Sarah Hamilton
Artist Relations Manager, Musicadium

Written by Eliza Jorgensen on 2009-10-06

Sarah Hamilton has a background in music and media. With a diploma of music performance from the Southbank Institute of Technology and management experience with the National Institute of Youth Performing Arts Australia, she chooses to surround herself with music. Sarah is currently artist relations manager for Brisbane-based digital music distributor, Musicadium.

Why did you decide to pursue a career in the media and communications industry?

I have always been passionate about music, harking back to the 1980s when Kylie Minogue was my idol and bubblegum pop was my genre of choice. I would like to think my music tastes have changed, but my passion has not. The music industry is exciting, constantly changing, and filled with people who love what they do. There is never a boring day, or a day when I do not discover something new – be that a great song, a new business model or an exciting technical development. I wanted to be a part of something I was passionate about and to be surrounded by passionate people – the music and media industries have definitely allowed that.

What has been your most memorable achievement or experience working as a part of Brisbane’s media landscape?

Musicadium was asked to be involved in some research that Griffith lecturer Dave Carter was completing which involved 100 bands we work with. The study looked at their sales figures and how their online and offline marketing techniques were affecting their sales. Dave presented this research at the Big Sound conference this year. The response was amazing on both a national and international scale. It was great to see someone put together a tangible document that outlines how artists can manage their online and offline presence. If anyone out there wants to check it out it is available on the Musicadium website. Also, presenting the pop award to the John Steel Singers at the Q Song awards was great fun!

How do you rate Brisbane’s music scene against the other major cities in Australia?

Brisbane’s music scene is exciting, eclectic and lively. It is pretty special that we have a specific live music precinct. It is also extremely important that we continue to keep the Valley alive and kicking by supporting our local music. I also think that Brisbane lacks the pretense that some other cities may have so we serve up good, honest music. There is a great project called Brisbane Sounds, which showcases Brisbane music to the world. It is a great reminder of the talent we have got right here.

What do you think about the relationship between traditional media and new media?

New media is exciting, and is a great tool for artists and companies to use, but it is important not to forget all of the principles that apply to traditional media and even simple social skills. I think your online presence should reflect who you are offline, and so the same rules apply. You would not blast your friends in the street ten times a day with a megaphone, yet people think tweeting everything they do or spamming is acceptable – it is not. I think that it is important to combine traditional and new media in an unobtrusive way, while remembering social etiquette of course.

In your opinion, what is the most prominent trend in the music industry at the moment?

That is a hard one, because so many bands are doing different and crazy things! I would say experimentation is the trend. Be it giving away music like Radiohead, organising impromptu concerts via Twitter like Amanda Palmer or reverting back to only vinyl and digital releases like many artists are doing. The exciting thing is that artists are experimenting and finding out what works for them. As a consumer it is just as exciting, there are so many ways to access music from all over the world. If you are hungry to go out hunting, you can find amazing music in seconds rather than wading through hours of crap. I am really into recommendation services like last.fm. I see these becoming more popular as they are incorporated further into social media.

What advice would you give to individuals hoping to pursue a career in the music industry?

I think get out there and see as much music as possible, make friends with bands and everyone you meet and just get amongst it. Gone are the days of the music industry being filled with rich, greedy businessmen who hate music and are in it to make a quick dollar. Pretty much everyone that I have met has been a genuine music lover, who just wants to be involved with something they are excited about. I have also found that people are usually keen to help out, so no one should be shy to ask for favours or to approach industry folk for advice.

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

I think as smart phone usage grows, music consumption will change accordingly. Subscription services like Nokia Comes with Music will grow and new players in this space will appear. Streaming could become a lot more prevalent with companies such as Spotify appearing, but I think a sustainable business model that supports artists needs to be devised before streaming will overtake actual sales. I see digital music continuing to expand, but also as a reaction to this, vinyl will stick around for a while as there will always be people who prefer to have a physical product in their hands. In terms of industry, I think that we will see a lot more artists communicating and selling their music direct to fans like we saw Metric do with Topspin Media. Artists can communicate with, listen to, sell to and connect with fans using social media and this can eliminate the need for a major label. We are doing it with Musicadium by helping artists to use all of the tools at their disposal to connect with fans directly. It is great to see artists remaining in control of their careers, and I think this is the way of the future.