Preparing for SXSW - Panel and Networking Recap
Published 12 February, 2020
Date: Wednesday 5th February 2020
Location: The Commons, Collingwood
Moderator: Millie Millgate - Sounds Australia | Executive Produce
Panellists:
Neil Morris – VMDO | First Peoples Music Business Manager
Jo Syme – Pieater/Hotel Motel Records | Co-Director
Simone Ubaldi – Amyl and the Sniffers | Manager
Melanie Webb – Lyrical Road | Managing Director
Esti Zilber – Sounds Australia | Creative Producer
The Victorian Music Development Office, Sounds Australia and Music Victoria presented a panel discussion and evening of networking, centered around South by South West (SXSW).
SXSW continues to be the premier global music conference for music, film and interactive media. It takes place annually in Austin, Texas.
In 2019, 232,000 people attended the event throughout its duration. Of those, more than 159,000 watched the music showcases across the seven days. Australia had the sixth largest delegation of the festival. It was also the largest delegation of Australian artists ever to attend. Of the 7000 artist showcase applications last year, 1900 were successful.
This panel discussion brought together a number of established Victorian music professionals to discuss their SXSW experiences and advise how to make the most of a trip to the conference, highlighting how best to cut through and stand out, maximise the financial investment, and ultimately how prospective SXSW attendees could use the event to advance their careers.
Key Points
Preparing for SXSW
During SXSW
Aftermath
Preparing for SXSW
Be Ready
The panel discussed the need to hustle and put in networking legwork before departing Australia. One suggestion was to look up past showcasing artists, acts that you feel have a similar trajectory and having an understanding of their on-ground plan and the venues they performed at. The vast majority of the music industry at SXSW are motivated by buzz acts and networking, so it’s unusual for key players to see acts they’re not already familiar with. So if you can create an amount of hype around your show before you even get on the plane, you’re on the right track.
The better you are positioned, and the more buzz your act has in the lead up to SXSW, the more likely you’ll be able to work towards desired outcomes.
The panel advocates for attending SXSW as an industry professional before you plan to showcase. Sounds Australia strongly encourage a ‘go before you show’ approach when it is financially feasible to do so. Approach the event with the intention of establishing connections, exploring the lay of the land, while building on a profile back at home. Being able to meet new contacts and concentrate on building relationships ahead of showcasing is seen to be as admirable and forwarding thinking.
For artists showcasing, ask yourself, what does your online presence look like to a stranger? How cohesive do you look, what story are you telling? Organise your feed and make yourself as appealing as possible.
For artists who are accepted to showcase at SXSW, you will receive artist passes for your band members, however no fee is paid to perform. Accommodation costs sit with the artist and downtown accommodation is at a premium. There are some local hosting schemes available for showcasing artists. A lot of information is provided about how the city and event runs and there is advice to be found online for maximizing networking opportunities. It is important to consider your cashflow and budget carefully in preparation for SXSW.
Amyl and the Sniffers is a SXSW success story. They performed five shows at SXSW in 2019. Ubaldi says that the timing was right, as Amyl and the Sniffers were fortunate to have already debuted in the US (supporting King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard in 2018) and they were primed to make an impact. Part of that was label connections and booking connections, who assist in organising official and unofficial shows, and media opportunities. They already had a team in place in America so they could springboard off the press. They had a single release and a US tour lined up for the same time. It was a really big global PR opportunity and they took advantage of that, with optimal results. Having local support in North America certainly assists in a big way, however if you don’t have this in place it may just mean more preparation, homework and strategy is required. Be clear about your goals going into SXSW.
Visas and funding
There are some challenges around showcasing at SXSW and the associated Visas. Refer to the SXSW website for official advice. There are various funding opportunities available, on a federal level (through Australia Council) and also on a state level (through Creative Victoria).
The Export Market Development Grant (EMDG) is another opportunity you may want to look into, however it should be noted there’s a large amount of work involved in order to apply for it. If you are considering using a EMDG Consultant for your application, check out the full list of accredited consultants on the AusTrade website.
Create your story and sell it well
As a showcasing artist, you need to be clear on your story coming into SXSW. In America, most people are prepared to sell themselves well and communicate their pitch clearly. The panel encouraged those attending SXSW to reconsider Australian humility, as culturally it is quite different in North America.
Reframe your story if you need to. Use the right language and become comfortable putting yourself out there and with confidence. Consider your vernacular and how it can be fine-tuned. If you’re unable to clearly communicate your story as an artist, competing acts will be able to and it’s likely they’ll be louder.
2. During SXSW
Networking
There are thousands of different ways to experience and benefit from the event. Music professionals stand to gain from the event just as much as artists do, primarily through networking opportunities. The networking side of things delivers every year. If you have your sixty second pitch and a smile on your face, and you’re happy to talk to strangers, you never know where that conversation could take you.
If it seems intimidating, Australia House is a good place to start, there will be familiar faces before you step out into the big - and it is big - world of Austin. Then take yourself out of your comfort zone. Don't just attend music events, but do go to things you’re interested in. You may be standing in line for a film and strike up a conversation with someone who becomes a contact or friend. That organic way of doing business and networking really works.
In addition to making international contacts, SXSW offers the opportunity to meet fellow Australians that you may not meet otherwise. Not only is an Australian accent across a room comforting, but being at international events is a bit of a leveler. People are really gracious with their time, so shout them a coffee and pick their brain.
Showcases and self-promotion
There’s no silver bullet with showcasing, you’re dealing with economies of scale, and SXSW is an efficient use of time. SXSW provide at minimum one official showcasing opportunity, but it is strongly advisable to look at other performance opportunities in order to maximize your trip. Finding more shows, though, is up to the artist and their team to organise. In terms of production, it’s important to understand clearly what is included in each performance as often backline isn’t provided and artists need to source their own. When you are showcasing, never play beyond your set time and ensure you’re timing the performance correctly. This is important as you need to be respectful of the other artists on the bill. It’s important to tell the audience your artist/band name and consider doing this more than once, as the crowd may see a dozen or more performances that day.
Before streaming was dominant, artists would bring CDs as promotion. It goes without saying these are now redundant, particularly with music industry professionals. Other merchandise (such as badges) will only be well received if the artist has buzz around them.
There’s a careful balance between being present, showing up, putting on a show, being friendly, but not pushing people to listen to or like your music. Because that's not how deals are made in the industry. People need to feel like they discover you, but they want there to be enough other people liking it so they feel like their taste is being validated. It's a really challenging game, the panel says, but you have to show up.
Beyond showcases
There are SXSW approved shows and unapproved shows. They can be very difficult to distinguish. This is important, as depending on your Visa type, you may only be able to play official approved shows. Checking with each event organiser is always best practice.
You come across such a wide range of people from all different avenues of the event. The world that exists within that is incredibly vast, and it’s going to be a mind blowing experience. When attending SXSW, you should be open to the kinds of engagements and opportunities that aren’t necessarily your forte. With this attitude, you’ll have wonderful experiences well beyond your expectations.
3. Aftermath
Statistics
Since 2009, 428 Australian artists have showcased at SXSW. Of those artists:
119 artists have picked up distribution or a label;
101 signed with a label;
126 were made festival;
29 publishing deals;
52 were chosen for film and TV placements;
43 were offered major tours;
8 locked in the producer of their choice;
44 negotiated brand sponsorships.
These statistics do paint a very flattering image of the event, but it’s important to note that not all acts come away achieving all of their set goals. It’s important to keep expectations in check.
Managing Expectations
You must go in incredibly prepared, but it is also important to have realistic expectations. If you have a list of five things you want, that may already be too much. If you only have a partial team in place, realistically a good outcome is to over the course of the week, meet three or four agents and maybe continue to keep contact with two, and that that may lead somewhere.
Outcomes from the event vary greatly. Although you can prepare, sometimes artists just get lucky, and are just in the right place at the right time; standing next to the right person in the right line. It can be that arbitrary.
CLOSING REMARKS
Artists who stand out at SXSW are generally the ones that go into the event with support from a team, and a certain level of buzz from the media.
SXSW can be an incredibly rich and meaningful experience in a very unique setting. This is somewhat hard to quantify, but your time in Austin will likely stay to you for years to come and has the potential to impact artistry and professional development on an international scale. Make sure you prioritise enjoying yourself amongst the business and hustle.