Entertainment Attorney and Business Consultant Lloyd Stanbury and CEO of Downsound Records Josef Bogdanovich have called for collaboration in building and monrtizing the Jamaican Music Industry.

Speaking at a recent JMMB Group organized Joan Duncan Foundation Lecture, under the theme “Mining Gold! How do we Monetise Brand Jamaica Music Success”, both men indicated that despite Jamaica’s position in the global music landscape, “we have not done the best possible job at monetising the popularity of our music”.

Little Success Without Greater Collaboration

Lamenting that despite the acceptance and the global popularity of our music, the business of Jamaican music continues to struggle for a commensurate place in the mainstream international music business space, Stanbury suggested that in order to monetise the Jamaican music industry “We must develop more positive attitudes towards each other and work together to build our Jamaican music industry.”

He further revealed that although there have been many studies – by local and international academic experts, workshops, stakeholder consultations and work done by international consultants to prepare business plans for the development of the cultural and creative industries – the work would have little success in the absence of greater collaboration.

“These activities have not so far borne fruit at a desired level and are likely to fail without consensus and commitment to develop and implement a working partnership between practitioners in the music industry, members of the academic community, the state — all working in tandem with those who have the means to invest in business ventures,” he said.

Stanburysays there are several considerations that must be taken into account in order to move Jamaica’s music industry forward and enable monetisation. Some of these included: efficiency and sustainability of relevant industry organisations; the need for and role of government and the academic community in formal and informal music business management training; expanding and improving initiatives such as Reggae Month and Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s Festival Song to make them more commercially relevant; creating and maintaining initiatives such as annual international showcasing and business networking events, and the application of technology.

Sustaining Brands

Meanwhile, according to Bogdanovich, the hotspots of Jamaican music are now outside of the birthplace of reggae in places such as Germany, Holland, Spain and France, while there are fewer than three live reggae events taking place in Jamaica each year.

He says it is against this background that he has made every attempt to sustain some of the existing festival brands “and prevent them from dying — a commitment to keep reggae music alive,” he stated.

Bogdanovichsays Jamaicans need to have the discipline and attention to save its own music. “Music can be a source of steady income. You have what the world recognises as something of value,” he suggested. “The solution is to unite and support what is yours.”