????Mad Decent Block Party音樂節起源于在Mad Decent唱片公司費城辦事處所處街區舉辦的一個派對活動，它今年首次銷售演出門票。正是這個舉措讓這個致力于進一步擴大規模的音樂節得以在13個城市舉行了巡回演出。從免費變為售票可能會讓粉絲感到失望，但這也是Mad Decent公司拉來贊助商以維系低票價的原因所在?！捌骄眱r是30美元，最早賣出的門票售價20美元。在一些更大規模的音樂節上，80到300美元的門票很常見，”組織方之一TMWRK公司的安德魯?麥克因尼斯說?！斑@種低票價全靠贊助維持。我們百般努力，為的是讓樂迷們買得起入場券?！?/p>

????“現在與幾年前的情形有所不同，人們不再介意贊助商的存在了，”Windish Agency經紀公司的薩姆?亨特這樣說道。這家公司從一開始就參與Mad Decent Block Party音樂節的預定和營銷工作。“高價門票會把我們的核心粉絲群擋在外邊，但票價越低，粉絲們就越容易接受?！?/p>

????Mad Decent Block Party音樂節與制作人兼歌手迪布洛的良好關系也發揮了作用，因為像哈萊姆搖擺舞（Harlem Shake）DJ二人組Flosstradamus和Baauer等音樂人都愿意降低身價，友情出演，而這個音樂節的頭牌人物通常則是迪布洛或者他的樂隊Major Lazer。過去，歌手們都是免費演出，但麥克因尼斯指出，“售票演出意味著每個人今年都獲得了酬勞。”亨特急忙補充說：“每個人都有錢拿，但沒有人發大財。”

????西雅圖的雨傘音樂節（Bumbershoot）對此也深有體會。這個每年勞動節在西雅圖市中心舉行的音樂節依然恪守著自1971年創建以來一直堅持的非營利準則。“上世紀70年代和80年代，音樂節是侵犯版權者和狂人們的天地。但到了90年代和21世紀初，企業界的其他公司也開始參與，音樂節現在就是一門生意，”雨傘音樂節制作商One Reel公司的執行董事喬恩?斯通笑著說。

????“雨傘音樂節在上世紀80年代中期率先采用了公司贊助的方式，但我們拉贊助的目的在于維持低票價。如果你對比一下雨傘和其他音樂節的票價，你就會發現我們一直懷抱著一個愿望，那就是盡可能地消除入場的經濟門檻?！?/p>

????斯通還指出，對于雨傘音樂節來說，非營利性“是一種理念，而不是為了享受稅收優惠政策?！彼a充說：“入場的經濟門檻是音樂界目前面臨的一大難題，特別是一些大型音樂節。這就是我們為什么盡全力維持低價的原因。”斯通估計，在雨傘音樂節的收入中，門票銷售約占60%，贊助費約占30% ，其他收入來自各種特許權和商攤使用費。然而，組織者并沒有一門心思地賺錢，而是全身心地為參與者提供精彩的藝術表演，這也是西雅圖市政府創辦這個音樂節的目的。作為一個城市音樂節，他們還注重推出本地人才?！拔覀儼讶种坏囊魳繁硌輬龅亓艚o本地人才，”斯通指出。“我們想支持本地音樂人，通過這個音樂節讓樂迷們關注西雅圖本地的音樂人。”

????麥克勒莫爾和瑞恩?劉易斯就是通過這個音樂節獲得成功的。在雨傘音樂節的小舞臺上表演了數年之后，他們去年憑借著單曲《舊貨店》（Thrift Shop）登上了大舞臺。這對組合已經創造了歷史：他們成為有史以來第一對有兩首單曲位居Billboard Hot 100排行榜前兩位的歌唱二人組。所以說，音樂節絕對是筆好買賣。（財富中文網）

????譯者：任文科

????This year marks the first year that the Mad Decent Block Party – a festival that started as an actual block party outside of record label Mad Decent's office in Philadelphia – has charged money and issued tickets for their shows. It's a move that has allowed the festival to expand into a 13-city roving tour with an eye on even more growth. Turning a free event into a ticketed one can frustrate fans, though, which is why Mad Decent has worked with sponsors to keep ticket prices low. "The average price of our tickets is $30, and the early bird ticket was $20. At some of the larger festivals, that would easily be an $80 to $300 dollar ticket," said Andrew McInnes of TMWRK, who helped organize the event. "That's all due to sponsorships. We make an effort to make it affordable."

????"People don't mind sponsorship as much as they would have a few years ago," said Sam Hunt from the Windish Agency, which has been involved with booking and marketing the Mad Decent Block Party rom the beginning. "A high ticket price would keep out our core fanbase, but the cheaper the ticket, the easier it is for fans to accept."

????Their affiliation with producer/musician Diplo's Mad Decent label helps, as well, because artists like DJ duo Flosstradamus and Baauer of "Harlem Shake" fame are willing to contribute their services at a reduced cost, and the festival's headliner is typically Diplo or his band, Major Lazer. In the past, artists played for free, but according to McInnes, "A ticketed event means everyone gets paid this year." Hunt hurried to add, "Everyone gets paid, but no one's getting rich. "

????It's something that Seattle's Bumbershoot understands well. The festival, which takes over the city's downtown every Labor Day, remains true to its nonprofit core, which dates back to when Bumbershoot started in 1971. "In the '70s and '80s, festivals were the realm of pirates and crazy people, but as time went on in the late '90s and 2000s the rest of the corporate world has caught up and now it's just business," Jon Stone, executive director of One Reel, the producer of Bumbershoot, laughed.

????"Bumbershoot pioneered corporate sponsorship in the mid-'80s, but we used sponsorship to keep ticket prices low. If you look at the price of Bumbershoot versus other festivals, we've stayed true to that desire to eliminate economic barriers to entries."

????Stone also noted that for Bumbershoot, being nonprofit "is a philosophy, not a tax status." He added, "Economic barriers to entry are real things in the industry these days, especially at larger festivals. That's why we keep ticket prices as low as we can." Stone estimates that ticket sales make up about 60% of Bumbershoot's revenues with sponsorship accounting for 30% and assorted concessions and vendors making up the rest. However, instead of focusing on profits, the organization focuses on exposing attendees to the arts, which was the City of Seattle's mission when they started the festival. As a city festival, they also focus on local talent. "We reserve about a third of our musical programmatic space for local acts," Snow noted. "We want to champion local artists and use the festival to shine the spotlight on local artists."

????Among their success stories is Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, who played Bumbershoot's small stages for years before moving to the main stage last year on the strength of their song "Thrift Shop." The group made history when they became the first duo ever to have their first two singles top the Billboard Hot 100 charts. That is definitely good business.