The Jamaican music industry is in recession, with declining sales and lack of support for artists. Major findings include a 10% decline in Jamaica's music sales from 2009 to 2010. Few current Jamaican singles or albums are charting internationally, while historic songs and non-Jamaican reggae artists dominate the charts. With the major label VP Records having a near monopoly, fewer resources are available to support new artists. The government provides some festival funding but not much direct support for the music industry. Solutions proposed include more labels, more government support to fill the void left by labels, and developing new international markets.

1. JAMAICA MUSIC IN RECESSION
Steven Jackson
Thoughts on a bailout plan

2. Overview
Where are we now
possible solutions

3. Introduction
➲ Music is an emotional subject but I try to
make it as objective as possible in order to
help others determine the reality as
opposed to the perceptions.
Why is music important. If for nothing else to
earn money and employment for Jamaica.

4. FINDING
➲ Most of the hottest 2010 singles are not
earning;
➲ 2010 albums are under-performing 2009;
➲ Key artistes cannot tour to support music;
➲ Record companies not bidding on hot local
talent due to buy-out;
➲ Government not filling space left vacant by
labels;

5. Decline
➲ Jamaica and region sales dipped 10 per
cent in 2009 to some 9 millionUSD(IFPI)
➲ 3 percentage points greater than worldwide
dip due to DOWNTURN and PIRACY.

6. Observations
Majority of charting reggae SINGLES are
Jamaican catalogue hits on iTunes (largest
internet store)
Majority of charting reggae ALBUMS are
from non Jamaicans

7. Ja'ns in top10 iTunes SINGLES
charts 2010
➲ Kartel 1 spot (UK)
➲ Cecile 1 spot (Canada)
➲ Beenie Man 1 spot (UK)
➲ Jimmy Cliff 2 spots (Germany , Switz)
➲ Gyptian 9 spots (global)
➲ Sean Paul 18 spots (global)
➲ Shaggy 25 spots (global)
➲ Bob Marley 54 spots (global)
➲ Itunes has 7 living Jamaicans charting amongst 22 listed top
10 charts. Its good but only catalog hits are charting and it is
dominated by Bob Marley.

8. ONLY 2 local current radio hits are
charting
Rum and redbull n Romping shop
➲ NO, St8 jeans (russian)
➲ NO, Gully no fear them (Mavado)
➲ NO, Stronger (Cham Bounty)
➲ NO, Messing with my Heart, (Wayne
Marshall)
➲ NO, Clarks (popcorn)
➲ NO, Protect the People Ja (Riley)
➲ etc

9. Tells you we are not earning from
our current songs

10. Conversely itunes Top-10 Reggae
ALBUM Charters include
➲ PATRICE -12 times worldwide
➲ Gentleman- 10 times
➲ Easy Star All Stars -9 times
➲ Katchafire- 5 times
➲ Damian Marley -4 times
➲ SHAGGY – 1 time
➲ (BOB MARYLEY – 70 times)

11. MOST OF THESE ALBUMS CHART
IN DIASPRA US, UK, FRANCE.
NONE IN JAPAN, SPAIN,
AUSTRALIA etc.

12. THERE IS NO REASON THAT JA
ALBUMS SHOULD BE ABSENT
FROM 16 OF THE 22 LISTED
COUNTRY CHARTS.

13. TURNING TO ALBUMS WHO SOLD
THE MOST IN 2010?

14. TOP ALBUMS 2010
SOUNDSCAND MY EXTRAPOLATIONS
➲ Distant Relatives at 140,000 units worldwide (SOUNDSCAN 2010
AND ESTIMATES)
➲ MATISYAHU AT 40,000 for 2010 (SOUNDSCAN 2009
AND MY ESTIMATE )
➲ It means that Gyptian has <40,000 due to
current rank at sixth on Billboard.
➲ The Jolly Boys 30,000 (HARDING)

15. TELLS YOU
➲ Sales are so poor, that 2009 albums
are still out-charting new albums.
➲ Recall 2009 was the worst year in a
decade for music.

16. VISA WOES
➲ Everyone knows that you support an album
with a tour.
➲ US market is largest
➲ yet most of top deejays are visa less.
➲ This impacts the market by reducing an
album's saleability.
➲ Many times you will know when someone is
touring just by a spike in his iTunes sales in
a certain market.

17. VP
➲ The decline in reggae sales (compared with
highpoint in mid 2000s) coincided with sale
of Greensleeves to VP for 3.1 million
pounds.
➲ It resulted in a virtual monopoly which
means that VP no longer has to enter
bidding wars with local artistes who have
the hot song to provide promotion etc.

18. Some artistes have avoided VP all
together for either larger, smaller
or self marketing ie. Kartel

19. KARTEL'S RESULTS
➲ KARTEL's ONLINE popularity is twice that
of
➲ New Zealand based Katchafire and US
based Easy Star All Stars. Yet he
consistently undersells them.
➲ It implies that Kartel is not maximizing his
earning potential.

20. BUT SO ARE OTHERS SIGNED TO
LABELS
➲ NO MAVADO
➲ NO TARRUS RILEY
➲ NO BABY CHAM N BOUNTY
➲ NO SIZZLA

21. CHART SILENCE IS NOT
CONFINED TO DANCEHALL
➲ 1 PETER TOSH
➲ 1 GREGORY ISAACS
➲ NO BUNNY
➲ NO BERES
➲ NO ALTON ELIS

22. GOVERNMENT RESP
➲ Government offers some US$3 million each
year to support festivals and major events
including Jazz and Sumfest (dep. Director tourism)
➲ Government found additonal US$10 million to support toursim followind Tivoli
Invasion.
➲ What support is government giving towards the music industry?
➲ Music offers higher return than similar investments in telecoms a WIPO study
stated prepared by local based VANUS JAMES.

23. CONCLUSION
➲ Industry needs more labels
➲ Government needs to fill void left by labels
to market artistes.
➲ Artistes need to find new markets. Eg a
prominent artiste went to Japan last month
and grossed about US$100k in 15 days.