I’ve spent the 2025 chunks on the highway, giving sold-out lectures, protecting Victoria and Nanaimo and British Columbia in Ottawa. NB’s Fredericton, Halifax, Toronto, Whitby and Ontario shall be showing by the tip of the month (Solely Fredericton nonetheless has tickets) And there is a story of doing one thing in Quebec at extra factors within the east in autumn.
I name these lectures “salons.” This is a chance for like-minded music followers to come back collectively to debate what they remember in regards to the present state of music, business, radio, expertise and extra. Additionally, I discover them very helpful. As a result of I feel it’s totally helpful as a result of I spend most of my time speaking to myself in a soundproof room and telling me I need to do it and I do not know that it will have an effect on the general public. As I inform the viewers, having a room filled with strangers is nothing higher than telling the reality about your work in actual time.
I’ve visited over 100 salons within the final 5 years and I’ve at all times discovered it useful to be taught what lies within the hearts of Canadian music followers. That is what I’ve realized to date.
Live performance ticket costs are too excessive
This can be a subject that comes up nearly each time. Why is it so troublesome to get tickets lately? Why do they price a lot? And the way a lot increased is the worth? Canadians love stay music and are extraordinarily pissed off by the hoops they’ve to leap over and the bots shopping for tickets they should battle. Ticketmaster believes that it units the worth of tickets (that is not; that is the artist’s solely area). I hate the idea of dynamic pricing (one other determination made solely by the artist). I used to be additionally stunned by the quantity of people that consider Ticketmaster owns Stubhub (though Ticketmaster resells tickets by itself platform).
How rather more will Canadian audiences be prepared to pay for the next worth for live performance tickets? If the folks I spoke to are any indication, they’ve already checked out and have determined to spend their after-tax leisure {dollars} on necessities quite than having fun with them. If this sentiment is spreading from my salon all through the nation, we may even see many non-sellers this summer time, together with a dramatic final minute drop within the costs of live performance tickets simply to fill the buildings.
Canadians are nonetheless listening to the radio
They usually like it. Statistics present that round 85% of Canadians take heed to the radio each week, and contemplate it an necessary a part of their leisure and data habits. Nevertheless, these audiences additionally say they’re frightened about the way forward for the medium, particularly in terms of the rise of streaming. This often results in discussions about how streaming doesn’t present context for the songs supplied by algorithms. Music followers nonetheless need to know the story behind the artists, songs, albums, scenes and sounds. Radio is excellent at offering data that music followers will proceed to understand.
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Canadians love Canadian music
Virtually each salon incorporates discussions about Canadian music and Kankon rules. It’s extremely lengthy and in need of it, very It combines a powerful love for home music with the ever-present frustration that Canada’s nice artists appear unable to interrupt it within the US. As for Cancon, that does not actually matter in terms of the concept that Canadian radio performs the bottom quantity of Canadian music daily. In contrast to the 70s and 80s, when Kankong was synonymous with unhealthy music (effectively, to some ears), there may be robust musical nationalism on this nation. And once we level out Canada is the eighth largest music market on this planet (and the highest 10 international locations with the least inhabitants), there may be at all times cheer.
Relating to Cancon and streaming, there’s actual concern that Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and the remaining are usually not placing out any weight in terms of selling Canadian music. If the folks behind Invoice C-11 need to know if their efforts have assist, they need to come up in one in every of these salons. They’re happy. And after they inform them that the federal government will maintain a listening to about Kang Khon’s future, they’re very excited. They need to present enter.
Synthetic intelligence is an actual concern amongst music followers
Each evening, somebody brings the query of how AI is affecting music. The group agrees that they do not need to be surrounded by bamboo to love issues made by software program packages, however the dialogue results in conditions the place AI might change into a useful gizmo for songwriting and recording. We’ll clarify be in the identical stage as AI as sampling round 1987. Legal guidelines must sustain with expertise to forestall abuse, rifts and escape from mechanical music as people. I am going to get there. I hope.
Individuals love storytelling in terms of music
Each evening, inevitably tells some tales in regards to the artists, songs, albums and the assorted private experiences I’ve skilled in enterprise for 44 years. Can Spotify present that service? It could be by means of a podcast, however there isn’t any one but telling a narrative on to an actual dwelling human being. These are my favourite moments at these salons. I additionally realized that there’s a actual thirst to grasp how the music and the music business works. The reasons behind how the star-making machine works are greeted with intense consideration.
Lots of the venues I seem in have a resident canine
It makes me comfortable. Once I’m on the highway I miss my bull terrier. Little canine time earlier than the present is at all times welcome.
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