Next Big Sound (a/o June 18th):
And this is a problem because...?
It's hard to argue against anything that helps independent artists reach a broader audience. And if Congress is dangling money for anything arts-related, the best advice is to say yes and take it.
Which brings us to the "Making United States Independents Competitive Act," or "MUSIC Act" for short, which largely focuses on picking up the tab for sending indie bands to overseas music trade shows like MIDEM (in the South of France). That's right, trade shows, with the expressed purpose of increasing sales of recordings.
Whatever, let's pass this thing fast. Page 2 of the draft bill, sponsored by New York Democrat Jerrold Nadler, spells it out.
The strategy is a bit interesting. Most regard the trade floors at Midem - and other international music trade shows - to be basically useless at this point. In fact, many of the execs we've talked to at the event never set foot on the trade floor, though there may be other opportunities to reach executives and potential label partners, distributors, radio outlets, and producers at the broader event.
Indeed, the networking is what's really keeping MIDEM alive and relevant these days. And, the reason why lots of Americans still make the extravagant trek.
Back in the old days, you didn't need as much justification: MIDEM and shows like it were critical marketplaces for cross-border selling, discovery and licensing. Fast-forward to the present, and most of that in-person exchange has been replaced by the internet. It's mostly obvious, but you don't have to get on a thirteen hour flight anymore unless the deal is really, really important.
Actually, money has already been spent on a number of overseas meetings for independents, including those in the South of France and various Asian countries. A major player in this whole process is A2IM, which has somehow figured out a way to get the US Government to support music export. That's an accomplishment by any standard.
This is a proposed amount of roughly $1 million per year, modest by Washington standards. The funds will be available to indies with less than $50 million in annual revenues, and less than one percent total marketshare.
A copy of the draft legislation is here.
News Reader Thursday, December 13, 2012
They should use this money to help fund music & arts programs in public schools, instead of continuing to cut their funding. The money would go a lot further there.
Introduce several thousand kids to the world of making music, or pay for a couple random bands to go to a foreign country and gain a few dozen new fans? Hmmm.......
Visitor Thursday, December 13, 2012
A million per year would not fund very many schools arts programs. maybe 3? ...
Adam Smith Thursday, December 13, 2012
Why introduce kids in school to 'making music' if there is no future in the music business. Until the 'piracy' problem, 'royalties not being paid' problem, and quite a few other problems that have made indie music a 'no-future' proposition, why waste kids time? If they want to learn music bad enough, THAT is an indicator they may have talent. They will find their way to an instrument, in school, out of school, where-ever, and practice until they are good enough to make their own music. THOSE are the only ones deserving enough. The rest of the wanna-be musicians will just be hacks crowding up the industry. Maybe their cuteness will get them through a flimsy audition. Even Congress spending millions to send indie artists to other counties is a waste. Instead, spend it paying the people that will force Google to enforce DMCA take-down notices every minute of every day until that shit STOPS.
Adam Smith Thursday, December 13, 2012
ooops. Sorry, that's 'countries', not 'counties'.
Versus Thursday, December 13, 2012
One reason is that a musically educated populace would lead to a more musically intelligent audience, that might actually value music as an artform, rather than considering it a circus act of fat dancing Koreans in ill-fitting suits and derivate non-artists in dead animal dresses.
Maybe they would actually begin to value music enough to pay for it.
- V
wallow-T Friday, December 14, 2012
A rare moment where I agree with Versus. :-)
I'm all in favor of teaching children about our culture, even if they don't plan to be professional musicians. Also, even amateur music-making is linked with improved thinking and working skills -- abstract reasoning, dedication to a goal, stuff like that.
danwriter Friday, December 14, 2012
I love this reply.
Visitor Friday, December 14, 2012
Opa.. Someone sounds a little butthurt.
Bassmatic Sunday, December 16, 2012
There are many things we study in school that, while not practically applicable to a job goal, enrich us in ways that aren't immediately apparent. Studying music isn't only about learning an instrument, it's about training your mind and body to excel at a set task and about learning how to express yourself in a way that is healthy for you and others (though there is an argument against wanton treble-boosted distortion).
If we only ever did practical things that were applicable to work life would be very boring indeed. There would be no TV, movies, theater, dance, video games, awesome music, beautiful art, mind boggling architectural designs, etc etc etc.
Funding the arts in all of their forms only makes everyone better off.
Duncan Hutchison Thursday, December 13, 2012
A2IM has brilliantly created a rare opportunity to help its members and MIDEM (regrettably perhaps) is still a very relevant convention. I'm not sure what the emphasis on the redundancy of the 'trade floor' is about, but I can attest to the US Indies Stand being a veritable hive of activity during the show...
Casey Thursday, December 13, 2012
Wait a minute... "The funds will be available to indies with less than $50 million in annual revenues, and less than one percent total marketshare." Are you telling me the government will fly someone around for free, even if they make $49 million a year in revenues? This is a complete waste of money that has no "need basis" strings attached. This is why our government has no money for things that are truly necessary. Perhaps if the restrictions were less than $1 million or someone who truly needs it. But even then, the time to do things like this is when the government has money. Not when we are on the brink of a financial collapse.
Central Scrutinizer Thursday, December 13, 2012
Agree.
less than $50 mil. Isn't that 99.9% of indie bands
and while this effort is noble, they couldn't possibly pick a worse time to push through congress
what a waste
sara b Thursday, December 13, 2012
WAIT why are we talking about anything other than this? Tour funding, just like real countries?!?!?
@thehopper Thursday, December 13, 2012
Interesting.
TrillTrax Thursday, December 13, 2012
I think this a great idea and couldn't come at a better time. Considering that Japan and the U.K. are the two leading countries behind N. America in music sales, this is great. I would suspect that a select few artists have material that would do well overseas, better than here. Now they have an opp to visit and showcase their talent w/o having to spend so much to get there.
Visitor Thursday, December 13, 2012
"It's hard to argue against anything that helps independent artists reach a broader audience."
How about the fact that we have a $1+ trillion deficit? I know we're all fans of music but federal spending isn't the answer.
Peter Bogdanoff Thursday, December 13, 2012
I agree that under the present financial circumstances (the "cliff"), congress is very unlikely to even dream of considering this.
The bill has gone to a committee, and probably will stay there indefinitely, which is the case for every other piece of legislation introduced by Rep. Nadler for the last 4 years--of which there has been dozens. He seems to have grand ideas, but not much clout to get his own legislation passed.
http://nadler.house.gov/legislative-work/sponsored-legislation
A somewhat related bill he proposed last year was the "Equity for Visual Artists Act of 2011," also in now in committee, which proposes statuatory royalties for visual artists when their works are resold--this is even more unlikely to be considered by Congress: copyrights, royalties, and trademarks were born in the US Constitution, not in Congress.
Giidyap Monday, December 17, 2012
I have the following to say about all of this. 1- kind of neat that the US will be pushing music exports the way almost every other nation does. Also:
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