Jeeni Blog

Helping the next generation of talent to build a global fanbase

Let the Music Play and Save Our Venues

You may have seen the hashtags going around today

If you were wondering what it's all about, an open letter has been issued. THIS is what is happening ?

Some 1,500 acts including Ed Sheeran, Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones urge the British Government to save the country's live music industry from collapsing because of coronavirus.

Coldplay, Eric Clapton, Sam Smith, Rod Stewart, Liam Gallagher, Iron Maiden, Dua Lipa, Skepta and Florence + the Machine were also signatories to an open letter warning that the ongoing shutdown threatens thousands of jobs. They cited new research showing that live music added £4.5 billion ($5.6 billion, 5.0 billion euros) to the British economy and supported 210,000 jobs across the country last year.

Live music has been one of the UK's biggest social, cultural, and economic successes of the past decade. But, with no end to social distancing in sight or financial support from government yet agreed, the future for venues, concerts and festivals and the hundreds of thousands of people who work in them looks bleak.

Until these businesses can operate again, which is likely to be 2021 at the earliest, government support will be crucial to prevent mass insolvencies and the end of this world-leading industry.

On July 2nd 2020, the Concert Promoters Association and a coalition of live music businesses including artists, venues, concerts, festivals, production companies and industry figures launched a campaign to highlight the importance of the sector to the UK’s economy. The campaign asked people to share on social media a film or photo of the last gig they played or saw with the hashtag #LetTheMusicPlay.

If you’d like to add your support, you can download shareable graphics and quotes from some of the country’s biggest artists here. Post them on your social media to show how important UK live music is to you, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #LetTheMusicPlay.

Read the joint letter

Dear Secretary of State,

UK live music has been one of the UK’s biggest social, cultural, and economic successes of the past decade. From world-famous festivals to ground-breaking concerts, the live music industry showcases, supports, and develops some of the best talent in the world – on and off-stage.

As important as it is, our national and regional contribution isn’t purely cultural. Our economic impact is also significant, with live music adding £4.5bn to the British economy and supporting 210,000 jobs across the country in 2019.

Like every part of the entertainment industry, live music has been proud to play our part in the national effort to reduce the spread of Coronavirus and keep people safe. But, with no end to social distancing in sight or financial support from government yet agreed, the future for concerts and festivals and the hundreds of thousands of people who work in them looks bleak.

This sector doesn’t want to ask for government help. The promoters, festival organisers, and other employers want to be self-sufficient, as they were before lockdown. But, until these businesses can operate again, which is likely to be 2021 at the earliest, government support will be crucial to prevent mass insolvencies, and the end of this great British industry.

Government has addressed two important British pastimes – football and pubs – and it’s now crucial that it focuses on a third, live music. For the good of the economy, the careers of emerging British artists, and the UK’s global music standing, we must ensure that a live music industry remains when the pandemic has finally passed.

Yours,

Leading UK artists, music professionals & venues (read the full list of signatories here)

Click HERE to visit or return to jeeni.com

BACK

08
Sep

Jeeni is going to Victorious Festival!

Victorious Festival is the UK’s biggest metropolitan festival and is set to return to Southsea Seafront this August Bank holiday weekend (27th-29th August). With an excellent line-up including Madness, The Streets, Royal Blood, Rag ‘n’ Bone Man and many more. At the event we will be busy spreading the word with our key messages, informing people of our most recent success in our latest Crowdcube round, how we managed to acheive "Mover and Shaker Status", raising nearly 70% of our £150k target in a week. Over the weekend we will be interviewing various artists and explaining why supporting a cause like Jeeni is so important, and if you have not already heard: Jeeni is the number one ethical alternative to streaming platforms like YouTube and Spotify. We allow artists and performers to keep 100% of everything they earn through our platform. No Adverts, No Fakes. We are excited about our slot at the Victorious Festival and we will be sure to take this priviledged opportunity to shout out to as many who will hear what makes Jeeni so great. We hope to meet you there if you are going, and if you do you can pledge on site. But you don't have to wait to see us at the festival. You can pledge investment today and become part of our movement that is fighting to save the face of music and protect artists. You can pledge as little as £10 investment in Jeeni today you will ensure artists will have a future music career worth working in. For more information check out our pitch - https://bit.ly/3BhEeia *Capital at Risk. And congratulations to our ticket winners! Earlier today gave away 2 Victorious Festival tickets to one of our social network followers and we hope they have a great time. Be sure to follow us on our Instagram @Jeenimusic to get involved with our other posts and keep in touch for future promotions and updates.

05
Jun

How to Monetise Live Streaming

The Independent Musicians and Performers Community wants to spotlight the fact that as gigs, concerts, tours and festivals are cancelled, musicians and performers will be unable to play in front of significant live audiences for the foreseeable future. Some of our members have asked for advice on what software or streaming platforms to use and how can this community help them monetise live streaming. The monetisation of live streaming is possible in a few different ways. The most straightforward one is via donations, which is pretty quick and simple to set up via PayPal. Having spent a couple of days looking for sound advice and guidance I found this blog which was sent in by one of our members. Fellipe Baldauf, so thanks very much Fellipe. The blog has been specifically designed to serve freelance artists, and those interested in supporting the independent artist community. This includes, but is not limited to, actors, designers, producers, technicians, stage managers, musicians, composers, choreographers, visual artists, filmmakers, craft artists, teaching artists, dancers, writers & playwrights, photographers, etc. Check out the blog, it is very comprehensive and we found it very useful. https://covid19freelanceartistresource.wordpress.com/ I hope you agree the blog is brilliant and not to be missed as essential reading, the writers are non political, non self promoting whilst provide extremely free advice useful lists and links to information on very topical subjects such as: Emergency Funding, International Resources, Best Practices for Online Teaching, Online Platforms, Health and Mental Health Resources, Temporary and Remote Job Opportunities and Events. Example of bands streaming live concerts because of coronavirus include Orange and Gnash. Code Orange drummer and vocalist Jami Morgan told Newsweek that they decided to perform the concert after making every effort to have it happen as planned. He said after all the work put in, the hardcore idols had to do the show at least once. "We need to make two versions of this plan. One: that we could maybe still do this, with the show, because we don't know what's going to happen going forward," Morgan told Newsweek. "Another: we do it empty-arena match style and be the first ones to do it, and try to give everyone the show we've been working so hard on, and turn this negative to at least a little bit of a positive or something enjoyable for people who like heavy music." https://www.newsweek.com/code-orange-gnash-against-me-diplo-stream-shows-coronavirus-1492333 We have just registered to a live broadcast with Vimeo entitled: "How to Plan a virtual event: Vimeo's live production experts tell all". Greg Palmer, Senior Producer at Vimeo states that: "As businesses and organizations shift their in-person event strategies to virtual experiences, Vimeo’s live production team is here to help navigate these changes successfully under tight deadlines. We can provide expert advice on how schools, event coordinators, marketers, and more are evolving their event strategies to optimize engaging live streaming experiences". The broadcast includes: Why live streamed events make sense as a supplement for in person eventsHow Vimeo's virtual package is helping organisations quickly pivot to online experiences Why and when businesses should partner with a third partner production serviceCustomer stories of working with Vimeo's live production team for their virtual event. https://vimeo.com/pt-br/enterprise/live-production-broadcast That's it for now folks, Mel and I hope that you found this useful and share with like-minded people that might benefit. Written by Shena Mitchell and Mel Croucher founding directors of Jeeni.com

06
Jan

Artist Focus: Khole Baldeo

We are very excited to introduce Khole Baldeo, one of the next great artists to come out of the Caribbean, and more specifically, the Island of Grenada. She is an extremely talented singer, performer and songwriter who has created a real name for herself on her island, and she’s now set her eyes on international success. Having seen her perform in person I can say she has an incredible voice and can attract the attention of an audience with ease. Her electric, unforgiving nature during performance is a brilliant sight and you can only admire the clear love and dedication she has for her craft. Her following has been eagerly awaiting her new journey in music, as she like many artists prepared to elevate her career to the next level. Having opened shows for notable artists such Buju Banton and Sizzla Kalonji, she took time to find her own new unique sound. Having previously been more of a Soul singer, she has found her calling in ‘Island Pop’. The genre is a clash of Dancehall and Pop, often very bouncy and easy to listen to, describing love, life, sex and relationships. Her debut single ‘Island Girl’, produced by the excellent ‘Exit Daze’ currently residing in Grenada, is a joyful, exciting start to her new voyage. There is an incredible energy about the track, Khole has clearly entertained her past soulful style with her light, loving lyrics while also exploring the fiercer, sensual side of her character in the chorus. The happy-sad nature of the songs story adds a lot of emotion, as she speaks of two people dancing around one another, but feeling reluctant to ‘make a move’ as they are afraid of a bad reaction. The mix consists of upbeat guitar chords, and a modern pop style beat, with some layering of piano keys, which really encapsulates an Island vibe. Khole sets the tone for the song “Would you run away if I told you I love you, would it make you stay, let’s take a chance”. The light start to the song progresses to a knocking chorus. She tells her audience of this relationship with great detail, creating spicy imagery as she leaves the specifics up to interpretation. An electric song needs an electric music video and that is certainly the case here. The smooth moves of Khole and her dancers make you feel as if you are this elusive character who she is in love with. There is a lovely mix in the choreography between the joyful, coordinated but careless dancing, and the more seductive side of Khole towards her subject as you get a glimpse of what may be in store. ‘Island Girl’ is an exciting, jubilant and professional release. We love the vibe that Khole Baldeo has created here, a fantastic start to her new identity. We shall continue to keep you updated on her new releases as there is much more to come! How can Jeeni support artists like Khole Baldeo? JEENI is a multi-channel platform for original entertainment on demand. We’re a direct service between creatives and the global audience. • We give creatives, independent artists and performers a showcase for their talent and services. And they keep 100% of everything they make.• We empower our audience and reward them every step of the way.• We promise to treat our members ethically, fairly, honestly and with respect.• Access to artist liaison and a supportive marketing team. Check out Khole Baldeo’s Jeeni showcase here: https://jeeni.com/showcase/kholebaldeo/