Nielsen Report: 32 Million People Attend At Least One Festival

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NielsenFor millions of Americans, a favored route for escaping everyday life and experiencing fresh musical sounds is attending one of the numerous music festivals around the country each year.

According to a study by Nielsen Entertainment, 32 million people attend at least one music festival annually. A segment of these festival attendees are ardent music fans, with one-third of festival goers attending more than one music festival per year.

Nearly half (46 percent) are age 18-34, which offers another incentive for marketers to court the millennial demographic. These millennial festival fans are more engaged than the general population on social media and other digital platforms. They are 98 percent more likely to discover new music on Spotify than the average music consumer. They also show greater levels of engagement on social media outlets such as Snapchat (67 percent more likely to use than the general population), Vine (69 percent), and Tumblr (81 percent).

The study found that these festival-goers also spend more than the general population on music. In general, festival attendees spend an average of $207 on live events, digital music and streaming.

The festival audience is evenly split between men (49 percent) and women (51 percent).

Click here for the full report.

 

 

AristoMedia International Report: April 2015

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Aristomedia International report

Click to view the full report.

The AristoMedia Group has released its Aristo International Report for April 2015, highlighting country music happenings around the globe. The company has been issuing this quarterly review since 2008.

Highlights in this issue include:

• The success of the recent Country to Country (C2C) Festival in UK & Europe
• An overview of the happenings down under
– The Golden Guitars
– Nashville Goes To Tamworth
– The 5th Annual CMC Awards
– CMC Rocks Queensland
• An Executive Q&A With CMA CEO Sarah Trahern
• An Update On the Canadian Scene
• A Summary of the recent CMA International Awards
• Some U.S. Artist News
• A Report on the Irish Fest in Nashville
• Special Achievements for AristoMedia and Arranger/Conductor Bill Walker
• A Photo Gallery of Highlights

The AristoMedia Group has issued a quarterly review of global activities since 2008. The report is distributed to executives, artists and media representatives worldwide.

Jack White To Take A Break From Performing

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jack white1Jack White has announced that he will stop touring for a “long period of time,” according to a post on the Third Man Records website. He is scheduled to headline two shows at Coachella and is part of the Lazaretto world tour. After that, he will perform acoustically during a short tour where he will visit the only five states in the U.S. that he hasn’t yet played. The state and location of these shows will not be announced until the day of each show at 8 a.m. local time.

Tickets for these shows are $3 per ticket and limited to one ticket per person. All tickets will be sold at the venue door starting at 12 p.m. local time on the day of the show — first come, first served and cash only.

Joining White on his jaunt across these locations will be musicians making up an acoustic quartet, including Fats Kaplin, Lillie Mae Rische and Dominic Davis.

To keep up to date, fans can visit www.thirdmanrecords.com or follow them on Twitter @ThirdManRecords.

LifeNotes: ‘Austin City Limits’ Founder Bill Arhos Dies

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Bill Arhos.

Bill Arhos.

Bill Arhos, former executive producer/president/GM of Austin City Limits, passed away April 11 in Austin, Texas at the age of 80.

Arhos led the show’s production since its start, from 1974-1999, then as president/GM from 1986. He has served on the boards of PBS and the CMA.

Arhos was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award from his alma mater, Rice University, in 2007. He was an inaugural inductee to the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2014 alongside Willie Nelson, Darrell Royal, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble.

Austin City Limits is the longest running music series in American television history, now with its own music festival (ACL Music Festival, 2002), and concert venue (ACL Live at the Moody Theater, 2011). The program was created by KLRU and broadcast by PBS for the past 20 years. Since then it has received the institutional Peabody Award, is an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark and the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts.

Industry Ink: Razor & Tie’s New SoBro Location, SOLID’s Music Row Madness

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Razor & Tie Celebrates New SoBro Location

Razor & Tie recently celebrated a kick-off party in Nashville, Tenn., for the company’s new space in SoBro. The space, located at 511 Eighth Ave. S., will house Razor & Tie’s music publishing division. The new location will serve as a “hub” for artists, songwriters, and producers to collaborate, and includes recording studios, writer and listening rooms, rehearsal space, and a performance area.

Razor & Tie co-owners Cliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam explain, “We are excited to develop a new space in a hot new area of Nashville where we can continue to provide our writers and artists with the right “vibes” to create great music.”

Chris Parham (mayor’s office) , Craig Balsam (Co-Owner Razor & Tie), Mayor Karl Dean, and Cliff Chenfeld (Co-Owner Razor & Tie) celebrate the grand opening of Razor & Tie’s new building in Nashville, Tenn.

Chris Parham (mayor’s office) , Craig Balsam (Co-Owner Razor & Tie), Mayor Karl Dean, and Cliff Chenfeld (Co-Owner Razor & Tie) celebrate the grand opening of Razor & Tie’s new building in Nashville, Tenn.

 

SOLID Raises Over $25,000 To Support Big Brothers Big Sisters

SOLID (Society of Leaders in Development) recently hosted the fifth annual Music Row Madness in support of Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl For Kids’ Sake at AMF Pla Mor Lanes. The organization landed on raising a final amount of $25,358, totaling more than $120,000 in contributions during the five-year partnership. Over 20 teams were represented with sponsorships from Fifth Third Bank, Creative Artist Agency, Steven Durr Designs, Events by Janie, Jewell Roofing, Marbaloo and Clearbox Rights. There were more than 100 participants with prizes awarded throughout the evening with the Top Team Fundraiser being CAA’s I Can’t Believe It’s Not Gutter.

Emma Tur of Warner Music Group and Basak Kizilisik of Morris Higham Management planned this year’s event. “Music Row Madness 2015 was such a huge success,” says Tur. “Individuals that work in Nashville’s music industry came together for a night of fun that resulted in raising over $25,000. Giving back to Nashville’s community is a foundational part of our organization, and we couldn’t be happier about the outcome. We look forward to partnering for years to come!”

SOLID celebrates during its Music Row Madness event.

SOLID celebrates its Music Row Madness event.

Ken Levitan, Anastasia Brown Added As Part of NaFF Board

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Pictured (L-R): Ken Levitan, Anastasia Brown.

Pictured (L-R): Ken Levitan, Anastasia Brown.

Anastasia Brown (independent film and television producer and music supervisor, Format Entertainment) and Ken Levitan (founder and co-president, Vector Management) have been added in part to the Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) board of directors. This ahead of the 10-day festival fast approaching from April 16-25.

Additional new directors include Natasha Corrieri (customer service specialist, ServisFirst Bank), Steven Gaydos (executive editor, Variety Magazine), and Dawn Solér (senior vice president of music, ABC Television).

“These new board members raise the optics of our festival internationally,” said Ted Crockett, NaFF executive director. “With their help, we will continue to create one of the most exciting film festivals in the world. Our goal is to draw more film production to our state and help make deals for our festival’s stand-out filmmakers. Nashville is not only Music City – it is also Movie City. Each of these individuals possesses a deep professional background and passionate commitment to intelligent film and entertainment.”

Current NaFF Directors are: Kelly Frey (board president), of Frost Brown Todd; Taryn Anderson (board vice president), Flood Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy; Cynthia Tyler (board secretary), Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities; Stephanie Mundy Self (board treasurer); Shannon Casey, CAA; Yuri Cunza, Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Bob Jackson, Ground Zero Post; Tyler Middleton, Graffam Middleton; Brandyn Payne, Sitel World Corporation; Bob Rains, Tennessee Film Entertainment & Music Commission; Courtney Ross, Nashville Chamber of Commerce; Jim Scherer, Whizbang; Ana Schwager, Southwest Airlines; and Bret Wolcott, TV Producer.

Music Biz To Offer Music Startup Educational Event in Nashville

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Music Biz logoThe Music Business Association (Music Biz) will host its Music Startup Academy event on Tuesday, May 12, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel during the annual Music Biz 2015 conference.

The Academy will feature a variety of sessions aimed at teaching aspiring startups, app developers, and entrepreneurs everything they need to know about creating and maintaining legal and sustainable music businesses.

“Game-changing ideas can come from anywhere, and we’re thrilled to bring the Music Startup Academy to Nashville to empower local innovators who may have the next big thing in music floating around in their head,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “With licensing and copyright issues, partnership contracts, and all manner of other complications, it can be easy for potential innovators to turn their attention away from the music business and focus on something else. We need to address these complications head-on so our industry can continue to evolve, and the Music Startup Academy will aim to do just that.”

The currently confirmed agenda for the Music Startup Academy:

9:00 AM – 9:10 AM

Welcome & Introduction to Music Biz’s Startup Services
Speaker: Nicole Hennessey, Music Biz

9:10 AM – 9:30 AM
Keynote Presentation: Customers Before Code
Speaker: Shawn Yeager, Back Porch Group / Endorsee

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
The Licensing Vortex Explained: How to Get Your Startup Service Rightsholder-Approved
Speakers:
Kyle Pierce, 7digital
Stephen Relph, TheOverflow

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
What Can Build vs. Buy API Services Do for Me?
Speakers:
Shachar Oren, Neurotic Media
Chris Webb, GhostTunes

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
How to Get the Best Biz Dev Deal and Work with
Artists and Managers to Make the Most of It
Speakers:
Cameo Carlson, Borman Entertainment
Jon Vanhala, Thesis Ventures

2:00 PM – 3:25 PM
Elevator Pitch Shark Tank
Speakers:
Elizabeth Chan, Merry Bright Music
Tony Grotticelli, Universal Music Group Nashville
Dave Kusek, New Artist Model/Digital Cowboys Consulting
Shachar Oren, Neurotic Media
Shawn Yeager, Back Porch Group/Endorsee

For more information, visit www.musicbiz2015.com

Global Music Business Revenues Fall Below $15 Billion, According to IFPI Report

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IFPI_LogoGlobal music business revenues declined by .4 percent in 2014, dipping below $15 billion, according to data from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). The industry’s global revenues for 2014 brought in US$14.97 billion, down from US$15.03 billion in 2013.  In 1999, by contrast, the global industry generated approximately $26.6 billion in annual income.

The IFPI report released today also found that, for the first time, digital music services match those from physical format sales. Digital revenues rose 6.9 percent to US$6.9 billion (U.S.) in 2014, representing 46 percent of all global music sales. This matches the physical format, which also represented 46 percent of the market.

Subscription revenues continued its steep increase in revenues, climbing 39 percent, while download sales declined 8 percent. The number of paying users of subscription services rose 46.4 percent, up to an estimated 41 million. Subscription services now represent 23 percent of digital market and generate US$1.6 billion in trade revenues.

It is also important to note that in the reporting of IFPI’s 2014 global market data, SoundExchange revenues in the U.S. were reclassified from “performance rights” to “digital,” which has resulted in an upward adjustment of digital revenues and growth, and a corresponding downward adjustment in performance rights revenues and growth.

Physical sales still dominate in several key global markets, including Japan (78 percent), Germany (70 percent), and France (57 percent). Within the physical format, vinyl sales saw revenues increase 54.7 percent, accounting for two percent of global revenues.

According to the IFPI report,  performance rights income increased 8.3 percent and accounts for 6 percent of total industry revenues (US$948 million). Synch revenues increased 8.4 percent in 2014, representing two percent of the market. Synch found big gains in markets including France (up 46.6 percent), German (up 30.4 percent) and Japan (up 33.5 percent).

 Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI, says: “The recorded music business has always led the way for creative industries in the digital world. That leadership continues today as the music industry’s digital revolution continues through new phases, driven by the consumer’s desire for access to, rather than ownership of, music. It is a reflection of how much we have adapted that digital revenues today are, for the first time, on a par with physical.

“The headline statistics of 2014 speak for themselves, with overall revenues still largely flat, down by 0.4 per cent. Music companies are charting a path to sustainable year-on-year growth. That path was never going to be straight, but we are making great strides along it, embracing new models, licensing, investing and improving consumer choice.”

Industry Pics: Songwriter Summit, Tom-Leis Music, Arista Nashville, RCA Nashville

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Nashville Songwriters Join Second Annual Songwriter Summit in Salt Lake City

The second annual Songwriter Summit was held recently in Salt Lake City. The two-day event was sponsored by BMI and Bonneville Radio, and featured songwriters including Art Alexakis, Chris Barron, Graham Russell, Nash Overstreet, and Nashville songwriters Dylan Altman and Tommy Lee James.

Dylan Altman and Nash Overstreet at the 2nd annual Songwriter Summit.

Dylan Altman and Nash Overstreet at the 2nd annual Songwriter Summit.

 

Arista Nashville’s Cam, RCA Nashville’s Josh Dorr Attend 9th Annual Taste of Hope Wine Dinner

Arista Nashville’s Cam and RCA Nashville’s Josh Dorr posed for a picture with Mariah Carey and Tom Poleman last week in New York City at the 9th Annual Taste of Hope Wine Dinner to support City of Hope.

Pictured (L-R): Cam, Josh Dorr, Mariah Carey, Tom Poleman (President of National Programming Platforms, iHeart Media).

Pictured (L-R): Cam, Josh Dorr, Mariah Carey, Tom Poleman (President of National Programming Platforms, iHeart Media).

 

Dorvin and Betty Leis Honored in Hawaii

Dorvin Leis of Tom-Leis Music and Betty Leis were recently honored by the Maui Arts & Cultural Center with the organization’s highest award, the Lei of Distinction, for their exceptional generosity and graciousness in philanthropic contributions to the arts and the community of Maui. The Governor of Hawaii declared March 28, 2015 as Dorvin and Betty Leis Day. The award event included the presentation of specially commissioned leihulu (feather lei), along with a gala dinner.

In 2003, the Leises were recognized as Hawaii’s Outstanding Philanthropists by the Association of Fund-Raising Professionals. In 2008, The Dorvin D. Leis Co. was recognized with the Business Leadership Hawaii Community Spirit Award by Pacific Business News.

The Leises’ gifts to the community include more than $1 million to the center, $1 million to the University of Hawaii Maui College and $300,000 to the Maui Memorial Medical Center Foundation, according to MACC.

Dorvin Leis is honored in Maui.

Dorvin Leis and Betty Leis are honored in Maui.

LifeNotes: Music Man Doug Gilmore Passes

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doug gilmore

Doug Gilmore

Doug Gilmore — who made his mark as a songwriter, TV producer and artist manager — passed away in Nashville on April 3 at the age of 78.

He was associated with such singer-songwriters as Mickey Newbury, Roger Miller, Delaney Bramlett, Leon Russell and Sonny Curtis. Gilmore co-wrote such country hits as “She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye” (Jerry Lee Lewis) and “What Am I Gonna Do About You” (Reba McEntire).

Douglas Carl Gilmore was born in Wichita, Kan., in 1936. He played football at Vanderbilt University and was on the team that won the Gator Bowl in 1955. He graduated in 1958.
After college, he signed a management deal with Roger Miller. When Miller moved to the West Coast in 1963, Gilmore accompanied him. As a songwriter, Doug Gilmore began collaborating with Miller’s drummer and Crickets veteran J.I. Allison.

In 1968, Gilmore collaborated with Mickey Newbury on “She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye.” Jerry Lee Lewis had a big country hit with the song the following year, and it has been recorded by dozens of others, including Kenny Rogers, Ronnie Milsap, Don Gibson, Hank Snow, Del Shannon, Charlie Louvin, Lonnie Mack, Brook Benton, Ed Bruce, Jack Greene and Swamp Dogg.

Meanwhile, in California, Gilmore produced music for The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (CBS, 1971-77), as well as for the solo TV shows of both Sonny (ABC, 1974) and Cher (CBS, 1975-76).

In 1973-74, NBC aired Dean Martin Presents Music Country as a weekly series. Doug Gilmore produced 19 one-hour episodes of this, which featured country artists performing their hits on location in scenic spots around the nation. Charlie Rich, Tanya Tucker, Jerry Reed, Mac Davis, Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Johnny Rodriguez, Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty, Tom T. Hall and Lynn Anderson were among those he showcased.

As a music director and producer, Gilmore also worked with John Denver during the 1970s. He reportedly also collaborated with noted soundtrack and musical-comedy composer Meredith Willson and with songwriters including Bobby Russell, Grant Boatwright, Billy Burnette, Bobby Lee Springfield, Larry Henley, Billy Ray Reynolds and Randy Sharp.

In 1987, Reba McEntire had a No. 1 hit with “What Am I Gonna Do About You,” which Gilmore co-wrote with Jim Allison and Bob Simon. He co-wrote several songs with John Brannen for the latter’s debut Mercury Records LP, 1988’s Mystery Street. Mickey Gilley had a 1986 top-10 hit with his co-written “Doo Wah Days.”

Dude Mowrey (1991) and Daron Norwood (1994) both charted with Gilmore’s co-written “Cowboys Don’t Cry.” Ray Stevens charted with his “Where the Sun Don’t Shine” in 1982. Other Gilmore songs were recorded by Johnny Paycheck, The Crickets, Tom Jones, Fleetwood Mac, Waylon Jennings and Lee Hazelwood, among others. He has a total of 192 titles registered with BMI.

In later years, Gilmore and his co-writer Gary Vincent produced various blues festivals in Clarksdale, Miss. He also worked with actor Morgan Freeman on a 2008 blues documentary broadcast.

Doug Gilmore is survived by Winifred Holcomb, brother James, aunt Juanita, daughter Kellye and by sons Charlie Holcomb, Calvin Houghland and Mason Houghland, as well as his cousins.

The family will receive friends at Harpeth Hills Funeral Home on Tuesday, April 14. Visitation begins at 2:30 p.m. with a celebration of his life beginning at 4:00 p.m. The building is at 9090 Highway 100, Nashville, TN 37221.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Doug Gilmore’s name may be made to New Leash on Life, 507 Jim Draper Blvd., Lebanon, TN 37087.