INDUSTRY
Over 70,000 Party In Dutch Streets for “Unmute Us” Protest: Watch
On August 21st, hundreds of Dutch music organizations carried out the #UnmuteUs protest through six Dutch cities. Hoping to make their voices heard amid a lack of clarity from the government regarding the future of music festivals, over 70,000 people marched in protest of the current COVID-19 restrictions impacting the arts sector. While many in the Netherlands were hopeful of the return of live music events this summer, the Dutch government reportedly had other plans. In July, officials announced an extension of a ban on music festivals in the country—lasting until at least September 19th—due to ongoing risks to public health. The #UnmuteUs protest attracted over 70,000 people. AP Photo/Peter Dejong With nowhere to turn, a flock of festival organizers planned #UnmuteUs. “A...
Audius Strikes Landmark Deal With TikTok As Platform’s First Music Streaming Partner
Audius just picked up a massive competitive edge. The blockchain-based streaming platform just announced that they have reached a partnership with TikTok and are currently the sole partner powering the short-form video platform’s “TikTok Sounds” library. It’s no secret that any artist releasing music today wants to be on TikTok. From Lil Nas X to Olivia Rodrigo, TikTok’s potential for breaking artists into mainstream consciousness is undeniable. As CoinDesk notes, a survey from TikTok showed that the majority of its U.S. users (75%), discover new music and artists by using the platform. However, in order for artists to have music distributed to TikTok, they previously needed to have the right distribution partner. But those days are changing. Recommended...
UK Initiative Calls On Music Industry to Hold Sexual Harassment to Account
As live music events continue to return, an open letter from the UK organization UN Women is aiming to ensure that they do so in a safer and more inclusive capacity for women. A survey conducted by YouGov in 2018 identified that 40% of women report being sexually harassed at public live music events. Within the music industry itself, the survey reported 60% of industry professionals who are women have been subjected to sexual harassment. “As our spaces reopen this summer, we will not wait around while another woman experiences sexual harassment, violence or abuse—as an artist, as a professional, or as a fan,” the letter says. “Let’s act now to make our music industry and live events safe.” Numerous artists including MNEK, Sigrid, Anne-Marie, an...
Congress Takes Aim at Twitter’s Inability to Address Copyright Infringement In Letter to CEO
In a letter to Jack Dorsey, members of Congress are demanding Twitter address the pervasive problem of copyright infringement on its platform. The bipartisan letter, signed by 22 members of Congress, cites an astounding figure as the basis for the correspondence. According to Twitter itself over 1.6 million copyright infringement notices were reportedly received in the first half of last year alone. According to the letter, this is mainly due to the company’s lack of licensing, an issue that has been raised more frequently as of late with regard to large tech companies. One such company to get caught in the crosshairs recently has been Twitch, which has been the subject of numerous waves of DMCA takedowns due to insufficient licensing infrastructure. As a result, lawmaker...
This Collective Wants to Provide Lifesaving Overdose Treatment to All NYC Clubs
“It became clear to me in 2019 that we needed to start fighting the opioid crisis on a local level,” said dance music producer Lauren Flax in a recent press release. And fight she has—that year, she founded Last Night a Deejay Saved My Life, a New York City-based collective dedicated to fighting addiction in local nightlife. Alongside Danielle Pickering—a registered nurse at the LGBTQ-focused Callen-Lorde Community Health Center—and Dr. Julius Johnson of the National Black Nurses Association, Flax and the organization have hosted harm reduction classes and overdose response training. Now, their latest initiative seeks to train and provide New York-based DJs and bar staff with Narcan, a lifesaving drug that fights the effects of overdose. This push for accessibility ...
Thailand’s Hospitals Are On the “Brink of Collapse” After COVID-19 Spreads Through Nightclubs
Thailand’s hospitals are on the “brink of collapse” due to a spread of COVID-19 that reportedly emanated from the country’s nightlife sector. The Independent reports Thailand’s third wave of COVID-19, which began in April, has intensified the country’s response to the virus. Its hospitals are now inundated as the number of cases rises, leading to a crisis wherein clinics have run out of ICU beds and doctors are forced to treat patients in car parks. Reports of victims dying on roads have incensed many in the region. “We don’t know where to put the sick people anymore, the ER units in many hospitals have to be temporarily closed because they no longer have bed spaces,” Department of Medical Services head Somsak Akksilp said in a news...
New Analysis Exposes Vast Gap Between Haves and Have Nots of the Streaming Economy
For artists participating in the Big Tech-driven streaming economies of Apple Music, Spotify, and beyond, it’s no secret that there’s a vast chasm between the haves and the have nots. But how large is that gulf really? A new Rolling Stone piece published by Tim Ingham, founder of Music Business Worldwide, sought to answer that question by piecing together nuggets of data released by Spotify’s own volition. Unfortunately, what unfolded was the revelation of deep inequality within an increasingly crowded digital landscape. It all starts from one sobering big picture statistic. Nearly 57,000 artists on Spotify are vying for their share of around $4.5 billion, which represents 90% of the royalties Spotify pays annually. According to Spotify’s statistics outl...
The Majority of Dance Music Fans Believe Festival Organizers Should Mandate Vaccines
In a recent survey conducted by EDM.com, two-thirds of respondents revealed they believe promoters should take action in ensuring that attendees are vaccinated prior to entry. The idea of implementing vaccine passport regulation has been a hotly debated topic in recent weeks. In the United States there is currently no enforcement of such policies at the federal level, which has, by consequence, left the states to make their own decisions. New York, for example, does not mandate businesses to verify vaccination status. However, their implementation of Excelsior Pass, a digital vaccine verification system, has allowed venues to make the decision for themselves as to whether or not they want to utilize it. On the other hand, Florida has banned businesses from verifying vaccination ...
Belgium Launches “Covid Safe Ticket” Program for Live Events
Just one month ago, Belgium’s iconic Tomorrowland festival was abruptly cancelled due to COVID-19 safety concerns. Now, the country has made major strides in its risk mitigation for similar events with the announcement of its COVID Safe Ticket (CTS) system. Designed specifically for live events with over 1,500 attendees, the CTS is meant to ensure crowds have followed testing and vaccination guidelines necessary for entry, IQ reports. Its use, though optional, will waive the need for venues to enforce the mask and social distancing requirements instated by the Belgian government. To access the CTS, event attendees must first download the mobile CovidSafeBE app, where they can then upload proof of vaccination and recent COVID-19 test results. Similarly to the EU Digital Covi...
New Artist Database Launched In Support of Non-Binary Creatives
In honor of this year’s Non-Binary Awareness Week, an aggregated database of the industry’s artists and creatives who identify as non-binary has been launched. The annual event has historically marked an important period for organizing around the issues of non-binary advocacy. This year artists are taking an important collective step towards ensuring equitable representation for non-binary creatives in the music industry. Developed by DJ Soyboi, the new database seeks to share the names, creative disciplines, discographies, and portfolios of non-binary creatives within the industry at large. The concept was shared by fellow artist India Jordan on Twitter. The database currently contains over 200 entries and spans several disciplines with non-binary DJs, producers, d...
Less Than a Quarter of UK Music Festival Performers Identify as Women, Study Shows
If there’s one term at the top of a list of music industry buzzwords, it’s “inclusivity.” However, recent research suggests that making lasting change is easier said than done. Despite strides toward 50/50 gender representation at major festivals in the UK, less than a quarter of the country’s music festival performers this year identify as women. That’s according to a new study from Protectivity Insurance, which provides large-scale event coverage in the UK. For festivals like Isle of Wight, TRNSMT and Wireless, that tally dips even lower, with the number of female-identifying artists barely hitting 15% of their lineups. Manchester-based Parklife, on the other hand, hits a higher clip of 44%, with Peggy Gou, Annie Mac, Honey Dijon and Ja...
Fyre Festival Bankruptcy Case Leaves Attendees With Just 4% of What They’re Owed
Fyre Festival attendees have been dealt a definitive blow to their prospects of recovering a material portion of their promised settlement. In May a class action settlement ruling by the US bankruptcy court of New York was approved, effectively paving the way for the plaintiffs—consisting of 277 attendees—to receive up to $7,220 per person for a total settlement of over $2 million. However, that initial figure has changed drastically due to the fact that the Bankruptcy Trustee, Gregory Messer, was able to recover only $1.4 million in assets from the failed festival company. To make matters worse, $1.1 million of that sum went back towards paying court and legal fees, leaving just $300,000 to service the festival’s creditors, which includes ticket-holders. Messer’s jo...
