Trevor Topfer
Recording Studio Director, Keytone Studios

Written by Krystal Ockerby on 2008-10-17

What do you see happening in the next five years in the music industry?

It’s pretty obvious there is a massive shift currently taking place. Everything is moving to digital and traditionally run music companies are having to completely rethink how they draw income and interact with their customers. Due to this change, major record companies are now making swift and brutal moves to ensure their monopoly over the music industry stays in place. Things like the recent acquisitions of websites like MySpace, though advocated as being in place to protect the rights of the artist, actually demonstrate the desperation of the majors. Record companies not only take huge amounts from the music economy, but now they are drawing from advertising revenue based around the content of their artists. Musicians control the content and companies like us provide cheap effective access to global markets; this will be the massive shift over the next 5 years.

What are the biggest challenges you and your organisation face as a member of the Brisbane media community?

Access to markets and support from the local community, let me explain. I think it’s time people started realising and accepting they need to contribute financially if they want quality music to continue. Most musicians aren’t millionaires. Great Aussie bands like The Grates and The Herd work extremely hard to entertain people and continue to produce excellent music. Most of them have part-time jobs to pay rent, bills, studio time, CD pressing, etc. There needs to be a change in attitudes or we’re all going to be out of a job.

We also need support from industry and government bodies to help access international markets. The national market is simply not big enough to support local artists. They need to get their music overseas to bigger markets to help build their careers. The internet now makes this much easier, but there’s still a long way to go yet.

What are the most important/valuable skills that graduates can bring to your industry?

Innovation and passion. We exist in an age where the only limits are imagination and motivation. When employing, we look for passion, innovation and integrity. We look for a strong interest in music and an understanding of the current music industry. We look for people with realistic expectations. I think a lot of people are in this business for the money or the fame or the glory. If that’s the case then you’re probably part of the problem not the music. But I think for the most part, we look for people wanting to promote the scene and its artists and therefore share a common goal.

How would you rate the performance of Brisbane-based media organisations in comparison to other national and international media hubs?

Right now, there’s still a way to go. There are, however, some really innovative organisations here and a strong focus on the internet, mobile and other new media platforms. With the increasing global profile of Brisbane creative industries, we could see a lot more Brisbane organisations finding an audience on the world stage. Brisbane is just a melting pot for world-class talent. If we were making more money or receiving more government support, we could sign more talent and increase the profile of this great city nationally and globally. I really think it’s a more exciting time for a media organisation to be in Brisbane than ever before.

How has new media such as the Internet and mobile communications revolutionised your workplace?

Our entire operation is focused on internet and mobile platforms. We have embraced new technology and are striving to develop a sustainable model that suits these new delivery platforms. We provide instant global digital distribution to anyone who wants it and we make sure the artist gets almost all the proceeds from sales of their product (music, video, photography). Through Keytone.com we have helped a lot of artists who wouldn’t have otherwise been able to get a foot in the door. I wouldn’t say we’ve solved the problem or anything like that, but we are doing what we can to be innovative and grow in the current climate of change.

Are Issues of sharing music files and copying CDs still as prevalent in your industry as they were a few years ago?

Probably more so. Sharing and copying are always going to be here and their effects on the industry will be everlasting. I see the arguments from both sides…file sharing and burning music robs the artist and label of their rightly deserved income. However, it also allows the word-of-mouth spreading of new music to be done easily and opens more people up to new music. What needs to happen is the final step in the process, where people who are enjoying new music can easily find the band online and spend some money knowing it will go directly to the artist. Unfortunately, it’s still easier to steal music than it is to legally download it. We think if we can provide people an easy way of finding their favourite bands and ethically download their music, we hope they’re motivated to do the right thing.

Has the closure of independent retailers like Skinnys been detrimental to the success of your label?

Definitely. Although our label is still far too new to draw comparisons, it’s easy to see the effect these things have had and continue to have. Now Rockaway and others have had to move away from the city or close altogether. There are fewer indie record stores and that means fewer avenues for indie artists. It forces musicians into signing exclusive distribution deals and losing much of their rights to the music they are creating. Skinny’s and others were willing to take a chance on local acts. Do you think anyone’s ever walked into HMV with 10 discs and said “Could you stock these for me?” and got a result?