Saturday 18th November 2017
University of Westminster
So I got to The Ultimate Seminar at 5pm, Kwame was taking questions from the audience, I tried to quietly find a seat but ended up on the stairs… Just in time for a really relevant question.
“Is there a place for people entering the music industry to do a law crash course?”
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The panel were in agreement that there were no crash courses in the law relating to the music industry.
We have just identified that there is a need, I for one would definitely consider taking a crash course in music law if it were available to me. I reckon all the DIY musicians would be grateful for something like this as well.
I’ve put together a few quotes, from the panelists at Ultimate Seminar that I took for myself and think are important.
Clarence Coffee Jr –
Part of American Grammy, Juno and ASCAP award winning production team The Monsters & Strangerz.
Fifth Harmony – Work from home & Big Sean, Kanye, Jay-Z – Clique.
“Be in a position where you are confident in what you have created, and be mindful of what you are putting out – music is very important to human life.”
Michelle Escoffery –
Songwriter, Artiste, Lecturer, Success/Performance Coach, Front Room Sessions, Co-Founder Creative I.D.
One of her most famous successes was the number 1 hit “Just a little” which by Liberty X released in 2002; which led her to win an Ivor Novello award. Michelle also featured on The Artful Dodger’s – Think About Me. (which is a tune m8)
“When songs become hits, that’s when the problems start. Be in agreement quickly and early on. The music industry is cliquey, KNOW THIS! but you have to make your stuff UNDENIABLE, so no one can turn you away”
Streaming was at the forefront of many conversations, sparking thoughts about what this means for the music industry? What are the advantages? What are the disadvantages? The panels host Manny Norte nodded in acknowledgement to Avelino…
As an artist, who can directly see the impacts and insights of streaming his music, Avelino championed how streaming music “allows the song to exist forever, its so quickly and easily accessed, no one has to get up and go to the shop. If you put your music online to be streamed, people in Japan can listen to it just as easily as someone who lives down the road. The music is always available and you can always come to it and find your music.“ On the other hand, he felt like streaming takes away the sense that you have physically given something to the world.
Physical sales are declining and streaming doesn’t necessarily transcribe into accurate sales.
Avelino also mentioned that it is “not exactly representative of UK labels. There isn’t much structure and it equates to bigger labels getting bigger cuts and smaller labels getting smaller cuts.”
However, not all panelists shared the same amount of enthusiasm for streaming.
Young Spray grew up going to the shops and physically buying music. He also mentioned that streams do not convert to sales properly so songs are not getting properly play listed. He spoke about having a thick skin in the music industry, all types of people will try and bring you down but just don’t have it!
With talks of streaming taking over downloads and the decline in physical sales, Young Spray faced a challenge of how his listeners could access his music. “Jail man can’t stream unless they’re nice in there with a phone thats got connection.” (and a side chick paying for their Spotify… The likeliness of this is quite high but then again so is cell search and the chances of your side chick fucking you off.)
“Jail man can’t stream nothing, not unless there nice inside but… I had to make sure that my distribution was right, moving correct so man can still hear my music. I set up distribution deals with HMV and Amazon so that physical copies of my music get sold”
When the panel finished a few of us from the audience – got to go backstage to meet the last panel and be videoed speaking about our Ultimate Seminar experience. I spoke to UAP_AB & Brunette who ill be checking out over the next few weeks, was great catching up with Avelino and catching a little joke with Young Spray but I chickened out of being videoed. The seminar was very informative, but not boring (first seminar I’ve been to, not gonna lie I did have some pre judgements… How wrong was I?) I gained a lot of good advice and tips and confirmation of some of my own thoughts, met people, even jumped in Manny Norte’s snapchat like a crazy greek woman… I had a great time!
“A great writer can use a situation and make 4/5 great songs from it.” – Avelino
“We love music and you have to love what you do. Gotta have that personal relationship with the music. Slow progress is still progress.” – Young Spray
“Its not your job it’s your life!” – Manny Norte
SGX
