Restrictions Ease & December Song Shortages | Music News

The NSW state government has decided that they’re confident enough in how the state is handling the pandemic that they’re cutting the one person per four square rule for all venues, except gyms and nightclubs.

As reported by multiple media outlets who have reportedly obtained a press release from the Berejiklian government, venues will now adhere to the one person per 2sqm rule, doubling their capacity, from Monday, 7th November.

Gyms and nightclubs will still have to adhere to the 4sqm rule, but will now allow a maximum of 50 people in a single gym class or on a dancefloor at a nightclub.

As for outdoor stadiums and theatres, all capacity rules have been axed for those with structured seating, meaning they can be up to 100 per cent capacity. For those areas with unstructured seating, they’ll still have to adhere to the 2sqm rule.

Outdoor ticketed events will now be able to hold up to 5,000 people. Additionally, indoor theatres can now be up to 75 per cent capacity.

And, as one final bonus, we’ll finally be able to stand up  at outdoor venues, though still not indoors.

Meanwhile, It’s that most magical time of the year. Toys in every store, Mariah Carey is invading our ear space, you can almost smell the holidays. Something is, however, missing from the Christmas mix. Where are the big releases?

Study the list of all-time best-sellers. Apart from selling bucketloads, there’s a less obvious theme. And it has a lot to do with Santa.

The biggest of them all, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, dropped on Nov. 30, 1982. Just in time for Christmas. Soundtracks to The Bodyguard and Saturday Night Fever also arrived in November, as did The Beatles’ 2000 compilation 1.

Before Spotify came along, 40 percent of all record sales were done in the space between Thanksgiving and Christmas. An imperfect model which is no longer the case. The flood of Xmas hits this year is looking more like a trickle. So, what happened? Three things. COVID, streaming and social media.

The first is well reported, and it’s also put a huge dent in the movie industry. Cinemas are starved of box-office treats, as studios hang onto their prizes until the crowds can return to their seats. That’s another story.

Streaming has, of course, put a huge dent in physical music sales. Nothing new there. Vinyl sales continue to grow, yes, but it’s a small market.

The clincher is social media. With their social media accounts, artists have moved the industry away from that late-year binge, and spread out the release strategy. In 2020, musicians can dictate the marketing strategy, they now have the power to alert their fans when their music is ready. 

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Homebrewed is a radio program and podcast dedicated to supporting the Australian Music Industry. Cameron Smith and Eamonn Snow have been presenting Homebrewed since November 2017 and have received excellence awards and the admiration of local bands for their presentation of Homebrewed and their continued support of the Australian music scene. This podcast is designed so you can enjoy conversations with musicians, industry representatives and music media personalities.