Continuous Music is a subscription-based platform designed for those working in, or considering a music industry career.
Continuous Music is for you if are considering a career in the music industry and are just starting out and want to know more, or if you’re a working musician, recording artist, band manager, promoter, venue booker, songwriter, publicist, or talent scout already working in any part of the music industry. Or maybe you just need help with a particular situation – for example : “my band is about to be offered a music publishing deal. What does a music publisher do, and how can they help?”.
Continuous Music gives you informative lessons accompanied by teaching videos to support each course – all ready for you to click and learn. It’s also about providing you with industry information, blogs, playlists, links to key industry websites, reviews, informative talks with people just starting out in the industry and how they got there – plus some of the good folk that have been in it for a long time.
Welcome to Continuous Music. Enjoy learning about music business as much as I enjoy being in it and teaching it!
My first great memories of loving music came from my Dad. He used to bring home LP’s that we’d sit and listen to over and over: Miles, Ellington, Sinatra, and Goodman. He and I would sit and listen to the ABC jazz programs every Saturday morning. He’d say to me “listen to that what’s playing — that’s rhythm”.
First record I ever bought was of course a 45 rpm single of The Zombie’s ‘She’s Not There’. Played that thing over and over and over. Then I was always persuading my parents to buy me more and more and more music. I used to listen to the Top 40 radio every Sunday night, staying up way too late to hear the National Number One Song.
Ben (as a very young dude) with The Clash’s frontman; Joe Strummer.
As a young person I was mad about records but never thought I would ever end up working for a record company – I was way too nerdy to be as cool as that. All that changed when I scored a job with CBS Records (later to become Sony Music) as a Sales Rep, selling to the country record shops and trying to get our new releases played on country radio stations. I moved through Sony over a fifteen year period — initially in sales, then into promotions, marketing and eventually in A&R. Had a ball! No kidding — working with the likes of Springsteen, Santana, The Clash as well as making and taking our local roster to the domestic and international market places. When I did a tour with The Clash it initiated me into the world of punk music, which was of course therein my favourite kind of music. Real music with attitude, noise and a message that definitely had to be heard.
After Sony I worked at EMI Records heading up the Promotions Department. Great fun, lots of fantastic people and EMI had fabulous music to be promoted. Then Warner Music; working with great Australian bands and acts, such as INXS, Jenny Morris and Cold Chisel. That was followed by working for many years with MMA Management (INXS, The Models). Learnt heaps about the industry but I became particularly interested in artist management. Working with MMA gave great insight into artist touring, merchandising, concert production and album and single cycles. I ended up working on Australian Made: a national series of concerts featuring INXS, The Models, Jimmy Barnes, The Saints and Divinyls.
With what I’d learnt from working at MMA, I went into management of my own acts, applying all of the knowledge I’d gained in working with some amazing people in the industry. Over the course of my management career I managed pop acts, acid jazz, classical and country. Love them all. Management gives you an opportunity to keep learning and looking for new ways of doing things. I learnt that the job of managing in music is never finished. It’s not like building a house and it’s done. There is always something else that you can do to improve an artist’s career.
I ended up in New Zealand for a while and once again found myself doing a variety of things from booking venues, managing acts, lecturing in music industry and doing concert promotion for many of the Australian promoters. After three years I came back to Australia and started to really focus on teaching music business. Teaching was something I felt I should have done may years ago, as I found that working at JMC Academy I had a great passion for turning my wonderful career of music business into a teaching profession. I love the idea of passing the torch on to people who are just starting out in music. I ended up as Head of Department for Entertainment Business Management, running that Dept for many years. One of the great joys was to see students getting their music business hat on and then end up in the industry, whether it be managing, booking, promoting or touring. I love that.
So the journey continues — still involved in the music business and music business education. Passing on all that cool stuff that I’ve learnt over the years. Enjoy!
"I've known Ben for many years now through different bands that I've played in. Ben's background has been working with the great record companies and in various departments. For instance; promotion, A&R and publicity. He has a great love of music from both as a fan and from a commercial point of view. I would like to mention Ben's particular ability to connect with any band on any level. He has a great rapport with every band he's worked with. I wish him all the best with Continuous Music - it's such a great idea".
“In 2015, at the ripe old age of 36, I made the decision to go back to school to further my education in the Entertainment Industry. Filled with many emotions – predominantly fear and self-doubt – I walked in to my very first lecture. I was fortunate enough to have Ben running that class and I was made to feel instantly at ease.
His incredibly warm, open and humorous persona was only superseded by his wealth of experience and knowledge of the Music Industry. His authentic passion for both the industry and education was infectious and I sincerely enjoyed every class I had with him. Ben made an extraordinary effort with me personally to make me feel supported at a time when I was feeling quite doubtful that emerging in to an industry at my age was a sound choice.
More recently I have graduated from that educational facility and have gone on to create my own successful business. It was having lecturers like Ben Steer that instilled in me not only the education and tools required to create my own dream job but more importantly the self-belief and how to think creatively.
Ben was truly the best teacher I have had. I couldn’t recommend him more.”
