The Future of the Industry: USA and Canada Touring and Tariffs
Going over to the US for any band not native to the US (or Canada) has always been a hefty expense. Visas, immigration lawyers, CWA / 30% foreign artist withholding tax, flights, fuel, vehicle rental, tolls, backline, etc. Now, it seems that even if you do everything correctly and pay the fees, you are still not guaranteed entry, as bands and artists are being turned away at the borders. The prices of merchandise will increase with tariffs, as will ticket prices, as bands struggle to come close to breaking even. Promoters are struggling to sell tickets in over-saturated markets as bands try to make it count once they do get in. Merchandise sales are seemingly on the decline before additional tariffs and price increases even come into play.
How will this affect the music industry as a whole when it comes to operations?
This is not meant to be a political panel but one that focuses on an ever-changing climate of uncertainty. Is it worth it to go to the US anymore? How would this affect Canadian bookings if bands decide it’s not worth the risk? Or will Canada see more shows as a direct result of these things? Will this change how people consume music altogether? Our panelists will weigh in on their experiences.
Friday 18. April 12:00 - Room: Central Park
.png)
Mod: Chris Dick // Decibel Magazine (US)
Chris Dick is an American metal writer based in North Carolina. He currently writes for Decibel Magazine, America's only monthly metal print magazine. Having authored cover stories, Hall of Fame (aka oral histories) articles, reviews, and other content since 2006, Chris comes to Inferno Music Conference with a wealth of experience. Before Decibel Magazine, he wrote for Metal Maniacs, co-founded DigitalMetal.com, and launched two underground 'zines, Eclipse in 1997 and The Requiem in 1992. Since the early 2000s, Chris also crafted band biographies and liner notes for artists such as Opeth, Arch Enemy, Enslaved, Tiamat, Emperor, Naglfar, Borknagar, Dark Tranquillity, and more! His favorite genre of metal is death, but he ardently supports black, doom, heavy, and all other forms of metal.
Jenny Douglas // 5B Artist Management (US)
Jenny Douglas toured the World for 15 years as a Front of House Engineer and Tour Manager in a time where women weren't that commonplace in the crew bus. Looking to expand her skill set, she settled into a role as Touring Director at 5B Artist Management in 2016. No stranger to hard work, she has done all other aspects of touring, including Production Management, merchandising, VIP Meet & Greets, marketing, art shows, video shoots, and social media. You can still find her as a weekend warrior behind a soundboard or Tour Managing a band on a random one-off. When she is not working in music she enjoys riding motorcycles, drinking coffee, traveling, hiking, and being a vegan foodie in her home base of Los Angeles, CA.
Ole André Farstad (NO)
Ole André Farstad is a guitarist, composer, and producer, best known to metalheads as the guitarist for Abbath. He began his musical journey at a young age, playing in rock bands while studying classical guitar. Ole holds a master's degree from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London and has studied jazz and classical music at the conservatoire in Agder (now UIA). In addition to his formal education, he has traveled extensively to explore music and string instruments from various cultures.
Ole collaborates with performers across a wide range of genres, including world music, jazz, classical, modern experimental, improvised music, rock, and metal. His work is driven by a tremendous fascination with all types of music.
Sarah Lutz // Looters (CA)
Sarah’s been charting her course with Looters for 20 years now. Initially cutting her teeth as a promo rep. at Attic Records, then moving over to be an agent at The Feldman Agency, she set sail on her own in 2005, establishing Looters as a boutique Marketing company specializing in heavy music across metal, rock, and punk. Through that time, she took the neglected market of heavy music and singlehandedly raised the profile of innumerable bands across genres in the Canadian music scene.
Her skill at negotiation is legendary, her keen eye for detail even more so. And with over 25 years of working with everyone from labels to managers to promoters and of course, bands, her devastating wit and infamous sass have earned her the moniker ‘Queen of the Universe.’ Now, with a crew behind her and a worldwide roster, her horizon-scanning continues to yield dividends, from her industry-recognized “Looters” distribution list to her continued trailblazing in digital campaigning. Her slogan, “Takes no prisoners. Leads you to victory,” didn’t fall out of the sky – it came from doing precisely that, over and over again, for all of her clients.
Philipp Schulte // Century Media Records (DE)
Philipp Schulte started working at Century Media Records in April 2001. He has worked in the sales department and in marketing, then as product manager and A&R, and ultimately, he took over the international label management in December 2018.