Local and Industry News
The Florida Alliance for Arts Education has launched the State Teaching Artist Directory.
There is no fee for community and school teaching artists to register, and once the directory has sufficient registrations the Alliance will make the searchable directory available to schools and community organizations interested in employing artists. Artists can register at flteachingartists.org.
The Mellon Foundation is donating $125 million for the Creatives Build New York plan. The three-year program will provide full-time employment or guaranteed income for artists. 2,400 artists will receive monthly income and another 300 positions at small and mid-sized arts organizations will be endowed. The Ford Foundation and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation also contributed to the fund. It is estimated that before the pandemic the New York cultural sector employed 500,000 and generated about $120 billion in economic activity.
The German government is providing $3 billion in funds to support the cultural sector. The funds will provide insurance in case events are cancelled or postponed due to Covid outbreaks and will also supplement ticket income if capacity must be limited due to social distancing. The fund will first provide support to events of less than 500 people and will expand to events of up to 2,000 people in August and even larger events starting in September.
recording
AMC reported a quarterly loss of $567 million. While revenue is down 84 percent from a year ago, the loss is a big improvement over the $2.2 billion lost during the same quarter last year.
The Copyright Royalty Board has announced a 17 percent increase in advertising-supported streaming royalty rates for 2021. Rates will rise from $0.18 per hundred songs streamed to $0.21. SoundExchange had proposed increasing the rates to $0.28 but sees the increase as a step in the right direction. Subscription service royalty rates will also rise, from $0.24 per 100 songs to $0.26. The rates will receive cost of living increases through 2025, and broadcasters will pay a minimum of $1,000 and a maximum of $100,000 per year.
Sony Music has cancelled the debts of artists signed to the label before 2000. Artists receive advances when they first sign to a label, and are not eligible to receive streaming and other royalty income until the debts are repaid. This move by Sony will now allow artists to receive these royalties and will partially address the imbalance in profit-sharing between artists, labels, and streaming services.
symphonic
The Cincinnati Symphony will return to full-capacity audiences for its 2021-22 season. The full orchestra will also return to the stage, opening the season with Brahms Symphony number 3.
The Florida Orchestra and Opera Tampa have partnered. The Orchestra will provide live music for the 2022 Opera season. Additionally, Orchestra director Michael Francis will conduct one of the Opera productions.
