The AvA Connection

The Weekly Buzz:

• Spotify and Universal Music Group (UMG) partner on an “expansion of their strategic relationship” that will help Artists drive fan interaction and generate excitement for upcoming releases. Read more

  • What does that mean?

    • UMG Artists can tease segments of their unreleased tracks and host their music videos directly on the streaming platform.

  • Why is that important?

    • It streamlines the discovery process for fans, filling a gap that was lost when TikTok and UMG had their very public breakup.

    • The addition of music videos to the streaming platform allows for a more active “lean-in” listening style by fans, turning casual listeners into potential superfans.

• Worldwide festivals continue to take a hit in 2024

  • The iconic Splendour in the Grass festival in Australia has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances (low ticket sales).

  • Major festivals like Okeechobee, Firefly, Moonrise, Groovin’ The Moo, Format are either taking the year off, or cancelling completely. Full list is here

  • The bad: 

    1) Massive multi-day and too-many-genre festivals are looking to be a thing of the past. Many struggle with trying to appease too many music tastes, diluting their brand identity and alienating their long time fandoms in the process.

    2) Cost of living and inflation have made it increasingly difficult to afford ticket prices to these major festivals, which can top $1,000+ including lodging and travel. Not to mention food & beverage prices once you are actually there, which both rose 20%+ from 2022 to 2023.

    3) These large scale festivals have continued to cannibalized each other, both in terms of location (there are more festivals than ever) and headliner selections (NOT [INSERT ARTIST PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT] HEADLINING AGAIN!!!)

  • The good: 

    1) More specialized single-genre festivals seem to be thriving. Take the pop-punk soundtrack to Hot Topic When We Were Young festival or millennial middle school dance programming of Lovers & Friends for example. Both have carved out an ultra-niche identity, servicing fans of specific music types and selling out in the process.

    2) The question of longevity of these is a real concern though. Many of these festivals are succeeding by programming nostalgic artists, which you can’t just create more of.

  

  Credit: Bloomberg

The Call Log: Aaron Brice, co-founder of Ambient Inks

Today we sit down with Aaron Brice, co-founder of Ambient Inks. Ambient Inks is a merch management, production, design, and e-commerce company based in Eau Claire, WI. They handle merch for artists such as Bon Iver, Pretty Lights, Caamp, The Backseat Lovers, Ray LaMontange, Sylvan Esso, Thundercat, Courtney Barnett, and The Midnight, to name just a few. They produce and manage consciously sourced merch with the purpose of creating a positive impact for artists, fans, and the global community.

AvA: How did Ambient Inks start? 

We started in 2009 with a super humble beginning in a garage printing T-shirts for whoever asked us. While in college, we designed a t-shirt for homecoming – a rip-off of the TV show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The shirt claimed “It’s Always Sunny in Menomonie.” We threw the design up on Facebook, then the next time we checked a couple hours later, the shirt had gone viral – which is to say, we had 700 orders waiting for us. When it was all said and done, we had to print 1,100 shirts.

We quickly, and thankfully, got tied into the music industry doing design work, e-com and more comprehensive tour merch.  

AvA: How has the music merchandise business evolved since you started Ambient Inks? 

Brice: The biggest change I’ve seen in our industry is a movement towards conscious merch. When we were starting, there were very few brands that offered organic cotton T-shirts or recycled polyester. Now there's this momentum happening where fans are starting to desire those products more, and artists are starting to be more aware of it too. There's also greater awareness in the world right now about how our buying decisions and our choices in general, impact people around us and the environment. 

AvA: Talk us through the process of working with talent to launch a creative project.

Brice: It depends on the level of artists, but it can be as simple as an artist starting out, and wanting to print 200 shirts for a show they are doing. That process is pretty straightforward. When you are working with Artists that are playing theaters and arenas, it becomes a lot more comprehensive. 

Some Artists will have fully designed lines, and then we're quoting, sourcing and producing merchandise. Other Artists want to bring us in on the creative process, so we're getting to know their story and trying to figure out a way to translate that into merchandise not just through visual art, but in a meaningful way for fans. Then it's all the behind the scenes stuff that no one thinks about when they go and buy their favorite T-Shirt at a show: the inventory management, sales analysis, projections and logistics. 

AvA: What are some merch trends you are seeing in the market?

Brice: For the most part, artists want to create lasting, and meaningful stuff for their fans. There will always be a trend where Artists are making things not just for the sake of selling it, but there’s heart in what they are making and heart in what we are producing for them on the merch side. 

In terms of trends like oversized tees, oversized prints and certain color ways? If I told you what the trend is right now, it would be different by the time you publish this. As soon as we think we might know the trend, there's a new artist that comes on and succeeds doing the total opposite.

We still do a ton of screen printing posters in-house though, and the music industry is now single-handedly keeping the screen printed poster alive.

AvA: One of Ambient Ink's cornerstones is creating a positive impact. How are you achieving that through “conscious merch”?

Brice: The more understood, or common term, would be “sustainable merch,” but we've chosen to go away from that because that word itself has become diluted. We're looking at it in a more holistic way. So it's not that this item is made with “sustainable materials,” but it's more about how we're operating our entire business and the type of impact that we're making in our community, and the brands that we're choosing to support. We are super aware of how every single one of our choices in business has an impact, and it’s all about the continual evolution, and continual intention to make things better around us. 

Practically speaking though, “conscious merch” is using garments and products that are environmentally friendly like organic cotton, recycled polyester, recycled cotton, and USA-made products to cut down on our carbon footprint. 

AvA: What is one piece of advice you have for someone just getting started in their career? 

Brice: I love this question. This could be a podcast episode in itself. 

I am coming out of a season of major burnout. Back when I was starting the company, there was so much momentum, and so many opportunities for me to neglect my personal health, mental health, and relationships. The music industry moves incredibly fast, and it's demanding. There is so much beauty in the experience of music, and it connects us all. Going to a show and seeing your favorite artists is essential for life, but there are also dark sides to it just like with any industry or business. 

So I think it’s essential that you move at a pace that allows you to stay centered. Especially when things start to take off, you're either faced with neglecting personal issues or facing them.

The Job Board

💼 = Job | 🎒 = Internship

💼 Office Coordinator - AEG Presents - NYC - Apply Here

💼 Associate Merch Manager - HYBE - LA - Apply Here

💼 Merchandising Licensing Assistant - Sony - LA - Apply Here

💼 Special Events Marketing Manager - Live Nation - LA - Apply Here

💼 Partnership Activation Manager - Insomniac - LA - Apply Here

💼 Special Events Coordinator - Insomniac - LA - Apply Here

💼 Coordinator Music - Paramount Pictures - LA - Apply Here

💼 Director of Sales & Private Events - Greek Theatre - LA - Apply Here

💼 Hangout Fest Event Staff - Gulf Shores, AL - Apply Here

💼 A variety of jobs at Sofar Sounds in Seattle, Dallas and Portland.

🎒 PR Intern - Insomniac - LA - Apply Here

🎒 Executive Intern - LN Urban - LA - Apply Here

🎒 Music Festival Ticketing Intern - C3 Presents - Austin, TX - Apply Here

🎒 Booking Intern - Live Nation - LA - Apply Here

🎒 Publishing Marketing Intern - Concord - NYC - Apply Here

Want this newsletter in your inbox every week?

This newsletter is written by Warner Bailey.

Get in touch! Email us at [email protected].

Want to partner with us and reach 15k+ music and entertainment professionals? Email [email protected].