Music pros launch remote hire platform

The platform, which was started by a female group of music pros, seeks to help creators get employment in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, which has strained the global music industry by halting tours, cancelling festivals and limiting access to recording studios around the world.

Sound Travels functions as a database where musicians and producers can promote themselves, and was designed specifically with music professionals in mind. Users will be able to post jobs, message each other and maintain remote relationships with fellow musicians and clients.

The platform will also have a separate virtual segment where individuals can foster new collaborations. Other activities will include offering tutorials and advice on how individuals can generate professional audio content from home while keeping their workflow as organised as possible.

The website is currently in its beta version and the team hopes to expand the platform to feature a comprehensive list of vetted job opportunities, tutorials on home recording, and a list of COVID-19 relief resources.

Since its launch, the service has already seen more than a hundred registrations, including users who have worked with high-profile artists such as Beyoncé, Maroon 5, Patti Smith, Hans Zimmer and Miley Cyrus.

The team says Sound Travels was devised as a solution to counter the impending financial dangers that were raised by the UK's Musicians’ Union, which said that “90% of those working in the industry have already been affected, with job opportunities down 69% compared to the same period last year.”

Meanwhile, investment bank Goldman Sachs recently published a music industry analysis report that anticipates a 25% decrease in global music revenue, and a 75% drop in live music sector earnings due to the postponement and cancellation of events in 2020.

More information on Sound Travels can be found here.