The Slow Death Of Conventional Music Venues and the Rise of the Micro Venue!

 

This fascinating and slightly worrying article in the Guardian remarks on the ‘slow death of music venues in cities’ across the UK. At first glance you would think it’s the end of the road for the music industry. A deeper look reveals an industry in radical change.

From a cultural perspective, the closing of these venues is a blow to society. Music not only plays a huge role in our lives, turning those ordinary moments into the extraordinary, but it’s also the great connector, linking us to our communities and our fellow wo/man.

Economically, it is also a huge knock to the exchequer as music is an industry, which a lot of people, a lot of the time, seem to forget. Bands are like small businesses, innovation hubs that create intellectual property and have the potential to create jobs and generate revenue to both the macro and local economies. But when the infrastructure and resources are removed this poses huge problems to artist development, and therefore jobs, thus affecting the economy.

While the mainstream music industry focuses on major artists to fill the O2’s and the 3Arenas of this world, the disregard of the indie artist and the smaller venue will only result in a void of talent. This shortsightedness of earning a quick buck will see no-one filling the shoes of the Kings of Leon’s and the Rihanna’s and the like. This is what happens when you focus on the macro and neglect the micro; an unsustainable model!

 

 

But maybe it is time that the conventional music venue steps aside and leaves way for a new type of venue? Perhaps the day (or night rather) of finding that awesome new band in the local concert hall, or dingy club where you can’t even hear the music anyway – ’cause of drunken knob heads yelling over the music, or leaving the place without an elbow in the side of the head – has come to an end and is in fact over?

We are living in a new era after all; an era driven by tech, innovation and a desire for the extraordinary. Social networks have created hyper-connectivity, while music apps offer entire new ways to engage with music and your favourite artists. Needless to say, but consumer expectations are off the grid and ‘experience‘ is the word on the street!

While live music is alive and well, it just may not be in the old conventional music venue style, but rather in a whole new space that provides for the needs of both the music lover and artist of the 21st century.

The rise of the Micro venue is here, and as both technology and consumer needs align, the time is right for this huge shift in the music industry to take place.

 

 

At beatvyne we’re passionate about the micro, about building structures that support the indie artist, that involves the local community, that turns people into ‘promoters’ and their spaces (living rooms, studios, local cafes) into ‘venues’.

In the social media/tech driven world of today, we need a music industry that reflects the digital age, an age of collaboration and engagement. We’re building an eco-system that involves all members of the community, from finding new music as a fan, meeting new people at super cool gigs in alternative spaces, hosting gigs in your own home, studio or (wait for it, this is kinda out there, cave) or growing your audience as an artist, beatvyne is about developing and connecting the dots in an otherwise fractured industry.

Ultimately, our aim is to create a network of creatives and spaces powered by people, making it easier to find one another and to make a living from doing what you love. Join us as a fanartist, or host and reimagine your music experience!

See you on the beat!

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