News
Jan 17, 2023
KNOWLEDGE TUESDAY - MANAGEMENT
What is music management on an overall level?
At the outset, you are going to do everything yourself whether you are in a band or alone as an artist, but when the non-music activities reach a level where the workload supersedes the time you spend on the music then it’s a good idea to get a manager. A manager is a person who oversees activities that are relevant to move your music further and expanding the business surrounding your band. Still, the manager usually is not involved in the creation of your music. If things really take off, and a whole business evolves around your music, you might even need a business manager who oversees all business-related issues while the manager focuses on you the artist and the elements of how to improve your career.
After all, it’s worth recognizing that being in a band or being an artist eventually will turn into a business if you want to move from just having fun playing music to taking your music career to a more serious and focused level. You might feel you want to control every little detail but if you are touring, writing new music, recording in the studio, and collaborating with other artists then your calendar will quickly fill up, and to keep your focus you will need someone from the outside who takes care of all the practical stuff regarding your music, your brand, and your career.
You will need to and want to work very closely with your manager. This implies the need for good personal chemistry between you and the manager. The manager is acting on behalf of you concerning the world around you, and therefore you want it to be someone you feel comfortable with handing over that responsibility to. For this reason, some bands choose the easy way forward and ask a friend or family member to become their manager. Still, while this might work well at the outset because of the already-established relationship, it might turn out to be the wrong choice further down the road when more complex issues or even conflicts or problems need to be handled. You don’t get a manager so you can fire him or her, but you will want it to be an external person so if things heat up you will be able to choose the best way going forward even if it means changing management.
Management comes in different forms. Some managers are independent sole contractors while at the other end, some music companies offer management services to artists. These companies might offer other music career-related services at the same time. This could be a record label or booking agency that provides management to the artists on their roster.
While having a manager is not a guarantee that you will succeed in your music career, there is a strong consensus that when your activities reach a level where you don’t have time to focus on creating music, then having a manager can step in and take that workload off your shoulders. In another article, we will focus more on the timing of when you should get a manager.
In conclusion, having a manager is crucial when you want to have a career in music and especially when your popularity requires someone to step in and handle the practicalities around you. It’s no secret either that having this extra buffer layer between you and the rest of the world can not only create a mystique and unreachableness but it can be beneficial at times when you need to focus, and the phone is not ringing off the hook but someone will handle this for you.
After all, it’s worth recognizing that being in a band or being an artist eventually will turn into a business if you want to move from just having fun playing music to taking your music career to a more serious and focused level. You might feel you want to control every little detail but if you are touring, writing new music, recording in the studio, and collaborating with other artists then your calendar will quickly fill up, and to keep your focus you will need someone from the outside who takes care of all the practical stuff regarding your music, your brand, and your career.
You will need to and want to work very closely with your manager. This implies the need for good personal chemistry between you and the manager. The manager is acting on behalf of you concerning the world around you, and therefore you want it to be someone you feel comfortable with handing over that responsibility to. For this reason, some bands choose the easy way forward and ask a friend or family member to become their manager. Still, while this might work well at the outset because of the already-established relationship, it might turn out to be the wrong choice further down the road when more complex issues or even conflicts or problems need to be handled. You don’t get a manager so you can fire him or her, but you will want it to be an external person so if things heat up you will be able to choose the best way going forward even if it means changing management.
Management comes in different forms. Some managers are independent sole contractors while at the other end, some music companies offer management services to artists. These companies might offer other music career-related services at the same time. This could be a record label or booking agency that provides management to the artists on their roster.
While having a manager is not a guarantee that you will succeed in your music career, there is a strong consensus that when your activities reach a level where you don’t have time to focus on creating music, then having a manager can step in and take that workload off your shoulders. In another article, we will focus more on the timing of when you should get a manager.
In conclusion, having a manager is crucial when you want to have a career in music and especially when your popularity requires someone to step in and handle the practicalities around you. It’s no secret either that having this extra buffer layer between you and the rest of the world can not only create a mystique and unreachableness but it can be beneficial at times when you need to focus, and the phone is not ringing off the hook but someone will handle this for you.
Musicbiz / SE
Dec 20, 2022
KNOWLEDGE TUESDAY - SET A GOAL
Playing music will always be a lot of fun, but if you want to take it to the next level you need to think about setting a goal
Wanting to create and play music is driven by impulse and feelings. The whole foundation of music, and art in general, is the human longing to express oneself. This is why music can affect so many people, which in turn can enable you to build a following around you and your music.
Most musicians don’t have any plans when they start playing music. They simply do it because they feel they have to. While there is nothing wrong with this approach, it will not help kick-start a career, which is something much more based on facts and numbers than emotions.
When you have reached beyond the first initial rehearsals and the excitement of doing something new, there will come a time when it makes sense to sit down and formulate some concrete goals on which to base your future in music.
If you are studying you might see that as your future profession, and you want to play music as a thing for fun for as long as it will be possible. Maybe you want music to be a second income besides having a regular day job, or maybe you are confident and determined to make music your main occupation. Another scenario would be music starting out as your hobby and slowly turning into a full-time job.
No matter what your situation and perspective on the future, now is the time, to be honest, and write down your goals in order to make the most of the time you spent with music in your life.
If you are in a band you will need each member of the group to formulate his or her goals and then base the overall goals of the band with respect to those individual goals. Failing to do so could turn out to be the reason why your band will split up, result in unproductive writing sessions, or even mistrust and discontent among the members of the band.
Before you go on to formulate the main goals for your band or project it is extremely important that you seek to route out any misunderstandings, misconceptions, and oppositely directed intentions. This can be extra challenging if you are a solo artist and you don’t have the opportunity to talk with your bandmates, so try to be honest with yourself, even if it can be hard.
A couple of examples of what to look out for:
Oppositely directed intentions: One member of an otherwise ambitious band only wants to play music for fun whereas the others want to have a go at kickstarting a career. This is often not spotted at first because playing music is all about the fun. Only when it’s time to invest real time and money in the project it will become obvious who will be holding back the rest of the group. At that point, you might even have spent a great deal of effort which can feel wasted, so it’s better to have a talk about this upfront.
Misconceptions: You might know what a manager is and what a manager should do but you have the wrong idea of when you should get a manager and when you are not ready to have a manager. The classic example of this misconception is the idea that all I need is a manager and then I will be on track to success. If you haven’t already put in the work and reached a certain level, so that you have got something to show for, or if you are not willing to work twice as hard as a manager, then you are expecting someone to do your work for you. A manager is there to support your work when there is more work than you can handle - not to do your work. Don’t get a manager too early and not until there is actually something to manage.
Misunderstanding: There is nothing wrong with not knowing everything from the get-go, but you can’t make up your own rules and decide that doing A-B-C will lead you to a certain result. So if you are a band that only wants to play in pubs and become established in the pubs’ circuit then that’s fine, but you can’t decide that just by playing in pubs you will automatically become an international star. If you are getting something wrong you will probably meet someone who will tell you the truth, so take note of that and correct your misunderstanding of the matter. This doesn’t mean you can’t be original and do your thing musically speaking but be open to learning how different parts of the music business work.
So now that you have routed out any negative or counter-productive thinking in your band or project it is time to go ahead and set your goals.
Start out by agreeing on the purpose of your project. Is the goal of your project to achieve worldwide fame, to be famous in the local area, to have fun and play a lot of fantastic concerts and party with all the people you know or is there another short one-sentence description of what the purpose of the project should be? You can think of the purpose as the WHY of your project. Why are we embarking on this journey together?
When you have a clear idea of the purpose then it is a lot easier to articulate the ambitions of your project. If you chose a purpose to strive for a career in music in your home country then you can write down your ambitions and set a more concrete overall goal. For instance, you want to go on tour each spring and autumn with summer festivals in between. Your ambition might be to write music continuously with a number of songs released yearly and one album released every second year. The ambitions are the WHAT you want to achieve.
Finally, you will need a more detailed breakdown of the HOW. This is where you have to be specific about how you can achieve the WHAT of your ambitions. This will also include the time frame for achieving each step of the process. One of the main topics you will need to focus on is building a live fanbase. This is what will help you to increase the number of concerts and the size of the concerts to achieve the goals you are looking for in terms of income. No online tool or manager can do this for you, as they should be seen as tools and helpers, so you will need to dig in and start doing the work that’s required to get off the ground. In some of the upcoming articles, we will discuss many of the topics you will need to consider when you map out the time frame and steps you need to take to achieve your dreams.
Most musicians don’t have any plans when they start playing music. They simply do it because they feel they have to. While there is nothing wrong with this approach, it will not help kick-start a career, which is something much more based on facts and numbers than emotions.
When you have reached beyond the first initial rehearsals and the excitement of doing something new, there will come a time when it makes sense to sit down and formulate some concrete goals on which to base your future in music.
If you are studying you might see that as your future profession, and you want to play music as a thing for fun for as long as it will be possible. Maybe you want music to be a second income besides having a regular day job, or maybe you are confident and determined to make music your main occupation. Another scenario would be music starting out as your hobby and slowly turning into a full-time job.
No matter what your situation and perspective on the future, now is the time, to be honest, and write down your goals in order to make the most of the time you spent with music in your life.
If you are in a band you will need each member of the group to formulate his or her goals and then base the overall goals of the band with respect to those individual goals. Failing to do so could turn out to be the reason why your band will split up, result in unproductive writing sessions, or even mistrust and discontent among the members of the band.
Before you go on to formulate the main goals for your band or project it is extremely important that you seek to route out any misunderstandings, misconceptions, and oppositely directed intentions. This can be extra challenging if you are a solo artist and you don’t have the opportunity to talk with your bandmates, so try to be honest with yourself, even if it can be hard.
A couple of examples of what to look out for:
Oppositely directed intentions: One member of an otherwise ambitious band only wants to play music for fun whereas the others want to have a go at kickstarting a career. This is often not spotted at first because playing music is all about the fun. Only when it’s time to invest real time and money in the project it will become obvious who will be holding back the rest of the group. At that point, you might even have spent a great deal of effort which can feel wasted, so it’s better to have a talk about this upfront.
Misconceptions: You might know what a manager is and what a manager should do but you have the wrong idea of when you should get a manager and when you are not ready to have a manager. The classic example of this misconception is the idea that all I need is a manager and then I will be on track to success. If you haven’t already put in the work and reached a certain level, so that you have got something to show for, or if you are not willing to work twice as hard as a manager, then you are expecting someone to do your work for you. A manager is there to support your work when there is more work than you can handle - not to do your work. Don’t get a manager too early and not until there is actually something to manage.
Misunderstanding: There is nothing wrong with not knowing everything from the get-go, but you can’t make up your own rules and decide that doing A-B-C will lead you to a certain result. So if you are a band that only wants to play in pubs and become established in the pubs’ circuit then that’s fine, but you can’t decide that just by playing in pubs you will automatically become an international star. If you are getting something wrong you will probably meet someone who will tell you the truth, so take note of that and correct your misunderstanding of the matter. This doesn’t mean you can’t be original and do your thing musically speaking but be open to learning how different parts of the music business work.
So now that you have routed out any negative or counter-productive thinking in your band or project it is time to go ahead and set your goals.
Start out by agreeing on the purpose of your project. Is the goal of your project to achieve worldwide fame, to be famous in the local area, to have fun and play a lot of fantastic concerts and party with all the people you know or is there another short one-sentence description of what the purpose of the project should be? You can think of the purpose as the WHY of your project. Why are we embarking on this journey together?
When you have a clear idea of the purpose then it is a lot easier to articulate the ambitions of your project. If you chose a purpose to strive for a career in music in your home country then you can write down your ambitions and set a more concrete overall goal. For instance, you want to go on tour each spring and autumn with summer festivals in between. Your ambition might be to write music continuously with a number of songs released yearly and one album released every second year. The ambitions are the WHAT you want to achieve.
Finally, you will need a more detailed breakdown of the HOW. This is where you have to be specific about how you can achieve the WHAT of your ambitions. This will also include the time frame for achieving each step of the process. One of the main topics you will need to focus on is building a live fanbase. This is what will help you to increase the number of concerts and the size of the concerts to achieve the goals you are looking for in terms of income. No online tool or manager can do this for you, as they should be seen as tools and helpers, so you will need to dig in and start doing the work that’s required to get off the ground. In some of the upcoming articles, we will discuss many of the topics you will need to consider when you map out the time frame and steps you need to take to achieve your dreams.
Musicbiz / SE
Dec 13, 2022
Knowledge Tuesday - a new article series
We are launching a new article series with insights into the music business
The music industry is constantly evolving, and it can be difficult to keep up with the latest trends and developments. That's why we're excited to announce a new series of articles called Knowledge Tuesday that will provide insights into the music business on Tuesdays.
Emergenza Festival has existed for more than 30 years. In that period we have seen firsthand how bands and artists have taken their music and career to the next level, and it therefore seemed natural for us to share our knowledge and experiences on a range of topics, including:
- How to break into the music industry
- The role of record labels in today's music landscape
- The rise of streaming and its impact on the industry
- The role of live concerts in promoting and building a successful music career
- The importance of networking and building relationships in the music business
Each article will contain valuable information and advice for those looking to reach the next level and stay up-to-date on the latest developments. We're committed to providing high-quality content that will help our readers succeed in the competitive world of music, and if you sign up to participate in the Emergenza Festival we will give you a chance to apply this knowledge in real life.
We'll be publishing the first article in our series next week, so be sure to check back for regular updates. In the meantime, follow us on social media. We look forward to sharing our insights with you.
Emergenza Festival has existed for more than 30 years. In that period we have seen firsthand how bands and artists have taken their music and career to the next level, and it therefore seemed natural for us to share our knowledge and experiences on a range of topics, including:
- How to break into the music industry
- The role of record labels in today's music landscape
- The rise of streaming and its impact on the industry
- The role of live concerts in promoting and building a successful music career
- The importance of networking and building relationships in the music business
Each article will contain valuable information and advice for those looking to reach the next level and stay up-to-date on the latest developments. We're committed to providing high-quality content that will help our readers succeed in the competitive world of music, and if you sign up to participate in the Emergenza Festival we will give you a chance to apply this knowledge in real life.
We'll be publishing the first article in our series next week, so be sure to check back for regular updates. In the meantime, follow us on social media. We look forward to sharing our insights with you.
News / SE
Aug 15, 2022
Simen Steinklev wins the International final of Emergenza Festival 2022
A short summary of the 2022 international final of Emergenza Festival
What incredible days we just have behind us. The previous world final at the Taubertal Festival took place in 2019 and the joy and enthusiasm to start again from where we had to end were overwhelming. Without sounding rhetorical last weekend was indeed one of love, peace, and music. 7 bands from all over the world embraced each other and each other’s music, supporting and celebrating every single band and showing the audience of Taubertal how the Emergenza bands deserve being on such an important stage, with their variety of styles, their passion, their talent.
We started with the irresistible hip-hoppers of Devilsman’s Crew from Paris. These guys and a girl not only delivered a smooth and cool show but have been always in the front row supporting their fellow musicians of every other band. We love you guys.
Next was Modesty from Sweden. Their professionally, impeccable technique and looks attracted a huge crowd, and rightly so, cause their performance was absolutely high class.
When the evening had already fallen Chapter two from Finland transformed the stage into a fantastic hell of a sound. An incredible mix of styles of metal, electronic and traditional music that hit the audience in all their senses.
Saturday first in line was the danish Beat the Plane. And, ladies and gentlemen, this was the purest rock’n'roll. A great show delivered by four charismatic guys and a girl. The right wake-up call for the day.
Panorama to Laboratory from Japan took us immediately into another world, made by fantastic melodies, significant instrumental breaks, and a presence that fascinated the whole audience. Japanese bands never fail to leave their mark at our world final.
Blizz Club from Germany shook us all from the Japanese dream with their charismatic presence, hard riffs, and a great show. It was about time to have such a great performance from Germany.
Last on stage was Simen Steinklev from Norway. And within two seconds the whole festival was dancing to the flow and the rhythm of this great act. No matter if one understood the language or not you just couldn’t resist them. And their great performance gained them the enthusiasm of the Jury and a well-deserved first place in the ranking!
Their winner show on the main stage was amazing, they claimed this great opportunity with bravery and once again let the whole festival dance. Next for them is studio time in one of the most attractive studios in Tuscany where huge international stars like Mick Jagger already paid a visit. This is indeed the prize for the World Winner of Emergenza.
The curtain fell on this World Final 2022 and we cannot wait already for the next final. And we are waiting for YOU to be there. Just register here on the page and be part of Emergenza 2023!
Photo by: Kalle Kervinen
We started with the irresistible hip-hoppers of Devilsman’s Crew from Paris. These guys and a girl not only delivered a smooth and cool show but have been always in the front row supporting their fellow musicians of every other band. We love you guys.
Next was Modesty from Sweden. Their professionally, impeccable technique and looks attracted a huge crowd, and rightly so, cause their performance was absolutely high class.
When the evening had already fallen Chapter two from Finland transformed the stage into a fantastic hell of a sound. An incredible mix of styles of metal, electronic and traditional music that hit the audience in all their senses.
Saturday first in line was the danish Beat the Plane. And, ladies and gentlemen, this was the purest rock’n'roll. A great show delivered by four charismatic guys and a girl. The right wake-up call for the day.
Panorama to Laboratory from Japan took us immediately into another world, made by fantastic melodies, significant instrumental breaks, and a presence that fascinated the whole audience. Japanese bands never fail to leave their mark at our world final.
Blizz Club from Germany shook us all from the Japanese dream with their charismatic presence, hard riffs, and a great show. It was about time to have such a great performance from Germany.
Last on stage was Simen Steinklev from Norway. And within two seconds the whole festival was dancing to the flow and the rhythm of this great act. No matter if one understood the language or not you just couldn’t resist them. And their great performance gained them the enthusiasm of the Jury and a well-deserved first place in the ranking!
Their winner show on the main stage was amazing, they claimed this great opportunity with bravery and once again let the whole festival dance. Next for them is studio time in one of the most attractive studios in Tuscany where huge international stars like Mick Jagger already paid a visit. This is indeed the prize for the World Winner of Emergenza.
The curtain fell on this World Final 2022 and we cannot wait already for the next final. And we are waiting for YOU to be there. Just register here on the page and be part of Emergenza 2023!
Photo by: Kalle Kervinen
News / DE
Oct 10, 2021
A new website. A new Emergenza Season.
Let's get the show on the road.
A new website. A new Emergenza Season. And finally, a new chance to perform live for all those bands and acts who have been forced to inactivity in the last one and a half years.
Now things seem to get better, and Emergenza is back with the fundamental belief that bands and artists need to be given the best conditions possible to express their potential, their talent, and to reach the next level by playing in front of new audiences and expand their LIVE-fanbase.
With our team of music professionals, the renowned clubs, and their experienced technical crews, its solid network in the music business, we are ready to serve the vibrant community of musicians from all over the world.
And there is something completely new: this website. We have strived to make the website easier to use, and we have added functionality requested by musicians that have played at the festival.
The enrollment is now open, and with our almost thirty years of experience in organizing concerts, our passion has never been as strong as it is right now.
We want to offer you the opportunity to play your best concerts ever.
Welcome, and we will see you ON STAGE.
Now things seem to get better, and Emergenza is back with the fundamental belief that bands and artists need to be given the best conditions possible to express their potential, their talent, and to reach the next level by playing in front of new audiences and expand their LIVE-fanbase.
With our team of music professionals, the renowned clubs, and their experienced technical crews, its solid network in the music business, we are ready to serve the vibrant community of musicians from all over the world.
And there is something completely new: this website. We have strived to make the website easier to use, and we have added functionality requested by musicians that have played at the festival.
The enrollment is now open, and with our almost thirty years of experience in organizing concerts, our passion has never been as strong as it is right now.
We want to offer you the opportunity to play your best concerts ever.
Welcome, and we will see you ON STAGE.
News / IT