What are 22 music professionals from Austria doing on a long train journey from Vienna to Zurich? Make the best use of your time because you are on a mission: BUILDING BRIDGES: MISSION SWITZERLAND! It’s March 22nd. 2023. The goal: to connect with the Swiss music industry and build long-term partnerships. Building Bridges: Mission Switzerland is a pilot project by Austrian Music Export in cooperation with m4music and Waves Vienna Conference & Festival.
On the rails to Zurich and m4music
In exchange with colleagues in Switzerland, the travelers will spend a day discussing the similarities and differences in their markets and starting points. What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a small country and having larger countries with the same language next door? One thinks here – in addition to the big brother Germany – also of France and Italy. How do the actors deal with the reflex to automatically strive for these countries? What means, opportunities and support are there to grow locally? What is the role of national media in this? And how are international agendas shaped in return? How is the live market developing in the wake of the large corporations? How does this affect small labels and their artists?
With this list of questions in mind, the tour group gathers together in the open-plan car shortly after leaving Vienna. Moderated discussion rounds serve as preparation in order to define exactly the relevant topics and questions for the needs of the participants. Seats are changed and our travel group is transformed into the four groups “Live”, “Management”, “Publisher” and “Label”. The wagon rolls west and talks are under way.
On the rails: Anna Marboe (Anna Mabo), David Stecher (Little Big Beat Studios), Stefan Penz (Mother´s Cake / Little Big Beat Studios), Manuela Rauhut (depot Bludenz), Benjamin Leingartner (Superplus Records), Sarah Gerstmayer (Waves Vienna – Festival & Conference), Johannes Stöckholzer (all of us), Rebecca Zaradic (echop pilot), Hans Zoderer (vulkanmusic) Stefan Weinöhrl (Waves Vienna – Festival & Conference), Magdalena Holczik (media manufactory), Paulina Parvanov (soda. with raspberry), Antoine Perret (Off the Record) Catherine Glück (February wool), Theresa Langner (Morinoko), David Buder (Matches Music), Jürgen Distler (BLUEJAY), Bettina Schöll (East. Musikfonds/Austrian Music Export), Franz Hergovich (Austrian Music Export), Ruth Ranacher (mica music austria / Austrian Music Export), Hannes Tschürtz (Ink Music/Austrian Music Export).
Music in Austria and Swiss Music Market
Expectant atmosphere and black coffee in Club Exile at 10 am in Zurich: The Swiss delegates get to know the Austrian delegates. After a round of introductions by all participants, Franz Hergovich (Austrian Music Export) an overview of the music industry in Austria and the importance of the cultural asset “music” in the economy. Austrian Musik Export follows the course that art and business are not opposites, because there is an interest in sustainable and good cultural production.
Jean Zuber (Swiss Music Export) opens his lecture with the fact that export and import belong together and underpins with figures that Austria and Switzerland have things in common. For example, the number of inhabitants is almost the same, with Switzerland soon cracking the 9 million mark. Switzerland and Austria are also on par when it comes to the total amount of cultural funding. And, although Switzerland is expensive, retail prices for LPs are not that far apart at 25-35 Swiss Francs and 20-25 Euros in Austria. If you want to know more about this, the ZHDK is a good source for statistics: https://creativeeconomies.com/
Last but not least, as a non-EU member, Switzerland has a special status in relation to Europe. Since Brexit, the dividing lines have been drawn more sharply across the EU. Switzerland is not part of Creative Europenot from horizon and there is none Erasmus +. Jean Zuber states that this is to the detriment of cultural production and research institutions.
The colleagues from Switzerland: Fabienne Bruttin (Universal), Patrick David (Two Gentlemen), Christian Fighera (Two Gentlemen), Claudia Jogschies (Music Office Basel), Claudia Kempf (SUISA), Stoph Ruckli (Other Music Luzern/Stoph Bjornson), Fabienne Schmuki (Irascible), Jannik Till (Tillride Music Management), James Varghese (Quiet Love Records), Jean Zuber (Swiss Music Export).
Meet the Alpine Super League
Refreshed and strengthened from the lunch break, our Swiss and Austrians arrive back at Club Exil and become a community. What do they need to know about each other in order to understand the do’s and don’ts of the other music market? How does corporate culture work in Swiss, how in Austria and how does it work globally?
Divided into four groups, discussions will now continue throughout the afternoon. The question arose in all groups as to why there had previously been little exchange between Austria and Switzerland. Couldn’t you build a network to support each other in music export? Wouldn’t it be helpful to be able to link to the experiences of the respective local music scene? So there is an interest in exchange within our circle. Let’s let a few voices have their say:
„Building Bridges: Mission Switzerland gave a short but intense insight into the Swiss music scene. Despite the similar size of the country, both musical markets function differently in many respects. But there are also similarities, parallels, and partly the same musical-strategic stumbling blocks that should be used for a more intensive symbiosis in the future.“ – Jürgen Distler (BLUEJAY Music Publishing – Ink Music)
„The discussions showed that we all, small independent labels like us, as well as other representatives of the music industry, face the same challenges. On the one hand sad, on the other hand inspiring, since so many still decide to follow this path because we all have a common passion: music.
Personally, I was able to develop new ideas through the discussions and was able to gather new strength and motivation. The motto is to keep at it, to be courageous to try out completely new ways and, above all, to stay in contact with colleagues, to find common ways so that we can all pursue our passion for a long time to come.” – Rebecca Zaradic (Echopilot)
„I am very happy to have been part of “Building Bridges: Mission Switzerland”. I found the many insightful conversations with colleagues from Austria and Switzerland particularly great. The absolute highlight was of course the Anna Mabo showcase. For her, everyone present and me as her artist manager, it was really great that she was able to perform on the eve of the renowned Swiss festival m4music and enchant exile.“ – Magdalena Holczik (Media Manufactory Vienna)
„The exchange with the representatives of the Austrian delegation was also interesting and paved the way for possible cooperation, or simply for a better exchange within the industry. I returned to Vienna with a fascination for Swiss music culture, new friends and a little lack of sleep.” – Hans Zoderer (vulkanmusic)
“The connect and exchange mission was a successful ‘getting to know each other’, but it remains to be seen whether this first date can turn into a relationship – and that takes care and time on both sides.” – David Stecher (True Peak Sounds | Little Big Beat | Poolbar)
What such a network could look like in the future and what it needs will be part of a next meeting at Waves Vienna 2023. Our community has found a working title: Meet the Alpine Super League!
Schweizer Feedback Club & Austrian Heartbeats Showcase
After this successful stage, we continue to the “Swiss Feedback Club”. This is used for the exchange of labels and managements. A professional exchange at eye level is particularly possible in this form of the “club”, because the participating actors are very willing to provide information. At the latest with a drink after the lectures, this also succeeds.
Evening mood gradually sets in. After the “Swiss Feedback Club” it’s back to the Club Exil. It’s getting dark outside while our Austrian Heartbeats Showcase starts inside. Anna Mabo, BERGLIND and Lou Asrilwho celebrated the release of his latest EP with the remaining community at midnight sharp, present their music in front of a specialist audience.
The next day, on Friday, March 24th, kick My Ugly Clementine and Leftovers in the regular programme m4music on. It’s Friday night, the first day of the festival. Before the Club Exile long lines of people are forming today waiting for the entrance to the concert of the supergroup from Austria My Ugly Clementine wait…
Waves Vienna was on board as a partner throughout the trip. In 2023, the spotlight will also be on Switzerland as the focus country. With this in mind, Austrian Music Export is looking forward to September as part of the Waves Vienna Festival & Conference 2023 to welcome many Swiss colleagues to Austria. So watch out for Business Mixes by Swiss Music Export and meet the Alpine Super League!
We thank m4music and Swiss Music Export for their kind support and for their hospitality. Many thanks to Winery Hagn for sponsoring the wine as part of the Austrian Heartbeats Showcase.
The outward journey was deliberately organized as a train journey from Vienna to Zurich. The CO₂ consumption extrapolated to 22 people amounts to 471 kg CO₂. On a flight for the same route, 22 passengers would have consumed 2318.8 kg more CO₂.
Ruth Ranacher
Links:
swiss-music-export.com
www.m4music.ch
www.wavesvienna.com
www.indiesuisse.ch
hagn-weingut.at
Resources:
creativeeconomies.com
Austrian Music Export Handbook