ARIA Masterclass 2020: Dan Rosen

As part of the 2020 ARIA Masterclass series, Lars Brandle meets with Dan Rosen, CEO of ARIA and PPCA, to discuss his time in the role, the Australian music industry, and how the sector has adapted to the challenges of 2020.

Some of the key points include:

In Rosen's time with ARIA, the local music industry has gone from being mostly physical product-based and thought of as a dying industry a decade ago, to currently having 75% of revenue coming from streaming services and being considered a fast-growing industry.

The digital landscape and the rise of social media has contributed to the growing music industry. Rosen says that the business has gotten better at being able to extract value from these platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, which are now great contributors to the music ecosystem.

This new environment has also led to a shift in mindset for local artists. They can also think internationally and unlock global markets. This has become a huge opportunity for Australian artists over the past 10 years.

The pandemic hit the music industry hard, Rosen states however that streaming and subscriber numbers have stayed stable throughout most of this year. The biggest impact for recorded music will be seen in music licensing through APRA as venues have closed. Overall, he stresses the impact the pandemic has had on live music, which feeds into the recording industry, and how this has affected all those involved in the music industry. Conversations with the Government led to $10 million being invested into Support Act and the $250 million support package for the industry.

A silver lining from the pandemic is the opportunity for Australian artists to be at the forefront for performance opportunities. This is especially seen in the Great Southern Nights initiative, a series of over 1000 COVID-safe shows held across New South Wales that gives the opportunities for local artists to perform and put music back into the industry.

Rosen leaves his role as CEO of ARIA and PPCA at the end of this year to take on a new role as President of Warner Music Australia but will continue to work on the board of ARIA to help amplify Australian music.

You can watch the 2020 ARIA Awards, in partnership with YouTube Music, on Wednesday, 25 November.