Alicia Keys performs at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards in 2020

Alicia Keys performs at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards in 2020

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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Alicia Keys Partners With Amazon Music And She Is The Music To Raise Donations For MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund

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For the next 48 hours, the streaming giant will match every like, comment and share of their post announcing the partnership with a donation of up to $100,000
John Ochoa
MusiCares
Mar 21, 2020 - 3:52 pm

Alicia Keys, a 15-time GRAMMY-winning musician, singer, composer, host and actress, can now add another title to her résumé: humanitarian. Today (March 21), she announced a new partnership with Amazon Music and nonprofit organization She Is The Music to help raise donations for the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' newly established COVID-19 Relief Fund. 

For the next 48 hours, the streaming giant will match every like, comment and share of their post announcing the partnership with a donation of up to $100,000. So dear friends, get to liking, commenting on and sharing Amazon Music's post below! You can also participate and engage on Facebook and Twitter.

Unveiled earlier this week (March 17) by the Recording Academy and its affiliated charitable foundation, MusiCares, the COVID-19 Relief Fund aims to help professionals in the music industry affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which has severely impacted the global music industry. Since early March, the global coronavirus pandemic has caused a string of festival and event cancellations and music venue closures and has directly affected the artist and songwriter community.

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

Administered through MusiCares, the COVID-19 Fund will be used to directly support those in the music community with the greatest need. To establish the fund, both the Recording Academy and MusiCares have contributed an initial donation of $1 million each, totaling $2 million. Additionally, all Recording Academy Chapters have committed to fundraising in their local communities. Further updates and announcements will be made in the coming days.

As well, several regional Recording Academy chapters, including chapters in the South, West and East regions, have committed to creating, amplifying and sharing resources that will provide some form of comfort to its members and creators. 

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares. 

For more information and developments related to the coronavirus, visit the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for ongoing news and updates.

How Music Is Uniting People During The Coronavirus Quarantine

Troye Sivan

Troye Sivan performs in Sydney in 2019

Photo: Don Arnold/WireImage/Getty Images

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Troye Sivan, Yoshiki, Father John Misty, Selena Gomez & More Donate To MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

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The Recording Academy's nonprofit arm, MusiCares, established the fund earlier this month to support the many people in the music industry negatively affected by the coronavirus crisis
Ana Monroy Yglesias
MusiCares
Mar 30, 2020 - 4:57 pm

Two weeks ago, MusiCares, the Recording Academy's nonprofit dedicated to supporting music people in need, established the COVID-19 Relief Fund. The new MusiCares fund has already raised money for and offered help to those facing "the greatest need" in the music industry right now, as the coronavirus crisis has halted most-to-all live events.

Learn More: MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

Many musicians have already made generous donations to the fund, with many engaging with fans in creative ways to fundraise, from livestreaming concerts and online festivals to merch sales. Today, March 30, Japanese rock star Yoshiki and philanthropist offered a generous donation of $100,000 to the fund via his charity Yoshiki Foundation America.

Aussie pop sweetheart Troye Sivan pledged donations to the WHO Solidarity Response Fund and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund in a recent IGTV video to his fans. He explained the vital importance of MusiCares' work at this time, supporting crew and others most affected by tours and festivals being canceled en masse. He noted that he'll be donating via Spotify, as they are matching donations to MusiCares, and encouraged his fans to do the same.

WATCH LIST: Livestreaming Concerts From SOFI TUKKER To Neil Young To Catch During Coronavirus Quarantine

Alt-folk crooner Father John Misty recently released a new live album on Bandcamp, Off-Key In Hamburg, for which 100 percent of proceeds will go to the fund. Dave Longstreth of Brooklyn indie favorites the Dirty Projectors, released a cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Isolation," with all proceeds (until April 3) going to the fund. The track, also available on Bandcamp, is being offered as "pay-what-you-wish" to encourage larger donations to the fund. Pop act OneRepublic and their label UMG/Interscope are donating a portion of streaming proceeds (through September) from their new single "Better Days" to the MusiCares Fund.

With many artists joining the livestream concert-from-home party, some of them have used the platform to solicit donations for charities working on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis. Americana power couple Amanda Shires and Jason Isbell have been sharing daily-ish concerts on YouTube they've dubbed "I So Lounging," sharing a portion of the donations they get with the Fund.

Kevin Griffin, the frontman of indie-rock stalwarts Better Than Ezra, raised over $40,000 from one Facebook live performance! He shared he was inspired by rising singer/songwriter Molly Tuttle, who raised $2,200 for MusiCares with a Facebook livestream on March 16. Tuttle is also donating a portion of all merch sales on her website (until the end of April).

Singer/songwriter Trevor Hall did an IGTV livestream on March 27, partnering with CLIF GreenNotes for their Playing From Home concert series. The org donated one dollar for each person that tuned in (up to $5,000) to the MusiCares Fund and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. Nahko Bear of Portland band Nahko And Medicine For The People also participated in CLIF's series on March 23, with MusiCares the recipient of all donations.

Los Angeles-based trio Magic Giant organized an IGTV Live From Quarantine concert over the past weekend to raise money for MusiCares, tapping Nahko, Brandon Jenner, Tom Higgenson of the Plain White T's and more. Following the model of the CLIF series, one dollar for every viewer that tuned in (up to $15,000) was pledged to the Fund.

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Concert discovery platform Bandsintown hosted a two-day "Live Music Marathon" on Twitch, featuring performances from Taking Back Sunday, Amanda Palmer, Tank & The Bangas, Tayla Parx, SOFI TUKKER, BLOND:ISH, Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy, The Mowglis and more. On their Twitch page, they encourage donations via the platform's "Bits" monetization program, and will continue to do so with their upcoming programming.

Bass DJ/producer Said The Sky released a popular new "Sadboi" hoodie today, with a portion of the sales going to MusiCares. Last week, pop superstar Selena Gomez made headlines for dropping new merch for Rare's "Dance Again," with part of proceeds going to the MusiCares Fund.

Alicia Keys and the nonprofit she co-founded, She Is The Music, paired up with Amazon Music, who each pledged up to $100,000 to the Fund, with a fundraiser based on social engagement with a post. The streaming giant also joined SiriusXM and Pandora, Spotify, TIDAL, YouTube Music and Facebook last week, all of whom pledged efforts to support the music community in need via the Fund.

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares. 

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TikTok logo

TikTok logo

Photo: Mustafa Murat Kaynak / Anadolu Agency

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TikTok Donates $2 Million To MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund: "We Want To Help Support The Community That Keeps Us Entertained"

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The donation is part of the social media app's larger charity initiative toward COVID-19 relief efforts, which totals to $375 million
John Ochoa
MusiCares
Apr 9, 2020 - 9:32 am

TikTok, the viral video-sharing social media app, is stepping in to support the artist and creative community that thrives on the platform. Today (April 9), the company donated $2 million to MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund, which provides help to the people and professionals in the music industry affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the subsequent cancellation of multiple music festivals and events and venue closures.

"At TikTok, creativity is our heartbeat. And music is often part of many forms of self-expression that we see on TikTok; often in the background of hilarious moments, cinematic storylines, and for dropping like it's hot," Corey Sheridan, head of music partnerships and content operations for TikTok US, wrote in a statement. "We know that musicians, artists, and those working in the industry have seen countless gigs canceled because of this pandemic. And we want to help support the community that keeps us entertained. Today we donated $2M to MusiCares®, an organization supporting artists, songwriters, technicians, crew, and other music professionals whose livelihoods have been severely impacted as a result of cancelled performances and work. While we know this won't replace being on tour, we hope it can help working artists and music industry professionals through this challenging time."

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

The donation is part of TikTok's larger charity initiative toward COVID-19 relief efforts, which includes $250 million in cash contributions to aid healthcare workers and their needs; diverse communities, including musicians, artists, nurses, educators, and families; and education and creative professionals, including educators, professional experts and nonprofits. 

TikTok is also donating $125 million worth of advertising credits on the platform, which includes $100 million in ad credits for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) as well as $25 million in prominent in-feed ad space to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), health sources and local authorities who are informing users on important health issues and practices related to the coronavirus pandemic and beyond. 

Altogether, TikTok's coronavirus aid donations total a whopping $375 million. 

Read: Pickathon's 60 Concerts in 60 Days: Margo Price, Drive-By Truckers, Tank And The Bangas, Ex Hex & More

"COVID-19 is giving all of us a new perspective, and in the face of this unprecedented crisis, we are collectively seeking moments of joy and inspiration," TikTok President Alex Zhu said in a statement. "Sometimes that means dancing and having fun where we can. Sometimes that means experiencing the comfort and warmth that comes through simple human connection in the face of adversity. The TikTok community is uplifting one another, caring for one another, and lending a hand to one another. This may be a serious time, but on TikTok it can still be joyful – and deeply inspiring. 

"We are committed to playing our part in that global outpouring of mutual support and giving. We want to magnify all we are seeing across our community and translate it into concrete relief for those most affected by this crisis."

Since the coronavirus pandemic virtually shut down the global concert and live events industry in early March, TikTok has become a go-to resource for musicians and artists to connect with fans experiencing isolation and social distancing. Several major artists, including Alicia Keys, Megan Thee Stallion, Dolly Parton and many others, have taken to TikTok to host digital at-home concerts and other various online projects. Teens and young users, for their part, are using TikTok to cope with the coronavirus pandemic and to create unique self-isolation content.

TikTok itself has launched its own digital initiatives to help users deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, including the #HappyatHome: Live! livestreaming series and the newly launched Live Sessions series in the U.K.

MusiCares COVID-19 Fund: MCR's Frank Iero, Rita Wilson & Naughty By Nature, Ellie & Drew Holcomb & More Support With Livestreams & Beyond

Jerry Garcia performs with the Grateful Dead in 1981

Jerry Garcia performs with the Grateful Dead in 1981

Photo: Ed Perlstein/Redferns/Getty Images

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Grateful Dead Announce New 'Shakedown Stream' Online Concert Series, Donations Benefitting MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund

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Every Friday, the series will feature archived live performances and concert films and will include interviews with members of the Dead community
John Ochoa
MusiCares
Apr 8, 2020 - 3:09 pm

Legendary psychedelic rock group Grateful Dead have announced a brand-new weekly online concert series: Shakedown Stream, premiering Friday, April 10, at 8 p.m. EST on the act's YouTube channel. The pioneering jam band will contribute donations from the series to MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund. 

The series, which will stream archived live performances and concert films every Friday, will launch with a live screening of Truckin' Up To Buffalo, a live album and concert film documenting the group's legendary Fourth Of July show in 1989 at Rich Stadium in Buffalo, N.Y. The kickoff event will include a live on-camera interview session with Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux and historian Gary Lambert at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST before the screening. 

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

"We've decided to start the streaming video series with the Buffalo '89 show for a couple of primary reasons," Lemieux said in a statement, according to Rolling Stone. "Its excellence is indisputable and is something that we think pretty much everyone will enjoy in the absence of actually being able to see live concerts; and, as a tribute to the many rabid, loyal Dead Heads from the hard-hit tri-state area, which has been affected more than anywhere else in the country. To all of the Dead Heads in New York State and beyond, this one's for you."

As well, the Shakedown Stream sessions will include live interviews with members of the Dead community before or after the show, according to the band's social media channels. Fans can submit questions for the live Q&A session.

In other Dead news, Dead & Company, the Grateful Dead offshoot led by founding member and former guitarist Bob Weir and seven-time GRAMMY winner John Mayer, recently launched One More Saturday Night, their new free weekly "couch tour" series in which they stream past live performances; the band is helping to raise funds for MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund via the series. 

Dead & Company's previously announced U.S. tour is still scheduled to proceed this summer. 

MusiCares COVID-19 Fund: MCR's Frank Iero, Rita Wilson & Naughty By Nature, Ellie & Drew Holcomb & More Support With Livestreams & Beyond

Shirley Manson (L) and Richard James Burgess (R) speak at SXSW 2019

Shirley Manson (L) and Richard James Burgess (R) speak at SXSW 2019

 

Photo: Mike Jordan/Getty Images for SXSW

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

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The Recording Academy has compiled some of the free and low-cost online music industry conferences worth attending to help elevate your career and craft in 2020
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
May 24, 2020 - 2:19 pm

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to halt the global live music industry, the concert business and artist community have shifted toward a novel online business model via livestreaming and digital concerts. Music industry conferences, too, have had to rethink their approach in the era of quarantine and stay-at-home orders. 

Luckily for aspiring music industry heads and artists alike, many conferences are going fully digital this year. 

Below, we've compiled some of the free and low-cost virtual music industry conferences worth attending to enhance your career and craft in 2020.

ASCAP Experience: Home Edition

When: Beginning May 28, every Thursday from 3-6 p.m. EST through the end of July

Cost: Registration is free and open to the public

Where: ASCAP Experience: Home Edition website

ASCAP, one of the leading performance-rights organizations (PRO) in the U.S., this month launches ASCAP Experience: Home Edition, a virtual version of their premier music industry conference, ASCAP Experience. The newly announced long-term digital initiative brings the best of ASCAP Experience—industry insight and firsthand know-how from executives and thought-leaders across all sectors of the music biz—directly to your home. Each week, the digital conference will tackle real-time industry topics, including monetization, music publishing and mental and physical wellness, and will feature leading songwriters, producers, music publishers and members of the ASCAP team.

Read: Performing Rights Organizations ASCAP, BMI & SESAC Join In Support Of MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

The inaugural ASCAP Experience: Home Edition kicks off next week (May 28) with a stacked guest lineup featuring: two-time GRAMMY winner Shaggy alongside his manager and Cherrytree Records founder Martin Kierszenbaum; songwriters Whitney Phillips and Gian Stone, who will discuss "Stuck With U," the chart-topping super-collaboration from Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber; hit songwriter Priscilla Renea; and others.

Most programming will be available on-demand after each session for those unavailable to attend the live webcast.

Success With Music Virtual Music Conference 

When: May 29-31

Cost: Free

Where: Modern Musician website

Presented by music industry resource website Modern Musician, this three-day online conference is inviting 15 experts who'll discuss a wide range of topics geared toward artists looking to attract and grow their fan base and make a sustainable living out of their art.

Billed as "the biggest online music conference in the world," the 2020 Success With Music Virtual Music Conference will feature Taylor Swift's former manager Rick Barker and Bandsintown CEO Fabrice Sergent, as well as multiplatinum songwriters, producers and more. 

Topics will include music licensing, content marketing, social media, email marketing, brand marketing and more. 

Virtual Music Conference

When: June 4

Cost: £20 per ticket (approximately $24)

Where: Virtual Music Conference website

Billed as the "world's first online dance music conference," the aptly titled Virtual Music Conference is a brand-new online event focusing on the issues and topics affecting the global electronic and dance music world. Geared toward music biz newcomers and those looking to advance their careers, the one-day interactive event will comprise live and archived keynote speeches, panels and discussions with some of the leading artists and industry figures within the genre. 

Topics at the inaugural Virtual Music Conference will include live touring, monetization, social media, music rights, promotion, record labels and more. Confirmed speakers and guests include artists like Louie Vega, Mark Knight, Sacha Robotti and Judge Jules, as well as representatives from labels and companies like SoundCloud, Mixcloud, Beatport, Toolroom, Anjunabeats, BBC Radio 1 and Defected, among many others. 

Read: How Will Coronavirus Shift Electronic Music? Maceo Plex, Paul Van Dyk, Luttrell, Mikey Lion & DJ Manager Max Leader Weigh In

Virtual Music Conference, presented by house and techno imprint Toolroom Records and digital label services company Label Worx, will donate all profits from ticket sales to charities supporting the music industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All sessions will be recorded and made available for online viewing for those unable to attend the live webcast. 

Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC)

When: June 9-13

Cost: Free

Where: LAMC website

As the leading music conference specializing in Latin music and culture, Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) has helped elevate the genre from a once-alternative scene to a global mainstream movement. Originally scheduled for July, LAMC 2020, which marks the conference's 21st annual installment, is going fully digital next month due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

This year's panel discussions will explore a number of pressing topics impacting the Latin music industry and artist community, including mental health for artists and creators, playlisting, music publishing, finance for musicians and entertainment companies and more. LAMC 2020 will also feature a special conversation with and celebration of the women making a difference in the Latin music industry.

Read: WATCH LIST: Online Concerts From BTS To COASTCITY To Catch During Coronavirus Quarantine

In addition to the panels, LAMC 2020 will also feature workshops, showcases and networking opportunities. While no artists have been announced yet, past performers include Julieta Venegas, Natalia Lafourcade, Ana Tijoux, Mon Laferte and others. 

International Music Education Summit

When: June 11-13

Cost: $97

Where: International Music Education Summit website

This three-day online conference and clinic is geared toward practical learning and applicable professional development for music educators and K-12 teachers. International Music Education Summit (IMES) livestreams workshops, clinics, performances, presentations and product demonstrations from music education experts from around the world. 

Read: How The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation Has Been Quietly Helping Schools By Donating Musical Instruments

Topics will include copyright, adaptive music instruction for learners with disabilities, educational and music technology, ensemble recording and much more. The conference will also include livestreamed performances, including student performances and student ensembles.

IMES offers on-demand viewing of all the 2020 sessions for at least one year after the event as well as networking opportunities with other attendees via a private Facebook group. All attendees will also receive a professional development completion certificate after finishing the conference. 

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