News August 30, 2018

SongHubs heads to BIGSOUND, raised $1.4m in royalties over five years

Image: Morgan Evans performs at Nashville's Bluebird Cafe for SongHubs in 2016

In its fifth year, APRA AMCOS’ SongHubs is heading to BIGSOUND this weekend.

This Saturday, 16 songwriters and producers, will arrive at James Russell’s Heliport Studios on the Sunshine Coast for three days of writing.

The session is in additional partnership with BIGSOUND and Kobalt.

After Queensland, SongHubs will be held in Los Angeles and Nashville in October.

It is a partner in the 50 Songs in 5 Days workshop taking place in Sydney in November.

December marks the inaugural SongHubs in Brazil.

“SongHubs is constantly evolving – from the breadth of participants, to the genres we focus on, to the locations and studios we’re working in,” points out Milly Petriella, APRA AMCOS director of member relations.

“But the purpose always remains the same, and that is to foster new commercial work as well as collaborative opportunities for our members that go beyond the studio walls.”

According to APRA AMCOS, SongHubs outcomes over its five years have been 143 commercial releases globally, over $1.4 million in songwriting royalties for the collaborators, and connections for APRA AMCOS members that have led to opportunities at home and overseas.

Hits that came to life at SongHubs include Morgan Evans’ current #1 US Country Radio airplay single Kiss Somebody that was co-written with Chris DeStefano and Josh Osborne in 2016 at the 50 Songs in 5 Days workshop in Sydney.

Troye Sivan wrote Gasoline with Paul Carter in London 2014.

Guy Sebastian collaborated with Stuart Crichton and Taylor Parks at the Bali Songwriting Invitational in 2016 for the single Set In Stone.

2018 alone has seen releases including Woodes’ Change My Mind, Alex The Astronaut’s Waste of Time, Ainslie Wills’Society and The Chainsmokers‘ You Owe Me, written by Chelsea Jade and Emily Warren at Auckland SongHubs 2016.

The opportunities and contacts are evidenced by producer Tushar Apte was about to go back to his IT job when an invitation to SongHubs Toronto in 2014.

It led to a Chris Brown release and upcoming ones from Demi Lovato and Zayn Malik.

SongHubs Auckland 2016 included a relatively unknown applicant Sarah Aarons. Two years later she is arguably one of the biggest songwriters in the game with the #1 Billboard single Stay by Zedd feat. Alessia Cara and songs with Flume, Lykke Li, The Rubens and more.

The three-day Sunshine Coast sessions this weekend is curated by Robert Conley – coming full circle as the first SongHubs was held at his studio in Redfern.

“I’ve watched the program become a creative powerhouse, and I’m proud of my involvement and excited to be doing it again at Heliport Studios,” says Conley.