Output: Defining and developing the music sector in Northern Ireland

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Generator NI is the appointed delivery partner for a three year Music

Business Support Programme (MBSP) in Northern Ireland, which is funded

by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and by Invest NI.

The programme specifically aims to accelerate the development of skills,

audiences, markets and incomes for N. Ireland based artists and businesses.

The NI professional music sector continues to thrive and develop both on the

creative and entrepreneurial stages, with many exciting new propositions and

a wide range of artists and businesses on steep international audience

development and market acceleration curves.

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Made by Generator NI

Mark Gordon

Nu Graham

Ross Graham

Grace Loughrey

Siubhán Macauley

Sarah Plunkett

& Lucy Skerritt

D E F I N I N G A N D D E V E L O P I N G T H E M U S I C S E C T O R

I N N O R T H E R N I R E L A N D

This Output publication has been produced to highlight the current vibrance of music in Northern

Ireland. The economic development and commercial growth of the sector is our primary role and

hence the core content of Output is focused on these aspects. We also aim to highlight the essential

contribution of other key stakeholders in the development of music as a hugely important element in

the social and cultural fabric of our lives and of those who visit our country and cities.

This publication coincides with the delivery of Generator NI's flagship annual Output Belfast conference

and showcase event, which we deliver in partnership with Belfast City Council. This event is designed to

bring national and international industry practitioners to Northern Ireland, to share best practice and

network with our industry, and also to showcase the best of our creative performing talent to the global

industry and media.

To achieve the aims and objectives of our MBSP funders, Generator NI acknowledge and greatly value

their regional, national and international partnerships from both the public and private sectors. Key

amongst these partners are Belfast City Council, Northern Ireland Screen, Generator UK, Nerve Centre,

UK Trade and Investment, PRS for Music Foundation, BPI and AIM.

output book.indd 3 04/02/2016 09:49:24

D E P A R T M E N T O F E N T E R P R I S E , T R A D E & I N V E S T M E N T

Music is a crucial part of the creative economy in

Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland has produced some of the world’s leading

artists, from James Galway to Snow Patrol, Van Morrison to DJ

David Holmes, to current success stories Soak and Bicep. Home

grown talent like this is helping to shine the spotlight on Northern

Ireland’s creative capabilities across the global music stage. It

is estimated that the Northern Ireland music sector contributes

£61.5 million in annual GVA to the local economy and employs

nearly 4,000 people. My Department’s aim is to build on this to

enable the local music sector to both compete globally and

realise its significant economic potential.

Northern Ireland’s music industry is by definition highly

entrepreneurial. With Executive funding available through the

Music Business Support Programme, we aim to support this

entrepreneurial spirit ensuring we have the skills and knowledge

necessary to exploit the substantial export opportunities,

accelerating the growth of the sector and maximising the

contribution the music industry makes to the local economy.

We are committed to ensuring that we capitalise on every

opportunity to promote our local talent. Opportunities such as

hosting the MTV Music Awards in 2012 provided a unique

platform to promote music from here to an international audience.

Invest NI also helps businesses from our vibrant music sector to

attend South by Southwest in Texas to promote themselves to

key industry players.

There are also many unique opportunities for collaboration

between di�erent creative platforms. Londonderry based

animation company, Dog Ears recently collaborated with local

music company, Smalltown America Records, to provide the score

for its series “Pu�n Rock”. Now available on Netflix, it includes

a distinctive, cinematic soundtrack recorded by the Ulster

Orchestra in BBC Blacksta� Studios. This kind of creative

innovation is to be applauded and I hope many more companies

from the Film, TV, Gaming and Animation sector will seek to

work collaboratively with local musicians and publishers.

This publication provides a blueprint for developing the economic

contribution of the music industry in Northern Ireland and will

support the set-up and growth of music businesses, and accelerate

growth in Northern Ireland’s evolving music industry. As such, I

am pleased to have the opportunity to acknowledge Generator

NI’s hard work and dedication as they continue to work closely

with the sector to develop opportunities in the global marketplace

for Northern Ireland’s artists and businesses alike.

Jonathan Bell MLA

Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister

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Mark Gordon

Nu Graham

Ross Graham

Grace Loughrey

Siubhán Macauley

Sarah Plunkett

& Lucy Skerritt

D E P A R T M E N T O F C U L T U R E , A R T S & L E I S U R E

The primary roles of the Executive are to promote a sustainable

economy and to promote equality. These objectives are the core of

my Department’s priority to Promote Equality, and Tackle Poverty

and Social Exclusion. This is the context for my Department’s role

as the government lead on the creative industries – a sector

recognised across the world as a catalyst for wider economic and

social innovation.

Indeed the creative and cultural sectors are increasingly recognised

across the world as important drivers of wider economic and social

innovation. I recognise the importance of music as a key element in

the creative sector as it presents a wealth of opportunities: helping

us to break down barriers; providing a variety of educational

opportunities; as well as helping us to find ways to integrate many

diverse and minority groups positively into our society.

I would like to emphasise the importance of the arts and culture in

contributing to positive health and mental wellbeing, in creating a

cohesive society, in promoting tourism and as an inspirational driver

for the creative industries. Music is an essential part of our cultural

identity and plays a major role in taking our own culture out to the

rest of the world.

The North’s own growing music o�er is continuing to add significant

value to the wealth of cultural attractions for incoming tourism,

particularly through events such as Belfast's 10 day Belsonic

Festival, now in its 8th year, the 3 day Belfast Tattoo and the

huge success of the Fleadh in Derry during its City of Culture Year.

DCAL's support and commitment to Derry's year as City of Culture

and to the legacy of that initiative was particularly focused on the

breadth of benefit that music can bring to community development,

inspiring creativity and connecting all ages. My Department

continues to provide support for music in the North through

a broad range of initiatives targeted towards social, cultural

and economic development.

My Department's contribution to the support of the music industry

sector is best exemplified by its joint commissioning with Invest NI

and funding of the Music Business Support Programme, run by

Generator NI who work closely with the sector to develop

opportunities for artists and businesses in the global

marketplace, and who have produced this publication.

Huge benefits can be derived from working together creatively and

thinking innovatively. As Minister for the Arts, I want the arts,

music and creative sectors to blossom in the North of Ireland.

Carál Ní Chuilín MLA

Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure

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S E C T I O N O N E

D E F I N I N G T H E M U S I C S E C T O R

T H E G L O B A L P E R S P E C T I V E : A N O V E R V I E W

T H E U K P E R S P E C T I V E : A N O V E R V I E W

T H E M U S I C I N D U S T R Y I N N O R T H E R N I R E L A N D

A ) P R O D U C T I O N A N D E X P L O I T A T I O N O F I N T E L L E C T U A L P R O P E R T Y I N M U S I C

i ) R E C O R D E D M U S I C A N D R E C O R D L A B E L S

i i ) A R T I S T M A N A G E M E N T

i i i ) M U S I C I A N S , P E R F O R M E R S , S O N G W R I T I N G

& C O M P O S I T I O N

i v ) M U S I C P R O D U C T I O N

v ) I N S T R U M E N T M A N U F A C T U R E

v i ) M U S I C P U B L I S H I N G

v i i ) M A R K E T I N G A N D P R O M O T I O N

B ) L I V E M U S I C S E C T O R

V E N U E S A N D P R O M O T E R S

M U S I C F E S T I V A L S A N D L A R G E S C A L E E V E N T S

T R A D I T I O N A L M U S I C

S E C T I O N T W OS U P P O R T I N G T H E D E V E L O P M E N T O F T H E S E C T O R

M A R K E T D E V E L O P M E N T

I N T E R N A T I O N A L S H O W C A S I N G , C O N F E R E N C I N G

A N D T R A D E M I S S I O N S

T A L E N T D E V E L O P M E N T

I N V E S T I N G I N M U S I C

C O N V E R G E N C E , C O L L A B O R A T I O N A N D P A R T N E R S H I P S

S K I L L S D E V E L O P M E N T

B U S I N E S S S K I L L S D E V E L O P M E N T

C R E A T I V E S K I L L S D E V E L O P M E N T

E D U C A T I O N I N T H E M U S I C S E C T O R

S O C I A L A N D C O M M U N I T Y E N G A G E M E N T

F U T U R E O P P O R T U N I T I E S

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Mark Gordon

Nu Graham

Ross Graham

Grace Loughrey

Siubhán Macauley

Sarah Plunkett

& Lucy Skerritt

S E C T I O N O N E


T H E G L O B A L P E R S P E C T I V E : A N O V E R V I E W

T H E U K P E R S P E C T I V E : A N O V E R V I E W


A ) P R O D U C T I O N A N D E X P L O I T A T I O N O F I N T E L L E C T U A L P R O P E R T Y I N M U S I C



i i i ) M U S I C I A N S , P E R F O R M E R S , S O N G W R I T I N G

& C O M P O S I T I O N





B ) L I V E M U S I C S E C T O R

V E N U E S A N D P R O M O T E R S

M U S I C F E S T I V A L S A N D L A R G E S C A L E E V E N T S

T R A D I T I O N A L M U S I C

S E C T I O N T W OS U P P O R T I N G T H E D E V E L O P M E N T O F T H E S E C T O R


I N T E R N A T I O N A L S H O W C A S I N G , C O N F E R E N C I N G

A N D T R A D E M I S S I O N S



C O N V E R G E N C E , C O L L A B O R A T I O N A N D P A R T N E R S H I P S







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S E C T I O N

O N E


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Mark Gordon

Nu Graham

Ross Graham

Grace Loughrey

Siubhán Macauley

Sarah Plunkett

& Lucy Skerritt

T H E G L O B A L M U S I C I N D U S T R Y : A N O V E R V I E W

The global music industry is a highly competitive

environment characterised by continual change

and evolution. While existing in its own right as a

key creative industry, music businesses converge

across the screen and digital content industries,

adding intellectual property (IP) value to film,

television, tech, and online media platforms.

IP in the music sector is based on copyright

created in both lyrical and musical elements of

song writing, composition, arrangement and

production. IP value in the sector is also created

by the establishment of an identifiable and

exploitable brand, and in the development of

production software and hardware.

Successfully operating within this intensified

global marketplace requires complex international

connectivity. However, due to the advancement in

communications, and the digital distribution and

consumption revolution, regional and

decentralised music industry development and

sustainability has become a truly realistic

proposition.

E ectively growing and sustaining a regional

industry demands a comprehensive skills base

with world-class production and IP creation.

The global music sector can be split into two key

activity areas: recorded music and live music.

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“is in a constant state of change - most notably with the shifts from

physical to digital, and from static to mobile platforms. Consumption

of recorded music is more universally accessible and ubiquitous than

ever, with royalties and revenue streams from recorded music

growing increasingly diverse and complex.

Physical continues to decline while digital music sees significant

growth. Listeners increasingly choose services such as YouTube and

Spotify to stream music. An estimated 41 million people are paying

subscribers to digital music streaming services worldwide

(Source: IFPI).

Another area of growth in the global recorded music industry is in

revenue and royalties from synchronisation licensing across

multi-media content.

T H E R E C O R D E D M U S I C S E C T O R

An estimated 41 million people are paying subscribers to digital music

streaming services worldwide

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Mark Gordon

Nu Graham

Ross Graham

Grace Loughrey

Siubhán Macauley

Sarah Plunkett

& Lucy Skerritt

is wide in scope; from small scale venues serving niche audiences,

to large scale festivals with audiences of over 150,000 in

attendance, often with associated broadcast.

The success of live music on an international scale has seen live

music revenues surpass recorded music. The boom in popularity

is down to the unique experience these events o�er attendees,

allowing them to engage with music in a personal, tangible way.

Live music events provide an identifiable commercial market

opportunity, which attracts highly profitable brand alignments and

sponsorships. These include food, drink, mobile network, fashion

and car brands sponsoring large events aligning with their own

target markets.

L I V E M U S I C

“ The success of live music on an international scale has seen live music

revenues surpass recorded music

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C A S E S T U D Y


Northern Ireland has an exceptional track record for producing outstanding creative musical talent

and IP. Van Morrison and his sextet of Grammys, punk prodigies The Undertones penning John

Peel’s favourite song of all time; the abundance of extraordinary local talent has a

long-standing legacy.

With the achievements of classical pianist Barry Douglas OBE, Ivor Novello winning producer

David Holmes, celebrated House masters Bicep and the Mercury Prize nominated SOAK,

Northern Irish music has shone especially bright on the world stage in recent years.


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Mark Gordon

Nu Graham

Ross Graham

Grace Loughrey

Siubhán Macauley

Sarah Plunkett

& Lucy Skerritt

Founded in 2001 as an independent label in London, owner Andrew Ferris decided to relocate

Smalltown America back to his homeland of Northern Ireland in 2009. The label signs both

indigenous and international artists; notable regional signings include And So I Watch You From

Afar, More Than Conquerors and Axis Of, whereas Die! Die! Die! (New Zealand), USA Nails

(London) and Mnemotechnic (France) are examples of their international repertoire.

Smalltown America has a recording studio in Derry~Londonderry, as well as a successful sister

company Smalltown America Music, based in Belfast, which deals with music and song

publishing and licensing.

Smalltown America houses marketing, distribution and audio production from

our HQ in Derry~Londonderry - employing seven sta� and o�ering internships

to four graduates each year. For businesses, NI o�ers low operational cost, good

access to business property and an increasingly engaged talent pool. Internally,

we've seen increasing customer demand for wider and deeper product lines.

Artisanal, physical products such as screen-printed posters, coloured vinyl

variants and collectible lathe cuts provide good margins outside of our normal

product sets - we see fans of bands consuming everything an artist has to o�er.

“

S M A L L T O W N A M E R I C A

A N D R E W F E R R I S

The music industry in Northern Ireland contributes £61.5 million in GVA to the local economy

per year, employing over 3,820 people. 1,900 of those people are directly employed within a

music business, while the rest are in music-based roles within other industries. (Source: TBR)

The NI music industry hires mostly part-time individuals, making up 58% of the workforce.

37% of individuals are self-employed. (Source: Creative Skillset report).

According to the latest available data, there are around 640 music businesses operating in

Northern Ireland, turning over £166 million per year. The majority of businesses are

based in Belfast, with more peripheral businesses based mostly in the

Derry~Londonderry and Lisburn areas. (Source: TBR)

N I M U S I C I N N U M B E R S

The music industry in Northern Ireland contributes

£61,500,000 in GVA to the local economy per year“

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P R O D U C T I O N A N D E X P L O I T A T I O N O F

I N T E L L E C T U A L P R O P E R T Y I N

M U S I C

10

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Mark Gordon

Nu Graham

Ross Graham

Grace Loughrey

Siubhán Macauley

Sarah Plunkett

& Lucy Skerritt

This sector of the industry has without doubt been the area most a�ected by the radical changes resulting

from the revolution in digital and communication technologies across the past two decades. Traditionally

labels were gatekeepers, arbiters of taste and investment in the sector – due to the intrinsic power of

being the marketing, promotion and distribution mechanism for physically reproduced, recorded music.

As we move into the age of digital streaming, the record label remains a relevant entity, but the

commercial arena is a more challenging and ultimately democratically competitive one.

The industry-wide shift to independent and self-releasing records, rather than releasing on corporate

and major record labels has been liberating for the creative freedom of artists, as traditional barriers of

production, promotion and recording costs have ceased to price out emergent acts from the marketplace.

There is a large DIY ethic surrounding recorded music and record labels in Northern Ireland. Bands start

their own labels, self-fund and self-release their own music, assuming the responsibilities to release,

monetise and stream their own work. Attached to this are a small number of niche tastemaker labels

releasing everything from soundtrack albums to limited runs of hand-pressed 7” singles.

The function of a record label and the key role of A&R (artist and repertoire) within labels retains its

value, to be attached to even a modest indigenous record label can be perceived as a critical and financial

endorsement of an artist’s songwriting talent and earning potential. Northern Irish artists have been

signed to both national and global labels: acts such as Ash, Snow Patrol, Two Door Cinema Club,

Therapy? and more recently SOAK, have grown their careers in the global marketplace through

successful creative and business partnerships with both independent and major labels.


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C A S E S T U D Y12

output book.indd 12 04/02/2016 09:49:28


Mark Gordon

Nu Graham

Ross Graham

Grace Loughrey

Siubhán Macauley

Sarah Plunkett

& Lucy Skerritt

Founded in 2001 as an independent label in London, owner Andrew Ferris decided to relocate

Smalltown America back to his homeland of Northern Ireland in 2009. The label signs both

indigenous and international artists; notable regional signings include And So I Watch You From

Afar, More Than Conquerors and Axis Of, whereas Die! Die! Die! (New Zealand), USA Nails

(London) and Mnemotechnic (France) are examples of their international repertoire.

Smalltown America has a recording studio in Derry~Londonderry, as well as a successful sister

company Smalltown America Music, based in Belfast, which deals with music and song

publishing and licensing.

Smalltown America houses marketing, distribution and audio production from

our HQ in Derry~Londonderry - employing seven sta� and o�ering internships

to four graduates each year. For businesses, NI o�ers low operational cost, good

access to business property and an increasingly engaged talent pool. Internally,

we've seen increasing customer demand for wider and deeper product lines.

Artisanal, physical products such as screen-printed posters, coloured vinyl

variants and collectible lathe cuts provide good margins outside of our normal

product sets - we see fans of bands consuming everything an artist has to o�er.

“

S M A L L T O W N A M E R I C A

A N D R E W F E R R I S

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An artist manager’s role is to coordinate

their artist’s career development and help

to secure and maximise creative revenue

streams from their artist's IP. The typical

business arrangement between artist and

manager would be an agreement that the

manager would represent the act for the

betterment of the artist's career and

business development, for a share

(typically 20%) of net incomes.

Managers help to influence and conclude

key business and financial decisions

surrounding a musician's progress within

the industry; and with associated legal

services will act as a key broker towards

concluding deals between an artist,

producer, composer or performer with

other operators and service providers

of the music industry.


In recent years, more and more artists are

choosing to self-manage - the “DIY business

model” - often successfully handling their own

business a�airs, particularly during the earlier

stages of their career path. Nonetheless, it would

be rare for an artist to progress towards

substantial recording and publishing deals, live

representation, or large scale endorsements

without employing the services of a full-time

manager (or managers).

T H E C L A M E E N S O N T O U R I N I N D I A

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Mark Gordon

Nu Graham

Ross Graham

Grace Loughrey

Siubhán Macauley

Sarah Plunkett

& Lucy Skerritt

C A S E S T U D Y

Mark Holden's Derry~Londonderry based management company RumourMill

Music is one of the new crop of regional management operations that have

emerged over the past few years in Northern Ireland.

As an artist manager based in Northern Ireland, I have successfully negotiated multiple high profile opportunities for my artists, The Clameens. Since my appointment as the band’s manager, I have secured a record deal with 25 Hour Convenience Store (a London based record label run by Gary Powell of The Libertines). As a result of this, the label and I are currently strategising business exports to European territories.

The support of Generator NI, PRSF and UKTI has helped access UK and international export market development opportunities including The Great Escape, Liverpool Sound City and NH7 Weekender Festivals in India. This support has resulted in a significant growth of business opportunities for companies such as my own in Northern Ireland.

“R U M O U R M I L L M U S I C

M A R K H O L D E N

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Musicians and performers along with

songwriters and composers are the

primary creators in the music industry,

providing the assets and creative expertise

that generate incomes amongst the

professional sector.

Partners in the entrepreneurial and

ancillary service sectors of the music

industry also commercially capitalise

upon and exploit these assets created

by artists.

i i i ) M U S I C I A N S , P E R F O R M E R S ,S O N G W R I T I N G & C O M P O S I T I O N

Northern Ireland has a rich musical

history and a vibrant performance culture.

From traditional musicians to band

members, NI produces a plethora of

innovative, contemporary composers

and instrumentalists.

Individual musicians and performers are

often self employed or are characterised as

being micro businesses, and sometimes

employ and sub-contract services to third

parties (session musicians, touring

partners, support services).

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Mark Gordon

Nu Graham

Ross Graham

Grace Loughrey

Siubhán Macauley

Sarah Plunkett

& Lucy Skerritt

C A S E S T U D Y

David Holmes is a producer, music supervisor, composer and DJ born and bredin Belfast. He

started his career as a DJ at the tender age of 15, progressing to producing and composing his

own tracks, in addition to whole film scores. He was commissioned by Danny DeVito to score

Steven Soderbergh’s film Out of Sight in 1998, later sound tracking the renowned films

‘Ocean’s Eleven’, ‘Ocean’s Twelve’ and ‘Ocean’s Thirteen’.

David founded a production company, Canderblicks Film & Music, which released Good

Vibrations, a film biopic of Belfast record shop owner Terri Hooley; David also created the

soundtrack for the film. Belfast-based, BBC and RTÉ TV show The Fall also featured music

scored by David Holmes as did the recent award winning feature film ’71.

D A V I D H O L M E S

C A S E S T U D Y

Bridie Monds-Watson is a singer songwriter from Derry~Londonderry, performing under

the name SOAK. She was picked up by Rough Trade Records, who released her debut

album Before We Forget How to Dream in May 2015. SOAK has without a doubt been one

of the most successful breakthrough artists from Northern Ireland in recent years, even

being nominated for a Mercury Prize in 2015. She has headlined European, US and

Australian tours, toured with the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club, collaborated with

Chvrches and performed at music festivals Glastonbury, Latitude and Bestival.

SOAK showcased at Brighton based The Great Escape in 2013 and 2015, Holland's

Eurosonic in 2015 and SXSW (pictured) in Texas in 2015 with the help and support of

UKTI, Invest NI and Generator NI, helping raise her profile in the international

music market.

S O A K

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The last twelve months have been very successful for me as a musician and for my team that have helped to pave a path for both me and my reputation as an artist among an ever developing and impressive scene that exists in Northern Ireland right now.

Every day we work toward building a long term career so my music can be as relevant in 20 or 30 years as it is today. It's a long road.

“C I A R A N L A V E R Y

C A S E S T U D Y

Ciaran Lavery is an alternative folk singer songwriter from County Down, building a

successful international business based primarily upon his global popularity on music

streaming services. Ciaran has toured across Europe and played many times in the US,

including the 2014 UKTI Songwriters Mission in Nashville and Folk Alliance in Kansas.

Ciaran has surpassed 20 million plays on Spotify, mainly with tracks Shame and Left for

America. Ciaran Lavery is a skilled songwriter and performer, and also a talented co-writer as

can be heard on his collaborative mini-album Sea Legs with local electronic artist Ryan Vail.

C I A R A N L A V E R Y

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Mark Gordon

Nu Graham

Ross Graham

Grace Loughrey

Siubhán Macauley

Sarah Plunkett

& Lucy Skerritt

Camerata Ireland performs at home and abroad including Belfast, Derry~Londonderry, Cork, and Dublin, plus tours to USA, China, South America, Europe and India this season. Randox is our Global Sponsor, a fantastic arts and business partnership. We are also supported by Arts Council Northern Ireland and Arts Council Ireland. The climate for the arts in Northern Ireland is not optimum at the moment due to austerity, and many arts organisations are struggling or disappearing. However, artists who work in Northern Ireland are determined to make a positive contribution to society. Camerata has just launched an education initiative in North Belfast, which has been very well received. There is a lot to do and I am sure we will get there.

“B A R R Y D O U G L A S

C A S E S T U D Y

Barry Douglas OBE is a leading international pianist who in 1986 was awarded the hugely

prestigious Tchaikovsky International Award and went on to develop a high profile

international career. Barry also works as a conductor, and regularly performs at St. Luke’s

lunchtime series, in London. He founded Camerata Ireland in 1999; an orchestra which works

across the border to nurture and develop young Irish and Northern Irish talent.

B A R R Y D O U G L A S

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T H E U L S T E R O R C H E S T R A , C O N D U C T E D B Y P R I N C I P A LG U E S T C O N D U C T O R J A C V A N S T E E N , O C T 2 014

C A S E S T U D Y

The Ulster Orchestra is the only symphony orchestra in Northern Ireland that operates on a

full time basis. Founded in 1966 by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the orchestra has

performed across the globe in places such as Hong Kong and mainland Europe – however

the orchestra mostly performs in Belfast’s Ulster Hall. The Ulster Orchestra provides the

vast majority of classical music-based outreach work within Northern Ireland, developing

cultural and artistic engagement within classical and contemporary music.

U L S T E R O R C H E S T R A

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Mark Gordon

Nu Graham

Ross Graham

Grace Loughrey

Siubhán Macauley

Sarah Plunkett

& Lucy Skerritt

21

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The recording and production sector in

Northern Ireland consists of a variety of

practitioners and businesses combining

creative skills with technical and

engineering expertise, operating on

various scales.

The technological landscape of this

sector has been subject to significant

advancements over recent years.

The costs of recording equipment and

hence associated services were formerly

much higher, with considerable budgets

required to adequately equip and resource

recording facilities.


In the modern digital age much recording can

be, and often is, undertaken in “home” studios,

using a PC and a range of software, where once

recording desks and outboard equipment

costing tens or hundreds of thousands

was required.

The Northern Irish sector includes a range of

small and mid-sized facilities run by experienced

engineers and producers, across a range of

musical genres, supplying services both to

local clients and increasingly servicing an

international client base from Europe,

the USA and further afield.

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Mark Gordon

Nu Graham

Ross Graham

Grace Loughrey

Siubhán Macauley

Sarah Plunkett

& Lucy Skerritt

C A S E S T U D Y

David Holmes is a producer, music supervisor, composer and DJ born and bredin Belfast. He

started his career as a DJ at the tender age of 15, progressing to producing and composing his

own tracks, in addition to whole film scores. He was commissioned by Danny DeVito to score

Steven Soderbergh’s film Out of Sight in 1998, later sound tracking the renowned films

‘Ocean’s Eleven’, ‘Ocean’s Twelve’ and ‘Ocean’s Thirteen’.

David founded a production company, Canderblicks Film & Music, which released Good

Vibrations, a film biopic of Belfast record shop owner Terri Hooley; David also created the

soundtrack for the film. Belfast-based, BBC and RTÉ TV show The Fall also featured music

scored by David Holmes as did the recent award winning feature film ’71.

D A V I D H O L M E S

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Swimming against the tide of the digital revolution, Analogue Catalogue has successfully carved itself a niche in vintage recording techniques. Head Engineer/Producer Julie McLarnon learned her skills at the legendary Strawberry Studios where she worked with Happy Mondays, New Order, 808 State and The Charlatans to name but a few. Analogue Catalogue was based in Manchester for over a decade where we developed a global reputation for making great records to magnetic tape without a computer in sight. Last year we shipped our entire studio and its reputation to Julie’s homeland in rural County Down. Positioned equidistant from both Dublin and Belfast Airports we have successfully maintained our international clients, whilst also becoming a valuable asset to homegrown talent.

“R O B C O T T E R

C A S E S T U D Y

Analogue Catalogue is a newly established, high quality residential analogue recording studio

in County Down. Recording to 24 track 2” Tape through a vintage Trident Series 80B desk,

the studio team originally recorded a wide range of artists at their Manchester studio from

2003 to 2013. Recent clients of Analogue Catalogue include The Vaselines (Sub Pop),

Je�rey Lewis (Rough Trade), King Creosote & Jon Hopkins (Domino), Barbarossa (Memphis

Industries), James Yorkston (Domino), The Aliens (EMI), and Fionn Regan (Universal).

A N A L O G U E C A T A L O G U E

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Mark Gordon

Nu Graham

Ross Graham

Grace Loughrey

Siubhán Macauley

Sarah Plunkett

& Lucy Skerritt“

C A S E S T U D Y

Analogue Catalogue is a newly established high quality residential analogue recording studio

in County Down. Recording to 24 track 2” Tape through a vintage Trident Series 80B desk,

the studio team originally recorded a wide range of artists at their Manchester studio from

2003 to 2013. Recent clients of Analogue Catalogue include The Vaselines (Sub Pop),

Je�rey Lewis (Rough Trade), King Creosote & Jon Hopkins (Domino), Barbarossa (Memphis

Industries), James Yorkston (Domino), The Aliens (EMI), and Fionn Regan (Universal).

A N A L O G U E C A T A L O G U E

Instrument manufacture in Northern Ireland is a growing sector that prides itself on producing

unique acoustic and electronic instruments of a high quality. The sector is highly competitive,

concentrated and export led. Manufacturers in Northern Ireland focus on high-end, niche

instrument manufacture, and range from long established market leading craftsman led brands

such as the prestigious Lowden Guitars to newly emerging electronic instrument manufacturer

Patchblocks.


C A S E S T U D Y : R U A C H

Ruach was set up in director Stephen Henderson’s garage in 2011. Ruach produces and

internationally distributes cajons, a type of percussion instrument made from birch wood or cherry

wood, along with a number of accessories. Ruach prides itself on its environmentally friendly

approach, planting a new tree for every instrument made.

Delegating and exhibiting at SXSW supported by Invest NI, really validated my new and current products in the American market, helping me find out how consumers engage with the brand and helping to plan how to get into that market e�ectively. I was able to shoot video marketing assets and expand my network of global business contacts at events held by the British Music Embassy. It’s a challenge to develop a sustainable new manufacturing company in Northern Ireland unless you manage to reach a global market.

“S T E P H E N H E N D E R S O N

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A small number of highly professional local

sector-specific services are available to both

regional clients, and to a national and

international client base wishing to

develop the regional market.

The creation of tailored music marketing

and promotion is essential in securing

meaningful media endorsement of local

repertoire, allowing the opportunity to

further resonate in the national and

international marketplace.

Marketing and promotion within the music

industry is increasingly about brand

development and identification as well as

brand alignment.


The establishment of a marketable brand can

often translate into important ancillary

incomes from the sales of merchandise,

such as t-shirts and physical record sales

online or at live shows.

In relation to the marketing opportunity and

brand development, the importance of close

creative collaboration between the music

sector and the contingent design and screen

sectors cannot be overestimated.

In the music industry, a music publisher

(or publishing company) is responsible for

ensuring the songwriters and composers

receive payment when their compositions

are used commercially. In committing to a

publishing contract, a songwriter or

composer "assigns" the copyright of their

composition to a publishing company.

In return, the company licenses

compositions, helps monitor where

compositions are used, collects royalties

and distributes them to the composers.

They also secure commissions for music

and promote existing compositions to

recording artists, film and television.

The copyrights owned and administered by

publishing companies are arguably the

most important forms of intellectual

property in the music industry.


The current music publishing industry in

Northern Ireland is mainly characterised by a

small number of independent companies with

developing music catalogues. (Many local

writers do not have publishing agreements

and rely on royalty collection agencies to

collect their due royalties).

Locally managed and based publishing

companies are now engaged in sourcing and

signing creative compositional and song

writing talent from Northern Ireland, Ireland,

the UK and internationally - including

copyrights originating from France,

the USA, Australia and Iceland.

26

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Mark Gordon

Nu Graham

Ross Graham

Grace Loughrey

Siubhán Macauley

Sarah Plunkett

& Lucy Skerritt

C A S E S T U D Y

Je� Robinson is the owner and managing director of Je� Robinson PR, a freelance

marketing consultancy that provides cross-media campaigns for the creative industries.

During Belsonic Music Festival Je� Robinson PR coordinated media campaigns with

artists including Noel Gallagher, Elbow, Bi�y Clyro, Florence + the Machine, Paulo

Nutini, 30 Seconds To Mars, Beady Eye, Plan B, and Paul Weller. He also represents

children’s media company Dog Ears.

I started my company, Je� Robinson PR in 2009 and have been actively expanding year on year. Although initially 100% music focused we decided to expand into all elements of the creative industries, including restaurant and Theatre PR. The growth of the company has benefited greatly from the assistance given by public sector supported music development initiatives, helping with advice, early funding opportunities and mentoring, which has been influential in the business decisions I have made. We are very lucky in this country to have the support and backing of the arts and creative industry sector, which in turn keeps us producing talent and supporting the industry at the highest level.

“J E F F R O B I N S O N P R

J E F F R O B I N S O N

Smalltown America Music have strategic partners in place in 4 of the 5 key music markets - North America, UK, Germany & France. Smalltown America Music continues to demonstrate growth year on year - we have increased our core sta� base, the volume of our catalogue and the geographic span of our intellectual property rights. We have agreed deals with a number of global brands including Toyota, Vodafone, O2 and Icon Films.

We face competition at every stage from major and independent publishers, however, we have been very successful in landing global deals. We remain committed to new talent, unique IP and the strength of our o�ering.

“C H A R L E N E H E G A R T Y

C A S E S T U D Y

Started as a record label in 2001, the Smalltown America brand developed a

publishing arm in 2011, headed by Charlene Hegarty. Smalltown America Music is a

music publisher and composition agency, based in Belfast. With an array of talented

Northern Irish writers, composers and artists on their roster, Smalltown America

Music has been able to place music with brands such as MTV, O2, Vodafone and

Toyota.

S M A L L T O W N A M E R I C A M U S I C

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A small number of highly professional local

sector-specific services are available to both

regional clients, and to a national and

international client base wishing to

develop the regional market.

The creation of tailored music marketing

and promotion is essential in securing

meaningful media endorsement of local

repertoire, allowing the opportunity to

further resonate in the national and

international marketplace.

Marketing and promotion within the music

industry is increasingly about brand

development and identification as well as

brand alignment.


The establishment of a marketable brand can

often translate into important ancillary

incomes from the sales of merchandise,

such as t-shirts and physical record sales

online or at live shows.

In relation to the marketing opportunity and

brand development, the importance of close

creative collaboration between the music

sector and the contingent design and screen

sectors cannot be overestimated.

28

output book.indd 28 04/02/2016 09:49:35


Mark Gordon

Nu Graham

Ross Graham

Grace Loughrey

Siubhán Macauley

Sarah Plunkett

& Lucy Skerritt

C A S E S T U D Y

Je� Robinson is the owner and managing director of Je� Robinson PR, a freelance

marketing consultancy that provides cross-media campaigns for the creative industries.

During Belsonic Music Festival Je� Robinson PR coordinated media campaigns with

artists including Noel Gallagher, Elbow, Bi�y Clyro, Florence + the Machine, Paulo

Nutini, 30 Seconds To Mars, Beady Eye, Plan B, and Paul Weller. He also represents

children’s media company Dog Ears.

I started my company, Je� Robinson PR in 2009 and have been actively expanding year on year. Although initially 100% music focused we decided to expand into all elements of the creative industries, including restaurant and Theatre PR. The growth of the company has benefited greatly from the assistance given by public sector supported music development initiatives, helping with advice, early funding opportunities and mentoring, which has been influential in the business decisions I have made. We are very lucky in this country to have the support and backing of the arts and creative industry sector, which in turn keeps us producing talent and supporting the industry at the highest level.

“J E F F R O B I N S O N P R

J E F F R O B I N S O N

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T H E L I V E M U S I C S E C T O R , E V E N T S

A N D F E S T I V A L S

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The live music sector is the largest area of

Northern Ireland’s music industry, turning over

£44 million per year and employing over 700

individuals in a variety of roles (Source: DCAL).

The roles involved include musicians, DJs and

performers, venue promoters and producers,

behind-the-scenes sound and lighting

technicians, and venue hospitality sta�.

Live music and music promotion is staged

in a variety of spaces from small pub and club

venues to large scale concert halls, and urban

and rurally staged outdoor music festivals.

Live music events play a crucial role in

attracting tourism, fundamental to the local

economy, while highlighting and supporting the

cultural identity of Northern Ireland.

T H E L I V E M U S I C S E C T O R

In 2014, over 260,000 music tourists attended

events, generating £84 million for the Northern

Irish economy and sustaining 694 full time

jobs. A Northern Ireland Tourist Board’s visitor

survey revealed that 4% of tourists holiday in

NI primarily to visit a concert or event

(Source: UK Music/NITB).

The 'night-time economy' encompasses a

variety of areas, including hospitality, catering,

travel, pubs and clubs. Within the night-time

economy, live music and club culture is a key

driver in attracting people to the larger towns

and cities of NI.

The live music industry in Northern Ireland

accounts for over £44 million in turnover,

making it the largest sector within the core

music industry (Source: TBR).

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Belfast and Derry~Londonderry, where most

night-time music venues are concentrated,

have a dynamic nightlife with a variety of

pubs, clubs and music venues. Large

scale venues such as the Ulster Hall,

the Waterfront, the Royal Opera House,

the Millennium Forum and the SSE arena

bring international music artists into

Northern Ireland, with smaller venues such

as the Limelight complex, the Mandela Hall,

the Black Box, T13, Aether and Echo and the

Errigle Inn serving the more niche interests

of music audiences.

Events across these venues are often

curated, marketed and produced by live

music promoters, who specialise in booking

talent, promoting events to audiences and

managing the associated production and

ticket sales.

i ) V E N U E S A N D P R O M O T E R S

A vibrant live scene also provides an important

platform for local musicians, DJs and

performers to develop their skills and careers.

They also function as important cultural and

social hubs, promoting community involvement

in cities and towns, especially community

focused venues such as the Nerve Centre in

Derry and the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast.

A major component of the night-time economy

in Northern Ireland is a booming clubbing

scene, with DJs and electronic dance music

drawing in clubbers from across the country.

Club nights in Box, Aether and Echo, Kremlin,

El Divino, Ollie’s, Thomson’s Garage, Limelight,

Chinawhite and Lavery’s prove to be highly

popular both at the weekends and with the

student population during the week.

Outside of Belfast, popular clubs include Kelly’s

in Portrush, Sally’s in Omagh and Sugar and

Envy in Derry~Londonderry.

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PSI has grown substantially over the past 10 years, covering more live events than ever before, and this growth has enabled us to open a branch in Dublin in 2011, and to form partnerships with UK based companies, building a support network, and setting a standard of service on both sides of the Irish Sea. This, in turn, has enabled us to take contracts touring Europe, USA, China and Japan, and allows us to promote PSI outside our local catchment area.

The live sector in NI is constantly growing, and the standard is always on the up. In NI we have had, in the past, to play the ‘poor cousin’ with visiting acts expecting to have to settle for a sub-standard service; something we at PSI have kicked against for years! It is now recognised that NI has an amazing amount to o�er in this sector, and we are producing some outstanding new talent, as well as attracting more and more major, established players to our venues, easier to do with a world-class venue in the SSE Arena Belfast.

“S E A N P A G E L

C A S E S T U D Y

Belfast based Production Services Ireland (PSI) is the leading supplier of sound and lighting

equipment and expertise to the live music and performing arts sector throughout Ireland,

and also working successfully in the UK, European and Asian markets.

P R O D U C T I O N S E R V I C E S I R E L A N D

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34

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Northern Ireland continues to punch considerably above its weight in the context of the UK live music industry. Our live events have grown exponentially in terms of size and frequency over the last 5 years, and avail of business partnerships and relationships within the UK and Ireland, as well as with European and global organisations.

Belfast feels as much an essential stop on a UK touring run as Dublin, or any of the major cities in England and Scotland, and is very much a favourite stop-o� for many international artists touring in Europe.

“J O E D O U G A N

C A S E S T U D Y

Shine Productions is a major Belfast based events and promotion company as well as being

one of the UK’s longest running underground club nights. Shine is also closely associated with

the three Limelight venues in Belfast, The Academy venues in Dublin and the annual outdoor

multi-day Belsonic festival in Belfast’s Custom House Square.

S H I N E

35

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C A S E S T U D Y

In 1987, the Limelight (pictured) opened as a nightclub, later expanding into neighbouring

premises, becoming three rooms, now known as Limelight 1, Limelight 2 and Katy’s Bar.

Over the years, Limelight has played host to bands like Oasis, Biy Clyro, Snow Patrol and

The Libertines. In 2010, County Dublin based MCD and Belfast based Shine Productions

bought and rebranded the three venues.

The Limelight hosts 5 regular club nights on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and

Saturdays, with a wide range of music genres. Club nights during the week attract the

considerable student population of Belfast, whereas weekend nights attract both

students and young professionals.

L I M E L I G H T

C A S E S T U D Y

Moving on Music is a not-for-profit charity organisation, who since 1995 have become one of

the premier promoters of jazz, traditional, roots, classical and cross-over genres of music in

Northern Ireland. They promote one-o events, curate tours, run the Brilliant Corners jazz

festival in Belfast, and host an array of education and outreach projects. These projects have

previously included ‘Beyond the March’, an initiative designed for members of marching

bands to explore music making and share ideas about the development of musical

repertoire and style. Workshops provided opportunities for musicians to develop

their skills alongside experienced musicians and composers.

M O V I N G O N M U S I C

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C A S E S T U D Y

The Odyssey is a large multi-purpose leisure complex consisting of the Odyssey Pavilion, the

SSE Arena Belfast and the W5 science exhibition centre. Its 10,000 capacity arena has

welcomed Robbie Williams, Lady Gaga, Dolly Parton, Michael Bublé and Black Sabbath to

name but a few. After Adele announced that the first show for her 25 tour would be in Belfast,

tickets for the two dates at the SSE Arena sold out in minutes.

In November 2011, Belfast hosted the MTV EMAs (pictured), attracting 20,000 visitors to the

Odyssey Arena. The event contributed over £10 million to the local economy, proving to be one

of the biggest drivers of music tourism in Northern Ireland to date. (Source: NITB, 2011).

Further to those in attendance, over 600 million people across the world watched the award

show’s broadcast, boosting Northern Ireland’s image, and helping to portray a positive, exciting

and international image of Belfast.

T H E O D Y S S E Y C O M P L E X

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Northern Ireland is home to a number of unique music festivals in various urban and rural

venues and locations; each catering to particular audiences across a wide spectrum of styles

and genres. These events also provide a wide range of short term service contracts and

employment within the sector.

Although most festivals feature high profile headline artist/performers, the role that festivals

and large music events play in providing a prominent platform for emerging local talent

cannot be overestimated.

i i ) M U S I C F E S T I V A L S & L A R G E S C A L E E V E N T S

C A S E S T U D Y

Every summer since 2008, Belfast’s Custom House Square becomes an outdoor arena for

around a week, with 35,000 people celebrating the year’s most acclaimed popular music.

Starting as a three day festival, Belsonic’s popularity soon grew, increasing to 10 days of

events, with headliners such as Florence and the Machine, Bi�y Clyro, Dizzie Rascal

and Thin Lizzy.

Belsonic is run by Shine Productions, who have crafted an event that yearly attracts large

audiences and stimulates substantial inward visitor numbers, with both indigenous and

international tourists travelling to Belfast to experience the expertly curated music culture.

B E L S O N I C

38

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39

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40

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CASE STUDYC A S E S T U D Y

F E S T I V A L

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AVA's debut was fantastic, a proper celebration of the creative arts in Northern Ireland and has really helped turn a global spotlight onto the city.

T I M M Y S T E W A R T / T B O N E

“42

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AVA festival and conference is a new annual event celebrating established and emerging talent

in visual arts and electronic music in Northern Ireland. AVA, which stands for ‘Audio Visual Arts’

was created by Up! Productions in collaboration with Generator NI. The first AVA festival was

held on Saturday the 30th of May 2015. AVA incorporates both a conference element during

the day and a live music element during the evening.

T H E C O N F E R E N C EDuring the daytime, various events, panels and discussions took place with leading national

and international experts in electronic music and audio visual arts. In 2015, 200 people were in

attendance, and keynotes were led by DJ Nu-Mark of Jurassic 5 and Adam Smith, who notably

directed videos from The Chemical Brothers and The Streets. Panels and discussions were led

by Generator NI, Shine.net, Ableton, Hospital Records, Sentric Music, Paul Hamill and others.

The conference aspect of AVA is designed to engage people of all ages and career stages in the

local and international audio and visual arts industries.

T H E L I V E M U S I CDuring the evening, leading DJs performed to a large, energetic crowd. In 2015, 2500 people

packed into T13 for an array of audio visual and electronic dance music performances. Headliners

included Bicep, Ejeca, Optimo, Space Dimension Controller (pictured) and Phil Kieran.

B O I L E R R O O MBoiler Room is a recognised global leading brand/music platform that organises small, intimate

gigs, streaming them on their website to hundreds of thousands of online fans around the world.

Boiler Room made its debut appearance on the island of Ireland at AVA festival with huge success.

Over 170,000 people watched the live boiler room broadcast, in addition to over 110,000 views

post-event. Debuting Boiler Room in Ireland and NI has put Belfast on the electronic music scene

and destination map.

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R O M A I N T A R D Y S P E A K S A T A V A

Additionally:

• DJ duo Schmutz were signed to an agent and booked in Berlin as a direct

result from featuring on the AVA Festival Boiler Room Live stream.

• DJ Sid Carey won the emerging electronic producers competition and was

signed to the Extended Play label and will have his track released on EP

and feature on the Feel My Bicep blog.

• DJ Timmy Stewart received a booking in South America (Argentina) o� the

back of his feature on the AVA Festival Boiler Room Live stream.

• The Visual Artist Collective – Guerrilla Shout has since been booked to

create a feature video for AKON, netting 2 million views on You Tube.

AVA Festival contributed significantly to the

development of the electronic music sector in

NI, delivering a positive potential tourism impact

from the success of AVA in addition to the audience

of the live Boiler Room stream. AVA Festival

attracted almost 10% of their attendees from

outside of Northern Ireland, which for a festival

in its infancy, is impressive.

A V A ’ S W I D E R C O N T R I B U T I O N • T13 Venue has now been approached by a number of organisations/music

opportunities, which has led to subsequent bookings (one from Ministry of

Sound) for the venue, worth a considerable amount of money.

• Each street food stall at AVA was o�ered a pitch at the Tall Ships event o� the

back of AVA.

• Intern student has subsequently received a job after her 6-month placement

at AVA Festival.

44

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Additionally:

• DJ duo Schmutz were signed to an agent and booked in Berlin as a direct

result from featuring on the AVA Festival Boiler Room Live stream.

• DJ Sid Carey won the emerging electronic producers competition and was

signed to the Extended Play label and will have his track released on EP

and feature on the Feel My Bicep blog.

• DJ Timmy Stewart received a booking in South America (Argentina) o� the

back of his feature on the AVA Festival Boiler Room Live stream.

• The Visual Artist Collective – Guerrilla Shout has since been booked to

create a feature video for AKON, netting 2 million views on You Tube.

AVA Festival and Conference was a complete success in year one due to an exceptional team and line-up, artist support and the robustness of key partnerships. Leveraging the various resources, outside of financial support, added content and strength to the AVA o�ering. These partnerships included Generator NI as our key partner for the free daytime conference, Boiler Room as our broadcast partner, streaming our outdoor stage live across the world, Ableton as another of our conference partners, providing software and hardware content and artist lead workshops, Tourism Ireland and Belfast City Council for funding and the Commercial Education Trust for the initial seed funding and continual support and guidance.

A V A F O U N D E R S A R A H M C B R I A R

• T13 Venue has now been approached by a number of organisations/music

opportunities, which has led to subsequent bookings (one from Ministry of

Sound) for the venue, worth a considerable amount of money.

• Each street food stall at AVA was o�ered a pitch at the Tall Ships event o� the

back of AVA.

• Intern student has subsequently received a job after her 6-month placement

at AVA Festival.

“45

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C A S E S T U D Y

Since 2002, Derry~Londonderry has played host to thousands of jazz, big band and blues fans,

over a long weekend in May, with world-class performers such as Jamie Cullum and Jools

Holland. The festival annually features over 100 musicians, with performances across

60 venues including shopping centres, restaurants, bars and theatres.

C I T Y O F D E R R Y J A Z Z A N D B I G B A N D F E S T I V A L

C A S E S T U D Y

As one of the leading electronic music festivals in the country, Celtronic (pictured) attracts

thousands of visitors annually with a lineup of both local and national acts, including Chic ft.

Nile Rodgers, David Holmes, Objeckt, Move D, Derrick May, Ripperton, Ben UFO and Karenn.

Celtronic is known world-wide as an intimate festival, where big name acts that usually play to

hundreds of thousands of punters, play for just a few hundred. The owners of Celtronic also

run a high-specification recording studio in Derry~Londonderry, providing a space for the

emerging electronic dance music pioneers to record their music.

C E L T R O N I C

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In Derry~Londonderry, we have found in recent years in addition to major events and concerts, niche music events can be great ways of attracting 'music/festival tourists' to the city through events like Other Voices, Music City, City of Derry International Choral Festival and Celtronic. Among the reasons for the success of Celtronic over the years is due to its unique festival format of major international acts playing in relatively small, intimate spaces. The festival also continually showcases the best emerging and established local and national producers as well as showcases from the region’s leading club nights and promoters. The festival's non-profit making ethos means that the festival is one of the best value festivals in the country with a 5 day access all events pass costing only £40.

“G A R E T H S T U A R T

47

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The world of traditional music, as beloved

as ever by local communities, provides both

cultural and economic worth to Northern

Ireland. In addition to the indigenous

market, trad serves as a continued draw to

international visitors and cultural tourists.

Often performed in informal settings in

small pubs, ‘sessions’ are a lively, cheerful

expression of local cultural tradition.

Popular venues and music tourism

destinations include Kelly’s Cellars,

The Sunflower Pub and Madden’s Bar in

Belfast, Peadar O’Donnell’s, Sandino’s and

Grand Central Bar in Derry~Londonderry.

i i i ) T R A D I T I O N A L M U S I C

Around £790,000 of public investment was

made in 2014-2015 for traditional music

organisations, events and projects in Northern

Ireland, from Arts Council NI, the Ulster Scots

Agency and Foras na Gaeilge.

A 2014 report stated that over £42.2 million

was contributed to the economy by the

traditional music sector, mostly from secondary

spending. Although these figures are notably

increased by the Fleadh in Derry in 2013, they

still show the level of return on investment and

value that the traditional music sector o�ers

the Northern Irish economy.

(Source: Comhaltas Ceoltóiriί Éireann).

C A S E S T U D Y

The Traditional Music Forum was established by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI)

in 2014 as part of its commitment to support the Traditional Arts of Northern Ireland; one of

10 priorities identified in the Arts Council’s Music Strategy (2013-2018). The Forum draws

together traditional music organisations and artists with the aim of helping the sector to

explore and develop their aspirations. In addition, the Forum acts as a cross-community

advocacy group for the inclusion of traditional music in formal music education.

T H E T R A D I T I O N A L M U S I C F O R U M

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C A S E S T U D Y

The all-Ireland traditional music festival has been held in various towns and cities across

Ireland since 1951. The festival includes competitions, attracting the best traditional

musicians from around the world. In 2013, the largest fleadh to date was held in

Derry~Londonderry, attracting over 430,000 people to the city over 8 days.

Derry~Londonderry hopes to be awarded the opportunity to host the Fleadh in 2017 and

2018, due to the success of the city’s previous Fleadh. The popularity of the Fleadh in

Derry~Londonderry shows how important traditional music is to Northern Ireland,

reinforcing the role of music in the depiction and expression of cultural identity.

F L E A D H C H E O I L N A H É I R E A N N I N D E R R Y ~ L O N D O N D E R R Y , 2 013

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S E C T I O N

T W OS U P P O R T I N G T H E D E V E L O P M E N T O F T H E S E C T O R

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Often at the forefront of global trends, the music industry is known for its versatility, and the speed

with which it adapts to and avails of technological advances. The shifting sands of the modern

marketplace can help or hinder, requiring constant consideration, examination and often re-evaluation.

Commercial music has always been driven by media, broadcast and publicity. As technological change

accelerates, new audience development avenues emerge apace, with online and mobile digital

platforms now dominating market and audience access alongside traditional and broadcast media.

The turnover time for most growing music businesses and artists is just as rapid: business models can

quickly become unsustainable if practitioners are not mindful of the ongoing emergence and decline

of trends and new business models in IP distribution, monetisation and exploitation.


Attendance, delegation and showcasing at

selected national and international music

conferences and events can be a vital learning

experience for established and emerging music

businesses alike. Network-building and skills

development opportunities abound for emerging

IP creators and their contingent businesses.

Northern Irish artists and companies attend a

large and diverse range of global conferences

I N T E R N A T I O N A L S H O W C A S I N G , C O N F E R E N C E S A N D T R A D E M I S S I O N S

every year, often with funding from regional

support initiatives and partnerships including

Invest NI, Generator NI, Belfast City Council and

ACNI; frequently in partnership with a range of

national organisations and initiatives including

UK Trade and Investment, BPI (British

Phonographic Industry), AIM (Association for

Independent Music) and PRS for Music

Foundation.

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C A S E S T U D Y

Bernadette is a fiddle player and fluent Irish speaking singer who has performed across

the globe, including showcases at Celtic Connections, Folk Alliance and WOMEX. She

released her debut album All the Ways you Wander in 2013, a fresh look at many

traditional Irish folk songs, produced by Beoga member Sean Óg Graham.

B E R N A D E T T E M O R R I S

Belfast has proved a great base to develop my musical career, with support from Generator NI and The Art's Council of N. Ireland. I currently produce, manage and perform my music both locally and internationally. I have attended Womex and performed at Celtic Connections, Germany and Folk Alliance International in the US, representing Irish culture and arts abroad. I intend to continue the development of my business and move into new markets, starting with a business development trip to India with the support of Generator NI and Belfast City Council.

“B E R N A D E T T E M O R R I S

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C A S E S T U D Y

South by South West in Austin, Texas has developed into the world's largest convergent

creative industries festival, originally a purely music industry focused event, it now brings

together over 35,000 professionals from all media industries. Northern Irish businesses

respresenting the best from all corners of ‘music, film and interactive’ attend SXSW

as part of a major trade mission each year.

S O U T H B Y S O U T H W E S T ( S X S W )

SXSW for us has become a key event that broadens our fan base and market profile. It introduces us to new people in the music media both in radio and in TV, both in the US and at home. We were invited on BBC 6 Music - Steve Lamacq showed up to our Northern Ireland showcase at Latitude 30. We saw attendance at our UK shows grow massively with sold out gigs. At least 10 major Irish and UK festivals have booked us since SXSW which will keep us flush financially so we can carry on promoting the new album.

“T H E L O S T B R O T H E R S

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C A S E S T U D Y

The Great Escape in Brighton, is a three day music festival, conference and

showcase event which attracts over 3,000 delegates comprised of music industry

professionals and around 16,000 music loving punters. Rocky O’Reilly attended

The Great Escape in 2015, to expand and maintain his client base, ensuring the

sustainability of Start Together Studio.

S T A R T T O G E T H E R S T U D I O A T T H E G R E A T E S C A P E 2 015

I have already started working on new projects for UK based record labels after meetings at the festival. I have made around 30 new contacts with whom I have communicated after the event. I also appeared as a panellist for the Music Producers Association, improving my experience level and raising my profile. I have made a strong contact with a new producer manager and expect to be working with them on an ongoing basis in the near future. As well as working for new labels and artists already, I have been in meetings for future work with a number of UK based artists & managers. I believe I have secured representation with a new producer-management company.

“R O C K Y O ’ R E I L L Y

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Support for emerging talent on a local and

regional scale is essential, as multinational

corporate music businesses now choose to

invest in artists that are already regionally

developed, pre-identified, endorsed and

market-ready. Talent development support

provides the foundation for a platform

of initial success that attracts further

investment and partnership towards

global market success.

One of the four, core elements of the

Generator NI programme is the delivery

of an annual Talent Development

Programme. Each year the Generator NI

Talent Development Programme supports

the development of an identified group of at

least 6 exceptional artists, bands, producers

and performers. These acts are identified

through Northern Ireland’s own version of

Generator (UK)’s national Tipping Point

programme – whereby key industry and

media tastemakers identify and tip what

they believe to be the next big thing across

all genres of music.


Those selected benefit from an accelerator

programme for exceptional NI creative talent,

which includes a wide range of tailored support

initiatives such as campaign planning,

supporting attendance at trade missions

and industry showcases, fostering creative

collaboration, promotion and marketing

support and the production of world-class

digital video content in partnership with

Northern Ireland Screen.

The programme also provides participant artists

and their business partners with the opportunity

to partake in a series of 4 two day 'compacts' a

year – providing hot house knowledge and

network development on specialist areas

in the industry.

Notable outputs and successes of the Talent

Development programme include Ciaran

Lavery, Silences, Alana Henderson and

Jessica Doherty.

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C A S E S T U D Y

Emma Horan is a 16 year old singer songwriter from Lurgan. She rose to recognition

through YouTube, with her cover of Mumford and Sons’ Little Lion Man, which charted on

iTunes. Since then, she has been on tour with X Factor star Janet Devlin and played at

industry conferences such as Festival of Icons. She has been working closely with

Generator NI through mentoring and the talent development programme, to

develop her skills as an artist and songwriter.

I have had such an amazing year with music. As I started online putting videos up of myself singing, things have just gone crazy! I have gained so much support for my music and that means everything to me, my manager Nick has been brilliant. This year I have been writing music lots through Generator NI's development programme and my writing skills have progressed so much and I have had such fun. During the summer I have been co-writing with a songwriter and producer Tre Sheppard and have loved every minute of it and cannot wait to release the music we have created. The team around me are great and I couldn't have done it without them.

“E M M A H O R A N

E M M A H O R A N

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C A S E S T U D Y

Alana Henderson took part in Generator NI’s annual talent development programme in 2014,

and from then has gone from strength to strength. After recording her EP Wax and Wane, Alana

was selected as a touring backing singer and cellist for Irish singer songwriter Hozier. The

international touring and export of her musicianship has enabled Alana’s career to become a

sustainable and successful ongoing venture.

A L A N A H E N D E R S O N

During the early stages of developing my music career in Northern Ireland,

support from Generator NI allowed me to develop my business through

recording and performance opportunities, assisting me in expanding

my reach so that I could tour on a small scale as a solo artist in Europe

(Germany, Austria) and perform at conferences in the USA (Oregon,

Washington). Through these local networks in the NI music scene,

I made great connections in the industry.

I was introduced to Hozier in early 2014 and began touring internationally as

part of his band as well as opening his shows on occasion (Germany, Austria,

Netherlands, UK). I have toured extensively throughout the USA, Australia,

New Zealand and Europe. This expanded my fan base significantly, broadened

the ‘reach’ of my music in the global market, increased my online streaming

figures (Spotify 4,000,000+ streams) and established connections which I am

certain will lead to future collaborations and projects.

“A L A N A H E N D E R S O N

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The Nerve Centre in Derry~Londonderry,

Northern Ireland's leading Creative

Learning Centre, also delivers a wide range

of talent development initiatives in

Derry~Londonderry and the North West.

Its Music Sync Programme, delivered as

part of the UK City of Culture and Legacy

programmes, provided a landmark music

development intervention in support of

young people across the city and

community.

The Nerve Centre has also partnered with

Generator NI in the hosting and delivery

of a wide range of successful talent

development initiatives including the

48 Hour EP Bootcamp, the MTV Music

Academy and the Resonate Futures

programme.

T A L E N T D E V E L O P M E N T ( C O N T . )

The Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast also

delivers its own talent development programme:

Scratch My Progress, o�ering a series of

musical acts the chance to hothouse their talent,

learning about the business of music as well as

the skills of performing and writing.

The Scratch concept was inspired by the work

of Battersea Arts Centre in London, which

pioneered the idea of a 'ladder of progress'

using achievable steps and constant feedback.

The project allows artists to test and develop

their ideas “from scratch” with the audience,

and each other. Scratch My Progress is a

partnership with PRS for Music Foundation,

Pledge Music, Help Musicians, and the Arts

Council of Northern Ireland.

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Seed investment opportunities for music

businesses are notoriously di�cult to

secure. Traditional routes for start-up

business funding often come from bank

loans; however these can be hard to secure

in the music industry, where 77.4% of small

and medium enterprises (SMEs) self-fund

the initial stages of their business.

Outside of the music industry, only 39% of

SMEs self-fund. (Source: Wilson et al,

2001).

Artists and businesses from the music

sector in Northern Ireland have been

supported financially in various capacities

by Invest NI, DCAL, ACNI, the Creative

Industries Innovation Fund, Belfast and

Derry City Councils, and national entities

UKTI, PRS Foundation, AIM and the BPI.


The Arts Council of Northern Ireland supports

individual artists through SIAP (Support for

the Individual Artists Programme) to help

established and emerging artists take that

all important next step in developing their

professional artistic careers.

There are five separate funding streams within

the SIAP programme including general arts

awards, artists career enhancement scheme,

major individual award and travel awards. In

2015/2016, ACNI made 155 SIAP awards to

artists totalling £415,000.

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C A S E S T U D Y

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland supported local artist Malojian (Stevie Scullion)

with two individual artist awards recently. The funding provided Stevie with the

opportunity to attend a showcase event in Nashville, the mecca of music in the United

States of America. He had the chance to perform and network with an audience of

influential industry and media delegates. This award also provided the opportunity for

Malojian to spend time co-writing in Nashville with other songwriters, opening his work to

a new group of people.

I hope to create at least 5 collaborative new song copyrights and part of the process will be studio sessions to finesse and record those works. I have always wanted to record in Nashville as some of my favourite records were recorded there. I believe working in this environment will greatly enhance my skills as a musician and songwriter.“

S T E V I E S C U L L I O N

M A L O J I A N

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C A S E S T U D Y

Established by Invest Northern Ireland as part of its Access to Finance strategy, techstart NI is

providing support for early stage technology businesses and university spin-outs. Inflyte App is a

music promotion platform that allows record labels, pluggers, PR companies and publishers to

send branded digital music promo campaigns direct to their clients' mobile devices for feedback

online or o�ine, wherever they are. The company secured a £150,000 investment from techstart NI.

I N V E S T N I ’ S T E C H S T A R T S E E D I N V E S T M E N T P R O G R A M M E

Inflyte was delighted to welcome techstart NI as its seed investor. We

have found the process and manner in which the transaction was handled

to be commercial but light touch with the investment being closed in less

than six weeks.

I’m delighted to say that Inflyte has had a really strong opening twelve

months in business. When we launched last year we were working with a

small number of independent electronic record labels, but our client list

now includes leading global music brands such as Defected, Cocoon,

Mad Decent and Ram Records. We’re exclusive providers for many of the

UK’s leading PR agencies including Your Army and Renegade Music and

over the past few months, Inflyte has delivered content for artists as

wide-ranging as Madonna, New Order and the Stereophonics.

“P A U L H A M I L L

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Two heads are better than one, and the

music industry has never been one to shy

away from even the most unexpected of

mash-ups.

The creative industries are in one of the

strongest positions to collaborate, and stand

to gain remarkable benefits.

Within the realm of screen, for example: film,

TV, advertising, online, apps & gaming, there

exists the need for a steady stream of music

and sound IP creation.

C O N V E R G E N C E , C O L L A B O R A T I O N A N D D E V E L O P I N G P A R T N E R S H I P S

Working with creative music businesses too can

elevate the o�erings of tech startups, producing

hardware and software servicing the music

industry.

Developing partnerships between creatives and

businesses across these convergent sectors is

essential to maintaining sustainability within the

music industry. These partnerships co-create

products and digital content, adding untold

value to one another's propositions, ultimately

multiplying money-making potential.

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C A S E S T U D Y

The relationship between gaming and music is strong. The global gaming industry is worth over

$74.2 billion per year*. Music is used in almost every game on the market, providing huge

opportunities for composers and music rights holders.

Profiting from the popularity of music within the gaming industry, is HyperDuck SoundWorks,

a Belfast based company that specialise in sound design and music composition for the gaming

and media industries. They have worked with some of the most celebrated independent game

creators, most notably, creating the full score for ‘Dust: An Elysian Tail’.

(*Source: Superdata)

H Y P E R D U C K S O U N D W O R K S

As a small business, being based in Belfast has proven to be an integral part of our growth. We have substantially grown an international client base over the past 5 years, and can proudly say we've made connections with people all over the world who are both professional colleagues and eager fans. In making people aware of what HyperDuck SoundWorks can do, we feel that it has also helped put the spotlight on Belfast's creative sector, and shown people what it is really capable of.

C H R I S G E E H A N

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C A S E S T U D Y

With music being used constantly on new platforms and within new technologies, it becomes a

challenge to retain intellectual property rights, and to direct royalties to the correct places.

On Music provides various services such as music data processing services, negotiation and

licensing, and electronic reporting and music cue sheet delivery to major broadcasters, music

companies, copyright societies, distributors and independent producers. Formed in 2005, with

o�ces in Kent and Belfast, On Music is owned by managing director, Liz Lavery, a copyright

expert with over 25 years of experience in the industry.

O N M U S I C

As a full service music data company; processing international music data for copyright societies, broadcasters, publishers and online, our clients include BBC Worldwide, UKTV, PRS for Music, PPL, and Bloomberg TV. Since 2005, we have seen vast growth; branching out into the international market. Our service provides music genre specialism and internal data quality experts.

Being based in Belfast allows us to be cost-e�ective for our London, LA and New York based clients and also providing services for local publisher LLC Media working with Northern Ireland composers and production companies.

L I Z L A V E R Y

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C A S E S T U D Y

Score Draw Music is an award-winning music production company. Since 2004 the company

has been commissioned by all major broadcasters in the UK to deliver incidental and title music

and score for projects ranging from network docu-drama to sports. Score Draw has also

delivered bespoke music towards brands including Adidas, The Body Shop and Milka.

Score Draw’s work in children’s television includes titles, songs and underscore for the

multi-award winning Nickelodeon Jr pre-school animation “Lily’s Driftwood Bay”. In 2014 the

company also composed all the music for the documentary Road which opened the Belfast Film

Festival.

S C O R E D R A W M U S I C

Exporting music IP and the identification of global media production partners remain essential for a company like ours to grow; however what has benefited us equally is the support NI Screen have given the indigenous media and production sector. Our two top tier pieces of activity in documentary and children’s television are both propositions produced and created in Belfast-and both are world class.

R I C H A R D H I L L

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C A S E S T U D Y

Patchblocks are programmable synthesisers – musical hardware that can be edited to create the

user’s desired sound using software on a PC or Mac. Patchblocks can be connected seamlessly

together like a jigsaw, to create a wider variety of sound options.

Sebastian Heinz is the mind behind Patchblocks, having developed the hardware and software

during his PhD study at the Sonic Arts Research Centre at Queen’s University Belfast. Sebastian

started a Kickstarter crowdfunding project to gain initial start-up funding, which was hugely

successful, hoping for £10,000 but raising over £67,000.

P A T C H B L O C K S

In the last year we have built a strong network of distribution partners world-wide, including retail stores like Conrad Electronics, Thomann, Rapid and Juno. What has started as a student project has now even appeared in a TV ad in some European countries. Additional sta� has joined our team and we are working on a range of new products. Being a Belfast based start-up means we are surrounded by a vibrant community of creative talent, but also allows us to get a wide range of support from institutions like Invest NI, assisting us in marketingand R&D.

S E B A S T I A N H E I N Z

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Developing sector specific music business

skills and knowledge is integral to the

creation of sustainable careers in the music

industry. Entrepreneurial skills are also

essential to success, as many of the

commercial opportunities available remain

viable only to those able to work on a

freelance and contract basis.

Most in demand are an array of industry

specific business skills, focused on the

development, management and marketing of

talent and associated Intellectual Property

and copyrights.

In partnership with public and private sector

stakeholders, Generator NI has delivered a

wide range of business skills initiatives and

events, supporting business development and

helping to engender and support

entrepreneurship across the sector.


These range from one to one advice and

guidance, through seminars and workshops on

particular essential industry skills, the delivery

of short courses, all the way up to large scale,

multi-event conferences.

In an industry that relies so much on sector

specific knowledge, it is di�cult to overestimate

the benefits that experienced, knowledgeable

mentoring can provide to those in the earlier

stages of business and career development.

Generator NI provides mentoring to those in the

local music industry in three specific ways: open

access one-to-one mentoring, group mentoring

and a tailored mentoring programme for priority

artists and their business partners from the

Talent Development Programme.


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C A S E S T U D Y

In association with Honeycomb - Creative Works, Generator NI produced a two-day residential

management masterclass for a group of Northern Ireland’s rising indigenous artist managers.

The masterclasses involved talks and workshops aimed specifically at developing management

techniques while establishing networks with leading industry professionals.

Mentors included Huw Stephens (Radio 1), Julian Deane (UK based Raygun Music), Graham

Brown (US based The League International), and Adam Shearer (UK based Partisan Records).

M A N A G E M E N T S K I L L S M A S T E R C L A S S

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C A S E S T U D Y

Paul Brown started MPC Music Group when he signed singer songwriter Jessica Doherty.

Paul attended the management masterclass skills development event, networking with other

industry professionals and developing management techniques.

M P C M U S I C G R O U P

In our first year of operation, MPC Music Group has been able to increase the profile of our artist Jessica Doherty. As a result of the support of Generator NI, Jessica performed at the BPI Sync mission in Los Angeles. Her debut single Wolves tolled up thousands of online hits and enabled Jessica to perform with artists such as Rainy Boy Sleep, Ciaran Lavery, SOAK and Janet Devlin as well as performing on Radio Ulster for BBC Music Day. This momentum has allowed us to expand to further our work with additionalartists and industry across the UK and Ireland.

P A U L B R O W N

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Songwriting, composition, musicianship,

arrangement, production and performance are

the core creative skills that collectively drive

the music industry.

A range of creative skills development

initiatives are delivered by Generator NI and

other sector stakeholders with the aim of

helping to develop best professional practice in

these key creative areas – including mentoring

sessions, creative seminars and masterclasses

with internationally acclaimed practitioners.


Exceptional songwriting is arguably the critical

economic driver in the creative content sector of

the music industry, an undoubtedly highly skilled

craft to hone.

Much commercially successful popular music is

now co-written and co-produced. Co-writers and

producers are able to share expertise, creative

innovation and ultimately share royalties and

incomes when a song or recording achieves

success.


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C A S E S T U D Y

As a strategic creative intervention towards developing creative skills, Generator NI devised

and delivers a yearly high-level, skills acceleration event for over 25 leading songwriters,

composers and producers. Song Camp takes place in a group of cottages near the Giant’s

Causeway, Co. Antrim.

While most of the writers are from Northern Ireland, Honeycomb - Creative Works have

helped to identify and support additional co-writers from the ROI and the Western

seaboard of Scotland, with Generator UK identifying artists from the North East

of England to take part.

Song Camp focuses on strengthening writing skills and collaborative creative network

development, as well as the actual creation of new songs, productions and copyrights.

Feedback from those taking part has been unanimously positive and enthusiastic.

To help the songwriters develop their skills Generator NI has engaged the services of

seasoned professional writers as mentors. These included:

Tim Wheeler: lead singer and songwriter of Ash.

Paul Steel: professional songwriter for Mika, Nicola Roberts, Charlie Simpson.

Gary Clark: professional songwriter for Natalie Imbruglia, McFly, Emma Bunton.

Paul Aidan: professional songwriter across genres for Atlantic, Sony, Universal.

Rod Jones: guitarist and writer in Idlewild.

James Allan: lead singer and songwriter for Glasvegas.

Stuart Fleming: membership development for PRS in Scotland and NI.

S O N G C A M P

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The role of music in education and the

quality of music education provision is of

principal importance to the development of

the exceptional creative talent that

underpins a successful music sector.

Studies also indicate that e�ective music

education has much broader development

benefits for children and young people.

In the recently published:

'The Power of Music - a research synthesis

of the impact of making music on the

intellectual, social and personal development

of children and young people',

Professor Susan Hallam, MBE said:

"The research shows there is compelling

evidence for the benefits of music education

on a wide range of skills including: listening

skills which support the development of

language skills, enhanced literacy and some

mathematical skills.


“The benefits are greatest when musical

activities start early and continue over a long

period of time. The teaching of music must also

be of high quality for the benefits to emerge.''

The ‘National Plan for Music Education’

strategy also encourages creative development

with technology. The focus on STEM subjects

(Science, Technology, English and Mathematics)

has now shifted to STEAM, including the Arts

as a core subject area.

Across Northern Ireland, the DCAL funded

Creative Learning Centres in Armagh,

Derry~Londonderry and Belfast are helping to

develop the learning of music through the use of

technology and software. These centres help

guide music education facilitators towards best

practice in composition and musicianship in the

digital age.

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C A S E S T U D Y

The School of Creative Arts at Queen’s houses the Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC), a state

of the art education and research facility. Accommodating a huge Sonic Laboratory, the centre

provides a space for the creation of innovative music and audio, and for research and

experiments into compositional and performance work. The centre hosts seminars and

performances from visiting artists and houses 40 PhD students, encouraging a

vibrant academic and musical culture.

T H E S O N I C A R T S R E S E A R C H C E N T R E

The Sonic Arts Research Centre has, since 2004, made an important contribution to the music industry research, creative output, international connections and an intense programme of concerts, seminars and festivals. The Sonorities Festival of Contemporary Music continues to attract cutting edge artists working with sound and technology from all over the world. Our students and researchers have transformed Belfast’s cultural landscape with innovative performances and exhibitions across the city. Projects such as the Soundscape Garden in East Belfast, the Belfast Soundmap and the newly commissioned sonic gardens for the NI Hospice building are testimony of SARC’s impact in the wider community.

P E D R O R E B E L O

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MusED2015 77

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Community focused music activities have the capacity to broaden participation and engagement

with the sector. Making music accessible to people of all backgrounds and communities is essential,

as a vehicle to improve the lives of those who might not otherwise be able to experience music, and

by providing an access point to the industry for those individuals. Organisations such as the Oh

Yeah Music Centre, The Nerve Centre and the Andersonstown School of Music engage local people

in music, enhancing skills and developing opportunities.


C A S E S T U D Y

The Oh Yeah Music Centre is a space dedicated to local music, with various initiatives and projects

aimed at opening the doors to music potential for all ages; but mostly focused on youth. Oh Yeah is

a registered charity, with support from ACNI, The Lottery Fund, PRS Foundation, NITB, Belfast

City Council and more. The centre houses o�ce space, a recording studio, rehearsal rooms, a music

exhibition and a music venue with a bar. The centre was opened in 2007 by Gary Lightbody (Snow

Patrol) and ex-assistant editor of the NME, Stuart Bailie.

Popular projects include Volume Control, which aims to inspire young people aged between 14

and 19 to develop their own music industry and events enterprise, promoting their own gigs, and

starting a record label, through dedicated mentoring. The Scratch my Progress initiative also aids

the development of enterprise through supporting emerging artists, meetings and workshops with

lawyers and accountants, vocal coaches, PR experts and other industry professionals. In recent

years Oh Yeah have expanded their outreach programme to older people, engaging in

cross-community projects about punk and music in NI’s recent history.

T H E O H Y E A H M U S I C C E N T R E

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C A S E S T U D Y

The Nerve Centre, a purpose-built multimedia arts centre first opened in 1999, facilitates

creative collaboration between young people working in arts and popular culture. The Nerve

Centre runs a range of music related projects, an exemplar of which being SYNC Music Promise

in the Community, which oers free access to music creation, performance, production and

mentoring for young people in Derry~Londonderry. The Nerve Centre provides many

opportunities for skills development in the music sector, including music instrument tuition,

accredited music production and performance courses, and has hosted the Managing a Music

Business Enterprise course with Generator NI.

N E R V E C E N T R E

Since 2013, thousands of young people have participated in the Nerve Centre's ground breaking SYNC creative music education programme. Embedded at community level and targeting 'hard to reach' young people, SYNC has delivered a wide range of creative and performance opportunities; developed an alternative accredited music curriculum which allows young people to progress to further education / industry career pathways; launched some amazing young talents on the music scene; and made a hugely positive contribution to the personal development of participants.

M A R T Y M C G I L L

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“There is a growing recognition of music as a transformative power, not only as a cultural

staple but also as an economic driver. Boosting the music economy brings multiple dividends

to communities, from advancing artistic and cultural growth, to generating substantial

economic impacts from job creation and tourism spending, thereby increasing GDP. A vibrant

music economy creates the quality of life that makes people want to live and work in a Music

City, giving these communities an added edge in business attraction and retention.”

(Source: The Mastering of a Music City)

“The music business continues to expand into new markets and create new business models,

attracting more users to digital music services and bringing artists to a wider global audience.

Global revenue from performance rights - generated from broadcast, personalised streaming

services and venues - saw strong growth - rights income was up 8.3 per cent. Revenues from

synchronisation deals — the use of music in TV adverts, films and brand partnerships was up

8.4 per cent in 2014.”

(Source: The voice of the recording industry worldwide. IFPI)

A thriving music sector within the creative industries both contributes to the economy, and

also acts as an e�ective attractor to incoming visitors and investors.

It is essential therefore that the Northern Ireland sector works closely with public and private

stakeholders to ensure that it maximises and sustains its share of the future global market

opportunity.


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Mark Gordon

Nu Graham

Ross Graham

Grace Loughrey

Siubhán Macauley

Sarah Plunkett

& Lucy Skerritt

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Output: Defining and developing the music sector in Northern Ireland

Documents

Transcript of Output: Defining and developing the music sector in Northern Ireland