Is It Time For a Union-Associated Platform for American Dance Music?

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Yes, the ADMA would govern what would essentially be a union of DJs and producers. Yes, I'm also aware that there are plenty of free-thinking capitalists who are in electronic dance music who would bristle at the idea of the American EDM industry being unionized. However, given the country's lack of history and lack of ability to consistently support EDM as a significant contributor to its music and entertainment industry bottom line, unionizing to preserve the idea is the safest bet. The simplest way to work within the new parameters of EDM in this country to determine those who should be considered as union members are to use career totals of Beatport releases, festival bookings, and earned yearly taxable income (taxable is easier to quantify as opposed to non-taxable) as a judge for years moving forward, but for those needing to be grandfathered into the union being those who have already reached a set number of releases and/or sales and of course, earned taxable income.

"EDM events" would be qualified as any gathering wherein 67% of the acts present are DJs or producers performing their music. The crossover between rap and rock and dance music is already happening in America, and will continue to grow. It's also a wise bet to presume that the influence of potential ADMA members at events expanding far beyond the reach of club nights, raves and giant EDM-only events is certain to grow.

As well, foreign-based EDM artists who play over 50% of their gigs in America would be eligible for inclusion in the ADMA. With America's dance industry being so predicated upon the work of foreign-based talents as draws, it's important (yet possibly controversial) to include those who routinely play in America (and have a significant number of America supporters) within the purview of this association.

As an ADMA member, the talent would have available to them health and life insurance benefits. With the backbone of dance music as an industry being the sometimes dangerous idea of travel, as a life being onstage being home to a far more accident-prone existence, this is an absolute necessity. For talents making under say, $50,000 per year of income, life insurance would be set at a matching rate to salary to $50,000 to be given to family/dependents in the case of death or terminal illness. For talents earning over $50,000 per year, there would be a sliding scale of more dollars available in insurance. Also, health insurance would be available for just the talents themselves initially at $1000 per year (a $250 quarterly payment). Of course, in the case of major surgeries or ailments, they would be handled by the ADMA on a per-case basis.

The far reaching union benefit would be the establishment of a ADMA Developmental System which would facilitate rising talents learning the art of DJing, producing, marketing and brand development. With the rise of private organizations like Dubspot over the past decade, giving them an official co-sign as well as a steady flow of income in order to establish educational initiatives on the elementary, middle and high school level nationwide would be an incredible benefit to the sustainability of EDM as a significant contributor to the American music industry.

Revenue would be generated for the developmental system and insurance benefits by the installation of a spending cap for all EDM events. The idea would be that promoters and venues would work with the union (and union affiliated talents) to create capped spending on talent (not marketing or promotion) based on average market estimates for similar sized events using DJs at a similar level of tracks released and income made, plus venue attendance and venue revenue for similarly sized events with those talents in the previous calendar year. A total equaling 67% of revenue from similar events in a similar market in the previous year could be used for booking talent, with a percentage of revenue earned that night exceeding the fee paid to book the talent going to the creation and administration of the ADMA's Developmental System, and, as well, a percentage being sent into the insurance fund. Cutting off the top of EDM's tower of power and building a firm structure for the future is an absolute necessity.

If venues and promoters were to have an issue with these initiatives, there's always the discussion on taxing luxury items in big room clubs, as well as just simply using better sense in booking smaller spots as well. Involving raw data in the decision-making process for the dance industry on all levels would make the American dance industry wiser, and furthermore better equipped to handle a longer period of time in the U.S. pop limelight.

Yearly percentages would be set by the office of an ADMA Commissioner and an ADMA Commission. The commissioner would need to be a current or former talent with the ability to understand the ability to be safe, yet spectacular in creating sustainability in the industry. As well, the commission would be a mix of venue operators, promoters, producers, DJs and industry journalists and tastemakers aware of the financial and social responsibility that the ADMA would have to the extension of dance's introduction into the economic ecosystem of American popular music.

While spending caps do limit the excessive incomes earned in the short term for talented DJs and producers, those sums still be earned at the danger of personal fatigue. On some level, the installation of spending caps for talent bookers and promoters allows for artists to hopefully have some level of being able to settle into DJing and production as a career instead of a hustle, and furthermore it would allow for the ability to a greater plethora of talents to have access to high profile bookings and the ability to extend their earning potential. Yes, it's amazing that Calvin Harris earned $46 million dollars in one year. However, what if 23 DJ/producers earned $2 million dollars instead of 23 DJs getting hot in the blogosphere (but making relatively no money) struggling, then eventually having their talent silenced when they leave the game altogether.

The ADMA would not govern the recording industry or talent management. Yes, while recorded music would be a judge that is used for gaining access to the ADMA, the recording industry already governs itself quite well. Frankly, it's the industry of EDM as a genre that requires the development of mechanisms for assistance and legislation. Insofar as talent management, it can only be hoped that with less money in the hands of the talent themselves that their management and representation for the talent would be able to create payment structures of scale that would allow the artist to still be able to be gainfully employed within the music industry. When one realizes that an artist manager for a DJ could later be a manager for a rapper or chef, it certainly raises the question of why people are being paid what they are being paid, and moreover it demands the question of if they wish to continue being paid their current rate of income, what further value can they offer to the talent in order to maintain their level of income?

Whether America's love of dance music grows or wanes, it's essential to attempt to keep revenue circulating within the industry. Making dollars into long-term social wealth instead of short-term economic success is important. It's a point worth considering that when money leaves one industry and goes into another, similar industry, it's often a generation before it returns. If America's newly created empire of dance does not set up associations, unions and other socialized means by which to share income and develop sustainability, then it's entirely possible that a great space for national economic health, job creation and income generation is being squandered as well. In these difficult American times, it would be amazing to see American EDM not realize that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.