š· UK government announces $2bn funding package for the arts; Hackers target Israel Philharmonic Orchestra livestream; Mariachi under threat from COVID-19; Social-distanced arena planned in UK
Daily update for the music business on the coronavirus (July 6)
UK government announces $2bn funding package for the arts ā including music venues (MBW)
A Ā£1.15bn support pot for cultural organisations in England, consisting of Ā£270m in loans and Ā£880m in grants.
Ā£100m of targeted support for Englandās national cultural institutions and English Heritage.
Ā£120m of capital investment to restart construction on cultural infrastructure and for heritage construction projects in England paused because of the pandemic.
Extra money for devolved administrations, with Ā£97m for Scotland, Ā£59m for Wales and Ā£33m for Northern Ireland.
Music industry reacts to government support package for live sector (Music Week)
āWe will await further details of the announcement in the coming days to gain a greater understanding of the businesses which will benefit from this investment. We hope it will also include the vital supply chain businesses which are fundamental to the creative and cultural sector, of which the night-time economy businesses are very much a big part of. We also look forward to receiving updated guidance with regard to the phased return of the night-time economy sectors."
Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association.
Mariachi Mecca: Mexicoās national heritage under threat from Covid-19 (The Guardian)
With the new government restrictions in place due to Covid-19, there are hundreds of jobless musicians vying for the work that may allow them to feed themselves and their families that day. Dozens of men wait on the main avenue stepping in front of traffic looking for clients.
Hackers target livestreamed Israel Philharmonic Orchestra fundraiser (IQ)
The attack ā the first outage of a major livestreamed show sinceĀ the format took offĀ amid the coronavirus pandemic ā crashed the websites of the IPO and its broadcast partner,Ā Medici.tv, during the stream on Sunday 28 June. More than 13,000 people had registered to view the hour-long event, hosted by Dame Helen Mirren, which aimed to help the orchestra overcome financial losses as a result of Covid-19.
āFirst socially distanced arenaā launches in UK (IQ)
Punters will stand on viewing platforms placed two metres apart, with food and drinks available for preorder. A one-way system, meanwhile, will allow for the āsafe and full useā of toilet facilities. Unity Arena will have a capacity of 2,500, a spokesperson tellsĀ IQ, with organisers promising a āfestival experienceā with āfull productionā.
Thoughts
Light on headlines this morning, so if you have some spare time I implore you to read Mark Mulliganās critique of the status quo of music streaming called Time to stop playing the velocity game:
Downstream, we need to stop thinking that every song is equal. They are not. Listening to 30 minutes of 35-second storm sound āsongsā in a mindfulness playlist should not be paying the same royalties as an album listened to its entirety. Also, some form of user-centred licensing solution is needed that rewards fandom, whether that is a user opt in model (āsupport favourite artistsā) or an actual re-work of the royalty mechanism, or a combination of the two.
Music
Composed while listening to Dengue Dengue Dengueās Humos EP Vol. 3. Hailing from Peru, they blend rhythms from all over the world with their music ranging from psychedelic cumbia to techno.
MUSIC x CORONA goes out every weekday and is composed byĀ Bas GrasmayerĀ andĀ Maarten Walraven.
ā¤ļøĀ musicxtechxfuture.comĀ -Ā musicxgreen.comĀ -Ā linkedin BasĀ -Ā linkedin Maarten