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Austin, Texas

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Austin Rallies To Support Local Businesses & Workers In Wake Of SXSW Cancellation

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Local businesses have organized a fundraiser and Austin Community Fund have created a call for support of those most severely impacted by the unprecedented cancellation of this year's festival and conference
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Mar 10, 2020 - 12:22 pm

News of SXSW being cancelled due global health crisis shook the music, tech and entertainment industries last week. Now, Austin's local businesses and officials are encouraging locals and supporters everywhere to pitch in to help those impacted by the cancellation.

A fundraising project called Banding Together ATX, spearheaded by The Red River Cultural District, which represents such local music venues as Cheer Up Charlies, Barracuda, Beerland, Empire, Elysium, Mohawk, Scratchhouse,  Stubb's, Swan Dive and The Venue ATX, aims to raise awareness and support for the "thousands of artists, hospitality and production workers, businesses and organizations that rely on that event to survive."

Banding Together ATX has a growing supporter list of Austin-based businesses and individuals, including promoters Heard Presents, Margin Walker, Austin-based software startup Prism.FM, all committed to sustaining the "Live Music Capitol Of The World" through this hardship.

"Our goal is to keep as many artists as possible coming to Austin. We also want to assist re-homing events that are losing their venues," the fundraising site states. "If your organization had to cancel an event due to health/travel/public relation concerns consider this your opportunity to still make something cool happen in Austin and want to help. We know you still believe in supporting the community in Austin and want to help. Know that this good will charitable donation goes towards the thousands of people here, performing, working, and trying to survive; as well as your corporate karma."

City officials have also made moves to provide aid. With "Stand With Austin," the Austin Community Fund establishes a centralized donation and resource center to support  According to the foundation's site, "This fund was created to receive charitable donations to support nonprofits assisting individuals and small businesses most negatively impacted by the cancellation of SXSW and least able to recover on their own."

These efforts to help everyone affected by the cancellation are a testiment to how Austin's music industry is so intimately intertwined with its service industry. With that in mind, Southern Smoke has created an Austin-specific fund specifically to provide assistance those in the food and beverage industry.

Originally scheduled to take place March 13-22, SXSW has been estimated by city officials to have had a $356 million economic impact on the city of Austin in 2019.

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Going Viral: The Music Industry Grapples With The Worldwide Coronavirus Outbreak

 

Mixing desk inside Nevo Sound Studios in London

Mixing desk inside Nevo Sound Studios in London

Photo: Rob Monk/Future Music Magazine/Future via Getty Images

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The Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing Shares List Of Safety Measures For Studios Preparing To Reopen

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The safety measures, which were compiled through interviews and conversations with recording studio owners, engineers and other professionals around the country, cover a range of concerns and precautions related to limiting the spread of the coronavirus
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
May 30, 2020 - 2:25 pm

The Producers & Engineers Wing, a membership division of the Recording Academy that focuses on the technical and professional matters of the recording industry, has released a detailed list of potential safety measures for studio owners, engineers and other recording professionals looking to reopen their physical locations and recording studios. 

The safety recommendations come as states across the country are beginning to reopen and physical business locations are starting to welcome customers through their doors once again after the coronavirus pandemic shut down many U.S. regions and severely shuttered the international live concert and events industry. 

The safety measures, which were compiled through interviews and conversations with recording studio owners, engineers and other professionals around the country, cover a range of concerns and precautions related to limiting the spread of the coronavirus in a studio setting, including: social distancing in recording studios, complexes and rooms; protective gear, like face coverings and disposable gloves; limitations to studio access, control rooms and/or performance spaces for personnel and visitors; routine cleaning and disinfections of frequently touched surfaces, such as workstations, and commonly used and shared equipment, like microphones; and more. 

Read: Recording Academy And MusiCares Establish COVID-19 Relief Fund

In a letter accompanying the list of safety measures, Maureen Droney, Sr. Managing Director for the Producers & Engineers Wing, addressed the ongoing challenges and effects the recording industry faces as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"The Producers & Engineers Wing, like its membership, is resilient," she wrote in the intro letter. "The Wing has been a resource for the recording community for nearly 20 years, and will continue its work with you long after this crisis has passed. We hope this information is helpful, and wish you and your loved ones good health and safety as we navigate this crisis. 

"Knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic is constantly evolving, and, as always, we are open to, and grateful for, comments and suggestions from others in our recording community, so please feel free to contact us at pe.wing@recordingacademy.com."

The letter also recommends those looking to reopen their studios and physical locations to regularly consult the guidance provided by national, state and local government agencies, including the guidance for businesses and employers from the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC). 

David Messier, owner of Same Sky Productions, a recording studio in Austin, Texas, and Leslie Richter, a Nashville-based engineer, instigated this project, which also included thoughts and suggestions from Ivan Barias, Ann Mincieli, Michael Abbott and many others. 

The list of potential safety measures, the names of the project's contributors and Maureen Droney's letter are available in full on the Recording Academy's website.

Learning In Quarantine: 5 Virtual Music Industry Conferences To Enhance Your Career 

The Wiltern in Los Angeles

The Wiltern in Los Angeles

Photo Courtesy of Live Nation

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Live Nation Looking To Convert More Than 100 Venues Into Polling Places

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The plan is part of Live Nation's newly announced, wide-spanning initiative aimed at increasing civic engagement and supporting voting access in the upcoming 2020 elections
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Sep 16, 2020 - 10:38 am

Live Nation, the world's largest concert promoter, has announced a voting and civic engagement initiative that's aiming to convert more than 100 of the entertainment company's nationwide venues into polling places, a company representative unveiled Wednesday (Sept. 16). 

The global entertainment company is currently working with local officials across the U.S. "to examine the feasibility" of using the Live-Nation-owned venues as polling places, a press release notes. 

Currently, the company has confirmed four of its properties as polling sites in their respective jurisdictions: The Wiltern and Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, Emo's in Austin and The Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta. Philadelphia's The Fillmore is in the "final stages of the vetting process," according to the press release. 

Read: Capturing Los Angeles' COVID-Closed Venues

The plan is part of Live Nation's newly announced, wide-spanning initiative aimed at increasing civic engagement and supporting voting access in the upcoming 2020 elections. The initiative also includes benefits for Live Nation employees, including paid time off to vote on Election Day. 

The company, in partnership with poll worker recruitment initiative Power The Polls, is also providing active employees with a full day of paid time off to serve at the polls in an effort to address the national shortage of poll workers caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

To support the wider initiative, Live Nation is partnering with multiple organizations, including: More Than A Vote, a coalition of Black athletes and artists "combating systemic, racist voter suppression," according to the nonprofit's Facebook page; Civic Alliance, "a non-partisan group of businesses working together to build a future where everyone participates in shaping our country," according to the organization's website; and HeadCount, a "non-partisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy," according to its website. 

"Core to what we do at Live Nation is helping amplify voices on stage around the world, and supporting voting is another important way we want to continue making voices heard," Live Nation President and CEO Michael Rapino said in a statement. "We're honored to work with such incredible partners and will do everything in our power to support and empower voter engagement among our employees and the public."

Soul Clap Wants You To Rave The Vote This 2020 Election

Nick Demangone of Exeter Township sanitizes his hands before browsing records for sale at Vertigo Music in West Reading

Photo: MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images / Contributor

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RIAA 2020 Mid-Year Report: Recorded-Music Revenues In The U.S. Grew More Than 5 Percent During The First Half Of 2020 Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

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A new study from the RIAA shows that revenues from recorded music in the U.S. grew to $5.7 billion in the first half of the year, a boost largely driven by strong streaming numbers.
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Sep 10, 2020 - 11:55 am

A new mid-year report from The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) shows that revenues from recorded music in the U.S. grew to $5.7 billion, up from $5.4 billion as Billboard reports, in the first half of 2020; the change marks an increase of 5.6 percent.

Paid streaming subscriptions, which increased by 24 percent to more than 72 million on average, a growth of 14 percent in the first half of 2020 when compared to the first half of 2019, largely drove the aforementioned revenue growth.

Streaming music revenues—returns from subscription services like paid versions of Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and others; digital and customized radio services, including revenues distributed by SoundExchange like Pandora, SiriusXM and other internet radio; and ad-supported on-demand streaming services like YouTube, Vevo, and ad-supported Spotify—grew 12 percent to $4.8 billion in the first half of 2020. 

Paid subscription revenues grew 14 percent to $3.8 billion, and further increased their share as the largest contributor, accounting for 67 percent of total revenues in the first half of 2020, according to the RIAA report. 

Digital downloads, a market that continues to shrink in the streaming age, fell from 8 percent to 6 percent for the category's share of total revenues in the first half of 2020. 

As the COVID-19 pandemic continued to wreak havoc on the U.S. and international music business as well as the global advertising markets, "growth in ad-supported streaming revenues slowed dramatically," the RIAA writes.

As well, revenues from physical products decreased by 23 percent year-over-year to $376 million in the first half 2020, Variety reports. The RIAA report indicates a "significant impact from music retail and venue shutdown measures around COVID-19, as Q1 2020 declines were significantly less than Q2 compared with their respective periods the year prior." 

Revenues from vinyl albums increased in this year's first quarter, but later decreased in the second quarter, resulting in a net overall increase of 4 percent for the first half of 2020, the report reports. Vinyl album revenues, which reached $232 million, accounted for 62 percent of total physical revenues, marking the first time vinyl exceeded physical CDs for such a period since the '80s, as well as 4 percent of total recorded-music revenues.

Read the RIAA's 2020 mid-year report in full.

RIAA Report: Latin Music Is Growing Faster Than The Overall U.S. Music Market

GRAMMYs

Photo: Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

 
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The Recording Academy Establishes Black Music Collective

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The newly launched collective comprises a group of prominent Black music creators and professionals who share the common goal of amplifying Black voices within the Recording Academy and the wider music community
Recording Academy
Sep 3, 2020 - 6:30 am

The Recording Academy has today (Sept. 3) announced the creation of its Black Music Collective (BMC), a group of prominent Black music creators and professionals who share the common goal of amplifying Black voices within the Academy and the wider music community.

As part of the Recording Academy's commitment to evolving hand-in-hand with its membership, BMC will serve as a space for members to speak openly about new and emerging opportunities in Black music across all genres and identify ways to drive more representation.

The launch of BMC follows the Recording Academy's recent partnership with Color Of Change, the nation's largest online racial justice organization, in July, which set forth to create a Black music advisory group. The BMC fulfills this promise and is bringing together creators and business leaders to create a pipeline of future industry trailblazers. Leaders will meet regularly and initiate programs that will encourage participation and accelerate Black membership in the Recording Academy.

Jeffrey Harleston, Jimmy Jam, Quincy Jones, Debra Lee, John Legend, and Sylvia Rhone will serve as honorary chairs of the BMC. A distinguished leadership committee will be confirmed in the coming weeks and will work in sync with the honorary chairs to propel the collective's mission. Recording Academy Trustee Riggs Morales and Washington, D.C., Chapter Executive Director Jeriel Johnson will lead the initiative internally. 

"The Black Music Collective is necessary to help drive the Recording Academy into a new era. Creating an open space for Black music creators can only benefit our membership as a whole," Harvey Mason jr., Chair and Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy, said. "Through the past few months, I've been personally invested in propelling this collective along with Chapter leadership within the Academy. Together, we will elevate Black music creators within our organization and the industry at large." 

"As Black music continues to drive culture, it is essential we grow and maintain representation within the Academy and the music industry," Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer of the Recording Academy, said. "We're thrilled to help develop the leaders of tomorrow with impactful educational and experiential programs that we will announce in coming weeks."

In March 2018, the Recording Academy established a third-party task force to examine issues of diversity and inclusion within the Academy and the broader music community. The Academy has since taken action on the Task Force's initial assessment and recommendations and has made additional strides to facilitate a culture of belonging while recognizing the need to focus on underrepresented communities. Recent initiatives include the hiring of a Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, a $1 million donation to Color Of Change, alignment with #TheShowMustBePaused movement created by Jamila Thomas (Atlantic Records) and Brianna Agyemang (Platoon), and the development of an industry Inclusion Rider and Toolkit to be released later this year.

Stay up to date on the Recording Academy's progress, future announcements and recent initiatives on diversity and inclusion.

Recording Academy Invites & Celebrates Its 2020 New Member Class

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