Mar 10, 2020

Corona & Live Music: m4music 2.0 Defies the Virus

 

The coronavirus is spreading in Europe and forces organizers to cancel their events. Interest groups like Clubcommission Berlin (CCB) also state that “the fear of the coronavirus also spreads racism, exclusion and discrimination”. Therefore, CCB asks for high sensitivity and relies on awareness and self-responsible action of guests and employees.

But for some, the recommended preventive measures such as regular hand washing and advice to risk groups to not visiting the club, unfortunately, come too late. For example, the traditional Musikmesse has to postpone its 40th anniversary. SXSW has to cancel. Headliners like Greenday and the K-Pop Supergroup BTS are cancelling their tours. But constructive and innovative approaches are also developing to deal with corona. BTS fans donate the money from their reimbursed tickets to a coronavirus fund, for example. Meanwhile, the Swiss showcase festival m4music is taking a digital path.

UPDATE: m4music 2.0 will only be executed in reduced form. Due to current developments and the new regulations of the Federal Council, the show, which consists of concerts, panels and talks, streamed live from Moods in Schiffbau, cannot take place in the planned form. Instead, the digital channels will be increasingly used in the coming weeks. (Status: 17.03.2020)

Holding the Festival Is Not Responsible

The m4music 2020 will not take place due to the coronavirus. The 23rd edition of the Swiss pop music festival was planned to take place in Zurich from 19 to 21 March. Over 6,000 visitors were expected. Due to the current situation, the Migros Kulturprozent followed the instructions of the authorities on 6 March and announced that at present, holding the festival in its original form is not responsible. Already purchased tickets and festival passes can be refunded HERE. Nevertheless, m4music shall take place! “m4music 2.0” is the answer to defy corona. What does it mean?

m4music 2.0: A Streaming Festival

corona & live music: m4music festival director Philipp Schnyder
“Dedicated to the Public”: m4music Festival Director Philipp Schnyder

The solution: “m4music 2.0” – a streaming festival that defies the virus. “Our festival has not only been committed to the public for over 20 editions – we have also established ourselves as an integral part of the Swiss pop music agenda. It is therefore clear to us that m4music should not be deleted without replacement. The whole team is currently working flat out on our digital festival 2020. We look forward to announcing the details in the next few days”, says m4music festival director Philipp Schnyder. m4music 2.0 will make a bundled mix of music, panel discussions and demo tape clinic available to the audience and the Swiss music scene free of charge via digital channels during the planned festival weekend. In this way, m4music is setting a sign for the Swiss music scene and Europe.

An Innovative Answer to the Virus

The digital way is not unknown for the most important showcase festival of the independent Swiss music scene, founded in 1998. Since 2018 m4music is a member of gigmit’s Innovation Network of European Showcases (INES). Part of the EU co-funded cooperation project is the open-source video library INES#conference. It’s the digital extension to the conferences at each festival. Internationally relevant sessions and panels are video recorded and are made available. This way the learnings created at the events will become a sustainable source of digital knowledge transfer for everyone in the European music industry as well as for the generation of music pros to come. This digital solution seems to be of considerable benefit to the music industry even in the case of corona epidemics.

A new feature of m4music 2.0 will be to make the live programme streamable as well. In 2020, these INES#talents and gigmit acts will also be in the line-up:

 

At gigmit, we are excited. We wish m4music success in the implementation and are pleased that you found an innovative solution to deal constructively with the sensitive corona problem in the live music industry.

UPDATE: m4music 2.0 will only be executed in reduced form. Due to current developments and the new regulations of the Federal Council, the show, which consists of concerts, panels and talks, streamed live from Moods in Schiffbau, cannot take place in the planned form. Instead, the digital channels will be increasingly used in the coming weeks. (Status: 17.03.2020)

HERE you can find more information about the streaming festival m4music 2.0.
You can apply for festivals and other gigs HERE.