m4music completely digital

2020 fell m4music fell victim to the pandemic and the Migros Culture Percentage music festival could not be held with an audience on site this year either. "Around Christmas time, we definitely realized that it would be difficult to hold the hybrid event in March with an audience. So we decided to go for a purely digital edition instead," recalls Festival Director Philipp Schnyder von Wartensee. "We also came to the conclusion that the event was primarily aimed at professionals from the music industry." In other words: The focus of the 24th edition was on the conference section with discussion panels on topics such as increased Climate protection in the music industry or the Jungle of streaming license fees and the young talent competition Demotape Clinic.

Over 600 people from the music industry actively participated on the digital event platform, and several thousand joined the stream as an audience, which was in line with expectations, according to Schnyder. "The professionals were also extremely engaged and took the opportunity to continue the discussions on dedicated platforms after the panels." Schnyder admits that the digital realization of m4music does not bring the same emotions: "Live musical experiences simply have a different urgency."

In Nightlife in times of the pandemic Diego Dahinden, Managing Director of Bern's Kapitel Bollwerk club, told us about a successful crowdfunding campaign to keep the venue afloat. He explained that the future of the venue should be secured by the end of the year. This is not least thanks to the compensation for cultural workers granted by the canton of Bern, from which Kapitel Bollwerk also benefits.

Nathalie Brunner, better known as DJ Playlove, added that many people in this country are fighting for this kind of money. "But many fall between a chair and a bench." She also worried that numerous venues could fall victim to the pandemic: "Once they're gone, they're gone for good." In the meantime, she can no longer imagine what it will feel like when nightlife returns. "Even after the pandemic is over, it will be a long time before Covid-19 has disappeared from people's minds," she said. "However, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some kind of youth culture explosion."

Also dealing with the effects of the pandemic was the Green Pass, Politics, Patience: What Will Save Festival Culture? In view of the fact that numerous events such as those on the Gurten or in St. Gallen will not take place in 2021 due to Covid and the associated planning uncertainty, the question arises: What does their future look like?

Christof Huber, Festival Director of Open Air St. Gallen, emphasized that although he was not a supporter of mandatory vaccination in order to attend a festival, "A Green Pass confirming vaccination would give us and other major events a perspective." Huber particularly criticized the fact that in Switzerland - unlike in the UK, for example - there has been no real dialogue with the authorities about how to proceed. "The value of entertainment culture is underestimated in this country." Nevertheless, the eastern Swiss is optimistic: "According to a survey by the French festival Eurockéennes, 70 percent of potential visitors would be tested." Which gives him hope that in 2022, music can be enjoyed again at Open Air St. Gallen and elsewhere.

The desire to emit less CO2 has now also reached music culture: The newly founded association Vert le Future is therefore committed to a sustainable cultural and event industry. One of its co-founders, Moritz Meier, mentioned at the panel More climate protection in the music industry Figures from the Federal Office for the Environment show that the Swiss population consumes 2.8 times as many resources as are actually available to it. "And the music industry, which is based not least on a lot of traveling and touring, is no exception," explained Meier. "So we are part of the problem, but we can also be part of the solution." Kajo Frischknecht, Co-Managing Director of the Salzhaus concert venue in Winterthur, described what this could look like on a small scale: "The measures we have taken include compost behind the bar and a water tank instead of pet bottles in the band checkroom." His insight: "As soon as we're open, we generate emissions - so there's still a lot to do."

Incidentally, Philipp Schnyder mentioned that the topic of sustainability was also to be given greater consideration at m4music than just a few years ago. Although the festival has now had to take place without an audience for the second time, the commitment of the organizing Migros Culture Percentage has not changed. "The festival is one of our most important promotional measures." More than ever, m4music is striving to be present throughout the year and to offer the music scene and the public something new. For the future, there are plans to make the festival's platform available to other partners so that they can create their own content - as is already the case with Swiss Music Export. "Another new idea is to integrate jazz with links to pop culture into m4music," says Schnyder. More openness towards classical music is also conceivable. "We think it's very conceivable that a project could oscillate between pop, jazz and classical music."

It is still completely uncertain what the health situation will be like in 2022. Philipp Schnyder does not rule out the possibility that a "normal festival" will at least be conceivable again. However, one thing is already clear: in future, m4music wants to make a greater contribution to ensuring that the various music genres at the festival not only come together under one roof, but also find more points of contact.