It’s been quiet here on our blog for the past few days as we gear up to launch the new ArtistForce.com next week. The new site looks incredible and will be a resource to all who desire to empower their independent live entertainment careers. There is a lot going on behind the scenes here right now and I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to share details in the coming weeks. Celebrate your independence - whether you are an artist, agent, manager, promoter or talent buyer, you have absolute power over the future of your career and we are here to help you achieve success. There’s much more to come. Embrace your independence. Happy 4th. *j
The ongoing drama of The Pirate Bay continues in Stockholm, Sweden. An appellate court has rejected an appeal that alleged the judge who found them guilty of copyright infringement was biased. Judge Tomas Norstrom is a member of the Swedish Copyright Association and sits on the board of the Swedish Association for the Protection of Industrial Property, according to Ars Technica.
“The Court of Appeal has come to the conclusion that none of the circumstances set out, individually or taken together, means that there are legitimate doubts about the judge’s impartiality in this case. There has not been any bias,” the court wrote. Operators Peter Sunde, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Fredrik Neij, and financial backer Carl Lundstrom each received one-year jail sentences and fines totalling 30 million Swedish kronor ($3.56 million US) back in April.
Following the ruling, defendant Peter Sunde tweeted that The Pirate Bay “will now file charges against Sweden for violation for Human Rights,” adding, “the bias-judge is himself biased,” also according to Ars Technica. All defendants are individually appealing the original conviction and have made defiant statements concerning compliance with the jail sentence and payment of fines.
Despite continued court losses for The Pirate Bay, the site continues to operate today, and it is just one of many P2P services around the world that helps users to illegally share music, moves, and more. As sales continue to decline, the industry must look to other areas of the business for income. Live entertainment is one area that is still going strong. The experience of a live show cannot be pirated.
But if live entertainment is to make up for the losses, measures must be taken to improve efficiency, increase revenue, and reduce costs. Enter ArtistForce. The solutions offered on its dynamic, web-based platform help industry professionals and independent artists to connect and do business. From talent discovery to contract development, every aspect of ArtistForce.com works to reduce friction and streamline the entire booking process for the live entertainment world. See what ArtistForce can do for you today!
Forbes has tallied the results and Madonna tops the list of top earning musicians from June 2008 to June 2009. The Material Girl has consistently brought in $40 to $50 million since 2002, but jumped up to an impressive $110 million in earnings this past year due to a massive sold-out worldwide tour, international sales of her album Hard Candy, and multiple endorsement deals.
Next in line is another strong female – Celine Dion. After a three-year run in Las Vegas, Dion returned to the road, grossing $237 million from her Taking Chances world tour. She also released her first English language greatest hits collection My Love: Essential Collection and introduced a sixth perfume to her fragrance collection.
Others on the list include Beyonce Knowles, AC/DC, The Eagles, Rascall Flats, and Coldplay – all relatively established artists in the music industry. In the last year, the top ten musicians earned a combined $719 million, compared to just $500 million a year ago. That $219 million dollar increase mainly originates from touring. According to Pollstar, ten shows individually grossed more than $10 million in the last twelve months. Only four single shows reached that accomplishment for the year ending June 2008.
Ticket prices also climbed at a record pace in the past year, despite the global economic recession. Face value jumped up $5.26 per ticket on average to $67.33, representing the largest single-year increase in fifteen years. Consequently, gross revenue for the top 100 touring acts was also up 6.5 percent to $2.4 billion, even though there were 5 percent fewer shows.
A major touring act now makes about $20 per ticket today, while selling one physical album results in just $1 of earnings. And you cannot forget the additional monetary benefit of merch when on the road. While most musicians will never reach this level of fame and fortune, no one should discount the value of touring income.
Check out ArtistForce. Using the simple, web-based platform, industry professionals and performing artists can connect, discover talent, make offers, negotiate, develop contracts, and more. The entire booking process is streamlined to save time and money. You can learn more about the only web-based relationship management platform and booking solution for the live entertainment industry today – at ArtistForce.com.
The King of Pop was pronounced dead by doctors after arriving at UCLA Medical Center hospital in a deep coma, Los Angeles city and law enforcement sources tell The Los Angeles Times. Rest In Peace. *j
We have seen the live entertainment industry do a lot this year to help out those affected by hard economic times. From discounted tickets to payment plans, festival promoters are doing all they can to ensure fans can afford to attend their summer events. But one festival has gone above and beyond. This year’s Virgin Mobile Festival is absolutely FREE.
“Taking care of our loyal customers comes first,” said Seth Hurwitz, chairman of I.M.P., promoter and producer of the Virgin Mobile Festival. “And when we say free, we mean it. The tickets are free. The parking is free. Ticketmaster really stepped up on this. Everybody just wants to make this the party of the summer. It’s gonna be nuts.” Virgin Mobile subscribers and previous festival attendees will have exclusive first access to tickets in a “free-sale” on Thursday and Friday. The remaining 35,000 tickets will be given away on Ticketmaster.com starting at 10 a.m. EST this Saturday.
In addition, Virgin Mobile is encouraging others to extend the generosity. People can text “FREEFEST” to 20222 (regardless of wireless carrier) to donate $5 to various U.S. youth homeless centers, via Virgin Mobile’s charitable organization The RE*Generation. And there are extra perks when you actually volunteer. If you complete 13 community service hours at select U.S. youth homeless centers, you will receive special access to VIP seating throughout the festival.
The 2009 Virgin Mobile “FreeFest” takes place on 40 acres of the Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia, Maryland on August 30th. The lineup this year includes Weezer, Blink-182, Franz Ferdinand, Girl Talk, The Bravery, St. Vincent, and Taking Back Sunday. Holy F*ck, Pete Tong, Danny Howells, and Lee Burridge are some of the favorites holding it down in the dance tents.
As an artist or manager, festivals can serve as an excellent opportunity to expose your music to hundreds of potential fans with each performance you make. ArtistForce lists over 1,600 festivals across the U.S. that you can research and contact for booking opportunities. In addition, you can easily locate venues between festival stops to make the most of your time on the road. Start building your tour today – with ArtistForce.com!