Goodbye 2022, you were HUGE!
Oh my goodness, what a year. It’s never taken so long to highlight everything that has happened. Never in our history has there been so much big news and development. We are excited to share this with you and you can see for yourself what you might have missed throughout the year.
gigmit Surpasses 200,000 Active Users!
Let’s start with some big milestones that we have been working towards to improve gigmit in the live music business. Something very exciting was of course the 200,000 user on gigmit earlier in the year.
What has been remarkable, especially for our Founders Andi and Marcus, has been the 10th Anniversary of gigmit which we also reached this year. To highlight some of what happened in 10 years we wrote all about it here. It is probably our longest ever article but full of great history.
But there was even more. For the first time in history, gigmit acquired a former competitor in France to help us improve our business in the French music market. We’ve known Gigscene for a while and knew we shared the same values and vision which excites us to now take on what they have started in France and give the Gigscene community a new home.
You think that’s it? 2022 was the year of amazing partnerships for gigmit. We have never created more. We have teamed up with the aspiring electronic music promoter and management company MGNFY and one of the biggest promoters and agents in Switzerland: act! Entertainment. Apart from live events, we wanted to support our artists in getting more visibility and teamed up with the Gaming Platform EARLY GAME to promote artists on the intersection of music and gaming. In addition, we started to work with Pirate Studios to support our artists and be able to produce and rehearse their music on the go but also benefit from amazing residencies. Check out our interview with the CEO of Pirate Studios, Dave Borrie here.
gigmit Increases Data Based Recommendations and Starts Instagram Connect!
It is the year of the features and never has there been so much progress on our product before. We aim to simplify the world of the live music and events industry by using data. We aim to be the smartest solution, which has meant using technology everywhere to make it really simple and to make it work. That being said, the first important action to take was our Instagram connection on gigmit to allow showing global and local data in the near future too. Instagram is obviously one of the most important social media networks for artists and the events industry and we are extremely happy to have built that integration.
Besides that, we released a recommendation system on our database that allows you to see artists or venues that match you the most in our system. This feature came with a complete makeover of the database which you can read about here.
More features are in the making but we would like to highlight these three:
Apart from features, we are developing gigmit PRO to a complete new level. A product that gives artists success and helps them get to the next level of their career. You can find out more about it its benefits here.
gigmit Brand Partnerships take to New Heights
About four years ago we started to work on branded partnerships and had no clue at the time where this would lead us. This year has definitely been the peak of it all. In the beginning of the year, we produced another 6 videos for the CASIO Notes series. We included artists from the gigmit community and had the chance to work with amazing artists across the globe who have taken part in those projects. Those videos give us goosebumps still to this day. Take a look at them here!
Throughout the year, we produced our first ever record on vinyl for TEAC. Under the claim “Recording tomorrow”, TEAC selected six international artists to contribute their sound of tomorrow. Now, this vinyl can be listened to in highest audio quality on every TEAC record player. The project was presented at IFA in Berlin, the largest electronics trade fair in the world. Have a read about it here.
Last but not least: Our highlight at the end of the year truly was SIXT Music. Sixt is supporting the international music and events industry with several partnerships, offers and discounts that still can be claimed. We were following artists and looked into their mobility needs and partnered up with Mondo in NYC and Linecheck in Milan. Read the whole story here.
Successful at Major International and Showcase Festivals
Finally, Covid-19 didn’t stop festivals from happening again. The statement “It is great to finally see you all in real life again” was probably the heard the most at this year’s festival season. We were so proud to be part of this and made so many festival gigs happen for artists in our community. Never before could we have mentioned so many big festival names to our users or partners. Lets start with…
The Great Escape Festival
Four musicians – Toby Corton, ZIMBRU, Dutch Criminal Record, and Mauvey – were given the chance to showcase their talents at the prestigious Great Escape festival in Brighton, UK, thanks to gigmit. The festival is a premier event for new music, where artists have the opportunity to perform for industry professionals and new fans. Each act was selected from hundreds of applicants. Despite the pressure of performing on such a big stage, all four acts delivered impressive performances. If you’re an artist looking to take your career to the next level, consider applying to gigmit to join the ranks of these talented performers. Find out more about it here.
Warsteiner host a contest to put AKUMA SIX on Rock am Ring stage!
This year, we collaborated with Warsteiner in booking a slot at the Rock am Ring festival in 2022. As one of the biggest and widely renowned rock music festivals in Europe, Rock am Ring is a dream stage for many acts across the world. After receiving hundreds of submissions, Akuma Six was selected to take the stage at the festival.
Akuma Six, a Japan-influenced rock band known for their crazy outfits, loud crowd, and unique blend of trap metal, rock, and rap, with a manga show in the background, did not disappoint. Gigmit CEO Marcus Fitzgerald praised the band’s performance, saying, “Akuma Six rocked the stage and crowd. I am so proud of them performing the hell out of their bodies and souls. What a great fit and success for the Warsteiner Bandcontest.”
Booking a replacement act at Sziget 2 days before the festival
This year, gigmit had the opportunity to collaborate with Sziget, one of the biggest music festivals in Europe, located in Budapest. Gigmit invited Lithuanian band Shishi to take part in the showcase, but unfortunately, the band had to cancel due to a sick band member.
Despite the short notice, the gigmit team was able to find an amazing replacement act within a few hours. John Wolfhooker, a four-piece rock band from the Czech Republic, stepped in to perform at the festival. Known for their unique sound that combines genres like post hardcore, pop punk, and progressive metal, John Wolfhooker brought their energy and passion to the stage and left the audience speechless.
Reeperbahn Festival 2022
The Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, Germany, is a beloved showcase of emerging musical talent from around the world. This year’s edition, which took place in 2022, was no different, with vibrant venues and energetic performances bringing music lovers from all corners of the globe to the red-light district.
One of the highlights of this year’s festival was the impressive lineup of gigmit artists. In total, 81 gigmit artists played at the festival, comprising more than 25% of the total number of artists that performed. This included anchor award winners Cassia and anchor award nominees The Haunted Youth. Cassia, an indie-pop band from the UK, took home the award for their catchy, upbeat melodies and introspective lyrics. The Haunted Youth, a Belgian indie-pop band, also put on a series of vibrant live shows and an acoustic set.
In addition to these standout performances, gigmit artists such as French 79, Cosby, Pure Chlorine, Taxi Kebab, and many more also took to the stage and wowed the crowds. The gigmit team had the pleasure of interviewing many of these talented artists, including LaHasna, Mauvey, K not K, Pure Chlorine, Braden Lam, Cosby, Haector, Pina Palau, and Bec Sandrdige, and will be releasing the full interviews on social media in the coming weeks.
If you’re interested in playing at showcase festivals like Reeperbahn, be sure to check out the gigs and calls page on gigmit. You’ll find many similar festivals that are waiting for your application. And if you want to start landing gigs at these types of festivals, consider trying out gigmit PRO for free. With gigmit’s help, you too can be a part of the next Reeperbahn Festival success story.
Iceland Airwaves 2022
The annual music gathering in Reykjavík, Iceland in early November, Iceland Airwaves, was really a highlight of our partnerships. For many years this festival has gathered music lovers, curators, music industry professionals from all over the world and Iceland to meet and attend amazing showcases. We were more than happy to contribute to the incredible lineup and recognize 15 amazing artists who played this year’s Iceland Airwaves Festival.
Outstanding Music Talent on the Rise
What would this review be without music. Some of gigmits remarkable artists crossed our paths this year and we can’t help ourselves but share them with you:
Needless to say, check them out.
Most Read Highlights on gigmit 2022
Apart from collaborations, our team is always on the lookout to create great content to help promoters and artists with funding, discover, business and marketing topics. It’s so important to stay educated and develop your career. The top 7 articles that interested our community the most were:
- SHORTLISTED: EUROPE’S MUSIC EXPORT OFFICES
- 10 BEST UK FESTIVALS TO PLAY
- THE LIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY HAS A PROBLEM. WE HAVE A SOLUTION.
- 8 TIPS TO HELP YOU GET BOOKED AT FESTIVALS
- HOW TO CREATE A PROFESSIONAL EPK
- IBIZA GLOBAL RADIO EXPANDS INTO MADRID
- THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC VIDEOS IN TODAY’S MUSIC INDUSTRY
You can be part of it
gigmit has always been a community. With the rise of gigmit, everybody benefits. For several years now, we have partnered with the Crowdfunding platform Seedmatch in Germany. It is an investment platform, regulated by the German financial authorities to support gigmit raising money for our future development. At the moment and only for a few more days we allow you to buy a share of gigmit and benefit from our future growth. Please read the full story here: blog.gigmit.com/en/invest-in-the-future-of-live-music-gigmit-crowd-investing/
We want to thank you for an amazing year and for having been a part of it!