music industry: Last News

"The past five years have been really poignant in my life. I spent my twenties pretty much in mad chaos.

Like so many others, DJs everywhere have suddenly been left with no work and no income because of restrictions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. With some health officials and politicians now predicting that large public gatherings may not return until the fall of 2021—or at least until there’s both herd immunity and a vaccine—it’s unlikely that DJs will be getting back into the booth anytime soon.

The music community could wind up as collateral damage from one of President Trump’s recent impulsive decisions. The U.S. Postal Service, long relied on by independent labels and record sellers to deliver a lion’s share of the nation’s vinyl, cassette, and CD orders at cheap rates, has seen its revenues dry up as first-class and marketing mail has slowed to a trickle during the coronavirus outbreak. As The Washington Post reported, Trump made it clear that he would veto the recently enacted $2 trillion coronavirus relief package if it included any emergency funding for the USPS. According to House Democrats, that may only leave enough money for the Postal Service to go on through September.

This week, Apple Music unveiled a $50 million advance royalty fund aimed at ensuring that artists on independent record labels get paid during the coronavirus pandemic. Announced at a time when streaming numbers are down and musicians’ touring income is stagnant, the program will essentially offer interest-free loans against future royalties to indie labels and distributors that earn $10,000 or more through Apple Music per quarter and have a direct distribution deal with the streaming service. Apple, which has $207 billion in cash at its disposal, is the latest industry giant to offer COVID-19 relief, following efforts from the Recording Academy, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Live Nation.

Forty-eight hours before New York City announced the temporary closure of roughly 25,000 bars, restaurants, and venues in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the city’s electronic music community had already shut down. Starting on Thursday afternoon, clubs across Brooklyn and Manhattan made the decision to shutter their doors and cancel forthcoming events in quick succession. These included some of the most dependable large spaces for dance music and community in Brooklyn: Good Room, Nowadays, Elsewhere. The Gowanus space Public Records had initially announced that it would remain open, with a promise to offer “immune boosters” for patrons, before opting to cancel weekend events.

Last Saturday, I went to my first metalcore show. It was everything I expected it to be, with seizure-inducing strobe lights flashing in the background, long-haired dudes headbanging onstage, and thousands of fans alongside me passionately emoting throughout the entire set. But this show wasn’t like most others I had experienced before: Instead of getting my eardrums blown out in a sweaty club, I was sitting in my living room, staring at a 12-inch laptop screen.

When it comes to the coronavirus pandemic’s effect on the music industry, most of the focus so far has understandably been on live concerts, where independent artists are losing a crucial source of income, festivals are being upended, and even corporate leviathans like Live Nation are suspending all touring. But record stores are hurting too.

The music industry will turn silent and observe Blackout Tuesday in solidarity with protests that have erupted worldwide after the death of George Floyd in police custody a few days back. Not only that but this halt in the business has been planned to support and stand with the black community thereby strongly protesting against racial discrimination and other related issues that still prevail in many parts of the world. Many popular music labels have joined hands in this initiative.