As part of Jack Richardson London Music Week (April 2-9), the London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) and London Music Office hosted Music in a Digital Creative World on Friday April 7th from 1:00pm – 4:30pm at London Convention Centre.
The event gathered the music and technology sectors together to discuss:
-How music technology is continually evolving
-How the music industry is being enhanced by creative agencies and technologies
-Highlights on the changes in industry and opportunities for collaboration and innovative solutions
The free event brought together guests working in creative industries and/or interested in music, audio technology, recording and production, content creation, digital media, marketing, radio, and software.
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About the event})
Guests enjoyed the music stylings of local singer-songwriter Ben Heffernan, as well as two engaging panel discussions and a presentation by The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR)
Digital Creative: Music & Audio
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Music and technology has been linked at the hip for years. Technology platforms are helping artist engage and build audience in a cost effective manner. As audience engagement continues to grow, technology platforms are also looking to musicians to grow their businesses. This panel is a perfect intersection between music and tech and featured speakers from CBC Music, Voices.com and YouTube/Google Music. The speakers highlighted what is going on in the music and audio industry, providing a quick glimpse into how people are using audio or music for their businesses and how things are changing and adapting to new consumer markets.
Software Solutions
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You know software, now how can your knowledge grow the music sector? This panel featured three leading technology companies that have made their mark on the music industry through a software solution. Panel included speakers from Volu.me, SparkGig and an ex-deezer employee.
FACTOR Funding
FACTOR’s Digital Marketing component supports projects that improve the accessibility of Canadian music on digital platforms, develop the infrastructure, and the capacity of Canadian Digital Markets. If you have an innovative project with direct market development consequences for Canadian music artists then FACTOR would like to meet you! The presentation outlined the qualifications to receive funding under this component and the criteria used to access applications. For more information regarding FACTOR funding, visit their website.
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Take a look at some quick facts about London’s music and technology sectors. All music stats below can be found on the London Music Office’s website from their recent London Music Census survey. The tech facts can be found in our recent article:
Music
-The majority (45%) of musicians in London are between the ages of 20-34, with most (83%) being male
-Nearly half (44.7%) of London musicians play exclusively original music, with 33.5% spreading their focus across both covers and original compositions
-89.5% of Londoners are performing in bands, and over 40% have been playing together for 1-6 years
-56.4% of London musicians reported playing more than 10 shows in 2015, with majority of their shows being within London
-In 2015, $7 million dollars in royalties was earned by 1,203 music writers and publishers in London
-4,620 live shows happened in London over 2015. That’s an average of 12 per day
-The primary market for music fans falls within the 20-34 age bracket, accounting for 48% of the fans surveyed (out of 650)
-81% of music fans are using free streaming programs such as YouTube or Spotify, whereas 39% are using paid services such as Apple Music or Google Play
-The average Londoner attended 1-4 local music festivals in 2015, with 92% of those surveyed saying live performances are a significant part of their listening experience
-Total seating capacity of London’s 52 music venues is 57,000 people
-For more information regarding the music industry in London, Ontario, please contact Cory Crossman, Music Industry Development Officer at the London Music Office
Technology
-There are more than 300 companies in London’s digital creative sector
-Over 9,000 people work in London’s tech sector, representing 4% of the labour force
-Over 1,000 jobs were added to London’s tech sector in 2015
-London is home to Cineplex Digital Solutions, Diebold Nixdorf, StarTech.com, Digital Extremes, Autodata Solutions, and more world-renowned leaders
-London’s digital creative sector has recently attracted approximately 100 million in federal direct investments
-London has diverse Digital Creative industry developing products such as interactive game development, software solutions, financial services, digital marketing, web development, custom application, and more
-London offers desirable infrastructure for technology companies, such as affordable downtown office space, fibre optic coverage, and certified data centre sites
-Success story: EK3 spun out of Western University and was recently acquired by Cineplex, rebranded as Cineplex Digital Networks
-Western University offers tech-focused programs such as Media Theory and Production, and Computer Science
-Fanshawe College offers a Digital and Performance Arts program and new to 2015. A Video Game Design and Development Program
-To learn more about the Digital Creative sector, get in touch with Brittany Medeiros, Manager of Business Development at LEDC
Opportunities})
Many local employers are hiring. Discover opportunities on London Tech Jobs: http://www.ledc.com/tech-jobs.
Stay Connected
- Want to read more about the event? Check out this London Free Press article
- For further information regarding the speakers, FACTOR funding, or Music in a Digital Creative world, contact us through our Digital Creative webpage.
- Looking to learn more about the music industry in London? For facts, education, events, grants and more, visit the London Music Office’s website.
