JAMAICA MUSIC IN RECESSION

Steven Jackson

Thoughts on a bailout plan

Overview

Where are we now

possible solutions

Introduction

➲ Music is an emotional subject but I try to make it as objective as possible in order to help others determine the reality as opposed to the perceptions.

Why is music important. If for nothing else to earn money and employment for Jamaica.

FINDING

➲ Most of the hottest 2010 singles are not earning;

➲ 2010 albums are under-performing 2009;➲ Key artistes cannot tour to support music;➲ Record companies not bidding on hot local

talent due to buy-out;➲ Government not filling space left vacant by

labels;

Decline

➲ Jamaica and region sales dipped 10 per cent in 2009 to some 9 millionUSD(IFPI)

➲ 3 percentage points greater than worldwide dip due to DOWNTURN and PIRACY.

Observations

Majority of charting reggae SINGLES are Jamaican catalogue hits on iTunes (largest internet store) Majority of charting reggae ALBUMS are from non Jamaicans

Ja'ns in top10 iTunes SINGLES charts 2010

➲ Kartel 1 spot (UK)➲ Cecile 1 spot (Canada)➲ Beenie Man 1 spot (UK)➲ Jimmy Cliff 2 spots (Germany , Switz)➲ Gyptian 9 spots (global)➲ Sean Paul 18 spots (global)➲ Shaggy 25 spots (global)➲ Bob Marley 54 spots (global)

➲ Itunes has 7 living Jamaicans charting amongst 22 listed top 10 charts. Its good but only catalog hits are charting and it is dominated by Bob Marley.

ONLY 2 local current radio hits are charting

Rum and redbull n Romping shop

➲ NO, St8 jeans (russian)➲ NO, Gully no fear them (Mavado)➲ NO, Stronger (Cham Bounty)➲ NO, Messing with my Heart, (Wayne

Marshall)➲ NO, Clarks (popcorn)➲ NO, Protect the People Ja (Riley)➲ etc

Tells you we are not earning from our current songs

Conversely itunes Top-10 Reggae ALBUM Charters include

➲ PATRICE -12 times worldwide➲ Gentleman- 10 times➲ Easy Star All Stars -9 times➲ Katchafire- 5 times➲ Damian Marley -4 times➲ SHAGGY – 1 time➲ (BOB MARYLEY – 70 times)

MOST OF THESE ALBUMS CHART IN DIASPRA US, UK, FRANCE.

NONE IN JAPAN, SPAIN, AUSTRALIA etc.

THERE IS NO REASON THAT JA ALBUMS SHOULD BE ABSENT

FROM 16 OF THE 22 LISTED COUNTRY CHARTS.

TURNING TO ALBUMS WHO SOLD THE MOST IN 2010?

TOP ALBUMS 2010SOUNDSCAND MY EXTRAPOLATIONS

➲ Distant Relatives at 140,000 units worldwide (SOUNDSCAN 2010

AND ESTIMATES)

➲ MATISYAHU AT 40,000 for 2010 (SOUNDSCAN 2009 AND MY ESTIMATE )

➲ It means that Gyptian has <40,000 due to current rank at sixth on Billboard.

➲ The Jolly Boys 30,000 (HARDING)

TELLS YOU

➲ Sales are so poor, that 2009 albums are still out-charting new albums.

➲ Recall 2009 was the worst year in a decade for music.

VISA WOES

➲ Everyone knows that you support an album with a tour.

➲ US market is largest➲ yet most of top deejays are visa less.➲ This impacts the market by reducing an

album's saleability.➲ Many times you will know when someone is

touring just by a spike in his iTunes sales in a certain market.

VP

➲ The decline in reggae sales (compared with highpoint in mid 2000s) coincided with sale of Greensleeves to VP for 3.1 million pounds.

➲ It resulted in a virtual monopoly which means that VP no longer has to enter bidding wars with local artistes who have the hot song to provide promotion etc.

Some artistes have avoided VP all together for either larger, smaller

or self marketing ie. Kartel

KARTEL'S RESULTS

➲ KARTEL's ONLINE popularity is twice that of

➲ New Zealand based Katchafire and US based Easy Star All Stars. Yet he consistently undersells them.

➲ It implies that Kartel is not maximizing his earning potential.

BUT SO ARE OTHERS SIGNED TO LABELS

➲ NO MAVADO➲ NO TARRUS RILEY➲ NO BABY CHAM N BOUNTY ➲ NO SIZZLA

CHART SILENCE IS NOT CONFINED TO DANCEHALL

➲ 1 PETER TOSH➲ 1 GREGORY ISAACS➲ NO BUNNY➲ NO BERES➲ NO ALTON ELIS

GOVERNMENT RESP

➲ Government offers some US$3 million each year to support festivals and major events including Jazz and Sumfest (dep. Director tourism)

➲ Government found additonal US$10 million to support toursim followind Tivoli Invasion.

➲ What support is government giving towards the music industry?➲ Music offers higher return than similar investments in telecoms a WIPO study

stated prepared by local based VANUS JAMES.

CONCLUSION

➲ Industry needs more labels➲ Government needs to fill void left by labels

to market artistes.➲ Artistes need to find new markets. Eg a

prominent artiste went to Japan last month and grossed about US$100k in 15 days.