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Australian Live Music

Scene

by Johnson Lu, Adrienne Dakhoul, Adam Marshall, Tess


Peters and Michael Romeo

Contents
1 The Live Music Indstury
1.1 Australian Context
1.2 The Impact of Piracy on Live Music
1.3 Case Study: Music Producer
2 Live Music in Australia
2.1 History of Live Music in Australia
2.2 Case Study: Concert Promoter
3 The Production of Live Music
3.1 Case Study: A Radio Producer
4 Live Australian Music Blogs
4.1 How Do Music Blogs Link to Convergence Theories?
4.2 Case Study: Australian Music Bloggers

The Live Music Industry


by Adrienne Dakhoul
The live music scene fares better when it comes to planning for its future because it has a
few solid key aspects. These aspects include venues and live audiences. This is in contrast
with the recorded music industry that continues to change due to new technologies that then
change the method of recording and its distribution. It is clear to see in recent years that the
technological changes in the recorded music industry have directly impacted the way live
music is produced, regulated and consumed. With the advent of audio piracy and the ease
of transferring and downloading digital music files without consent from the artist, monetary
concerns have arisen where poor record sales has pushed artists to rely on live performances to make profits. It is in this instance where convergent forms feed off each other to allow
for the industry as a whole to remain relevant.

The Australian Context


The Australian Live music context is one that reflects the impact of convergent digital technologies as seen with the statistics available. In 2011 alone, concert ticket revenue reached
$1 billion with 11 million people attending nationwide1. This staggering amount also translates in the pub, club, hotel and caf scene not only providing money but job opportunities.
For Australia particularly, having a small music industry globally changes to the way music is
produced, distributed and consumed and provides that much needed opportunity for artists
to cement their professional careers. Australia is amongst the leading international digital
music markets2, in regards to digital consumption. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) made the claim that the digital music market made up about 47%
of Australias recorded music sales in 2012, which is a 38% increase from 20113. With these
statistics it can be noted that with the influx of digital technology, the live music scene has
flourished due partly to the misuse and piracy of audio content.

1 The Don Dunstan Foundation, Elbourne, M. The Future of Live Music in South Australia, Discussion
Paper, 2013
2 The Don Dunstan Foundation, Elbourne, M. The Future of Live Music in South Australia, Discussion
Paper, 2013

The Don Dunstan Foundation, Elbourne, M. The Future of Live Music in South Australia, Discussion
Paper, 2013
3

The Impact of Piracy on Live


Music
As Technology evolved, so did the pirates4 and so did a new economic climate arise for
new media and challenge the industrial organisation of the contemporary live music scene.
Piracy as an illegal trend in society has presented a threat and challenge to record labels
and all parties involved in the music industry. It is an inevitable consequence from the mass
change to online production and distribution. In 2012 Australia placed 6th in the world for 19
million illegal music downloads and 1st based on population versus downloads5. Whilst the
industry is comfortable with the success of online distribution despite this, there are many
regulatory concerns with copyright and intellectual property that are ignored in the piracy
phenomenon. Despite making huge amounts of money through digital mediums, piracy
equally amounts to a mass amount of monetary losses that in turn affects the recording
labels ability to maintain and produce music for so many artists without a solid flow of profit.
This is why Live Music in Australia has peaked in recent years and why audiences pay more
to attend their favourite artists concert.
The production of popular music concerts in Australia has become professionalized and
internationalized6. Concerts are fast becoming the ulterior source of income for many artists, their managers and their record labels. They must find the most profitable means to
garner attention and avoid the risk of piracy and users infringing on the rights of producers
and artists. This therefore means that, live music has a new cultural location in the era of
networked digital media.7 Being a minority industry on a global scale, Australian artists face
many difficulties cementing their place on large arena type stages that are dominated by
international performances. Live Performances Australia released figures that showed the
dominating live performances all came from international acts. Chief Evelyn Richardson,
also comments on this being due to the fact that consumers pay a lot more money for bigger events and what they deem to be a once in a lifetime and worthwhile performance8. For
popular Australian hip-hop group Hilltop Hoods, live performances take place in relatively
smaller places. In addition to this, they were the most popular band that was illegally downloaded in Australia amongst the 19 million downloads in 2011-20129. There is an apparent
imbalance with the factors that allow for profit and key players in the industry to produce and

4 Mattelart, T. 2009, Audio-Visual piracy: Towards a study of the underground networks of cultural globalization, Global Media and Communication, Vol. 5, No. 3, p. 316.
5 Zuel, B. Australians worlds worst for illegal music downloads, September 19, 2012, Sydney Morning
Herald.
6 Holt, F. 2010, The Economy of Live Music in the Digital Age, European Journal of Cultural Studies,
vol. 13, No. 2, p.248.
7 Holt, F. 2010, The Economy of Live Music in the Digital Age, European Journal of Cultural Studies,
vol. 13, No. 2, p.248.

Newstead, A. Live Music Generates $539 Million in Australia, But Festivals Decline, Tone Deaf, 20th
August 2012.
8

Zuel, B. 2012.

dispense music to the public with the intent that it is not infringed upon.
It is because of the phenomenon of the digital age that record labels now have a broader
and more encompassing measure to make money and stay ahead of converging times.
Currently in place is the 360 deal that record labels have adopted for their talents in order to
maximise potential for profits. Record labels are now entitled (as per the 360 agreement) to
receive income from a range of musical activities beyond the sales of recordings10. Sales
of digital music on applications like iTunes and Spotify are unlikely to make up for the fall in
CD revenue and therefore labels have to develop alternative revenue systems that utilize
the live music arena and milk money from any which direction they can whether it be from
merchandising or sponsorships. Since the labels receive a sum of the live touring of an
artist, it can be seen then how important it is to all parties involved that live music is maintained. With a concept like this there is of course criticisms and supporters, the underlying
truth that most in the music industry agree with is that the CD, being once the cornerstone
of the industry for three decades11 has declined, while a live music boom occurs during a
time when music converges into the digital frenzy.

Live Nation Investor Presentation in L. Marshall, 2013 p. 82

Marshall, L. 2013, The 360 Deal and the new music Industry, European Journal of Cultural Studies,
Vol. 16, No. 1, p. 78.
10

Marshall, L. 2013, The 360 Deal and the new music Industry, European Journal of Cultural Studies,
Vol. 16, No. 1.
11

Case Study: Music


Producer
When a popular song is playing on the radio, the backbeats and overall feel of the song is
attributed to the mastery of the music producer. The music producer in the music industry
is a somewhat silent force that makes up the artistry, image and sound of a particular artist.
The role of the music producer is multifaceted. The four main roles of a music producer
include coordinating and leading pre-production, engineering and sound mixing, song writing collaboration and post-production mastering12. Essentially the music producer has the
distinct role of eliciting the best out of an artist and therefore making a truly effective and
professional record.
Pre-production requires the music producer to compile logistical information on things such
as budgets, timelines, scheduling recording time and extra musicians and people involved
in the recording process. This gives the team involved deadlines and figures to work with
in order to effectively create an album/song. Engineering and sound mixing professionals
are in most cases hired externally though some music producers can be knowledgeable in
the process. This part of making a song is capturing the producers vision for the sound and
eventually mirroring that sound appropriately with the vocals of the artist to best represent
their image and creative needs. Whilst the engineer harnesses the equipment, the producer
monitors the correct sound to generate the best record possible.
The procedure of selecting and or writing a song also falls as part of the music producers
role. Depending on the types of talents they have, they can either pick a song from their
own repertoire or another artists. It is common for artists these days to be songwriters and
when this is the case it is the job of the music producer to respect, focus and enhance the
artists vision and style. The Hip-Hop genre is an interesting example to consider in the process of song writing. In a unique way, producers will create the music or have a collection of
skeleton songs13, which are basically beats so that the rapper can mould his unique lyrical
style to whatever the producer has created. The final post-production phase gives the music
producer the chance to fine-tune the track and fix and audio issues with an engineer so that
the track is ready for public consumption.
All successful music producers required no formal training but rather a deep-rooted knowledge of musical styles and an ear for genius. Notable music producers are indefinitely linked
to iconic songs and legendary artists. Some of these producers include; The Neptunes (Kelis, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake), Timbaland (Missy Elliot, Madonna, Aaliyah), Dr. Dre (Snoop
Dogg, 50 Cent, Eminem), Rick Ruben (Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Aerosmith, Johnny Cash,
AC/DC) and George Martin (The Beatles, Cilla Black, Jeff Beck)14
12 Heibutzki, R. Duties of a Music Producer (2014), Chron, http://work.chron.com/duties-music-produc-

er-14558.html, Viewed on May 10, 2014.

Connor, D. The Role of a Music Producer Explained, (2007), The Stereo Bus, http://thestereobus.
com/2007/12/07/the-role-of-a-music-producer-explained/, viewed on, May 10, 2014.
13

Chester, T. The 50 Greatest Producers Ever, (2014), NME, http://www.nme.com/list/the-50-greatest-producers-ever/262849/page/5, viewed on, May 10, 2014.
14

ANNOTATED
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Elbourne, M. 2013 The Don Dunstan Foundation, The Future of Live Music in South Australia,
Discussion Paper, Viewed May 10, 2014, http://reverb.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/
elbournereport2013.pdf
- This report provided a great snapshot into the Australian context whilst providing relevant evidence. Since it was published in 2013 there is more relevant information to the
state of the live music scene in Australia. There is some good information in production
regulation and consumption.
Holt, F. 2010, The Economy of Live Music in the Digital Age, European Journal of Cultural
Studies, vol. 13, No. 2, p.243-261.
- This is a comprehensive and all encompassing journal draws attention on the changing
nature of live music and the need to keep it relevant. Holt explores the economics of live
music as it changes with the digital age and the advent of piracy.
Marshall, L. 2013, The 360 Deal and the new music Industry, European Journal of Cultural
Studies, Vol. 16, No. 1, p. 77-99.
- This journal perfectly pieced together the effects of converging digital music consumption on the live music scene. Though focusing on record label 360 deal, there are explanations on how this deal affects the live scene and is helpful in pinpointing the positives
and negatives giving a very level argument for the new music industry.
Mattelart, T. 2009, Audio-Visual piracy: Towards a study of the underground networks of
cultural globalization, Global Media and Communication, Vol. 5, No. 3, p. 308-326
- Mattelart writes an interesting journal about the deeper technical roles of an audio pirate. There is an intricacy in the networks that surround a pirate and the way they illegally
possess music and the mentality of Free For All
Newstead, A. Live Music Generates $539 Million in Australia, But Festivals Decline, Tone
Deaf, 20th August 2012, viewed on May 10, 2014, http://www.tonedeaf.com.au/news/local-news/190860/live-music-generates-1-3-billion-in-australia-but-festivals-on-decline.htm
- This article provides readers with surprising results about concerts and festivals. It is a
very positive article heralding the monetary success of the live music scene in Australia.
There is also a note on International influences on big concerts and subsequently ticket
prices.

Zuel, B. Australians worlds worst for illegal music downloads, September 19, 2012, Sydney Morning Herald, viewed on May 10, 2014, http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/australians-worlds-worst-for-illegal-music-downloads-20120918-2643a.html
- This online news article provides extensive global statistics on the amount of illegal
downloads per country. There is obviously an Australian focus with quotes from the Hilltop Hoods and the ARIA as ways to substantiate the statistics presented.

Live Music in Australia


by Adam Marshall
The Australian music industry is a complex, multi-faceted industry and in the current convergent media climate the lines between certain areas are being bent and broken. Despite
the changing nature of media, live music is still a fundamental feature of the music industry,
being the launching platform for the vast majority of artists and also an expression of their
success within the industry. Australia has always had some kind of live music scene, but
the way the public interacts with it has changed in a contemporary setting. The media environment today is a mixture of professional authenticate content and unauthenticated, user
generated content. Although it is a crucial area of the Australian music industry as a whole,
popularity of contemporary live music seems to be have lessened compared to previous
years. Regardless of its popularity, the functioning of the industry has been influenced by
convergence culture in the ways different areas of the industry interact with one another, the
ability through communications technologies to market and to an extent distribute a once
localised art form across platforms to audiences that were once unreachable.
As all cultural industries the live music industry has been influenced by convergence in
content, across platforms and between companies. The Australian Major Performing Arts
Group (AMPAG) is a group that represents 28 member companies in Australia involved in
the performing arts and spans across every genre from musical theatre to contemporary
pop music.1 They stand as a regulatory body that organises and gives voice to the various
appendages of the industries relating to the performing arts, including live music. Such a
group is an example of how different parts of cultural industries have converged to facilitate
stronger representation and increased unity in the aim of maintaining the presence and increasing support of live performance. A discussion paper regarding convergence published
by the AMPAG states that the performing arts, although often excluded from the category
of Australian content that privileges broadcast media, are finding an ever increasing relationship with digital platforms even if they are not technically regarded as content.2 The
term captured live performances refers to live content that has been recorded, edited and
transmitted across different platforms, including radio and Television and according to the
report, some Australian performing arts events are already being sold through iTunes, are
promoted extensively through YouTube, and are streamed live overseas. 3 Although this
convergence allows increased exposure for live music, it also threatens its prominence as
an experience based industry.

1 Australian Major Performing Arts Group 2011, Convergence Review, Discussion Paper: Australia
and Local Content, viewed on 2 May 2014, http://www.archive.dbcde.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_
file/0017/143351/AMPAG.pdf

Australian Major Performing Arts Group 2011, Convergence Review, Discussion Paper: Australia
and Local Content, viewed on 2 May 2014, http://www.archive.dbcde.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_
file/0017/143351/AMPAG.pdf
2

Australian Major Performing Arts Group 2011, Convergence Review, Discussion Paper: Australia
and Local Content, viewed on 2 May 2014, http://www.archive.dbcde.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_
file/0017/143351/AMPAG.pdf
3

According to the Ticket Attendance and Revenue Survey 2012 (TARS), contemporary Australian live music has seen a decline in revenue and attendance after a peak in 2010. Between
2010 and 2011 gross revenue saw an 18.2% drop from $659,102,048 to $539,274,481 and
subsequently, the figures for 2012 reveal another 10.2% drop to $482,180,550. Attendance
has also declined between 2010 and 2011 with a 15.5% drop from 7,028,235 to 5,939,618
and a further 7.7% drop between 2011 and 2010 from 5,939,618 to 5,484,257. Although
contemporary live music seems to be on the decline, it continues to be the largest in the live
entertainment industry, constituting more than one third of the Live Entertainment Industrys
share.4

History of Live Music in


Australia
Music has been in Australia since before its conception as a nation state. Unfortunately, as
is often the case, the indigenous peoples did not leave a tangible legacy of their music, although many songs and styles have been passed down through generations and remnants
of these earlier songs remain embedded within the indigenous culture5. In contrast, the
colonial settlers of Australia have left a documented legacy of their music in various scores,
but one that gives an incomplete picture of the extent of music that existed at the time. The
concept of live music was non-existent in these periods as the recording technology that
predisposes the distinction between live and recorded music was similarly non-existent. All
music was performative and it wasnt until the advent of electronic recording technologies
in the early 20th century6 that the term distinction could be drawn live music and recorded.
Although live music has existed in Australia forever, the birth of the current live music scene
based around rock and pop music can be traced to the early 1970s with the incredible influence of the United States of America and Britain on Australian music. This influence manifested itself in the form of Australian rock festivals between 1970 and 1975 that mirrored the
likes of the Monterey Pop festival in California in 1967 and the Woodstock Art and Music
Festival in upstate New York in 1969. Of the festivals that fell in that period the most notably
successful from an artistic and critical perspective was the Sunbury Rock festival, the first
of which happened in 1972 and was successful enough to ensure its continuation over the
three years that followed until the final Sunbury in 19757. These festivals were made up of
a mixture of local and international artists. In most cases the Headliners were successful
international bands who were touring Australia and the support acts were sourced locally.

4 Live Performance Australia 2012, Ticket Attendance and Revenue Survey 2012, Viewed 29 April
2014, http://liveperformance.com.au/sites/liveperformance.com.au/files/resources/ticket_attendance_
and_revenue_survey_2012.pdf
5 Skinner, G. 2010, Toward a General History of Australian Music Composition, Sydney Conservatorium
of Music, The University of Sydney
6 Morton, D., 2008, Recording History, Viewed 7 may 2014, http://www.recording-history.org/HTML/
musictech3.php Para. 1
7

1999, Miles Ago, viewed 5 may, http://www.milesago.com/Festivals/FestivalFrames.htm Para. 6

One of the driving reasons that the early festivals in Australia met their end was the cost of
securing these international headliners and as a result the local acts were severely neglected financially.8
More influential to the birth of Australian popular artists was the venue based live music
scene. The pub rock scene of the 1970s was the launching platform for artist pursuing a
career in the music industry and venue based performance is still an important step in an
artists career. The scene developed as a result of changing regulation towards the sale
of liquor, including operating hours of licensed venues and the lowering of the age of legal
majority from 21 to 18. Pub Rock formed the basis of some of the most successful Australian bands such as Cold Chisel, The Whitlams, and Mental as Anything.9 Licenced venues
still remain play a crucial role in the live music industry of Australia. They serve as a space
for emerging artists to gain exposure and still constitute the majority of income for musical
artists in Australia as well as providing a platform for bands and performers to market themselves.10

Case Study - Concert


Promoter
Concert promoters are an integral part of the live music industry acting as a link between artists and venues and handling the organisational and advertising aspects of a performance.
They are the people pulling the strings from behind the stage before the stage is erected.
A concert promoter is the general overseer of a live production; they are responsible for
securing a venue for an artist to perform (or the inverse if the promoter is working on behalf
of a venue), for marketing the show, and for managing the aspects that contribute to create
a live performance.11
One of the initial steps for a concert promoter when planning an event is to establish an initial budget for the event. It is the responsibility of the promoter to secure the required venture
money either by raising it through external means, organising a beneficiary or backing the
event from their own pocket.12 The initial budget is a working figure and indicates the expected costs of the production but is subject to change as the project continues. The budget
will be based off the projected scale of the event and major influencing features include the
8 1999,

Miles Ago, viewed 5 may, http://www.milesago.com/Festivals/FestivalFrames.htm Para. 6

2003, Pub Rock, Transcript George Negus Tonight, ABC, http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/history/Transcripts/s971464.htm

10 Johnson, B., & Homan, S. 2003, Vanishing acts: an inquiry into the state of live popular music opportunities in New South Wales| NOVA, The University of Newcastles Digital Repository http://www.
australiacouncil.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/34146/entire_vanishing.pdf
11 Blumberg, S., 2014, Wisegeek, viewed May 6 2014, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-a-concert-

promoter-do.html, Para 2

(No Author), 2014, Careers in Music, Viewed May 6 2014, http://www.careersinmusic.com/concert-promoter.aspx, para 1
12

location of the event, type of venue, when the event will occur, and how many shows will be
performed.
A concert promoter serves as a point of communication between an artist and a location. If a
concert promoter is working on behalf of an artist, their goal is to find a location for the artist
to perform which includes establishing a contract with an artist. If the promoter is working
for a particular venue then the goal is to locate and sign artists to perform at that particular
venue. Once an event is secured, it is the promoters role is to promote the show by generating interest in the event.13 Advertising is essential in promoting a show and the promoter
is in charge of dictating how funds are to be designated towards advertising across multiple
channels including: radio, TV, print, online, social media and the classic stick up flyer in target areas.
Along with generating hype for the event, the promoter is also responsible for the organisation of ticket distribution through a ticket agency or through the venue itself. The promoter
is also involved in other marketing around the event such as arranging interviews, publicity
stunts and press conferences. Sometimes a promoter will hire a press agent to assist with
this aspect of promotion. One or both will ensure press releases, free tickets and any press
kits reach the desired are of the media sphere prior to the show.
To enter the world of concert promoting, there are two major paths a person can take. One
includes freelancing and developing the skills and reputation from scratch and the other
involves working for a previously established concert promoter either an individual promoter
or a company that handles concert promotion and learning from their experience and under
their budget. The benefit of working for an established promoter reduces some of the initial
risks of concert promoting and provides a means to observe how the role functions.14 The
other path entails starting from scratch which offers more autonomy and flexibility of scope
but means that you will have to start at the bottom of the industry and establish a name for
yourself.

13 Macdonald, H., 2013, About.com, Viewed May 4 2014 http://musicians.about.com/od/musicindustrybasics/g/Promoter.htm


14 Blumberg, S., 2014, Wisegeek, viewed May 6 2014, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-a-concert-

promoter-do.html

Annotated Bibliography
Australian Major Performing Arts Group 2011, Convergence Review, Discussion Paper:
Australia and Local Content, viewed on 2 May 2014 http://www.archive.dbcde.gov.au/__
data/assets/pdf_file/0017/143351/AMPAG.pdf
- This report examines and evaluates the position of the performing arts in Australia in
relation to other forms of content. It expresses the cultural value of the arts and discusses
principles regarding the regulatory environment for Australian content. Convergence is
discussed in regards to companies in the field and Australian media content.
Johnson, B., & Homan, S. 2003, Vanishing acts: an inquiry into the state of live popular music
opportunities in New South Wales| NOVA, The University of Newcastles Digital Repository
http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/34146/entire_vanishing.pdf
- This report is an inquiry into the state of live music in NSW and the regulations surrounding this topic. The report suggests that opportunity for live music in NSW has been
superseded by gaming, especially in pubs as a result of regulation which makes gaming
a more viable alternative.
Live Performance Australia 2012, Ticket Attendance and Revenue Survey 2012, Viewed
29 April 2014, http://liveperformance.com.au/sites/liveperformance.com.au/files/resources/
ticket_attendance_and_revenue_survey_2012.pdf
- This survey directed by Live Performance Australia shows the statistics for ticket sales
and attendance of live performance in Australia. The report suggests that contemporary
live music is decreasing in popularity in recent years.
Johnston, C. 2013, The Crisis Rocking Australian Music Festivals, Sydney Morning Herald, 20 October, viewed 3 May 2014, http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/the-crisis-rocking-australias-music-festivals-20131019-2vtbx.html
- This article examines the state of Music Festivals in Australia and the challenges the
face in the future. It explains the demise of many popular Australian music festivals and
speculates over the future of Festivals in Australia. It is suggested that the Australian live
music scene is in a state of crisis as all but the largest festivals appear to be increasingly
unsustainable and it is expected that much of the organisation of Festivals within Australia faces outsourcing to American companies.
2013, Chugg Entertainment, Chugg Entertainment Pty Ltd, viewed 9 May 2014, http://www.
chuggentertainment.com/about/history
- This website is useful for anyone interested in the concert promotion industry within
Australia. Chugg Entertainment is one of the largest and most influential promoting group
in Australia and this history of the company gives an insight into the industry and the role
of promotion within the music industry.

The Production of
Australian Live Music
by Tess Peters

Image taken from http://www.smith.edu/insight/stories/livemusic.php


For the audience and listeners, going to a live music event or gig is almost always an exhilarating and enjoyable experience. A meticulous collaboration of skills and ideas come
together to create that perfect moment of energy and musical bliss for the listeners. This
collaboration, this melting pot of innovation, technology and talent, is more commonly described as the production process of live music. The different people and skills involved in
the production of a live gig are many and varied, as are the countless ways that the show is
replicated and mirrored.
Australia is a frontrunner of musical innovation especially when it comes to our contemporary live music scene. In terms of Australian Live Music as an industry, there is no doubt of
its significance within the Australian economic framework a study conducted in 2011 found
that the Australian live music industry generated gross revenues of $1.21 billion during that
financial year.1

Australian Performing Right Association (APRA), 2011, Economic contribution of the venue-based
live music Industry in Australia, viewed May 2, 2014, from http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/downloads/
file/ABOUT/NationalLiveMusicResearch_Sept2011.pdf
1

The study also concluded that the production side of the industry (jobs to do with the venue
itself, ticket sales etc) employed over 14,000 people. In Victoria alone, 2011 saw around 1.8
million tickets sold to major concert events (thats 30% of the total Australian industry).2 Its
safe to say that this industry has its roots embedded deep in our history and is growing rapidly with the steady increase of new outlets and jobs surrounding the exposure of Australian
live music.
The consumption of live music is a multifaceted concept. When every outlet accessible to
the listener is taken into account, the word live starts to take on multiple meanings. This is
thanks to media convergence a phenomenon that can be attributed to the modern transformation of how we consume and interact with the world of media around us.
Convergence does not occur through media appliances, however sophisticated they may
become. Convergence occurs within the brains of individual consumers and through their
social interactions with others Consumption has become a collective process None of
us can know everything; each of us knows something; and we can put the pieces together
if we pool our resources and combine our skills.3
One of the most longstanding outlets to consume live music in Australia is radio broadcast.
Music radio is the dominant field of radio content today, driving radio technology from fields
of wide-band FM and digital radio. For example, australianliveradio.com, a website that has
compiled most significant Australian radio stations for live streaming over the Internet. The
impact that radio has had on the live music industry has been widely positive over the years.
It allows a much greater exposure to up and coming and established artists on an international stage, and gives listeners the opportunity to have a live music experience from their
living room. It allows for a much broader appreciation of the live music, widening the community of listeners from merely the venues mosh pit to an international platform of listeners.
Consumption such as this is very much seen now as a collective process a community of
producers and consumers contributing to and benefiting from streams of media that seem
to be limitless. Radio is a facilitator of this limitless media stream, especially with the introduction of digital radio and Internet streaming. Radio and live music have a kind of symbiotic
relationship through which both are greatly benefited by each other.
The logistics of live music recording for radio are reflective of how each industry has influenced one another for example, a crucial point for recording live music for radio is making
sure that it is as authentic to the original performance as possible, while still catering for the
requirements of radio audial standards.
It is extremely difficult to try and picture radio broadcasting and live music as two completely
separate entities, because each industry is crucially intertwined - mainly due to convergence. Radio offers the live music experience to a much larger audience and offers musicians a much greater exposure. It can and does bring live music performances that would
not otherwise be available (i.e. not released commercially), to audiences within Australia
and around the world.
2 Music Victoria, Victorian Live Music Census 2012, viewed May 3, 2014, from http://www.musicvictoria.
com.au/assets/Documents/Victorian_Live_Music_Census_2012.pdf

Jenkins, H. 2006, Introduction : Worship at the Altar of Convergence, A New Paradigm for Understanding Media Change, in Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide, New York University Press, New York, pp. 124

Live music broadcasts often enhance the experience of live music because they are able to
transmit the energy and excitement of the event and therefore offer this to potential concert
goers who will seek out a live performance from this artist when they are performing in their
city or town. In this way, the convergence relationship between radio and live music can be
seen to greatly benefit both industries.
Radio broadcasting has brought generations of Australian musicians and bands to much
larger audiences than would otherwise be possible. It has raised the profile of Australian
artists, particularly those in the early stages of their careers both locally and overseas. Often recordings made for radio initially are licensed back to the performers for commercial
release and this has been a way for many Australian musicians to release CDs and gain
more exposure without having to pay for expensive recording and mixing sessions although
in recent times, it has become far more inexpensive for artists and bands to record and
mix their work in home studios. Media convergence has affected the Australian live music
industry in countless ways. Radio and live music work symbiotically to benefit one another,
enhancing the way in which we appreciate music as a key part of our human experience.

Case Study: A Radio


Producer
Radio producers are a key link between the live music industry and the radio industry. A
radio producer has two main roles being present at and overseeing the recording of live
music, then taking that recording and reworking and editing it to make it appropriate for radio
broadcast. The producers may choose to use the recorded music for a program or simply
a live stream. In either circumstance, it is the producers role to convey the sounds of live
music on the radio platform in a way that is most authentic to the real live experience.
To be a radio producer, the most fundamental requirement is an interest in broadcast media.4 Radio producers help to create and brainstorm radio shows and programming and
oversee the technical aspects of production that is the recording of live music, or the editing of content.
Recording live music on location or in a studio is more difficult than recording forums or
interviews for radio. Because there is usually no sound separation between instruments on
stage, it is very difficult to achieve a balanced sound the sound that is equated to radio
broadcast. It is a requirement of the producer to have knowledge of the tools and technologies used in live recordings.
Take, for example, the recording of a live band including vocalist, back up vocalist, guitarists
and drums. There is a great likelihood that the sound of the drums being the most overpowering instrument will spill into the microphones of the other instruments. To fix this,
4 Training WA Career Centre, Radio Producer, 2011, viewed May 3, 2014, from http://www.careercentre.

dtwd.wa.gov.au/occupations/Pages/radio-producer.aspx

the producer will multi-track the recording by putting all microphone outputs onto different
tracks. Once this is done, you can minimise the spill by muting or deleting the signal of the
mics that arent being used at that particular time, thereby improving and enhancing the
overall mix.

Image taken from http://laradiostudio.com/about.html


Live music is usually recorded digitally onto either 2 track (stereo) or multi-track systems.
If it is to be edited and mixed prior to broadcast, then this happens in a mixing suite and is
then uploaded to the networks broadcast software, or digital streaming agents (most likely
the radio stations website).
In terms of regulating how the live music translates to radio, the artists need to sign release
forms allowing the broadcasting organisation to broadcast their performances. The artists have what are called Performance and Communication Rights5, which are used when
broadcasted on radio, TV, or launched on the Internet. There is also a requirement to negotiate with the venue in which you are recording to seek approval and also for a Risk Assessment to be done prior to the recording to ensure that your team will be safe from hazards or
harm during the recording.
The aim in broadcasting live music via radio or live streaming for a radio producer is to
accurately emulate the live performance as much as possible. This includes panning the
instruments in a way that approximates how they perform live. What live radio broadcast
tries to do is simulate the live music experience to a much greater audience.

Arts Law Centre of Australia, 2012, Legal Information for Musicians, viewed May 3, 2014, from http://
www.artslaw.com.au/legal/raw-law/legal-information-for-musicians/
5

Annotated Bibliography
Arts Law Centre of Australia, 2012, Legal Information for Musicians, viewed May 3, 2014,
from http://www.artslaw.com.au/legal/raw-law/legal-information-for-musicians/
- This website is very informative on the legal structures surrounding the music industry. Would be useful for anyone interested in the rights and laws behind artists and
musicians themselves and further legal information surrounding the industry.
Australian Live Radio, Australian Radio Stations Streaming Live on the Internet, accessed
May 3, 2014, from http://www.australianliveradio.com
- This website is a perfect example of how convergence of media is shaping the way in
which we view and appreciate content. This website allows the viewer to tune in to a live
stream of over 350 radio stations across Australia.
Australian Performing Right Association (APRA), 2011, Economic contribution of the venue-based live music Industry in Australia, viewed May 2, 2014, from http://www.apraamcos.
com.au/downloads/file/ABOUT/NationalLiveMusicResearch_Sept2011.pdf
- This is a study conducted by APRA detailed the economic contribution of venue based
live music. It details the economic facets of the industry, as well as showing statistical
data relating to patronage, venue revenue, attendance to events etc.
Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA), Commit to Community radio,
accessed, May 5, 2014, from http://www.cbaa.org.au
- This website is great for people wanting to get involved in the community radio scene in
Australia. It gives lots of information on the industry itself, as well as online forums about
the industry and ways to get involved.
Sharim, S, 16 January 2012, The Convergence of Radio, The Media Online, viewed May
4, 2014, from http://themediaonline.co.za/2012/01/the-convergence-of-radio/
- This article, while not specifically talking about Australian radio, talks about the challenges and positive advancements that radio as a media outlet faces with the rise of
convergence and new technologies.
Training WA Career Centre, Radio Producer, 2011, viewed May 3, 2014, from http://www.
careercentre.dtwd.wa.gov.au/occupations/Pages/radio-producer.aspx
- This website details the requirements concerning skill, education and traits that are
relevant to a radio producer, as well as many other industry professionals. It is useful in
detailing career profiles of industry professionals and gives advice on what educational
level one should achieve in order to pursue this career.

Live Australian Music Blogs


by Michael Romeo
In our participatory culture1, the production of Live Australian Music Blogs has become an
essential sector of the music industry in our contemporary online society. Music Blogs are
usually very specific in their choice of bands and types of music that they desire to write
about for an audience that generally have the same shared preferences in music genre.
Blogs are, in essence, a form of distribution of music material that works as a promotion of
Australian artists by people from similar interests who share music as a sense of community and culture, a concept referred to as Networked Publics, especially when it is used
to refer to a networked collection of peers.2 Amateur Music Blogs are produced as not-forprofit sites, where the initiative comes solely out of pure interest in developing revenue and
interest for aspiring or made artists and bands. Music blogs can also be utilised as a sector
for professionally run magazines by record labels and producing companies that offer a
greater experience to connect and share with music personalities better than traditional
media allows and seek to expose an agenda of live music production, engaging audiences
for live music consumption. Music Blogs offer a greater sense of interaction and communication with a band or artist due to their sharing nature3 where it is not a top-down form of
receiving information but a conversational tone that works better for encouraging support
or a following for up-coming live shows and new material ready to be released out to the
public the eventually go on to reflect an Australian national identity as music is an important
cultural production.4

How Do Music Blogs Link To


Convergence Theories?
With a mass rise and new found acceptance of the creative industries, a synchronising form
of communication looks to be travelling down a path that is User-led, and produsing rather
than producing.5 Music blogs are a significant measurement of the importance towards
theories such as Social Curation and look to utilize the notion for the industries benefit in the
1 Deuze. M, 2007, Convergence culture in the creative industries, International Journal of Cultural
Studies, 10, (2), pp.243-263
2 Boyd, D. 2011, Social Network Sites as Networked Publics: Affordances, Dynamics and Implications
in Zizi Papacharissi, New York: Routledge, pp.39-58
3 Clark. J, & Aufderheide. P, 2009, Public Media 2.0: Dynamic, engaged publics, Centre for Social
Media

Turner, G. (1994) Making it National: Nationalism and Australian Popular Culture. Sydney: Allen and
Unwin.
4

Bruns, A. 2007, Produsage: Towards a broader Framework for User-Led Content Creation, Creativity
& Cognition conference, Washington DC, June 13th-June 17th
5

practices of distributing and marketing media content. Social curation can be accomplished
by provided links to online media content6 through social medias such as Facebook, Twitter
and YouTube, using email messages, tweeting, tagging, recommending, commenting, liking, posting and sharing all for the purpose of user-led discussion that is user-distributed7/8
amongst online audiences to better understand content shared as a consumption phenomena on the Internet.9
Social curation is not a new topic created by the social features of the Internet although the
way in which it is now practised has changed. Audience members and followers of Australian music artists have long shared information about songs, albums, interviews and media
content that they have heard on radio, television and newspapers, however Music Blogs
effectively make use of the online environment where it is extremely accessible to find and
share digital content rather then providing verbal descriptions10 of it. When bloggers share
a video of an interview or newly released song, it is a simple process, but significant to the
build up of anticipation and interest before an artist comes to a local venue and performs
live, as social curators are knowledge brokers that interpret, publicise and endorse content.11
In the production of a music blog, all relevant information is located at the one site, allowing
for greater range of access to the consumption of material. The blog format is best described
as a cross-media platform13 and provides sources of information such as Interviews, artists
bio/background, links to music tracks (ITunes, YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud), opinion polls,
upcoming shows news and dates, and other videos that have been linked and shared
where the power of the media producer and the power of the media consumer interact
in unpredictable ways.14 It is important to note that no blog is right or wrong, or powered by
money or has restrictions on what is allowed to be said, but simply people who are fans and
followers of music sharing their thoughts and opinions with other people who have the same
interests which in perspective makes the blog a source that is a light and easy read open to
a wider range of viewers and an important extension15 of the Australian Live Music Industry.
Villi, M. 2012, Social curation in audience communities: udc (user-distributed content) in the networked media ecosystem, Participations: Journal of Audience & Reception Studies, vol. 9, no. 2, pp.
614-632.
6

Napoli, P. 2009, Navigating Producer-Consumer Convergence: Media Policy Priorities in the Era of
User Generated and User-Distributed content, New York: Fordham University
7

8 Lietsala. K, & Sirkkunen. E, 2008, Social Media: Introdution to the tools and processes of participatory

economy, Tampere: Tampere University Press


9

Belk, R. 2010, Sharing, Journal of Consumer Research, 36, (5), pp.715-34

10 Villi, M. 2012, Social curation in audience communities: udc (user-distributed content) in the networked media ecosystem, Participations: Journal of Audience & Reception Studies, vol. 9, no. 2, pp.
614-632.
11 Villi, M. 2012, Social curation in audience communities: udc (user-distributed content) in the networked media ecosystem, Participations: Journal of Audience & Reception Studies, vol. 9, no. 2, pp.
614-632.
12

The Sounds Doctrine, 2010, Viewed 4th May at <http://sounddoc.net/australian-music-blogs-2/>

Erdal, I. 2009, Cross Media (Re)Production Cultures , Convergence: The International Journal of
Research into New Media Technologies, 15, (2), pp.215-231
13

Jenkins, H. 2006, Introduction: worship at the Alter of convergence, a New Paradigm for Understanding Media Change, in Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Collide, New York University
Press, New York, pp. 1-24.

14

15

McLuhan, M. 1962, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, New York: McGraw Hill.

Case Study - Australian


Music Bloggers

All I DO IS LISTEN Website Image found at The Sounds Doctrine, 2010, Viewed
4th May at <http://sounddoc.net/australian-music-blogs-2/>
All I Do Is Listen is an informative, passionate blog based in Melbourne, dedicated to showcasing and encouraging the efforts of unheard-of or lesser-known Australian artists and their
music. All I Do Is Listen is a not-for-profit user-distributed music blog that posts information
available for anyone to view, and seeks to inspire and share the love for the intricate sounds
of Australian music and the production and consumption of the live music scene.16 The contents shared on the blog include Latest News from garage rock and ElectrIndie 17 bands
they follow closely, Video Recordings, and Interviews with artists, as well as live reviews of
new albums and a comprehensive cover of information regarding up and coming live gigs
and festivals all around the country like Splendour In The Grass 2014 but focus predominantly on shows in Melbourne with the example of the up-coming Melbourne Music Festival
2014.
Thomas Lukaitis, creator of the music blog, started All I Do Is Listen in November 2010, and
continues to post regularly. Lukaitis collaborates with Sarah Fitt and various other submitters who joined a short time later.18 All content shared around the blog that might occasionally be leaked out into social medias are provided strictly for evaluation purposes and the
promotion of Australian musicians, as social media companies possess the ability to enable
the effortless sharing of such medias that people find relevant, funny or interesting enough

16 Lukaitis,

T. 2010, All I Do Is Listen, Viewed 4th May at <http://www.allidoislisten.com/about/>

17

The Sounds Doctrine, 2010, Viewed 4th May at <http://sounddoc.net/australian-music-blogs-2/>

18

Lukaitis, T. 2010, All I Do Is Listen, Viewed 4th May at <http://www.allidoislisten.com/about/>

to be worth for others also to read, listen or watch. The blog is essential for the means of
support and the progress of the artists shown in their weekly posts and encourage the public and those interested in the consumption of the Australian music industry to attend their
up-coming shows, purchase their recordings, and wear their t-shirt and merchandise as it is
important to show devotion and reassurance for aspiring creative work, and for the love of
the band, maybe even get a tattoo.
Issues that arise from online music blogs such as All I Do Is Listen are the debates over
the production and regulation of intellectual property and the copyright ownership of music.
Although all the work is credited to the band that have become the subject of reviews and
promotions, there are times where music recorded material is taken without permission to
do so and put onto free music sites such as Spotify or Soundcloud and accessed through
Facebook and YouTube with the intensions of consuming media content as a communal
shared social experience but excluding the band from a purchase in sales.
However Media Theorists such as Mikko Villi would suggest, more important to listening
and buying songs, audiences must engage in social curation, sharing the songs and albums of the band around their public sphere rather than involving the audience in content
production, as social curation is well attuned to the nature of the internet as an environment
of horizontal communication between people. By way of adding qualitative judgment and
imbuing the content with personal and social significance in a categorized field of people
who share the same interests, All I Do Is Listen becomes a form of free advertising and is
mostly effective when showcasing a preview of music material right before people are invited to go out and see the band play live. In this way live blogging of Australian Music, such
as All I Do Is Listen, contributes to the on-going living environment of the live music scene.

Image of The Melbourne Music Festival found at - Lukaitis, T. 2010, All I Do Is Listen,
Viewed 4th May at <http://www.allidoislisten.com/about/>
Villi, M. 2012, Social curation in audience communities: udc (user-distributed content) in the networked media ecosystem, Participations: Journal of Audience & Reception Studies, vol. 9, no. 2, pp.
614-632.
19

20

Lukaitis, T. 2010, All I Do Is Listen, Viewed 4th May at <http://www.allidoislisten.com/about/>

Villi, M. 2012, Social curation in audience communities: udc (user-distributed content) in the networked media ecosystem, Participations: Journal of Audience & Reception Studies, vol. 9, no. 2, pp.
614-632.
21

Lders. M, 2007, Converging forms of Communication? in Tanja Storsul and Dagny Stuedahl (eds.)
Ambivalent towards Convergence: Digitalization and Media Change, Gothenburg: Nordicom, pp.17998
22

23 Rosenbaum. S, 2011, Curation nation: How to win in a world where consumers are creators, New
York: McGraw-Hill

Annotated Bibliography
Belk, R. 2010, Sharing, Journal of Consumer Research, 36, (5), pp.715-34
- Belk further elaborates upon the distribution and marketing media content and help
media studies followers understand better the idea of content sharing as a consumption
phenomenon on the Internet. Belks work reiterates the importance of understanding the
convergence nature of the online participatory culture for the ongoing improvement of
the producer and consumer environment, which has become a dominant quality in the
Australian music industry.
Deuze. M, 2007, Convergence culture in the creative industries, International Journal of
Cultural Studies, 10, (2), pp.243-263
- Mark Deuze formulates significant theories to the research of The Participatory Culture
that surrounds the topic of Australian music. Deuze clarifies that the way in which we now
receive information is a horizontal distribution of media content rather than a top-down
form of communication. The participatory culture is essential to the contributions of online
music blogging in the Australian music culture.
Jenkins, H. 2006, Introduction: worship at the Alter of convergence, a New Paradigm for
Understanding Media Change, in Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Collide, New
York University Press, New York, pp. 1-24.
- Henry Jenkins is an important figure in the research of convergence culture and the
ever-changing behaviours of media studies. Jenkins clarifies the distinctions between
old media and new media and the way in which they collide, but elaborates on how they
interact with the audiences in media consumption in unpredictable ways. For a better understanding of the shift in convergence culture, check out Jenkins (2006) for theories that
determine the power of the producer balanced by the power of the consumer which is
also very significant to the production and consumption of Online music blogs and their
presence in the Australian Music Industry.
Lukaitis, T. 2010, All I Do Is Listen, Viewed 4th May at <http://www.allidoislisten.com/about/>
- I hope my case study does this blog justice. If you are a fan of new exciting Australia
eletro-indie bands you definitely have to check out ALL I DO IS LISTEN. They are a blog
that is dedicated and passionate to the ongoing interest of the Australian music industry,
which comes out through their writing style, with a great work ethic and understanding
of their audience. They post almost everyday and give a comprehensive guide to the
upcoming music festivals, live gigs and sideshows that could be happening around you.
Give these guys a Like on Facebook and be sure to check in for some quality music
blogging.

The Sounds Doctrine, 2010, Viewed 4th May at <http://sounddoc.net/australian-music-blogs-2/>


- The sounds doctrine is a site that hosts the best of Australian-only music blogs from
2010 to present. It displays short descriptions of blogs whom they deem as the most
comprehensive music blogs for the ongoing contribution to the Australian music industry.
This site is where I found ALL I DO IS LISTEN through the links provided and seeks to
promote the convergence culture, dedicated to bringing subjectively obscure but objectively awesome Australian music to dependable, everyday folk. Check it out to find
coverage of Australian music in a completely unpredictable contemporary environment.
Villi, M. 2012, Social curation in audience communities: udc (user-distributed content) in the
networked media ecosystem, Participations: Journal of Audience & Reception Studies, vol.
9, no. 2, pp. 614-632.
- Villi perfectly summarises his research of the networked media ecosystem and provides a great in-detail study of keywords such as Social Curation, and User-distributed
Content. Villi also provides a true understanding of online media audiences and the new
dimensions of peer-to-peer sharing that has taken the realms of communication in our
Internet society significant to the production and consumption of Online music blogs
and their presence in the Australian Music Industry.

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