In this age of entrepreneurial self promotion and slick glossy packaging, we’re all too aware of the increased expectation on members of the jazz community to sustain a detailed and active insight into the daily needs, demands and developments of the business side of things – whilst defining ‘the product’, developing a ‘marketing strategy’ and sustaining a clear and shrewd ‘long term projection of where the product is going to be!’. But how does one acquire these skills, and is it ever going to be possible to sustain this high level of active professional insight, often at an international level, and still have enough time left to practice?!

Thanks to the new Online Music Business Resource, soon to be launched as part of the new Jazz Services’ website, users will be able to access answers to all these questions, and more, at the click of a button.

After a year-long collaboration between members of Information Works, Jazz Services, City University, Musicians Unions, Teeside University Business School, Trinity College of Music and Westminster University, and with financial support from Arts Council England’s Lottery Funding, the Online Music Business Resource has been able to draw on a wide breadth of professional insight and experience, in order to generate a wealth of information and materials relevant to the current climate (presented in a way that supports a multitude of needs and using a house style that is clear, simple and accessible).

As with the current Jazz Services website, the Online Music Business Resource will provide users with instant access to specific categories of information, so that those who know exactly what it is they’re looking for can fast track their way through the index, in order to find particular data, such as contact details for musicians, venues, international jazz organizations, promoters, educational institutions and organizations; information on available sources of funding, gig listings, reviews, publications and launches; a notice board that advertises job vacancies in all areas of the business and relevant links to other sites provided within each of the subsections.

For those that are looking for more guidance and support, the Online Music Business Resource provides accessible insight and advice on all aspects of the music business, including an overview of the music industry within the international environment and definitions of the key jobs that exist within this landscape; step-by-step guidance on issues such as how to apply for funding or negotiate fees and contracts; common practice in legal matters (such as copyright, and royalties) and regularly updated details of legislation (such as health and safety and licensing). There will also be template contracts (catering for all areas of the business) intended for downloading and professional use, as well as guidance on how to define and market a wide range of products from the live performance to CDs, websites and videos, all supported by case-studies that provide examples of good practice, drawn from professional experiences of currently active members of the jazz world.

A more contemplative aspect of the site, designed to support all sectors of the jazz community, will encourage the user to stop and reflect. The ‘Where are you now?’ option, enables the user to assess their current position within the music industry, with interactive support that facilitates realistic predictions of where the user would like to be in the near future and constructive advice on how to get there – after generating achievable artistic and business forecasts and adopting user friendly techniques (illustrated within the site) such as business plans, budgets and marketing strategies.

For those educational institutions wishing to adapt the Online Music Business Resource content to suit the needs of accredited music or business studies modules, the site will provide a series of downloadable template module descriptions, designed to complement the accredited structure and bench marking of learner outcomes specifically relevant to each level of accreditation (ranging from Diplomas to PhDs) and easily modified by the institution to suit the house style of their accrediting body. To compliment and further support this academic aspect of the site, the Online Music Business Resource also intends to provide access to recently published research papers as well as encouraging all users to engage themselves in current and lively debate by visiting the blog page before they leave.

Issie Barratt

Manager

Online Music Business Resource