China clampdown hits Beijing's live music scene

Beijing’s grassroots music scene is under siege as authorities crack down on its live venues following a performance by controversial, frequently topless poet Lin Ce. Dusk Dawn Club (DDC), the venue which hosted Lin (whose NFSW art tackles issues around body image and body-shaming), was temporarily shuttered by police and its owner, known only as ’69’, detained. It has since reopened, reports Reuters. New venue Modernsky Lab is also reportedly under investigation, although it was allowed to remain open.

http://www.iq-mag.net/2016/05/lin-ce-risque-performance-art-sparks-beijing-crackdown/#.Vysq7vkrKM8

New research points to Edingburgh's "inaudibility policy" as the cause for the decline in live music

A new report published by Edinburgh University has found that 44% of musicians in the Scottish capital have had problems related to the city's strict noise restrictions in the last twelve months. As a result, council leaders have pledged to review rules stating that all live music in the city must be "inaudible" to nearby homes. The Edinburgh Live Music Census also found that live music is worth £40 million to the local economy, with music fans spending on average £1,120 each a year on nights out in the city's venues. But this, say researchers, is being hindered by the local council's current strict rules on noise, which are acting as a "handbrake" on the development of the city's live music scene - and some venues have stopped putting on live music altogether. The local authority's rules and 10 year old draconian "inaudibility policy" mean that just one noise complaint will trigger an investigation into a venue and its licence.

Live Music market in the USA up 5.8% in H1 2015

First-half North American ticket sales were up 5.8 percent compared to 2014, according to Pollstar. Top promoter Live Nation's sales, through July, increased 7 percent and AEG Live, the second-biggest promoter, posted box-office gains of 26 percent. In otrher headline news, Lollapalooza drew 300,000 fans, the Rolling Stones grossed $80 million from just 10 shows, Taylor Swift has sold 2 million tickets (so far), the Grateful Dead set an attendance record by drawing more than 70,000 fans to Chicago's Soldier Field and even Ed Sheeran is selling out stadiums internationally. "I can't think of a time in recent history that business has been any better," says Jay Marciano, AEG Live's chairman

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/summer-concert-boom-marks-industry-turnaround-20150904

PRS for Music targets live music and festivals

PRS for Music (PRS) have launched a new eight week long Popular Music Concerts Tariff (‘Tariff LP’) Consultation to review the licensing structure for the use of music in the live music industry in the United Kingdom. Tariff LP is applied to ticketed live popular music events such as concerts and festivals. The consultation will run from 13th April to 8th June 2015.

http://www.prsformusic.com/users/businessesandliveevents/livevenuesevents/consultation/pages/default.aspx

BBC Radio 1 reduces live music output - and revamps the chart show

BBC Radio 1 is dropping the number of live music sessions from 250 to 160 and the number of live events that BBC Radio covers will drop from 25 to 10. Expensive outside broadcasting is being cited as one of the reasons for the cull, which will impact on the range of live music events and festivals aired on the Beeb. The Trust has agreed to the cuts to enable savings – it has also agreed to narrow Radio 1’s quota for coverage of major live events and festivals so that it excludes special editions of live sessions, and includes only BBC and third-party major live events.

The BBC Trust's review of BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, 6 Music and Asian Network found that the stations perform a vital role in the development and promotion of UK music. With specific reference to the BBC’s coverage of live music events, the Report addresses concerns from commercial operators, but said that it found no evidence of disadvantage despite comments from the commercial radio sector that said that while 6 Music is capable of providing exemplary coverage of live music and festivals, such as Glastonbury, its coverage of major events may affect its ability to cover smaller events and that it distorts the market, by preventing commercial operators from gaining a foothold but the Review said "we have seen no evidence that the live market is being unnecessarily distorted by BBC events or coverage.”

And Radio 1's 'Official Chart Show' is moving to Friday. The move follows a global agreement by the music industry to release all new albums and singles on Fridays.
It means the chart will now be compiled on Friday mornings, with Radio 1 the first to reveal the latest number one. From July, the big top 40 countdown will air between 4-6pm on Friday afternoon. Radio 1 controller Ben Cooper confirmed the new show would be an hour shorter than the current incarnation, airing from 16:00 to 18:00 GMT, allowing the Dance Anthems slot to remain on the schedule saying "That means we will not be playing every single record in the Top 40," he said. "We will be a little bit more choosy about the records we play in those two hours."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-32019327 

Grooveshark books in live offer

Controversial music streaming service Grooveshark has now turned its attention to the live events sector , with a new programme called Grooveshark Presents. Announced last week, the company says its streaming service can help reduce the risk for smaller acts looking to tour, by employing Grooveshark's data to ensure they only play where there is an audience for their shows. In a statement, Grooveshark CEO Sam Tarantino said: "With Grooveshark Presents we are removing the significant risks promoters take in booking talent, simply by combining the intelligence gathered from our streaming platform with our unique ability to communicate with our listeners. Live events are in our DNA, as our heavily millennial listener base consumes music online, but spends on music offline. This is a significant step in how Grooveshark organically bridges artists and fans with technology".

New conference on copyright and live music in the UK

10th July: "The UK music industry - copyright, business models and the next steps for the Live Music Act" chaired by Lord Tim Clement Jones and Mike Weatherly MP and featuring, amongst others, Richard Hooper (Digital Rights Exchange), Geoff Taylor (BPI), Rob Hallet (AEG Live), Brian Message (Music Managers Forum), Will Page (PRS), Sandie Shaw (Featured Artists Coalition) and Alison Wenham (AIM). Morning only, Tuesday 10th July. £190 and some concessions apply. Organisers say that they will try to accommodate you even If you find the charge for tickets a barrier to attending. Book online here.

PRS live income up by 8.2%

Collections from the UK live sector in 2011 were up 8.2% at £22.5 million. PRS for Music puts the increase down to a boom in festival acts and stadium tours in the UK. £20.8 million was collected in 2010 which were depressed by the World Cup. £22.3 million was collected in 2009 from live music.

UK live sector joins up with UK Music

The UK's live music sector has finally joined UK Music, the umbrella organisation representing the collective interests of the UK’s commercial music industry - from artists, musicians, songwriters and composers, to major and independent record labels, music managers up, music producers, music publishers, music licensing companies and, now, the live music sector - now ensuring that, for the first time, the UK’s entire commercial music industry will be represented by one umbrella body. The move follows the establishment of the UK Live Music Group, a coming together of the live industry’s main trade associations and representative bodies whose members are The Agents Association, The AFO (the Association of Festival Organisers, representing many jazz and folk festivals), the Association of Independent Festivals (whose members include Bestival and Creamfields), The Concert Promoters Association, The International Live Music Conference, the NAA (National Arenas Association), the PSA (Production Services Association ) and we:Live, the independent venue and promoter association. The group will meet every six weeks and have nominated Paul Latham of Live Nation Entertainment to be their representative on the UK Music board.

Feargal Sharkey, chief executive of UK Music said: “This is a fantastic development for UK Music. The coming together of the UK Live Music Group is hugely significant in itself - establishing a unique and powerful voice for the sector. Having their input at board level will be a huge asset for this organization and we hit the ground running next week, with the publication of some groundbreaking research on music tourism.” According to PRS for Music research, revenues from live music in the UK rose by 9.4% in 2009 to £1.5bn. The total value of the UK music industry in 2009 was estimated at £3.9bn

http://www.ukmusic.org/