From teenagers taking their first tentative steps into creating music in their bedrooms to local bands hoping to build a following, the past few years have been a difficult time for grassroots musicians as the pandemic shut down live venues. It has cut off earnings while restricting opportunities for new talent to cut their teeth, collaborate and network.
For the likes of Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Madonna, who can sell out areas even during a cost of living crisis, the bounce back has been quick. But for those starting out, the convoluted economics of the music industry has never been more challenging, as fans with less money in their pockets are torn between spending that extra £20 on their monthly streaming subscription, a taxi home after a gig (because you know there won’t be any buses) or a night out at a small venue to listen to some local talent.
Two Bristolians, each involved in different sectors of the local music scene, have combined forces to help emerging artists take the next step on the ladder and hopefully create a few ripples in the process.
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Simon Metson is the founder of Audiotarkey, a Bristol-based ethical streaming service that hosts over 270 musicians from all over the world where, unlike other audio platforms you may be more familiar with, the money you pay actually goes straight to the artists you listen to.
Simon explained: “The idea was to make an artist-first, artist-led streaming platform. People think that the money they're paying Spotify goes to the artists they listen to directly, but there's not a direct link, it’s pooled and distributed, and the division of money is opaque. That works out very well for certain types of artists and very badly for other types of artists.
"With Audiotarky, the idea was that we solve that problem, and the technology we have been using pays out more per unit of time than Spotify would. So you get into an interesting place that opens up more opportunities for more diverse things, which is kind of cool."
Audiotarky is a portmanteau of audio and autarky, a type of economic system based on self-sufficiency. Initial funding for the site came from a grant. Simon says that because running costs are modest, Audiotarky essentially pays for itself, allowing it to grow organically rather than chase users and make improvements and changes along the way.
One of the developments he is exploring, courtesy of a second grant is NFTs (non-fungible tokens), which are one-off or rare digital releases where the artist can still retain the copyright and reproduction rights for secondary sales, creating longer-term, more sustainable income.
Through discussions around the NFT project, Simon connected with Leon Curry, the co-founder of Factory Studios in Barton Hill, a multi-discipline creative space also offers an artist development program that helps early-career musicians with rehearsing, recording and mentoring. Recognising a synergy between Factory and Audiotarky’s ethos', the pair have teamed up on a new initiative called Future Sound of Bristol.
Future Sound of Bristol aims to provide financial support and a platform for music creatives by offering the opportunity for artists to win a share of £10k and 100 hours of rehearsal time at Factory. The competition is open to anyone regardless of location, though obviously, the ability to travel to Factory is a plus. All participants have to do is upload their music to Audiotarky and tell them about their project and what they’d use the money for.
Out of all those that apply, the top 25 artists and labels will be selected based on social media engagement and total streaming time. Then a panel of judges, including award-winning record producer Ali Chant and Night Time Economy Advisor for Bristol Carly Heath Elder, will pick three prize winners.
As well as providing a helping hand, Simon and Leon hope the project will have a wider positive impact on the city's indie musicians. Simon said: “Bristol's got a really well-connected music scene that’s [both large enough and small enough] to allow artists to intermingle, and there's also an independent mindset. I think one of the things that's interesting with music is you get that ripple effect, and so Bristol being quite a fertile place, we thought, let’s chuck some money in the pond and see what happens.
Leon said:” At Factory, we have hundreds of bands that come through every week. There's been a real growth in kind of a new wave of music, and all the bands are working with each other, just trying to make it all work.
"Grassroots music could do with a platform, such as Audiotarky and some people that are willing to help them push their music out there, and the Bristol mentality is a great place to start with this." Leon cites local bands Hypothetics, the Belishas, Quade and artists tlk as examples of those that have been through Factory's development program and are now making moves on the Bristol scene.
Simon said: "In a place like Bristol, grassroots are as good or better than a band that you maybe see on TV; they haven't had that opportunity to go huge yet."
Leon added: "Some of them just need a bit of a helping hand; they need to be shown how to do it and have introductions to the industry and networking opportunities or attachment to a small label, or this way of streaming. I think that by everybody feeling part of something - these are the ways that we're helping musicians turn it away from just hobby and something a bit more."
Applications for Future Sound Bristol are open until April 10, and winners will be announced on April 21.
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