A final report from the Billboard Dance Music Summit
October 12, 2007
Yesterday (Wednesday, actually; I’m finishing this post two days later) was the second and final day of Billboard Magazine’s Dance Music Summit (DMS) here in Las Vegas. As I finalize my packing for the flight back home, I find myself reflecting on the DMS and the dance music industry in general.
Honestly, the DMS was everything I expected—and so much less.
On the up side, as I said in my other report, I had the opportunity to meet a number of dance artists, label people, producers and others. I made a number of new friends here, and learned a thing or two in the process. And truly, any conference or trade show is more about the networking than anything else.
But the DMS itself was very nearly a joke. The panel discussions were, by and large, more about the speakers’ egos and/or self-promotion than anything else. The best (or perhaps worst) example was the final panel yesterday, which was ostensibly about thinking outside the box in terms of marketing, and was directed at labels and artists. Not a single, real, tangible, practical, useful idea was presented during the entire panel. The focus of the discussion steered repeatedly away from the subject, and typical of nearly every panel I attended, there were disagreements between panel members.
That’s not to suggest that there were fisticuffs on-stage, nor am I suggesting that disagreement is somehow unhealthy. But it does strike me as indicative of one of the problems facing the dance music industry today: a lack of cohesiveness and a spirit of cooperation toward a common objective. Everyone seems to be able to identify the problems (we need to grow the dance music industry, we need to gain more awareness and respect, etc., etc.), but it appears from my perspective that everyone is too busy pursuing their own narrow and self-serving interests, their own piece of the pie as it were, to figure out ways to work together to grow the pie so we all get a bigger slice.
At the end of the day, of course, we’re all out for ourselves, so perhaps all of that shouldn’t be such a shock. But I guess my life experience has taught me to focus on the pie, not my piece of it. In my distant past, I worked for a software company that was in a small, niche industry. The CEO of the company was very focused on growing the business… But also the small industry we were in. He even spent a load of cash and started a side business with a small publication covering our industry to launch an annual trade show as a means to achieve that. He spent massive amounts of time on the trade show, largely behind the scenes, trying to convince the rest of our small cottage industry why this was important, why they should participate, and tirelessly worked to be inclusive of everyone, and to put-on a truly educational, truly valuable, truly useful conference. The efforts paid-off handsomely. Yes, the entire industry won, and grew. That was good for our competitors. But it was also good for our company. It put all the major players in touch, and yes, we competed vigorously—while mutually respecting one another and yes, even sharing and cooperating.
I don’t personally think that the dance industry needs to agree whether or not a harder-edged sound is the next big thing, and I don’t think that anyone needs to agree on whether single-centric releases are right or compilations are right or 80’s covers are passé or if tacky tracking performances work or if music videos are worth the investment or anything else that’s the topic of discussion at the moment. Opinions are everywhere, and frankly, while I respect the experience of people who are deep in this industry, the truth is that my opinion isn’t any better or worse or more or less important than that of the PD at Sirius Satellite Radio or Cory Robbins (the CEO of Robbins Entertainment, representatives of which were not at the DMS, by the way).
What does matter? In my view, it’s certainly not ever more of the same thing. What matters is trying new things, new ideas, and trying to innovate. Trends do matter, of course, but there’s a subtle difference between merely following a trend and helping to evolve and shape it by taking input and incorporating something new into it. Nobody has a crystal ball here, as much as they might think that they do. And nobody has a corner on the market in terms of ideas, or what’s “right” or “wrong” for the dance music industry (as much as they might think they do on that, too).
The reality is that dance music will continue to be a small and comparatively unimportant part of the music industry for as long as the players in it continue to think and act in isolation. We all have an ego, and we all like to think we were the first or that we’re the best or otherwise are “the shit” (apparently while in some cases thinking that someone else isn’t the shit).
But winning doesn’t have to mean everyone else loses, and back to my initial point… To those in the industry, start focusing more on the pie and less on your piece. We’ll all have a major sugar rush from all the dessert eating much sooner than it’s happening with the status quo.
Turn up the volume… Wes.
Entry Filed under: Dance Music Industry. Tags: Billboard Magazine, growth, Las Vegas.
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1.
Cory | October 13, 2007 at 3:34 am
Bravo Wes! Yes, you’ve got it all RIGHT. You figured it out and you are right on target. But it’s hard to offer the “piece” and make people notice. Except for people like you – who GET it. It’s nearly impossible to be an American dance act and make it, but I think you met many artists in Vegas – Jacinta, Ohsha, the Perry Twins, etc., who WANT and CAN do it. It is just going to take a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. And many of us may not ever have the commercial success that we would have had in, say, the mid-90’s. But what you have now (when you look around) are artists who LOVE the music, and who will make it or the LOVE of it. Is anybody listening? I don’t know. I hope so. Ironically, we’ve probably got more dance artists who LOVE the music now than ever before, and FAR LESS people who appreciate it. Dance is the new “underground”, but I’m proud to be part of it. And I am so happy to know people like you, who listen, and love, and THINK. Ah – true bliss. As long as there are people who appreciate the music, like you, there will be people like me who will continue to create it. Dance music is LOVE. Yes children – turn up the volume . . . dance music is LOVE. Soak in it.
2.
Wesley Spengler | October 13, 2007 at 4:06 am
Cory — yes, yes, yes!!
You nailed it dead-on… You and Jennifer, Jacinta, Ohsha Kai, the Perry Twins, Rikah, Cary August, and others are so passionate, so positive, and so upbeat. It’s a real treat to commune with people who seem to ooze that positive energy from their pores. I need more of that in my life, and way less of the pissing and moaning and infighting for every scrap of this or that.
Don’t get me wrong; I see the same industry challenges everyone else does, and I don’t have the magic bullet answer here beyond what we’ve both said… Focus, determination, lots of effort, and I think above all, cooperation. And as I sort of suggested in the original post, “cooperation” doesn’t necessarily have to be anything beyond a belief that just because “you win” doesn’t mean “I lose” (or vice-versa).
Something I didn’t mention is that outside of DJ’ing (which is generally to people who already appreciate the music), I work hard to expose other people to dance music day-to-day. It’s what I play on my iPod, it’s what I play on my PC at the office, it’s what I talk about, and it’s the subject when I say, “Hey, you’ve GOT to hear this!”
Not everyone is going to like it. Not everyone who does like it will like house; they may prefer trance or some other sub-genre (or vice-versa). That’s cool. But if commercial radio isn’t playing it, and you don’t have a satellite radio to hear it, and you don’t go to clubs, how else is it going to happen? I hate war metaphors, but for lack of anything more creative, this is hand-to-hand combat; it’s a lot of work, and the pay sucks. But like those road construction signs say, “Temporary inconvenience, long-term benefits.”
In the meantime, I’m cool with being a part of the underground as well, especially when I’m here with fine folk like you and the others I listed -– as well as countless others that I’m sure are out there and haven’t met yet. Together, let’s make it happen.
Thanks for the blog comment.
Wes.
3.
Rikah | October 14, 2007 at 3:15 am
First and foremost I gotta say what a pleasure it was to meet you! I’m so shakin’ my Second Life booty to your grooves as often as possible!
Phew…. What a read… what a reality check… such powerful words… yet we still are in need of more solutions! I make a delicious lemon meringue pie! Lol! Dutch apple and cherry too…
Egos can be large and overwhelming, and even as one who strives to release myself of such entrapments, I’ve been as catty as the rest of the girls when I’ve felt threatened. Definitely getting “our” music out there to as many ears as possible is an excellent solution to supporting the genre of popular dance music, yet there are those who would very much like to keep the underground sound just that… underground. How can we share our passion with others? Reach new listeners? Create our livings from our bliss? Certainly people who pride themselves in being “snobs” are not paving the way. There IS a lot of room on the bottom, but there is a heck of a lot more room on top!!!
I was grateful to have an excuse to come together and meet more fabulous, amazing, innovative and inspirational people such as your fine self, and am eagerly anticipating another opportunity for such meeting of minds. I look forward to it, wherever and whenever it may be! In the mean time, perhaps we can begin formulating our own Second Life conference… where we could organize different speakers from around the world to share there successes and also what their solutions may be to our taking over the world. Heh-heh-hee…
Just a thought…
Light and love
Miss Rikah
4.
Wesley Spengler | October 14, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Rikah,
Dutch apple, huh? Planning any Denver visits anytime soon? My kitchen is yours! LOL
There is a certain mystique to “being underground,” and perhaps certain benefits to it as well I suppose. But you hit the nail straight-on when you mentioned creating a living from our bliss.
It’s the reality of our world that we need money to handle life needs, so for the majority of us who lack a sugar daddy, we’re following our bliss in our off hours and funding trips to Las Vegas for dance summits from the money we make at our day jobs.
It could be worse; I know some people who don’t seem to have identified a bliss in their lives to follow. But it pains me that talented and passionate people can rarely live it 24/7 without calling the local YMCA “home.”
But enough “identifying the problem” for now.
I’m intrigued by the idea of using a virtual world like Second Life to brainstorm and collaborate. Let me give this some additional thought, and circle-back directly. Interesting idea indeed.
Awesome to meet you in-person, finally… Keep following your bliss, baby, whenever and however you can.
Much love back at ya, Wes.