Big Acts in Big China: Q&A with DongDong Music Conference Panelist Robb Spitzer

American Robb Spitzer has been making waves in China's live music scene for over a decade. Today he is the managing director of the China branch of Live Nation, a global live entertainment and e-commerce company that owns Live Nation Concerts and Ticketmaster.com, among others, and produces 22,000 shows annually for more than 2,300 artists globally.

On November 8, he will be joining fellow industry mavens Matthew Daniel (VP of R2G wawawa), Shen Lihui (GM of Modern Sky Entertainment and Strawberry Music Festival Founder), Terry Xiang (Founder of Nova Entertainment and the Midnight Talks podcast) and Moderator Ed Peto (Outdustry) for a panel discussion on "Facts and Fictions of the Chinese Music Market" as part of the DongDong Music Festival and Conference.

We caught up with him earlier this month to get his insights on the Chinese music industry in the run-up to the conference.

What piqued your interest in the Chinese music scene? Was there a particular moment, band or song that made you decide to work on promoting live music in China?

For me, it was actually an experience I had helping with a music festival in Eastern Europe that planted the seed to extend my New York entertainment industry experience into an emerging market. That, and a friend of mine was starting a live music business in China. So I got on a plane; that was 2002.

What do you think are the most common misconceptions that overseas promoters and artists have of the Chinese music market?
The international artists and their representation often have challenges evaluating the China market. In earlier stages of their career, they underestimate their potential here because maybe there aren’t many iTunes sales or Facebook & Twitter followers from China (we, of course, know why). So, despite some lip service, they write off a quarter of the world’s population. Then, later, when they’re megastars planning global tours, they want to command enormous fees to play China and the opportunity here often doesn’t measure up.

What do you feel are the biggest challenges facing China’s music industry today?
Mainland China needs some more music pioneers. Brave young trailblazers, even a few old ones, willing to take chances and work hard on what they believe in. It’s not just about winning TV contests or dressing the part. I grew up with guys who lugged their own amps into any place that would let them play – I don’t see enough of that here. And beyond the hard work and tenacity required from emerging artists, there should be more curating among local promoters. Where are the monthly promoted rock or metal or hip-hop events on a local level? I’d like to see a bigger opportunity for the guys at the top of the bottom – a path for bar bands to grow and evolve into bigger performance opportunities. China still seems to be missing a few components of the robust live industry enjoyed by other countries.

Where do you see music distribution heading in China? Any glimmers of hope or intriguing prospects?
I don’t think much about distribution in the traditional sense. I think artists should make music and videos for their fans to enjoy via web. They can earn money licensing tracks to media and advertising by charging reasonable performance fees which result in reasonable ticket prices.

What advice would you give to would-be concert promoters in China?
Find a business with higher margins and less risk.

Does Live Nation have any big plans/tours in the works for 2014 and beyond?
Yes. Huge. And we’ll be thrilled to tell you more when these get announced.

Who would (you) love to bring over?
More authentic hip-hop performers who can deliver a strong live set.

Catch the final days of the DongDong Music Festival, starting this Friday, November 8 at Yugong Yishan with Rock 'n' Love Night.