Musicdirectory.ch: Having a beer with a music platform
Elia of Helvetiarockt [Helvetia rocks] met musicdirectory.ch for a pint of beer. Keeping your social distance under blue skies. The last few weeks have been turbulent. On 20 October 2020, the platform Music Directory was presented in public for the first time, after that, things went crazy. Both in terms of campaign work and inside the new database. So it was high time to raise a glass together.
Elia, Manager, Communication: So, how did you experience our launch?
Musicdirectory.ch: I am still a bit out of breath. That was quite something for me, to suddenly stand in the limelight. All of last year, I spent day in, day out with your project team, tried to let things be designed as easily as possible. Of course I also was stubborn from time to time and it may happen again. But when, suddenly, so many people registered, looked through me, I didn’t want to be stubborn at all. Luckily, I succeeded in this for the most part, except one or two times, where the stage fright was too high and and my server overheated.
Elia: Laughs - Yes, you definitely kept us busy on that warm October day. I believe it was very special for us all. We were well prepared and nevertheless, we could not estimate what exactly was going to happen once we went “online”. The fact that, after 8 hours, we could collect as many as 300 entries on you and that such a broad community from the music industry has reacted to you positively - yes, that definitely threw me and I was very happy.
musicdirectory.ch:I thought I knew the music world pretty well before - I had enough time for research while you were working on me. But then, when all those people registered: I did not know so many names and so many different projects. I spend at least one hour each day to search the personal profiles and listen to all the music.
INFO BOX
musicdirectory.ch by Helvetiarockt is a quadrilingual platform, where women, intern, non-binary and trans people from the Swiss music scene can register. The argument “There are no women!” is countered by Helvetiarockt musicdirectory.ch and says: “Yes there are - and even more.” We do not accept structural gender inequalities. We, too, shape the Swiss music scene. We are here. We are visible. Women, inter, non-binary and trans people network, exchange views and information and work together. The platform is for musicians, producers, bookers, event organisers, promoters, photographers. Irrespective which level.
Elia: Exactly, everyone can spend so much time on the platform. Luckily, this is a little bit part of my job as well. I just remember one feedback where it was said that the platform is like Facebook, you get lost in it.
Musicdirectory.ch: Except that, luckily, I am not guided by algorithms and save the data securely. Only what people enter is visible to me. Afterwards, every interest and ability can be filtered nationally or cantonally. At the top of the page are always those profiles which have registered last.
Elia: Shhhh, don’t say that too loudly, we do not want that everyone is waiting with their registration in order to end up at the top. We have a target of 1,000 entries within a month. There is still 200 missing - “register now and be at the top today” should be the motto!
Musicdirectory.ch: True, because 20 November is only round the corner. Time flies. While I have been slowly getting used to it, you are still sweating.
Elia: Oh well, I’d rather sweat than freeze at this time of the year. And don’t worry, we keep pushing your buttons, also in the background. A quadrilingual website is, as we know, not a piece of cake, especially if the translation plugin sometimes likes to play up - and we received many new key terms from the community, so we will not suffer from starvation in terms of information. After all, we do want people to keep using you like this in future!
Musicdirectory.ch: My my, I need to say cheers to that.
Elia: Cheers.