We’ve already heard from the first wave of leading executives on their hopes for 2019. Here, Music Week’s poll of industry figures continues with a second snapshot of what should happen in the next 12 months.
We’ve also quizzed execs on the best and worst of 2018 – part 1 is here, part 2 is here and part 3 is here.
Now read on for the thoughts of Apple Music’s George Ergatoudis, PRS Foundation’s Vanessa Reed, Ticketmaster’s Andrew Parsons, IFPI CEO Francis Moore, Radio 1’s Chris Price and many more…
“That we see a musical renaissance in the UK. It’s time for artists to grasp the new creative opportunities that streaming has unleashed and invent the future. We’ve led music culture so many times before and I genuinely believe we can do it again.”
George Ergatoudis, head of Apple Music UK
"Equal access to live entertainment is paramount. I hope that the industry can really come together next year and get behind some of the incredible work already been done by charities like Attitude is Everything. Every fan should have the same access to the events they love as everyone else; and real change depends on us all working together."
Andrew Parsons, MD, Ticketmaster UK
Equal access to live entertainment is paramount
Andrew Parsons
“That music charities like ours will find increasingly entrepreneurial ways to collaborate with industry partners, so that we can help the next generation of talented artists embark on sustainable careers. This should be for artists from all of the vibrant music scenes across the UK not just London.”
Vanessa Reed, CEO, PRS Foundation
“For people to remember why they started, and not get lost in their own sauce. It’s not about making yourself famous — yes, you should consider yourself a brand because I do, but it’s about using your powers to shine a light on amazing talent and not yourself. I want A&Rs to A&R again, and not wait on viral moments; I want to see more writers from ‘the culture’ writing about ‘the culture’; I want to see more hard-working managers like Guv Singh (Mist, Big Shaq, Blade Brown) show and prove. So, yeah, just a few minor things.”
Joseph ‘JP’ Patterson (senior editor, Complex UK / Founder, Trench Magazine)
“For all three of our most recent Brit List additions – Hrvy, Jade Bird and Sam Fender – to realise their potential with the full backing of Radio 1.”
Chris Price, head of music BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra
"That rock music and rock bands get some great streaming playlists together and that new rock audiences discover streaming and start driving new rock up in value. Its time for rock!"
Kwame Kwaten, MD, Ferocious Management/ vice-chair, MMF
“There is a movement towards recognising that music careers have never needed good management more than now, yet at the same time new managers are underfunded and under resourced. We need more new talent in this area and my hope is that the industry adapts their various models to correct this. Don’t allow the creation of vacuums that get filled by tech companies with a different agenda to the music industry.”
Andy Heath, chair, Beggars Music/president, IMPEL/chair, UK Music
“That Brexit doesn’t happen. You know how when a major label signs a band and they think it’s going to be great and then they realise that it’s all going wrong and it’s costing them loads of money so they drop the band? Brexit is the band. Drop Brexit.”
Simon Pursehouse, global director of music services, Sentric Music
“Physical retail maintains a presence on the High Street.”
Alistair Norbury – president, repertoire & marketing, BMG
“That we are able to break more new artists - ideally some of our own!”
Iain Watt, MD, Machine Management
“Continued growth but with more breakthrough artists of substance.”
Guy Moot, managing director, UK and president, worldwide creative, Sony/ATV Music Publishing
“That continued growth in revenues signals growing investment in creativity, sustainability and equality within our industry.”
David Rowe, co-MD, UMC
“That we keep working on how to break more artists globally.”
Ferdy Unger Hamilton, president, Columbia Records
“That the UK music business breaks more artists on a global level. It’s getting tougher so we need to up our game and deliver – and we will.”
Cassandra Gracey, president, 4th Floor Creative, Sony Music UK
It’s getting tougher so we need to up our game and deliver – and we will
Cassandra Gracey
“That we continue to celebrate and nurture individuality. The best artists are the ones that go right when everyone else goes left. Also, with all that’s going on in the world, particularly in politics, I’d love to see more artists come out and express and represent what young people are feeling right now. Not through social media but through music, it would be so powerful. There’s no reason why more songs with a political or social message can’t be commercially successful in 2019.”
Tyler Brown, MD, Syco Music
“More platforms and opportunities for new artists to break through!”
Glyn Aikins, co-president, Since 93
“That the UK finally gets round to breaking some new British guitar bands internationally.”
Korda Marshall, EVP music, BMG
"Oasis reunite on stage at least once and I’m there!"
Daniel Cuffe, director, Cuffe & Taylor
“That the unexpected keeps happening, that great music, in all its wonderful shapes and sizes, continues to break through and find its rightful place in the hearts of audiences!”
Rebecca Allen, Decca Records
“That we stay on this positive path of growth and discovery. It is so exciting to see new territories like the Middle East and Africa open up.”
Frances Moore, CEO, IFPI
“That the recorded music industry continues to grow revenues globally, successfully navigating its way through the outcome of Brexit, and that PPL can continue to grow its revenue collections and play a part in ensuring the 100,000 performers and record companies it pays each year can continue to make a living from music and can continue to invest for the future success of the British music industry.”
Peter Leathem, CEO, PPL
"That it comes together to stop Brexit."
Melvin Benn, MD, Festival Republic
“Deezer has been advocating for a move to UCPS (User Centric Payment System), launching in 2019, and my sincere hope is that we’ll see key stakeholders in the industry (labels and other DSPs) support and join us in building a fairer and more transparent revenue payment system for all artists.”
Sulinna Ong, global VP of artist marketing, Deezer
“My biggest hope is that we never forget that having a multichannel market which is both digital and physical is a huge advantage. That means licensing and supporting new kinds of streaming model while also maximising music’s physical retail presence. Less is not more when it comes to channels to market. More is more.”
Kim Bayley, CEO, ERA
“My biggest hope is that there is a fundamental shift in how music is valued. It’s more difficult for emerging artists to make a living from music and musicians are more vulnerable to financial hardship and mental health struggles. Musicians need sufficient emotional and financial support so that they can continue to create, perform, and inspire the next generation of storytellers. This has never been more important.”
Rachel Kelly, creative director & head of sync, Australia, Downtown Music Publishing
My biggest hope is that there is a fundamental shift in how music is valued
Rachel Kelly
“That we get some more solid rap albums. Singles are cool but we need more brilliant bodies of work that do the numbers to maintain and create legacies. My hopes are that consistent No.1 UK rap albums aren’t too far away.”
Caroline Simionescu-Marin, A&R Manager, XL Recordings
“Aside from hoping for lots of great music, I hope we embrace and nurture change. Support the new schedules at radio, encourage the new wave of underground presenters making great radio, find new innovative ways to break new artists across all platforms, and bring new talent through in our teams.”
Jane Arthy, VP, radio, Warner Bros
“Same as ever… More British acts breaking on the global stage. We’re a little island that has always punched above its weight creatively. And I’d be devastated to see that fade away.”
Ben Mortimer, co-president, Polydor
“Less meetings.”
Alex Boateng, president of urban, Island Records
“Ah! Where to start: 1. That European legislators make it worthwhile to be a creator again by re-asserting culture’s inherent sovereignty over its ability to lure advertising, balancing the value music extracts online with the value it creates. 2. That the Industry continues to reform apace and further develop new models that actually relate to current reality (we can’t continue to use the past as a model for music in the future because that model simply won’t exist). 3. That Spotify and Apple follow Deezer’s lead and pay out streaming revenue on a user centric model, reconnecting fans’ income with the music they listen to.... and we all live happily ever after.”
Crispin Hunt, songwriter/producer, chair, BASCA
“That more support comes into small live music venues so those people running those places can focus on supporting and nurturing great new music and not dealing with endless shit from unnecessary councils, developers and other people like big promoters that take 18 months to settle bills on small shows.”
Sybil Bell, founder, Independent Venue Week
“That we get to return to Glastonbury and see it in all its sunny, warm, non-rainy glory.”
Alice Beal, GM, Insanity
“More breakthrough acts who are independent artists.”
Pieter Van Rijn, CEO of FUGA
“I have seen many music start-ups in the last year that are opening up new ways to enjoy music and new ways for artists to reach their audience. Business models in the industry are changing all the time and we have led the way in making social media work for us. I hope that services such as banders.com and truelinked.com succeed and take us further into the digital era.”
Dominic McGonigal, chair, C8 Associates
You can read more insights from the execs in our huge review of the year issue, available now. To subscribe and never miss a big music biz story, click here.
