APRA AMCOS sponsors LinkedIn-style music biz app Vampr

Citing the need to keep encouraging the music industry to network and collaborate, APRA AMCOS has sponsored music networking app Vampr.

Described as “LinkedIn, but for the creative community”, the app was launched four years ago by APRA AMCOS members Baz Palmer (best known as guitarist and songwriter of Hunters & Collectors) and Josh Simons (of the band Buchanan).

Vampr obviously filled a gap in the suite of tools available to fledgling musicians, it now has 450,000 users in 190+ countries.

According to Palmer and Simons, this accounts for over 4 million professional connections.

It’s been awarded SF Music Tech Startup competition winner and last year appeared on Apple’s Best Apps of the Year list.

The start-up is currently in the midst of a crowdfunding campaign that is drawing support from all over the globe.

Palmer explains, “Forget planes, trains and automobiles, with one swipe Vampr lets artists instantly connect with other artists anywhere around the world.

“To have APRA AMCOS support Vampr and recognise our community as a legitimate creative space for musicians and writers globally is a massive feather in our cap.”

Simons reveals his own experience as a songwriter inspired Vampr.

“I moved to London to continue songwriting before I found myself stuck in a position that I think most of us have found ourselves in at some point in our careers: how and where do I find the musicians and music industry types that I specifically need in order to take my career forward?”

The trend to songwriting committees for hit songs

APRA AMCOS points out that the trend is growing more towards songs being written by groups of writers rather than solo writers.

It cites that in ARIA’s 2018 Australian Artists Singles Top 50 chart, the average co-writers per song was 3.2.

Only three songs in the Top 50 were written by a solo songwriter.

On top of investing in programs such as SongMakers (intensive songwriting workshops in high schools) and SongHubs (bringing the world’s best songwriters together to collaborate), APRA AMCOS supports businesses which provide career-building opportunities for music creators.

“Josh and Baz know first-hand the power of collaboration, and particularly the value of connecting to global networks,” notes APRA AMCOS chief executive Dean Ormston.

“APRA AMCOS is proud to support Vampr’s innovative platform that helps our members to connect with fellow creators wherever they are in the world