buzzz worthy. . .
During the 57th Grammy Awards this year Neil Portnow, the President and CEO of NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences), flanked by young artists Jennifer Hudson and Ryan Tedder posed a crucial question.
He asked, "What if we're all watching the GRAMMYs a few years from now, and there's no Best New Artist award because there aren't enough talented artists or songwriters who are actually able to make a living from their craft? Could that really happen? Or more importantly, could any of us ever let that happen?"
In posing this scenario Mr. Portnow placed one of the biggest concerns in the music business in a live context confronting a very real problem the music community faces today-- profiting from content in the digital era. There has been a landslide-sized decline in record sales in recent years fueled by the consumption of music through free download services and how music is sold (i.e., the ability to purchase singles versus and entire album), among other things. This shift has caused a rapid and potentially detrimental shift not only in how artists make money, but in how much money artists make. It is a blow that has been felt all over the music industry.
That night Portnow announced the launch of the GRAMMY Creators Alliance, an organization that will address the impact of these changes in one unified voice. The Alliance was formed in direct response to a bi-partisan request from Congress soliciting engagement in policy matters from the music community.
Portnow went on to acknowledge the shift in the industry and reassured the audience of the Academy's promise to ensure artists' ability "to make a living from their craft" while changes in the marketing of music and on-going legislation that has a direct effect on the music business take effect.
"For the artists, songwriters and producers, we must promise them that new technology and distribution will pay them fairly."
Announced today, The GRAMMY Creators Alliance will utilize the Managers Think Tank to review legislative proposals, identify new issues, and advise policymakers on crafting long-term solutions to create a sustainable music marketplace. The "Think Tank" is comprised of 30 of the nation's leading representatives of music talent, including:
Mark Beaven (Dr. Luke)
Will Botwin (Ben Harper)
Scooter Braun (Steve Angello, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande)
Jay Brown (Rihanna, Shakira, Kanye West)
Troy Carter (John Legend, Miguel, Meghan Trainor)
Ansel Davis and Betsy McHugh (Hunter Hayes)
Bruce Eskowitz (Herbie Hancock, Lionel Richie)
Jordan Feldstein (Maroon 5)
Marion Kraft (Miranda Lambert)
Ron Laffitte (Alicia Keys, OneRepublic, Soundgarden, Pharrell Williams)
Pat Magnarella (Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day, Rise Against)
Susan Markheim (Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds)
Michael McDonald (Ray LaMontagne, Walk The Moon, Childish Gambino)
Daniel Miller (Lady Antebellum)
Simon Renshaw (Dixie Chicks, Paulina Rubio)
Larry Rudolph (Miley Cyrus, Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears, Steven Tyler)
Bill Silva (Jason Mraz)
John Silva (Beck, Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails)
Damien Smith (Earth, Wind & Fire, Jennifer Hudson, Raphael Saadiq)
Clarence Spalding (Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts)
Ty Stiklorius (John Legend, Lindsey Stirling, Meghan Trainor)
Gaines Sturdivant (The Band Perry)
Lee Trink (Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker)
Caron Veazey (Pharrell Williams)
Dean Wilson (deadmau5, Calvin Harris)
Legal advisors include Jay Cooper, Joel Katz, Dina LaPolt, and Charles Ortner.
*clients listed for informational purposes only.
"As the Judiciary Committee continues its review of the Copyright Act, it is imperative that we understand the implications on the creators of content and their representatives," said Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
"I look forward to hearing the viewpoints of music creators as we consider changes to the law to ensure we 'promote the progress of science and useful arts,' as the framers intended. The GRAMMY Creators Alliance will be an important voice in this discussion."
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| Neil Portnow |
During the 57th Grammy Awards this year Neil Portnow, the President and CEO of NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences), flanked by young artists Jennifer Hudson and Ryan Tedder posed a crucial question.
He asked, "What if we're all watching the GRAMMYs a few years from now, and there's no Best New Artist award because there aren't enough talented artists or songwriters who are actually able to make a living from their craft? Could that really happen? Or more importantly, could any of us ever let that happen?"
In posing this scenario Mr. Portnow placed one of the biggest concerns in the music business in a live context confronting a very real problem the music community faces today-- profiting from content in the digital era. There has been a landslide-sized decline in record sales in recent years fueled by the consumption of music through free download services and how music is sold (i.e., the ability to purchase singles versus and entire album), among other things. This shift has caused a rapid and potentially detrimental shift not only in how artists make money, but in how much money artists make. It is a blow that has been felt all over the music industry.
That night Portnow announced the launch of the GRAMMY Creators Alliance, an organization that will address the impact of these changes in one unified voice. The Alliance was formed in direct response to a bi-partisan request from Congress soliciting engagement in policy matters from the music community.
Portnow went on to acknowledge the shift in the industry and reassured the audience of the Academy's promise to ensure artists' ability "to make a living from their craft" while changes in the marketing of music and on-going legislation that has a direct effect on the music business take effect.
"For the artists, songwriters and producers, we must promise them that new technology and distribution will pay them fairly."
Announced today, The GRAMMY Creators Alliance will utilize the Managers Think Tank to review legislative proposals, identify new issues, and advise policymakers on crafting long-term solutions to create a sustainable music marketplace. The "Think Tank" is comprised of 30 of the nation's leading representatives of music talent, including:
Mark Beaven (Dr. Luke)
Will Botwin (Ben Harper)
Scooter Braun (Steve Angello, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande)
Jay Brown (Rihanna, Shakira, Kanye West)
Troy Carter (John Legend, Miguel, Meghan Trainor)
Ansel Davis and Betsy McHugh (Hunter Hayes)
Bruce Eskowitz (Herbie Hancock, Lionel Richie)
Jordan Feldstein (Maroon 5)
Marion Kraft (Miranda Lambert)
Ron Laffitte (Alicia Keys, OneRepublic, Soundgarden, Pharrell Williams)
Pat Magnarella (Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day, Rise Against)
Susan Markheim (Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds)
Michael McDonald (Ray LaMontagne, Walk The Moon, Childish Gambino)
Daniel Miller (Lady Antebellum)
Simon Renshaw (Dixie Chicks, Paulina Rubio)
Larry Rudolph (Miley Cyrus, Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears, Steven Tyler)
Bill Silva (Jason Mraz)
John Silva (Beck, Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails)
Damien Smith (Earth, Wind & Fire, Jennifer Hudson, Raphael Saadiq)
Clarence Spalding (Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts)
Ty Stiklorius (John Legend, Lindsey Stirling, Meghan Trainor)
Gaines Sturdivant (The Band Perry)
Lee Trink (Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker)
Caron Veazey (Pharrell Williams)
Dean Wilson (deadmau5, Calvin Harris)
Legal advisors include Jay Cooper, Joel Katz, Dina LaPolt, and Charles Ortner.
*clients listed for informational purposes only.
"As the Judiciary Committee continues its review of the Copyright Act, it is imperative that we understand the implications on the creators of content and their representatives," said Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
"I look forward to hearing the viewpoints of music creators as we consider changes to the law to ensure we 'promote the progress of science and useful arts,' as the framers intended. The GRAMMY Creators Alliance will be an important voice in this discussion."