Music creatives invited to explore new revenue streams through free Creative Lab Hawaii virtual program

Maximizing monetary opportunities for Hawaii’s music-making community, a new Creative Lab Hawaii (CLH) virtual program, spearheaded by the State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s (DBEDT) Creative Industries Division (CID), is now open to the public for registration at: https://creativelab.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Click-Here-to-Register-2.pdf

Get Paid for Your Music: Navigating New Revenue Streams will explore the often untapped aspects of the music business that can unleash dynamic revenue opportunities for local talent, and provide a deeper understanding of royalties, production libraries, and licensing music for use in film and TV. The free four-part program will be held via Zoom, with webinar dates in November and December of 2020. The virtual programs are a pathway to the CLH Music Immersive program, which has opened up new markets for Hawaii singer-songwriters and collectively generated over $500,000 in music licensing revenues for these gig workers since the program’s inception.

“This program was specifically designed for Hawaii’s talented songwriters, singers and musicians who have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said DBEDT Director Mike McCartney. “Our goal is to empower them with the knowledge and skills to be able generate new sources of income in the emerging digital economy.”

“According to the recent June 2020 Brookings Institute report, nationally the creative industries and the performing arts in particular have been hardest hit by COVID-19, suffering 50% losses of jobs and an estimated $42.5 billion in sales,” said Georja Skinner, chief officer of DBEDT’s Creative Industries and founder of CLH. “These new webinars with industry leaders are one way to address these impacts here at home, opening new opportunities for our music creatives—whether they be emerging artists or seasoned professionals.”

Charles M. Brotman, Grammy and Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award-winner and director of the CLH Music Immersive, developed the new public program’s modules. While participants are invited to attend the full virtual program to maximize their opportunities, registration will also be offered for individual modules. Each one-hour program module is held at 2:00 p.m. HST.

Said Brotman, “Far too many of our incredible local songwriters and musicians—even experienced professionals—don’t take full advantage of the industry landscape. I’m delighted that this year, through this virtual platform, we can open up these game-changing insights to even more of the community.”

GET PAID FOR YOUR MUSIC: NAVIGATING NEW REVENUE STREAMS

Monday, November 9 – Demystifying Online Royalties: Bobby Borg and Michael Eames, co-authors of the new book “Intro To Music Publishing For Musicians,” break down this often confusing area of the music business. From SoundExchange to MLC, Bobby (“Music Marketing for the DIY Musician”) and Michael (Pen Music, past AIMP president) will run down the online areas that artists earn royalties. Julia Brotman (attorney) moderates.

Thursday, November 12 – How to Get Your Music Into Film and TV: Film and TV licensing can replace performance income and provide a source of revenue for those who learn who the decision makers are and how to effectively pitch their music. Panelists: Frank Palazzolo (music supervisor); Kayla Masnek (licensing agent from Secret Road); and David Fisher (music supervisor from Songs for Film and TV).

Monday, December 7 – Music For Advertising: Licensing music for advertising is yet another source of income for indie artists. Topics covered will include what type of music works best for brands, and how to position your music for licensing in the advertising world. Panelists: Ryan Wines (co-founder of Marmoset Music) and Peter Suk (head of sync at Koze Music).

Thursday, December 10 – Production Music Libraries: Most music on TV and streaming services are from production music libraries. This panel covers the role of a library and the opportunities it can provide for musicians, composers, producers and songwriters. Panelists: Adam Taylor (APM Music), Dan Brown Jr. (CrimeSonics), Christy Carew (5 Alarm Music). Moderated by Morgan McNight (Executive Director, Production Music Association).

Fellows of CLH music programs have had tangible successes employing the knowledge received through their Creative Lab Hawaii experience. Music written by Hawaii’s songwriters during the program has been licensed to TV shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Resident,” “Empire,” “Nashville,” “Legacies,” “Shadowhunters,” “The Last Summer,” “Heartland,” “All Rise,” “Roswell,” “Supergirl”, “All American” and many more.

Said artist Keilana Mokulehua, “I used to think there were only a few avenues available to me if I wanted to pursue a career in music. But now, I have learned that the possibilities are endless. I have been able to create connections, collaborate with creatives, and land music placements worldwide. And I’ve only just scratched the surface of what CLH provides for Hawaii creatives.”

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