Support The Sound, a new initiative promoting fair pay for DJs, has been launched by the respective teams behind cherished nightclubs such as New York’s Basement and Tibilsi’s Bassiani.
Establishing a new booking approach at clubs across the world, the initiative aims to provide producers with fair earnings each time their music is played out at a club or festival—a “necessary” adjustment to recognize artists who “fuel” DJ sets, according to organizers.
Support The Sound will make use of the music-centric revenue-sharing software tool Aslice, created by techno artist DVS1 in 2022. Aslice’s “community-connecting platform” allows working DJs to share their earnings directly with the music producers who create the songs played at live DJ sets.
“Support The Sound plans to embrace a culture of sharing and that resonates deeply with the values of our service,” DVS1 said. “Why wouldn’t we support the sound? Our industry would be nothing without the music.”
Among the global network of nightclubs and promoters who will adopt the new approach are Amsterdam’s Dekmantel, Brussels’ Fuse, Los Angeles’ SIX AM Group and Synthetik Minds, New York City’s Wire Festival, and Tokyo’s WOMB.
Throughout 2024, Support The Sound will focus on raising awareness of its commitment, with member venues and promoters enlisting their own residents to share their DJ playlists on Aslice. From 2025 onward, these members will require all DJs who play their events to share their playlists.
Refusal to share playlists could “affect future bookings and collaborations,” according to Support The Sound organizers.
“We hope the collective action of Support The Sound will cause a ripple effect that improves our entire industry,” said Aslice CEO Ethan Holben. “With DJs sharing via Aslice, producers receive compensation for the use of their work.”
He continued, “At the same time, clubs and festivals gain easy access to streamlined playlist data for their national Performance Rights Organization, ultimately ensuring that music producers get the royalties they’re legally entitled to.”
Learn more about Support The Sound here.
Featured image from Unsplash.com.
