New Digital Media Technologies and Canadian Classical Music: Recording, Distribution and Broadcasting in a Post-Napster World

Summary

The classical music recording and broadcast landscape in Canada has changed significantly in recent years. Sales of recorded music and hours per week of classical radio programming have dramatically declined, and along with it the benefits from such exposure for classical musicians and Canadian culture.

But with recent advances in new digital media technologies, there is now an opportunity for music ensembles and performers with the support of governments, their culture programs and the CBC to play a much more vital role than it is currently able to through existing means of terrestrial FM radio programming, CD sales and on–line digital music aggregators such as CD Baby and retailers such as iTunes.

With support from federal and provincial governments and the CBC, media companies and arts organizations could take a leading role in profiling Canadian culture on the global media stage through the use of innovative digital media technologies that include hybrid digital radio, mobile devices and social media networking sites.

Bringing all the relevant participants together in a roundtable discussion could be a useful way to engage and facilitate this process.

Submission

BACKGROUND

Radio broadcasting and recorded music have traditionally been the two main players in shaping the vitality of the classical music media culture in Canada.

RADIO — In the past, established Canadian classical performers or ensembles who are making a vital contribution were profiled by the CBC through broadcasts of concerts, interviews and discussions that focus on how the performer or ensemble contributes to our culture, and CD recordings. Throughout the week, audiences could hear and discover existing and new artists: artistic directors, producers and presenters used this awareness as a tool for developing their own programs and concerts.

Radio no longer provides sufficient support for classical music

However, over the past decade, CBC has ceased altogether recording classical music for release on CD, and dramatically reduced the amount of classical music programming it broadcasts on its two radio channels, as it attempts to balance its desire to support all genres of Canadian music. And, it now only broadcasts live classical concert recordings on Sunday afternoons, and very occasionally during the weekday shows.

It has embraced the Internet through streaming of its live and automated programming and makes a good portion of its recorded classical concerts available for on–demand streaming, and its programs available for download as podcasts.

However, the number of listeners of programming available via the Internet does not come close to equaling the numbers that would have been listening to classical programming or buying CDs even a few years ago.

RECORDED MUSIC — Sales of recorded music by major and independent record labels for all genres have also dramatically declined, with the exception of sales by artists directly to their audiences at concerts and through private sales (and to a small degree, via digital on–line retailers).

Recorded music sales have dramatically declined

In these latter cases, it is very difficult to develop a profile that reaches beyond the region in which the performer lives and most commonly performs in and music is becoming increasingly regionalized. A strong regional profile is not enough to enable musicians to sustain their professional careers, or have an impact on Canada's national culture as perceived from abroad.

CBC Records no longer records music for release on CD, and now only provides its back catalog for sale on–line. There are several smaller independent labels with limited recording activity, with the exception of two reasonably active Quebec–based labels which receive funding to promote mainly Quebec artists, and occasional collaborations with non–Quebec ensembles and artists. The international label "Naxos" records some Canadian content, but their pay–scale is such that musician unions and most professional artists choose not to support them. As well, being associated with Naxos is not seen as being beneficial due to the "budget" reputation for this label.

Some individual musicians are recording and releasing CDs independently, selling them mostly to regional audiences.

NEW DIGTAL MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES — At the same time, technology has changed, and audiences have begun to seek the music they wish to hear from other sources than traditional radio and recorded mediums. These sources currently include:

• Internet — On–line sales, streaming, YouTube, file–sharing and individual websites are among the many ways that the Internet is delivering music.
• Telecommunications — The telecommunications world is witnessing the emergence of music being made available through smartphone "apps". Driven by the sports and video game industries and followed by music entertainment, this mode of delivery is predicted to dramatically increase. Smartphones are also able to access many of the existing Internet digital services mentioned above.
• Satellite radio and in Canada to a far lesser degree, digital radio (using land–based transmission towers) have emerged in North America as a growing source for music. These services already have established popularity in Europe, and some have incorporated the Internet in hybrid radio services.

Social networking sites are emerging as a powerful potential means of promoting and distributing music.

However, there does not yet appear to be a clear fore–runner in these evolving distribution and transmission mediums that audiences are following en masse, and so as musicians we are caught in the middle with uncertain choices as to where to focus our efforts in getting our music heard by our audiences outside of the concert hall. We also lack the influence (due to numbers of listeners) to impact how our music can be obtained.

THE NEAR FUTURE

Smartphones are predicted to explode in sales in the near future (at least 500 million world–wide by 2013), and with it will come a demand for entertainment to be accessed through this source.

There is already a well–entrenched capability on the desktop computer (or notebook, netbook platforms). Web–enabled televisions will further encourage this market.

Other countries such as Britain and Sweden have seen a stronger trend towards digital radio where their listeners are going to get their music, and in some countries such as the US, hybrid digital radio is becoming a stronger contender. We can observe these countries to see what we can learn and apply to our own unique situation here in Canada.

Demand for legitimate recorded music is increasing

Commercial subscription streaming services such as Spotify are flourishing and growing in popularity in Europe and are currently negotiating to compete with services such as Pandora here in North America. (None of these services are available in Canada). They are developing "apps" that will enable smartphones to stream their services. Many media analysts are predicting that with the coming surge in sales of smartphones, a corresponding surge in demand for services will occur.

Both the hybrid radio and streaming service models allow for additional text information to be included with the audio stream, and the hybrid radio allows for video as well.

There also appears to be a reduction in the number of music files being illegally downloaded (although this still accounts for the vast majority of file downloads) and that there may be a growing acceptance for paid music. Users are beginning to look for music to be chosen for them and streamed, much like the current radio model, but free of advertisements.

Social media networking sites are flourishing and hundreds of millions of people have now incorporated their usage into their daily lives.

In Canada alone over the past decade, enrollment in classical music training programs at the Royal Conservatory of Music has increased from 100,000 to over 500,000 students. This is an enormous emerging new music audience who are tech–savvy and socially active using media technologies.

WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW

Some professional ensembles are now establishing agreements with their musicians through their unions to enable them to record their live concerts and use the recordings for promotional and other purposes (eg Soundstreams, KW Symphony, Tafelmusik).

Some are releasing recordings on their own labels (eg Toronto Symphony, Montreal Symphony, Tafelmusik) and would also be willing to explore engaging in some manner of co–production role with the CBC.

Others are exploring the Internet through developing their own websites to include interactive digital technologies (eg. Louis Lortie) and to link up with social networking sites such as Facebook.

Ensembles are also researching, consulting, exploring and collaborating to create policies that will help them navigate the constantly changing environment.

Beyond this however, the amount of recorded classical music being created, distributed and broadcasted in Canada featuring professional musicians is very limited, and new digital media opportunities are most certainly not being explored to their fullest potential.

There is a unique opportunity for Canada to lead the way.

WHAT WE NEED

We need to start finding ways to reach and engage audiences through the emerging digital technologies. The following are just suggestions for how we might start.

RADIO — If a model such as that which CBC Radio 3 has developed over the past two years were adapted and developed for Radio 2 with its existing programming and on–line concert archives, audiences in Canada would have a rich and vital resource that could be even better than what was available before the decline of CD sales and the reduction of CBC Radio 2's classical music programming.

CBC Radio 3 (CBC Radio 3 Website) currently enables many genres of music to upload their music to the CBC site, where it is available both to listeners through the CBC Radio 3 website, and then used as a library by the Radio 3 programmers for their on–air programming. This is a unique concept which CBC Radio has pioneered, and it enables listeners to create "playlists" of their favourite music which they can share with their friends, and soon will allow for the ability to automatically create playlists based on user–preferences, much like iTunes' "Genius" function.

Performers can enhance their sites with videos, blogs, and more, and also have control over what stays on that site, as they own the music.

A new, hybrid interactive radio model

A combination of the Radio 3 model with Radio 2 could be a unique approach to explore, where classical ensembles and performers would produce their own content, and upload it to Radio 2, who would then use this as a resource, as Radio 3 does. And in fact, Signals, a CBC Radio 2 program that presents new (non–classical) electronic music is now experimenting with this process, and have invited musicians to submit to Radio 3, where Signal producers will look for music to program on their show.

Funding could be provided by federal granting agencies to classical ensembles and performers and to the CBC specifically designed to encourage this activity, much as this money was provided for CD recording and distribution in the past.

This encouragement could take the form of a negotiated payment system, similar to that which streaming services such as Spotify are employing, so that performers get paid for what is chosen for broadcast as part of regular Radio 2 programming.

This system could also apply to all genres, and for certain would be complicated to work out, as it would involve labels and unions, but we need to realize that the golden era of recorded and broadcasted music is past us, and a new era must be forged.

RECORDED MUSIC — Current established classical music labels could be encouraged to work out agreements with streaming services. Musician unions could be encouraged to support these and other new digital media ideas. This could perhaps be achieved through tax incentives, allowing musicians to deduct the value of their recorded service from their taxable income.

Copyright legislation could be updated to facilitate exploration of new digital media technologies and ideas. In Canada in part because of current copyright laws, it is impossible to set up or participate in a service such as Pandora or Spotify, and we are lagging far behind the rest of the world in even this simple concept.

Policies could be created that encourage music production and distribution businesses to explore and embrace the emerging technologies. Smaller independent entrepreneurs could be empowered to try out ideas. As with the radio model, funding could be provided by federal granting agencies to ensembles and performers specifically designed to encourage this activity.

GOVERNMENT and INDUSTRY FUNDING — It has been reported that the federal government has been "updating [their] policies and taking concrete action to benefit from the numerous possibilities of the digital era". (Rt Hn. James Moore, July 31–09).

Sources of funding for classical recording such as the Canada Council have ended their current related programs, and the money has been reallocated to the Canada Music Fund that supports businesses and artists involved in digital market development (as well as international market development).

Mr. Moore has also said that the fund is designed specifically to "increase the visibility of Canadian music on digital platforms and in international markets" and that it is committed to supporting Canadian music culture, especially where it is seeking to "seize the many opportunities offered by digital technology."

Currently however these programs focus on interactive projects that "require applicants to design their projects across a minimum of two distribution platforms, including television."

There do not appear to be policies that directly support the unique new digital media recording and broadcasting needs of classical music on the Internet, which do not necessarily include television.

The industry–supported Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Record (FACTOR) has received additional funding for recorded music, but this agency has traditionally focused almost exclusively on non–classical music genres, and as its name implies, is focused on the record medium (physical CDs or digital distribution).

Programs tailored specifically for the needs of classical music in Canada would be of great benefit.

WHAT COULD HELP MOVE THINGS FORWARD

ROUNDTABLE — One suggestion that is receiving support from a number of ensembles Chestnut Hall Music has contacted is to hold a roundtable discussion open to all of the interested ensembles, with participation by the CBC and the federal government and its granting agencies.

The discussion would be preceded by some brief presentations of what exactly "new digital media" currently is and where it is headed. The landscape has been changing so rapidly, it is not a certain thing that everyone is aware of the potential that is before us.

Roundtable discussions have been held recently for industry players in the music industry (including labels), but not for the performers and ensembles themselves.

POLICIES — Clearly articulated policies and funding opportunities that support digital media initiatives relevant to the needs of classical music in Canada need to be made available, and promoted to performers and ensembles.

CONCLUSION

Classical music arts organizations in Canada could take a leading role in profiling Canadian culture on the global media stage through the use of innovative digital media technologies. In doing so, they would inspire the development of these technologies.

With support from government and the CBC, arts organizations and individual musicians could directly contribute to the vitality of our culture and how it is presented to our nation and to the world.

Individual ensembles on their own likely cannot do what the CBC and the recording industry once did for classical music in Canada: we lack the finances to establish a strong enough digital presence in the minds of our audiences. Either the CBC or our recording industry needs to be empowered to be able to do this, or we need to find another way to build a strong, compelling presence on the Internet and smartphones, and whatever new technology may emerge.

A dialogue between all of the participants would be a good starting point to explore how this could be achieved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Earl McCluskie received his classical music training at the University of Western Ontario in Theory and Composition, and recording training from the Tonmeister graduate program at McGill University.

As producer for Chestnut Hall Music, he works actively with and produces recordings for many Waterloo region ensembles, performers and composers including Juno–nominated Timothy Corlis' Notes Towards a Poem that Can Never Be Written and Leonard Enns' Nocturne from the DaCapo Chamber Choir's award–winning release ShadowLand, the Wellington Winds, the Menno Singers, Greensleaves, Windjammers, Sandra Mogensen, Guelph Symphony Orchestra, Michael Purves–Smith and Kevin Ramessar, and live concert recordings for numerous ensembles and performers including the KW Symphony.

As artistic director for the Chestnut Hall Camerata, he has produced concerts including the Waterloo Region Choral Composers Song Circle in 2008, MICHAELMAS: A Numinous Feast for All Angels in 2009 (with co–artistic director, Daniel Cabena and nominated for a KW Arts Award in 2010), A Mother's Tale in February of 2010 and an upcoming project entitled The Hero's Journey that will use Internet digital media technologies to enable a multi–location performance of a music and dance work by musicians and dancers in different locations.

Beyond the region, his projects include a co–production with CBC Radio– Canada's Espace Musique of Tempi con Variazioni with Helmut Lipsky, Suzie LeBlanc and Melosophere premiered at l'Université de Montréal and then presented in 2008 at the Quebec City 400 Anniversary celebrations, and released on CD in the fall of 2009. He works with Toronto ensembles including Soundstreams Canada in Toronto, for whom he produces concert recordings.

He is a board member of the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund, NUMUS, the Chestnut Hall Camerata and the Toronto section of the international Audio Engineering Society.

Websites: Chesnut Hall Music Website and Chesnut Hall Camerata