SBA Music Business News . . . By Director Wayne Hall
SBA Director Wayne Hall discusses the issues
confronting the music industry today.
The Cost Of A Great Idea . . .
October 31, 2008
Big events bring out big responses, and there is nothing like a global economic crisis to trigger a climate of “review” and “re-evaluation” within business. For many, it’s time to “baton down the hatches” - for a few, it’s a time of opportunity . . .
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The Whole World's Goin' Crazy (Slade, 1972) . . .
September 29, 2008
The new Business Development (BD) guy was very excited. He had a plan . . .
At the table were the Music Programmer, along with the Managers of Customer Relations, Finance and Sales.
“Have I got a great idea for taking this business to the next level . . .” he said, strutting confidently about the room.
(Here we go . . ., thought the Music Programmer) Continue Reading
A Blend Of Art And Science . . .
August 31, 2008
During the month The Music Network - a well known music industry magazine - ran a story on SBA which ended up covering quite a few issues and concepts associated with business music (it was done in the interview style). We received a very positive response to the article from many different areas of the market (artists, record labels & production houses to name a few) with many commenting that they simply hadn’t appreciated what business music involved, in particular the art of programming and it’s capacity to make such a difference. Here is the article reproduced in full . . . Continue Reading
Bang That Drum . . .
July 31, 2008
Our Operations Manager & Head of Programming here at SBA (Natascha Doran) recently organised a team building exercise for the staff. We went into the experience without any idea of what it would entail, and came out reminded of just how much music plays a role in certain cultures . . . Continue Reading
June 30, 2008
I was chatting recently with a person who had just celebrated their 40th birthday party. Naturally, my first question was to ask what they had done for music. Their answer - and it was an emotional one - was very insightful, not just in terms of music, but in relation to how important the qualification and support process of a “sale” can be. Here’s what happened. Continue Reading
May 30, 2008
During a meeting with one of our strategic partners recently, the “issue” came up about how to deal with the scenario where a client looks for feedback from their staff about the effectiveness of their music strategy.
Like so many things in business, handling matters that involve receiving information from a number of people becomes a question of balance. At times it can seem that the advantages of the exercise well outweigh the disadvantages, as what seemed to be a good “inclusive” idea becomes a myriad of varying (and incompatible) opinions in someone’s inbox. Continue Reading
Accommodating Change & Fighting Pirates April 30, 2008
It’s amazing how incremental change creeps up on you. Twenty years ago it seemed that if you changed jobs less then every three years you were considered an unstable employee (trust me, I was there!). These days it is pretty well the opposite – you’re almost considered strange if you stay in the one position for three years. The world has become so much more transient in so many ways, and no doubt the desire for immediate gratification (txt messages, auto-tellers, internet downloads, automated phone attendants) is a function of this condition.
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Cafes, Karaoke, Customers & Cars
It’s amazing how incremental change creeps up on you. Twenty years ago it seemed that if you changed jobs less then every three years you were considered an unstable employee (trust me, I was there!). These days it is pretty well the opposite – you’re almost considered strange if you stay in the one position for three years. The world has become so much more transient in so many ways, and no doubt the desire for immediate gratification (txt messages, auto-tellers, internet downloads, automated phone attendants) is a function of this condition.
Continue ReadingMarch 31, 2008
Being in the business music game, our primary focus is one of helping our clients deliver the right music for their target audience. Consequently (and understandably), we - and our clients - often tend to think that once we get the “music strategy” right, everything will be fine from an audio perspective. A couple of recent personal experiences reminded me that this is far from the case . . . Continue Reading
The Fly On The Wall
February 29, 2008
“So what you’re saying,” said the Operations Manager, “is that this system can be set up to run automatically . . . it can upload music over a network at low traffic times, switch on and off as required, report on player status, and schedule music into parts of the day . . . What was that term you used?"
“Day-parting.”
“Day-parting . . . makes sense. How is it managed?” Continue Reading
New Partners
January 31, 2008
SBA are excited to welcome two new key strategic partners – Ecomist and Mule Music. Both partners stand out for taking a solutions approach when attending to client requirements. Where appropriate integrating SBA services into their total package offering provides both parties with an advantage in the market - and more importantly, a superior solution for their client. 2008 will be spent forging these relationships. Continue Reading
Technology Can Byte You At Times
December 24, 2007
Technology . . . it has delivered us some marvelous things, but boy, does it present some headaches at times. For as long as I can remember (and I will admit to getting on a bit now), technology advances have always been accompanied with a promise of efficiency . . . more bang for the buck. Continue Reading
Interesting Days Indeed
November 30, 2007
“I notice you’re putting some new plasma’s up around the place”
“Yep . . . they should look pretty good”
“What will you be showing on them?’
“We’re not sure yet . . . Probably a morning show to start the day. Then, well . . . we’ll see. With so many pay TV channels available, I’m sure we’ll find something to run to keep the punters happy”
“Hopefully you will . . . are you going to have the audio on or off . . .? I notice you’ve already got background music running”
“Good point . . . I’m not sure yet . . .” Continue Reading
A Mixed Bag This Month
October 30, 2007
During the past year, the activities of the Music Industry Piracy Investigation team (MIPI) have noticeably increased, with a number of successful convictions carried out in partnership with other forces. This is great news for legitimate content suppliers and users, and MIPI are to be commended for their approach. Continue Reading
Howdy Partner
September 27, 2007
Strategic partners & core competency…. Both are terms that have come back into vogue recently. In the case of the business music industry, the need to assess whether strategic partners are required and the ways in which they can add value to the operation is certainly high on the agenda. Continue Reading
We're All Individuals
August 31, 2007
These days there are so many instances in everyday life where one can enjoy the benefits of digital delivery. From MP3 players to on-demand inflight movie channels on an aircraft, new technology is delivering some incredible entertainment experiences. Continue Reading
Change – Opportunity or Opponent?
July 31, 2007
Change can often present so many challenges, and if the past ten years are any indication, it would seem that the number of times the business music market requires us to change the way we do things will continue to increase. Continue Reading
Elevator Music to Elevated Music
June 29, 2007
During the past few months it has been really pleasing to see renewed interest in music from businesses that were once the mainstay of the background music market but fell away as music users during the late 80’s. Continue Reading
A Punters Guide to Business Music Copyright
May 31, 2007
During the past few months we’ve received quite a few enquiries about public performance licenses relating to the use of music. I suspect that these queries are mainly driven by tariff reviews recently introduced by APRA; regardless, I thought it worthwhile I put together a “punters guide” to music licensing. Continue Reading
Market Change Challenges All of Us
April 30, 2007
The degree to which market expectations are changing is really starting to gain momentum, with all sorts of repercussions for business. Customers are actively exploring ways to get more from services. Continue Reading
Music & Advertising - Would You Like Fries with That?
March 29, 2007
During the past year it has been interesting to watch the re-emergence of the “advertising based content supply model”. This model is the one in which the supplier fully underwrites the content delivery system (hardware, installation, communications network, content etc) with revenue from advertising. Continue Reading
The Challenge of Product Development
February 28, 2007
There are some major challenges confronting our industry, and one of the key issues that we have had to deal with here at SBA during the past few years has been that of how we respond to “player” technology. Continue Reading
SBA looks at Overseas Opportunities
February 1, 2007
During January I had the good fortune to meet with various business music operators in the UK and Europe, and it has been interesting to note that they are faced with the same challenges as Australian businesses. Continue Reading
- "Music is a critical component of store atmosphere and plays a significant role in the purchase decision-making process. "
– Michael Morrison, Monash University - "One of the best things about working with SBA is the roll out system we have in place… all we have to do is notify them of a new site, and they take care of the rest. It’s too easy. "
- Carlos Antonius, Nando’s Australia Marketing Director - "SBA are not just our music supplier. Their capacity to work with us to deliver an in-store music strategy that went above and beyond our initial requirements means we now view them as an integral part of our team."
- Paul Montalto, National Communications & Promotions Manager, Target - "Our no. 1 priority was to implement a music strategy that reinforced our brand and created an atmosphere that was distinct to Gloria Jeans. SBA’s on-going commitment to this process has been outstanding. In addition, they’ve worked with us on a number of initiatives that have continued to add value & develop our brand. "
- Elizabeth West, Gloria Jean's Coffees, Group Marketing Manager - "SBA are always in there working as a partner to assist us. They understand the market and like to get our take on things, which is important. "
- Dennis McGrath, Amarda Operations - "We’ve been subscribing to SBA Music for years. The monthly chart program is always spot on and the theme programs include all the timeless, must-have tracks that punters want to hear... The programs end up paying for themselves. "
- Erwin Boot, Automatic Music - "SBA's CD's takes the guess work out of song selection… if it's on their CD's it will pack the dance floor. "
- DJ Guru - "For us, SBA are a one stop shop. The music solution we’ve put in place has addressed all our needs as bar and restaurant operators. We have the right music playing at the right time, at the right levels… in all key areas of our venues. It fills the gap and provides the right atmosphere for our venues. "
- Jeremy Milner, Bavarian Bier Cafes - "SBA is a fantastic platform in this new age of music technology and distribution. It has been instrumental in launching our great local talent to a wide and diverse audience nationally. And to top it off their staff are a pleasure to deal with. Welcome to the future!"
- Liz Eve, National Promotions Manager, Creative Vibes - "We choose SBA for its diversity and up to the minute track listings" - Rock-On Mobile DJ Services
- “SBA’s Launching Pad Initiative is a fantastic way to bring new bands to a new audience…don’t get left behind.”
- Tim West, The Right Profile - "SBA are always prompt and always have the music I need"
- DJ Bodz - "SBA has taken the pain out of running an effective and reliable source of music for our stores. Their flexibility and knowledge help us create the right atmosphere for our customers every time."
- Robert Marsden, IT Manager – Zarraffa’s Coffee