INDUSTRIALIST Now Ato Slugs Artists Over Youtube
First the Australian Tax Office declared that Australian artists who make money from some types of crowd-funding would be liable for tax. Now it has decided that if you make money from YouTube (and other digital sources) then you are a “performing artist” and hence also up for tax from that income. It ruled, “the income the taxpayer receives from Google for their YouTube videos is a reward for providing services relating to their activities as a special professional [...] Therefore, the income can form part of the taxpayer’s assessable professional income.” It’s difficult to know what percentage of Australian artist sales come from YouTube. But you could get some idea from the views they get. For instance Gotye’s ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ received 570 million views. 5 Seconds of Summer have had a total of 92 million views. Adelaide-born SIA’s ‘Chandelier’ had by last month notched up 468 million. These examples are of course from hit records. Most Aussie musicians don’t get these sort of figures. Due to a new ruling in the European Union, they have to pay sales tax for sales to European Union consumers. Streaming isn’t exactly a money maker either. Google’s All Access Music pays $0.04573 per stream. Deezer coughs up $0.00754, Rdio $0.00692 and Spotify $0.00521.
Air Extends Rdio Partnership
The Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) has extended its deal with Rdio as its official digital music streaming partner. The partnership also extends to the Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards. Through the year, AIR and Rdio will collaborate on various initiatives to “promote and widen the reach of Australian independent artists.” Rdio will also stream the Carlton Dry Independent Music Charts every week via www.rdio.com/people/ ausindies.
New Agency Launches On Nsw South Coast
Run & Rejoice is a new agency that launched on the NSW South Coast covering bookings and creative services. It books acts for venues such as Captains @ Mariners in Batemans Bay, offers web development for indie acts and music based businesses, and assists touring agencies in securing entertainment visas for international touring acts. It is run by Skylar Kyu and Tom Roberts, more info at www.runandrejoice. com.au.
More Aussies Heading For Sxsw
14 more Aussie acts can showcase at South By Southwest. They are Peter Bibby, Kirin J Callinan, DCM, The Delta Riggs, DMA’s, Falls, Fraser A. Gorman, The Kite String Tangle, Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders, Meg Mac, Tkay Maidza, Oscar Key Sung,
Remi and San Cisco. Previously announced were The Church, Angus & Julia Stone, Courtney Barnett, Mansionair, Hiatus Kaiyote, Gang Of Youths and Lenka.
Queensland Wants To Be The New Home Of Aussie Country Music
While the Tamworth Country Music Festival was in full swing to 50,000 yee-haw fans, up in Queensland they were continuing to push ways to make the state a major country music destination. Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) has tied up a deal with Foxtel to hold the Country Music Channel Music Awards for Brisbane. Late last year TEQ enticed the CMC Rocks festival to move from the Hunter Valley in NSW to Ipswich. The two events are bundled together, with the awards on March 12 and the festival between March 13 to 15 coheadlined by Lady Antebellum and Troy Cassar-Daley. TEQ chief executive Leanne Coddington said the two events would “position Queensland as the new home of country music in Australia. It is estimated the events will generate more than 38,000 visitor nights and deliver significant economic outcomes for Queensland’s economy through to 2017.”
Life Is Noise To Open Melbourne Office
Perth-based touring company Life Is Noise is this year starting to focus more on the Sydney and Melbourne markets. It is about to open a second office in Melbourne, to be run by its new Operations Manager, Jack Midalia. He can be contacted on jack@lifeisnoise.com.
5Sos, Iggy, Makes Forbes List
Two Aussies made it into US business magazine Forbes’ annual 30 under 30 in Music for 2015. Iggy Azalea was at #4 after Florida Georgia Line who topped the list, Afrojack and Jhené Aiko. Five Seconds of Summer sat at #29. Also on the list were Ed Sheeran, Hozier, Porter Robinson, A$AP Rocky, Sam Smith, Meghan Trainor, FKA Twigs and Charli XCX.
Hilltop Hoods Initiative Returns
Hilltop Hoods and APRA AMCOS bring back the Hilltop Hoods Initiative to give an emerging Australian hip hop/soul act who hasn’t released an album a chance to push their career forward. The $10,000 pack provides for the making and marketing of their debut album, legal advice from Media Arts Lawyers for general or specific career advice, a Zoo York Clothing prize pack and a Love Police ATM Merch Manufacturing Start-Up Kit (to the value of $500). Entries close on Thursday March 3, with the winner announced on Tuesday March 31. Go to www. apraamcos.com.au for full details. Previous recipients include Jimblah, Chelsea Jane, I AM D and RUNFORYOURLIFE.
PG.12 // MIXDOWN #250 // FEBRUARY 2015
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Venues Update
• After 13 years as a major Perth live music venue, The Bakery announced it is closing its doors on Saturday May 9. It is holding The Last Toast Bakery Farewell series, kicking off on Wednesday April 29 every night until the end. • Sydney’s The Roxbury has changed hands. New owner Tim Condon is keeping the music alive upstairs while the ground floor will focus on craft beer and dining. After a revamp, the Roxbury relaunches in March. • Melbourne has three new places for acts to play. The Rochester in Fitzroy which closed last May, reopens in mid-March. A consortium of operators from the Dr Morse, Aviary Hotel and The Vic Bar venues are behind its return. • Also launching in Fitzroy is Vice Bar’s four-nights-a week band room. It is the initiative of Andrew Tynan, owner Grumpy’s Green, and Callum Linsell of Bonny and Clyde Bookings. • The team behind Section 8, Ferdydurke and The B.East opened the Belville in Globe Alley in the City as a music and food establishment. • Jimmy’s Den is a new pop up venue in Perth’s Northbridge with a 200 capacity (standing) or 100 (seated). JumpClimb Events are bookers. • Canberra gets a new pop-up music venue in September. It is part of a $1 million renovation at the ANU School of Music to free up ground floor space. • Sydney gets a Wayne’s World themed pop up bar, Whisky Jerks at Oxford Circus, between April 18 and 22. • Sydney’s Basement is relaunching this month after renovations (including a new stage and green room) with a greater variety of music and entertainment and more options in food offers. • The Flinders in Surry Hills, Sydney closed abruptly, blaming NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell’s year old lockout rules. “Barry got us in the end,” it posted. • Plans by the Tamworth Liquor Accord to introduce ID scanners into the city’s late night pubs and clubs have been scrapped. The Accord did a study and found the scanners were too expensive for small businesses to install them.
Contemporary Music Course At Sydney Conservatorium
The Sydney Conservatorium of Music introduced a new practical course which will include songwriting and electronic music production. The Bachelor of Music Studies in Contemporary Music, capped to 20 students, will also cover performance and pitching and marketing of their works.
Patrick Donovan To Chair Amin
Patrick Donovan, CEO of Music Victoria, is also the new chair of the Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN), a collection of peak state music associations. He takes over from Denise Foley, who stepped down from the role after two years after she left as Executive Officer of Queensland’s QMusic (a role she held for nine years) to become the producer of Brisbane’s BIGSOUND conference and showcase. Donovan said, “One of the things that has impressed me most since joining AMIN four years ago has been the generosity of other state members to share information and advice around industry best practice. All of Australia’s musician and business members work on a national scale, so it’s in all of our interests for the Australian music industry to be as robust as possible to allow musicians and businesses to thrive.”
Nightmare, Pushworth, Create Alt-Rock Tour Co.
Sydney tour promoter Nightmare Music and Brisbane agency The Pushworth Group struck a new alternative music touring partnership. Tours will include The Bellrays & Supersuckers mid-year, the B-Boys World Champions in autumn, and a double-headliner for winter. Pushworth started out as Manick Promotions and celebrates its 25th year in 2015. Nightmare Music, set up 27 years ago, were the first to tour Suicidal Tendencies, Anthrax and Cheap Trick. Manny Kyriakidis, Pushworth’s Managing Director, said the partnership “will take alternative touring in this country to a new level” and continued to bring “artists that are complicit in raw and real experiences.”
Josh Pyke Partnership Back
Josh Pyke and APRA AMCOS bring back the Josh Pyke Partnership where a musician gets a $7500 grant, mentorship from Pyke, and a meeting with Gregg Donovan (Wonderlick) and Stephen Wade (Select) to set up a business plan for their career. Pyke said two grants he received at his start made a difference, adding, “If we all want it to remain a healthy and vibrant scene, then giving young artists a bit of a leg up is key.” See APRA AMCOS site. Last year’s winner GOVS went on to release two singles and became the 16th most listened to Unearthed artist in 2014. Pyke raised over $50,000 in total for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation since he became its ambassador.
Step Partners With Collarts Melbourne-based STEP (Society of Tastemakers & Elegant People) has struck a partnership with Collarts (College of the Arts). Both are in the business of dispensing knowledge to the music industry. STEP has hosted four panels (‘Young Labels’, ‘The Critic’, The Managers’, The Artists’), Big Sound’s ‘No Sleep ‘Til Wednesday’’ party and curated ‘The Mavericks of Modern Music’ panel at Face The Music. “Having Collarts onboard will allow STEP to
further its reach, bring interstate performing artists and speakers to the events,” says Ashley Sambrooks of STEP. See www.stepevents.com.
Happy As Larry Eying New Talent
New Sydney publishing company Happy as Larry Music Publishing was previously Music Publishing. Its parent company, Music Sales Group’s Managing Director Jane English says Happy As Larry is looking to invest in songwriters from Australia, NZ and other APRA territories, especially those writing in a genre suitable for film, TV and commercial ads. It’s also looking at the purchase of local music publishing copyrights and catalogues.
Bon Scott Biopic In The Works
AC/DC were livid over news of the Rob Liotti-produced movie Bon Scott: The Legend of AC/ DC Unauthorised and told Scott’s friends not to be involved. Liotti is continuing to work on it and in talks “with a multi-Emmy Award winning Director of Photography with an incredible professional resume.”
THINGS WE HEAR • Tame Impala confirmed their third album would be out in 2015. It’s going to be “less rock and more electronic”, keyboardist Jay Watson hinted last year. Watson’s other band Pond will issue its sixth album this year. • Josh Pyke is working on a project with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra which includes performing his songs with them at the Opera House in April. • The 500 first release tickets for Wollongong’s Farmer & The Owl festival sold out in five minutes due to its “pay what you like” strategy. • Rdio’s US-based CEO Anthony Bay said Australia is its fifth biggest market, after the US, Brazil, Mexico and Canada. • A new label set up by Wollongong teen musicians Nicholas Kyrakoudes and James Cooper is Live Acoustic Wollongong (LAW) Records. • Sydney broadcaster/ author Stuart Coupe is working on a biography of Mushroom Records founder Michael Gudinski. • AC/DC’s Brian Johnson told Q that long before Malcolm Young got dementia, he had surgery for lung cancer and had a pacemaker fitted in. • Brisbane’s Eternal Rest introduced their new guitarist Liam Strong by releasing a video of him playing Decapitated riffs to display his skill.
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