Audiotree

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Audiotree
Audiotree Logo.png
Founded2011 (2011)
FounderMichael Johnston, Adam Thurston
Country of originUnited States
LocationChicago, Illinois,
Official websitewww.audiotree.tv

Audiotree is an American music record label located in Chicago, founded in 2011 by Michael Johnston and Adam Thurston.[1] The company records and publishes live music sessions.[1] It also promotes artists and organizes live events, and invites artists from around the world to enter a professional studio setting, to record, perform, and release a live EP free of cost.[2][3]

Business model[]

Audiotree typically shares revenue from sales of live session recordings with the artist, usually split 50:50.[1] The company works mainly with independent musicians that are independent or on independent music labels.[3][4]

In many ways, Audiotree has re-invented the music video as we know it, said journalist Melissa Daniels.[3] Instead of viewers looking at choreographed scenes, Audiotree shows viewers how the energy of watching a live performance can be more personable and eye-grabbing than a well directed music video.[3] The company serves as one of the top music video outlets, whose business model capitalizes especially via YouTube and other video services.[3] It was reported in 2016 that 80% of people stream their music online (Music 360 Report) allowing Audiotree to accumulate streams and revenue continuously across all of their recorded sessions.[3]

Audiotree owns the Lincoln Hall and Schubas music venues in Chicago.[4]

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic's limitations on public gatherings created trouble for music venues.[5] As owners of independent venues, Johnston and Thurston released merchandise, available online, to help afford maintenance and other venue fees.[6] In December 2020, Time Out Chicago noted that due to Audiotree's extensive prior experience with producing streaming media, the label was "uniquely equipped" to help bands keep performing online during the pandemic.[7] Audiotree's "Staged" series, created during the pandemic, generated revenue for both the label as well as participating artists, since fans paid a ticket fee for 24 hours of private access to the broadcast.[8]

History[]

Audiotree was founded in 2011 in Chicago. Michael Johnston and Adam Thurston saw the potential for a viable business recording live sessions for artist and sharing the revenue from sales.[1][3]

Michael Johnston was already working as an audio engineer in the Chicago area, and founded the company to help promote independent artists/bands.[1] Additionally, Johnston realized the potential to generate continuous revenue via Google AdSense, as well as EP sales. It was in Johnston's basement where he and Thurston held a meeting, leading to the creation of Audiotree as we know it today.[3]

Since 2011, the company has amassed over 330k subscribers on YouTube, and have received over 500 million minutes of watch time across all videos. In 2018 the company announced its extension of the company into Canada, collaborating with Paquin Entertainment Agency to market artists and help jumpstart their music career.[9][10]

Recording/broadcasting process[]

In 2015–2016, Audiotree released a series of videos showing behind the scenes of how they prepare video and lighting, acoustic microphones, drum microphones, and a studio walk through.[11] The studio holds a wide variety of microphones ranging from the AKG 460 or the Royer 122 for acoustic guitar recordings, to a Telefunken M-82 used on the bass drum.[11]

In 2017, Audiotree took their work outside of the studio, starting a new series named Far Out sessions.[12]

The company does on-the-spot sound mastering. Using IZotopes Ozone 9 mastering VST, and partnering with Antelope Audio to fill their control room with analog audio equipment, Audiotree's audio engineers aim to make viewers feel as though they are in studio, listening to the artist play right in front of them.[13]

Live events[]

The company's series known as Audiotree Live is broadcast from the studio directly to YouTube and the Audiotree website for fans to listen live.[14]

Audiotree has organized an annual music festival in Michigan since 2012.[15] Typically hosted in September, the Audiotree Music Festival took place at the Arcadia Creek Festival place which can accommodate approximately 8000 people, and sees regular festivals such as Blues Fest, Ribfest Chicago, and Taste of Kalamazoo.[16] The festival would take place every year until 2019 where Johnston and Thurston announced that they would be looking in another direction. As opposed to continuing the tradition, Audiotree instead shifted their focus to hosting special concerts at their independently owned venues Lincoln Hall and Schubas, which were celebrating their 10th and 30th year anniversaries since being opened.[17]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, at the end of 2020, Audiotree began organizing live virtual concerts under a new segment called "Staged".[5] This segment invited fans to pay a small fee, allowing them to join a private broadcast of the show, which they could stream as much as they want for 24 hours after completion.[8]

Selected roster[]

A complete roster is available on the Audiotree website; the dates of the selected sessions below are from the metadata of the relevant session pages.[14]

See also[]

  • List of record labels

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e Raymer, Miles (March 10, 2011). "Audiotree Does the Record Business a la Carte". Chicago Reader. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
  2. ^ "About". Audiotree. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Daniels, Melissa. "How Audiotree Is Reinventing Music Videos, One Live Performance At A Time". Forbes. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Audiotree". Open House Chicago. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Garcia, Evan (December 14, 2020). "Coronavirus-Inspired Songs From Paul Cherry at Livestreamed Chicago Show". WTTW. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  6. ^ Pasbani, Robert (June 9, 2020). "90% of Independent Music Venues Won't Survive the Pandemic According To New Survey". Metal Injection. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  7. ^ Long, Zach (December 22, 2020). "Chicago venues and bands weigh in on the future of streaming concerts". Time Out Chicago. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  8. ^ a b TV News Desk. "Julien Baker Will Perform Streaming Album Release Concert". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  9. ^ "Chicago-based Audiotree launches multi-faceted artist discovery platform in Canada". www.indoorrecess.com. April 5, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  10. ^ Raine, Michael (May–June 2018). "Audiotree & Paquin Launch Canadian Artist Discovery Platform". Canadian Musician. 39 (3): 14. ISSN 0708-9635.
  11. ^ a b "Behind the Scenes". Audiotree. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  12. ^ Berlatsky, Noah (February 2, 2018). "Audiotree's Far Out video series records bands where you'd least expect". Chicago Reader. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  13. ^ Audio, Antelope. "Audiotree". Antelope Audio. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Sessions – Audiotree". audiotree.tv. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  15. ^ "Audiotree Music Festival 2017 – Festival Outlook". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  16. ^ "Arcadia Creek Festival Place". Discover Kalamazoo. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  17. ^ "Audiotree won't stage music festival in Kalamazoo for 2019". Local Spins. January 11, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
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