BIGSOUND 2017 Speaker Focus: Neil Robertson

Organisation: Music Glue - Head of A&R Australia

How did you first become involved in the music business and how did you end up where you are today? I started on the stage then was gradually shuffled side stage, then to the van, then the office. It turned out the value of my contribution increased exponentially the further I got from the stage.

What's been the biggest change in the music business you've seen over the past 12 months? The prevalence of streaming has made the presale vitally important. It's hard to sell records when they're available to stream for free(ish). So you've got to make sales before then - ie, before it's out.

What do you think will be the biggest issue affecting the music industry in the next 12 months and why? Just the same as society in general; increasing amounts of power falling into the hands of a decreasing amount of people/shadowy organisations.

What advice would you give young practitioners in your area starting out today? Have enough confidence in your work not to feel you have to grab every apparent opportunity. If your act is as good as you think, then other opportunities will come along. Patience is a strength.

What will you be primarily discussing during your appearance at the BIGSOUND conference and what are you hoping that people will be able to learn from your panel? I think we'll be discussing how to use technology to gather and benefit from data. I hope people will learn to practice smart e-commerce, or something similar but said more sexily.

What do you personally hope to take away from your time at BIGSOUND? I mainly hope to take a little bit of sanity away, but also to come across some good new bands and to forge some new working relationships.

Which acts are you most looking forward to checking out at BIGSOUND? Exhibitionist, Haiku Hands, Party Dozen, Obscura Hail, Body Type, Sloan Peterson, RVG, Ara Koufax and OKBadlands.

When and where is your panel? 7 Sep, Cloudland, 2pm.