5 things I learned at Singapore’s All That Matters conference

This year’s All That Matters conference was a way for industry individuals – either established or emerging – from realms extending across music, sport, tech, gaming and marketing to not only meet and form potential international relations, but to also learn and discover new ways of influencing their industries at home.

As a newbie to the All That Matters environment this year, I approached the conference as I did my first BIGSOUND in Australia; no expectations, but with an open mind well ready to be engaged. Below are the five main take aways I had from All That Matters this year – with so much to be gleaned from each session, all I could say is book a ticket next year if you’re on the hunt for more knowledge and tips from some of the best in the business.

Australia is in an excellent position moving forward, musically

Now, this might be something most Australian’s would say, ‘Duh’, to, but when you’re in another country listening to industry professionals talking about the challenges and highlights of our export industry to an international crowd, it was fascinating to sit in on and learn. Sounds Australia’s Esti Zilber was in conversation with Jennie Sager from Twitter Asia Pacific, ARIA’s Dan Rosen and PIAS Australia/Inertia’s Colin Daniels about not only the work Sounds Australia has done for Australian musicians abroad, but the ways in which Asian artists can crack the Australian music scene.

Knowledge of your market is key and with Australia being a thriving hub for musicians to set their sights on, it can be difficult for a myriad of reasons (finances, geography) for artists can tour there confidently for the first time. As the panel discussed however, Australia is in a prime position for not only producing some of the world’s most successful artists at the moment, but the passion of the music community in our own backyard makes us a viable priority for international visitors to keep in mind.

The YouTube Market is where it’s at

I’ll admit I’ve been opposed in the past to other platforms not of the ‘traditional’ ilk fashioning themselves as prime music platforms, but over the course of All That Matters it was increasingly evident that YouTube has definitely emerged as a game changer when it comes to music. Not simply to be reduced to a music video/visual content sharing platform, YouTube has become a major player in getting emerging artists to the next level. Australian artist Tom Jay Williams is a perfect example, having been flown to India and around the world in assisting him further explore his creative vision – to massive success. As technology and music continue to fuse stronger and stronger together, YouTube is looking to be at the forefront of the wave.

Social Media has never been more important

An obvious one, perhaps, but there’s no doubt that across each of the All That Matters tracks, social media and the presence of it in the business world has skyrocketed in its significance over the last 5-10 years. Particularly concerning music, social media has changed the way music reaches audiences and can influence the development or progression of an artist’s career not just at home, but abroad. As we learned from Twitter’s Jennie Sager, a high percentage of Twitter users are more likely to purchase new music if they have seen it trending on the social media platform, while ticket sales and the social presence of a band or artist is also significantly boosted by hosting live streams or giveaways online.

The Asia Pacific Market for music is thriving, with the underground becoming more and more mainstream

The rise of independent labels in the Asia Pacific region is meaning big changes for the otherwise considered ‘underground’ artists who are just on the precipice on breaking out into mainstream success in their home countries. This was something we also found to be true when speaking with Music Matters Live artists like Filipino R&B/pop singer, Kiana Valenciano. The culture surrounding certain styles of music is certainly thriving, while other elements (live touring etc) still sees artists come up against some well-engrained roadblocks. Still, with the emergence of Filipino label Tarsier Records, and artists like MAS1A and Dru Chen driving their own creative development independently, the influence of these artists on the younger, emerging music communities in the AP market is one many All That Matters attendees were talking about on Tuesday’s program.

The ‘Future of Music’ is in the hands of the tech savvy as much as it is the creative personnel

A controversial take, but as All That Matters dictated through the Music stream, the success of the music industry is becoming more intrinsically linked with the advancement of technology and those who use it. Laurels can’t be rested upon anymore and with content makers thinking further and further outside the box, the bar is continuing to be raised when it comes the what the ‘standard’ is for the music industry and the professionals moving inside it. These themes were discussed during Musical.ly Co-Founder and Co-CEO Alex Zhu’s keynote on Tuesday, while Heard Well’s Jeremy Wineberg also tackled the role of tastemakers in music’s social media age too.

For more information on All That Matters, visit their website here

 

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