Orchestras Integrating Digital Tools

Abstract

#FIM_IOC Montreal, 12 May 2017

Gerald Mertens, DOV Germany

Digital Tools For Orchestras

• 5 headlines of the session:

• A – Artistic – Audience

• B – Backstage – Box office

• C – Communication

• D – Diffusion – Dissemination – Distribution

• E – Education

Artistic – Audience

• Berlin Philharmonic startet Digital Concerthall (DCH) in December 2008

• Some 40 live webstrams of nearly all (almost sold out) concerts ( from Berlin Philharmony Hall per season

• Plus DCH archive as of 2008, selected remastered TV prdoductions conducted by Herbert von Karajan, interviews with artists etc.

• 30.000 annually paying subscribers plus 850.000 registered users

• The DCH Ltd is a seperate profit company owned and managed by the members of Berlin Phil themselves

• After reaching break even (between 5000 to 10.000 subscribers), the company makes profit and gives revenue to musicians (as stakeholders)

Artistic – Audience

Artistic – Audience

• As a start-up DCH in the beginning was sponsored by Deutsche Bank

• In September 2016 DCH signed a contract with PANASONIC for a new cutting-edge technichal equipment:

• “Bringing optimum live experience to the home and in-car environment with 4K/HDR and Hi-Resolution technologies” (http://news.panasonic.com/global/press/data/2016/09/en160901-4/en160901-4.html)

Artistic – Audience

• Since April 2011 Detroit Symphony „Live from Orchestra Hall“ – HD Live Stream

• 2017: more than 100 recorded streams in the archive

• „Replay“: patrons have access spending for more than 50,-- USD per year

• Tool for marketing, friendraising and fundraising

• 10.000 registered users

Artistic – Audience

Artistic – Audience - vice versaDSO in Miami: put on your cell, film the encore and put it online!

Artistic – Audience

• Bavarian State Opera Munich – streaming channel Staatsoper.TV

• Live webstream for free with some 9 performances per year (one per month during season)

• Plus annual press conference, season presentation and background interviews

• Tool for marketing, sponsoring and outreach

• 1 million viewers from 55 countries (spring 2017)

• Revenue for musicians and transfer of rights has been included in their monthly salaries by collective bargaining agreement!

Artistic – Audience

Artistic – Audience

• Francfort Radio Symphony – succesful YouTube channel

• 48.000 subscribers

• Example: after 4 years Schumann Piano Concerto with almost 3,9 million views

• Revenue for the musicians as employees of a public station is included in their salaries

• Chicago Symphony Orchestra: 6.164.690 views (May2017) for Beethoven 9th Symphony with Ricardo Muti

• Revenue for orchestra/musicians, YouTube partnership!??

Artistic – Audience

Box Office

• In Germany only 40 to 50 percent of music theatres and orchestras offer online tickets, almost in greater cities

• Problem: orchestras using external ticket service providers (for example EVENTIM) don‘t have access to collected customer data

• In Germany almost only big orchestras/operas/theatres have developed their own ticketing/CRM system

Back stage

• 41 theatres/operas/orchestras use OPAS (Orchestra Planning and Administration System) by Finearts Software

• 78 operas and theatres use THEASOFT, special software for theatres

• 25 concerthouses and musicfestival use EVIS by More dimensions IT solutions, Austria

Communication – Social networks

• Berlin Philharmonic on … compared to Munich Philharmonic…

• Facebook: 1.1 mio followers/friends 22.7000

• Twitter: 118.000 followers 3.100

• Instagram : 49.000 subscribers 467

• Snapchat: ./. ./.

Communication – Social networks

• Every social media channel has its own language, form of messages and target groups which are constantly developing

• What are the goals of the social media strategy of the orchestra? Sometimes this seems to be unclear

• Just old-school one way communication? Selling more tickets? Fostering audience relations?

• Opener for story telling! Great content, fresh back stage stories

• Single musicians may be smpathetic ambassadors of the orchestra

• For example: Sarah Wills, horn player of Berlin Philharmonic with an own TV show on Deutsche Welle (http://sarah-willis.com/sarahs-music/) and on YouTube

Diffusion – Distribution

• Several competing streaming platforms on the internet…

• Classical music lovers still buy CDs. However, 65 percent of CD buyers are older than 50 years

• Berlin Philharmonic has set up an own CD label in 2014: BERLIN PHIL RECORDINGS

• Selected high end recordings CD, Blue ray and VINYL!

Diffusion – Distribution

Education

• Upload and download of educational materials from the orchestra website

• … for teachers and students preparing workshops

• Online Conservatory

• Peer-to-peer online lessons of single musicians for single students

• Education itsself always remains to be live music and action with audiences

Summary

• Digital communication doesn‘t substitute physical communication to yourlocal audience.

• Sesaon brochures, leave lets, posters, printed adverts, concertannouncements in newspapers remain to be important (next slide).

• However, digital communication helps to develop world brands such as theBerlin or New York Philharmonic.

Summary

• Thea use of digital media enlarges audiences for orchestras and spreads classical music across the globe.

• However, every orchestra has to find its own perfectly fitting digital media, distribution and marketing strategy. Of course there will be „try and error“…

• Digital media development has to be part of strategic marketing. This is not only a management issue but should include musicians.

• A sustainable business model has to involve musicians to be successful and ist has to be reconsidered and reframed regularily.

• In many orchestras there is a lack of transparency and longterm strategic development, not only in media strategies.