From the Speakers to the Stage

Internet Radio Station Organises FestivalFrom Woodstock to Glastonbury, the music festival
Radio stations have come a long way since the dayshas a glorious past, associated with a carefree lifestyle
of pirate radio broadcasts from ships on the oceanand alternative music. Traditionally, the day will open
seas. The ascendancy of disc jockeys in the 1980swith lesser-known bands, and as each day of the
brought a more human image to the radio station, andfestival goes on, the bands become better and better
today we are witnessing an explosion in the number ofknown, and indeed, more and more popular. Mass,
radio stations thanks to the internet.organized festivals like Glastonbury feature several
With AM and FM frequencies jammed with stations,stages over several days, and almost always end with
and governments giving licenses to the radio stations itmajor industry bands headlining. Glastonbury itself is a
accepts, it was only natural that with the increase inmajor indie music event, bringing together hundreds of
broadband internet, the web was the next step forthousands of people in a field in the south-west of
radio. Nowadays, anyone can broadcast, with theEngland.
advent of the podcast, but people will always turn toThe internet has brought with it a revolution in the way
radio stations for their music. There are unlimitedthat festivals are handled. Minor festivals take place
opportunities for internet radio broadcasters.across the world thanks to the internet, which brings
Just where people will turn is the big question. Moregroups together from far and beyond; groups that are
and more people are listening to more and more music,not necessarily linked geographically. For instance, Paris
and they are looking specifically for certain genres.is witnessing an explosion in music from female solo
Indie music, once an underground pursuit enjoyed byartists because of an internet movement called "Girls
few, gained cult status in the early 1990s, and has nowDoing It For Themselves". The collective has organized
exploded overground, bringing out a whole range ofa variety of festivals along with major venues in the
sub-genres such as alternative country, grunge andcity, and has gained a reputation firstly through the
low-fi. Other genres previously considered as "cultish"internet for bringing through emerging artists in a scene
have experienced a renaissance, such as metal orthat is saturated with indie bands.
punk. As more and more people look towardsEach of the artists in the collective acknowledges the
specialized internet radio stations, one particular serviceeffect of the internet on their career. Emmanuelle
is providing not just a genre-by-genre approach toCadoret, for example, is a Breton singer-songwriter
internet radio, but a festival to celebrate its mostwho came to Paris several years ago to advance her
popular bands.music career. On her website and her myspace, you
Blue Beam Radio's competition to find the bestcan download music for free, and she quickly became
emerging artists from its many streams allowsknown on local internet radio. She explains that it is
independent musicians and bands to register for free,because of the community that she has been able to
have their music available for the public to listen to, andprogress, and the internet promotion of emerging
win the chance to play in New York. The Top 10artists such as herself, Marjolaine and Léa.
artists on the website will all go forward to play in NewMusic events are organized across France much in
York in the fall. The concept takes the internetthe same way. Another organization, the "White
community idea one step further by actually bringingRabbits" (Tilapinblanc) have been at the centre of
the bands together physically, making Blue Beam anmuch indie music in the French capital, promoting their
innovator in internet radio.music on band pages and on internet radio. Originally
While downloading music online for free has effectivelymade up of a few groups, the organization has
been reduced by a large number of fake mp3sswelled to include more than 30 groups today, allowing
circulating the internet, and the increased offer fromvisitors to the website to download free music online,
i-Tunes and other providers, many listeners haveand organizing regular festivals featuring the groups.
decided to stop downloading and start streaming.However, Blue Beam Radio's festival is the first of its
Many have found out that the best way to listen tokind, bringing together an eclectic range of bands that
new bands is to choose an internet radio station, andhave been proven to be the most popular on its
choose a genre. When they find a group they like, theywebsite, giving them the opportunity to perform on
are often led to the group's website for furtherstage in New York. Listeners to the radio have the
information. The chance, therefore, to find a number ofopportunity to vote for each band, making the site in
the groups they like on the same stage, is an entirelyeffect a "battle of the bands" that any group can join.
new concept.The site, which is funded by its sponsors, is free to
Festival organizers usually have to rely on agents to filllisten to, and free to subscribe to, bringing musicians
their bookings, making each festival a mix-and-matchand listeners together like never before.
of groups and genres, while having to satisfy the publicThe bands, for example, can create their own band
who buy the tickets. With an online festival organizedpages on the site, and even buy advertising space.
around the most popular groups of an internet radioEmerging artists around the world will be crossing their
station, the groups are involved in a competition, whilefingers that by December, they will be in the top 10,
the audience is given the music that they listen to mostand playing live in New York.
- on stage in New York.It really is a case of from the speakers to the stage.