INDUSTRY
Spanish Government Orders Shutdown of Country’s Nightlife Industry
Both Spanish club owners and patrons are reacting to the recent nightlife restrictions brought forth by the country’s Health Minister. In order to combat the rising number of COVID-19 infections in Spain, restrictions on a number of industries have been applied. One of the hardest hit is the nightlife sector, which has been effectively shut down after restrictions led to the closure of all of Spain’s nightclubs and bars. While many countries have implemented attendance limits and reduced hours in order to reduce crowds, the Spanish government has decided to outright close the venues in an effort to reduce transmission of the virus. In a statement obtained by Majorca Daily Bulletin, Joaquim Boadas, the General Secretary of the International Nightlife Associat...
New Program Aims to Create Opportunities for Deaf and Disabled People in the Music Industry
It will also offer guidance for music businesses to better equip themselves for inclusivity within the working environment. A new initiative has been launched to create opportunities for deaf and disabled people within the live music industry. The nonprofit organization Attitude Is Everything have partnered with the National Lottery Community Fund to spearhead “Beyond The Music,” a program that seeks to gain representation for those who wish to work in the industry, but have unfortunately been historically underrepresented. “Attitude is Everything believes it is crucial that deaf and disabled people have full and equal access to any employment opportunities on offer,” says Paul Hawkins, the organization’s Head of Volunteering and Skills De...
The CEO and President of Native Instruments Have Each Resigned
The departure follows the former CEO’s comments that 2020 was on course to be the best fiscal year in the company’s history. Two members of the C-suite at global music software and hardware developer Native Instruments are stepping down. CEO and co-founder Daniel Haver and Chief Innovation Office and President Mate Galic have announced that they are resigning from their roles in October 2020. Haver and Galic have been at the helm of Native Instruments for over 20 years, with the former co-founding the company in 1997 and the latter joining in 1999. They oversaw the development and proliferation of the company’s immensely popular music production tools, including Traktor, Reaktor, and Kontakt, among many others. Haver expounded the decision to resign in a LinkedIn pos...
Here are the Top-Selling EDM Acts by State in 2019, According to Vivid Seats
EDM.com explores the most popular EDM act in each state, according to 2019 sales data from Vivid Seats. Prior to the initial COVID-19 outbreak, EDM in the United States was flourishing. As 2019 neared its end, the dance music community was celebrating a decade of transcendent music, preternatural festivals, and the palpable growth of the genre itself in terms of its amplified footing in contemporary music. To pay homage to the incandescent electronic culture of yesteryear, EDM.com has teamed up with Vivid Seats to explore the top-selling EDM act in each state. Launched in 2001, Vivid Seats has grown to become one of the preeminent ticket marketplaces in the world, selling passes to festivals, large and small-scale concerts, theaters, games in the four major sports leagues, and much more. T...
Here is a List of Lebanese Musicians to Support Following Deadly Beirut Explosion
“Beirut stands shaken, devastated, stripped and alone today.” After the devastating explosion that “virtually wiped out” Beirut’s nightlife district, Lebanese musicians are struggling mightily to pick up the pieces in its wake. As many across the world do their best to lend a helping hand to those affected in the Lebanese capital, a group of organizations and individuals have compiled an expansive list of musicians, record labels, and festivals to support. According to reports, the explosion was likely due to approximately 2,750 metric tons of explosive ammonium nitrate stored at a Beirut warehouse. The blast left at least 220 dead and an estimated 300,000 people homeless. The list, which is housed in a widely shared Google Doc titled “Beirut Solida...
Skrillex, Alison Wonderland Agent Simon Clarkson Joins ICM to Oversee EDM Division
Clarkson played a pivotal role in developing a number of the most renowned artists in EDM. Venerated talent agency ICM Partners has hired veteran agent Simon Clarkson to spearhead its Electronic Dance Music division. Clarkson, who spent eight years at rival organization William Morris Endeavor, also ran Mainstage Artists prior to his ICM appointment. According to Variety, Clarkson played a pivotal role in developing a number of the most renowned artists in EDM, including Skrillex, Calvin Harris, Alison Wonderland, Kygo, Eric Prydz, and Above & Beyond, among many others. The announcement of Clarkson’s hiring arrives after the news in March 2020 that ICM Partners acquired London-based music agency Primary Talent International, which represent...
The Chainsmokers, BTS Producer DJ Swivel Shares Music Business Advice in New YouTube Series
DJ Swivel doesn’t believe in gatekeeping in the business and believes that information is meant to be shared. DJ Swivel has launched two new YouTube series called “Story Time” and “Just The Tips.” Too many big players—artists, songwriters, producers, engineers—think they have the “secret sauce” in what it takes to be successful. They found a method that’s worked for them and don’t share their expertise with others for any number of reasons. What they fail to realize is that their success will be different than mine, yours, and, well, just about everyone else in music. Not DJ Swivel, though. He doesn’t believe in gatekeeping in the business and believes that information is to be shared. He’s proven that time and time again with his Full Sail Universit...
Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike Announce New Gaming, Music, and Lifestyle Agency
The Smash Universe provides management and marketing services to clients in the gaming, tech, and music industries. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike have teamed up with video game industry mainstay Miranda Huybers for their new gaming, music, and lifestyle agency, The Smash Universe. The organization will provide management assistance to content creators and gamers in addition to developing both real-life and digital events. They also will partner with global brands and use their platform to expand online and offline exposure to help their partners’ marketing and public relations efforts. Also joining the trio is Nick Depauw, head of SMASH Esports, Nick Royaards, Dimitri & Vegas and Like Mike’s manager, and Smash The House Records‘ Per...
Iconic House Music Promoter Dave “Medusa” Shelton Dead at 64
Over the weekend, the house music community lost one of it’s early icons. The house community is mourning the loss of one of its early icons. Dave “Medusa” Shelton tragically passed away from natural causes at age 64 over the weekend. Shelton’s close friend, Miguel Ortuno, shared the news with the world via a touching Facebook post from the late promoter’s account. View the original article to see embedded media. Paying homage to Shelton’s joyful outlook on life, Ortuno shares a thoughtful sentiment asking mourners to remember the good times Shelton created and to be happy and live life to the fullest, in his honor. This is such a sad time and I know Dave had an amazing relationship with so many of you. Please do remember the best of...
Artist Rights Alliance Sends Open Letter to Jeff Bezos Questioning Twitch’s Unlicensed Music Policy
The nonprofit organization is calling on the Amazon CEO to clarify his statement regarding unlicensed music on Twitch during his recent testimony to Congress. The Board of Directors of the artist-run nonprofit organization Artist Rights Alliance, which is dedicated to protecting musicians and songwriters, has penned an open letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos after his recent testimony to Congress. After Bezos and other tech industry leaders spoke on a variety of topics, including their data collection practices, the organization wants him to follow up on his ambiguous answer to a question regarding Twitch’s hosting and delivery of unlicensed music. As explained in the document, US Representative Kelly Armstrong asked Bezos if Twitch allows users to stream u...
Pioneer DJ Releases New Documentary on the Impact of COVID-19 and Electronic Music
Will the club industry ever go back to how it was? Pioneer DJ has released a new documentary titled DISTANT DANCEFLOORS: COVID-19 and the Electronic Music Industry. The short film dives deep into the economic, psychological, and social impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on club culture across the globe with testimonials from artists, industry insiders, managers, and fans. “Overnight, the music was made to stop; venues were forced to close, festivals and live events canceled, and thousands of livelihoods put in jeopardy.” Pioneer DJ shared in a blog post. “DISTANT DANCEFLOORS goes back to the very beginning when the virus took hold; the first warnings, global realization, and the resulting lockdown.” Blond:ish, Eats Everything, Honey Dijon, Luc...
r/EDM Among Many Popular Subreddits Hacked with Election Propaganda
r/space, r/beer, r/podcasts, and many others were targeted. Many major Reddit moderator accounts were targets of a coordinated attack this morning, August 7th, 2020. Popular electronic music subreddit r/EDM was one to have been compromised along with r/beer, r/podcasts, and many others. According to a report by Safekeep Cybersecurity, hackers left messages on many of the subreddits, like the one below, as seen in r/bostonceltics. They also re-skinned some of the pages with election propaganda, like r/space, which you can see via the screenshot below. SubredditDrama compiled a full list of the targeted subreddits. Moderators also offered a comprehensive guide on how to restore subs that were compromised. r/3amjokes r/ANGEL r/Animemes r/awwducational r/bertstrips r/blackmirror r/bl...
