality content that grows your following, as well as keeping your engagement up. If your social media is a bit dead, you won’t generate many streams from promotional posts.
Now it’s time to think about Spotify specifically. I focus on this platform because it has shown the most results for my efforts. After the official release date, you will have to search out playlist curators and build real connections with them. This way, you will have someone to come back to time and time again for each next release. Make sure to offer some sort of value proposition to curators, not just blindly begging them to playlist your tracks. Start with smaller playlists and build your way up as your streams grow.
The next thing in mind is to always keep up with how streaming platform algorithms are changing. For example, Spotify recently announced that they will be pushing out artists who agree to forgo some of their streaming profits in return for promotion. This could actually make the popular artists even more popular and the smaller ones will stay small, because they cannot afford to cut their already small profit.
TikTok has become a really important gateway to potential fans. Adding your tracks to their library opens up the possibility of your track going viral. For example, tiktokers tend to come up with trends that are copied by many other users on the platform. Often, these trends include a specific track or song. It is important to make sure that music you are submitting to TikTok is either “memeable” or that is has a potential for popular appeal.
Lastly, if all of this seems too complicated or like a lot of work, I would suggest one more step that is paid. This step may help you get much further, as it takes away the promo burden off of you and let’s you focus on music production instead. Get yourself a virtual music manager. One great example is https://www.thevirtualmanager.co.uk/ which have a monthly fee of 24 GPB, or 240 for a yearly plan (2 free months + a free 1-on-1). Personally, I consider this the next step after self-promotion, which will open many more doors for your music.
For all of the steps to work, be realistic to yourself and objectively determine whether your music is of high quality or not. Quality comes before anything else.
We are now experiencing hard times, the music industry is suffering a lot of damage and, due to the pandemic, all concerts have been cancelled. Thanks to the internet there are some solutions we can adapt to survive those times, obviously it is not something that can 100% satisfy this loss, yet it is something that can help us.
One of these is live-streaming performances. Bands can use this moment to promote themselves better on the web and, even if it is not possible to play live, organizing a good live-streaming could be an important step in the development of the band itself.
This can only work if it is done well, taking all precautions and using the right equipment.
But what exactly is live-streaming? Well, it is a method of broadcasting audio and video over the internet. This allows viewers to tune in from different devices (phone, computer, TV). This medium allows you to reach more fans than ever, and is also immediate, there is no need to record/edit/print/distribute materials.
What do you need?
Live-streaming can be as simple as hooking up a single camera to your computer, or it can be an elaborate process requiring a considerable amount of specialty equipment. When it comes to the video, an essential setup consist of two or three cameras, a video mixer, a reliable computer, and a live-streaming service that fits your needs.
But remember, nothing makes good video more intolerable than poor audio. The right microphones positioned correctly can make all the difference in the world. There are two basic directions you can go with audio: taking an auxiliary feed from the mixing board or using an all-in-one video mixer.
Auxiliary Send
If you only stream the mix from the board, then your performance may not sound its best, why you only mike the quieter sources, such as vocals and keys through the PA, leaving drums and guitars out of the mix.
You need to set up a couple of room mics, but a far better solution is to set up more instrument mics and only send them to a dedicated auxiliary output that generates a mix tailored for your video stream.
All-in-one video mixer (the best solution)
They combine video cameras, video sources, and multichannel audio all into a single unit.
Video mixers such as the Roland models (https://www.sweetwater.com/c1005–Roland–Video_Mixers) also typically include USB connections specifically intended for streaming and recording.
–What to look for in a video mixer:
Number and type of video camera inputs
USB and additional video inputs for slide shows (lyrics) and other sources
USB for recording and streaming
Audio I/O for mixing and sound reinforcement
Additional video processing such as transitions and effects
Streaming Platforms
There are plenty of great options out there, and some of the more popular names in live-streaming include DaCast, Ustream, Livestream, and Wowza – all considered standards.
While there are free services, such as YouTube Live or Facebook, they won’t offer you as much control of your content as a commercial service. These services cost anywhere from $20 to $100 per month for entry-level service, with the average being around $50 per month.
These platforms actually vary quite a bit, some specializing in security while others offer more or less online storage.
Die Definition von Verbrauchergruppen hilft bei der “Quantifizierung” von Gruppen in messbare Einheiten, ein erster Schritt im Prozess der Bildung von Zielgruppen, deren Aufmerksamkeit an Werbetreibende verkauft werden kann. Durch Marktsegmentierung und demographische Analyse versuchen viele Werbetreibende Zielgruppen statistisch zu erfassen, um Strategien zur Steigerung des Verkaufspotenzials einer Anzeige zu erstellen. Theoretisch verlassen sich Vermarkter auf demographische Statistiken, um ihre die Chancen zu erhöhen, dass eine Anzeige potenzielle Kunden erreicht, die in der Lage und bereit sind, eine bestimmte Marke oder ein Produkt zu kaufen. Das Definieren dieser “Zielgruppen” für Anzeigen, so glauben sie, konzentriert ihre Bemühungen und optimiert ihre Investitionen durch Verbesserung der Wirksamkeit der Werbung.
Auf der anderen Seite ist es jedoch relativ schwer eine gewisse Zielgruppe vorzugeben, durch die enorme Vielzahl an Einflüssen die täglich auf Menschen wirken. Die von den Werbetreibenden definierten Subjektpositionen überschneiden sich und schreiben wahrscheinlich Merkmale vor, die die komplexen Alltagserfahrungen der Menschen widerspiegeln können oder auch nicht.
Obwohl die Demografie immer noch eine Schlüsselrolle in der Praxis der Werbeproduktion zu spielen scheint, schreiben viele Werbetreibende über Zielgruppenerstellung und Konsumpraktiken im Sinne komplexer Verhaltens-, Beziehungs- und sozialen Handlungen, welche die kapitalistische Kultur charakterisieren.
Viele alte Methoden zur Untersuchung von Musik in der Werbung gehen von universellen Reaktionen auf Musik aus und dominieren immer noch häufig die Marketingliteratur. Seit den 1990er Jahren jedoch wurde mehrere Marketingstudien veröffentlicht, die sich auf die Semiotik und die Kulturwissenschaften stützen (Scott (1990); Murray und Murray (1996); Harvey und Evans (2001); Hung (2001)). Im Gegensatz zu Forschung, die auf klassischer Konditionierung basiert, gehen diese Studien davon aus, dass Musik kulturell variabel ist. Für jene Studien, die sich auf psychologische und statistische Methoden stützen, scheint Musik ein Objekt an sich zu sein, und die Reaktionen auf Musik sind universell. Für diejenigen, die Musik als kulturelles Artefakt betrachten, verschiebt sich die Betrachtung auf die Beziehung zwischen den Klängen und den kulturellen Zugehörigkeiten der Produzenten und Empfänger der Klänge. Dabei sind kulturell unterschiedliche musikalische Reaktionen ein Ausdruck der Beziehung zwischen Produzenten und Konsument, und diese Beziehung scheint neue Möglichkeiten für Werbetreibende zu bieten.
Joyce Kurpiers (2009) Reality by Design: Advertising Image, Music and Sound Design in the Production of Culture, Department of Music Duke University S. 30-40
Ich für meinen Teil denke jedoch, dass dies die oben stehenden Aussagen hauptsächlich für die in der Werbung eingesetzte Musik gilt. Für diese gibt es einige Modelle, wie auch schon in vorherigen Blogs beschrieben, welche versuchen zu beschreiben welche Musikrichtung am besten zu einer gewissen Zielgruppe passt. Betrachtet man jedoch das nur das Sound Design in der Werbung heutzutage, gibt es kaum unterschiede zwischen verschiedenen Zielgruppen, da dort hauptsächlich die Verbindung von Bild- und Ton-Ebene wichtig ist. Der Sound/ das Sound Design wird als Code und Metapher eingesetzt, um das Bildmaterial zu unterstützen, weniger um eine spezielle Zielgruppe anzusprechen.
It’s now been more than a year since COVID-19 first started spreading in China. The virus has not only killed infected people, but it has also taken many industries with it. The music industry is one of Corona’s economic victims. In a nutshell, sources like Billboard and Amsterdam Dance event, the music industry finally recovered from a drastic downfall it experienced and electronic music artists in 2019 were making more than during the 2017 peak of the industry. The pre-covid yearly industry revenue was 7.3 billion, and now it has fallen almost 70%, which is a shocking pitfall. This article talks about the ways in which the industry is trying to cope with the loss.
The first major thing that happened was that over 90% of festivals were cancelled. Shortly after, clubs followed. This hurt artists a lot, because ever since the start of the 00’s, live performances have made up the majority of any musician’s revenue. Everyone moved online, organised streams and virtual festivals, which are accompanied by fundraisers intended to support the staff that has been put out of work due to the virus (i.e. promoters, bartenders, sound staff). However, these efforts were not enough, and pretty quickly we saw the closing of some of the most iconic clubs in Europe.
The Summer came and Ibiza and Majorca did the unimaginable- they closed their seasons. These islands are famous for their clubbing scene and at least 80% of their economy relied on party tourism. This has put many seasonal staff out of work.
Since standard festivals couldn’t be held anymore, organisations came up with the concept of “drive-ins” and “socially-distanced” festivals, but this is obviously not sustainable in the long run. Firstly, it is not cost-efficient and tickets are quite expensive. On top of that, festivals rely on international visits, which is highly discouraged during the global pandemic times.
One name that stood out with its charitable work and artist support during these times was Bandcamp. The biggest news they announced is that every Friday, the company would forgot about 15% revenue made from digital sales, channeling that money back to the independent artists. Besides the company itself, numerous artists made campaings on the pplatform where they donated 100% of album revenue to COVID relief organisations.
Many people are in need of mental support during these times, because it is hard to cope with quarantining and not being able to live a normal life. But there have been some positives- we are united more than ever and everyone is trying to help each other. Pineer DJ company has made a documentary that gives insight into how the music industry staff have been handling the situation. They showcase the stories of 5 prominent electronic DJs, who talk about their past and current experiences.
