Club Date or Recording Session? – A Call To Organize!
By Jarred Antonacci, Secretary-Treasurer
“I hereby grant to you permission to utilize my appearance and any video and/or sound recordings of same in any related programs in any and all manner and media in perpetuity.”
I hope this winter edition of Arpeggio finds you safe and well. Happy New Year! As we look ahead in 2022 and survey the ever-changing pandemic landscape, I want to return to a topic that is more important now than it has ever been: organizing.
As you know, our city is home to some of the greatest and most influential musicians the world has ever known. Philadelphia has a rich musical history in both the classical and jazz genres. In addition to landmark classical performance venues, there is a vibrant history of jazz and commercial performance venues, many of which have been shuttered over the years. Home to jazz legends like John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, and Jimmy Heath, Philadelphia is a bastion of jazz history. And Philly jazz club owners have been honing their digital marketing chops since at least the first lockdown.
Many of our musical engagements have looked different since March of 2020. We have all had to deal with social distancing, plexiglass, masking, bell covers, filters, aerosols, and the list goes on. We all quickly learned about air filtration systems, N95 masking and MERV values–something I can honestly say I never thought I’d need to know. If you are a working freelance jazz or commercial musician who has played a club date since March of 2020, you have likely seen changes at the venue that have nothing to do with health and safety and everything to do with capturing your intellectual property.
Many clubs have outfitted their stages with multi-camera 4K high-definition cameras and audio recording equipment. At the peak of the shutdown, many clubs were having musicians perform for a streamed audience. In some instances, the clubs solicited online donations from viewers in support of the musicians. This system had worked for individual musicians on social media, who saw the addition of the cameras and audio equipment as a positive initiative. Who doesn’t want a high-quality video copy of their gig? But chances are, if your performance is streamed at any club you likely won’t be able to get a copy of your performance. Venues typically own the recording, and don’t release it to artists whose performances have been captured for the club’s own promotional use. In addition, language on one release form includes the following:
“If the performance is subsequently subsidized by a corporate sponsor…or is distributed via networks or streaming channels…I may be entitled to other compensation, although NO SUCH COMPENSATION IS PROMISED HEREIN. For the full and complete consideration stated above and of the consideration of the Producers of (band name) and (club name), its owners and partners and subsidiaries, including me as a performer participant in this production and/or TV Programs, I hereby grant to you permission to utilize my appearance and any video and/or sound recordings of same in any related programs in any and all manner and media in perpetuity.”
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