"Be Heard, Be Scene": How Scene.lu is Revolutionizing Luxembourg’s Music Industry

Could you briefly introduce Scene.lu and explain what gap in the Luxembourg music scene you set out to fill?  

Scene.lu is a totally independent project I created that aims to help promote Luxembourg music everywhere and make the public aware too. The platform is built to connect, amplify, and celebrate the artists, bands, and creatives shaping the sound of the Grand Duchy, across every genre and corner of the country in three main ways: Having an ever-growing directory of acts based in Luxembourg (this currently doesn’t exist anywhere else). An events section dedicated to local music, and a news section all about local music from events to releases, and even “how to” guides for those starting out in the industry. This approach is greatly lacking for Luxembourg. While there are official government supported bodies, nothing currently exists for all musicians and indeed fans of Luxembourg music.

What motivated you personally to launch this platform? Was there a specific moment or problem that triggered the idea?

I am a passionate music fan. I arrived in Luxembourg over 25 years ago and was astonished at 2 things: 1, The quality of Luxembourg music, and 2, why did those not part of the scene, especially the international communities, not know about Luxembourg music? So that’s what scene.lu sets out to do. Added to that I’m an ex-journalist; I have been a manager for several acts in Luxembourg, so can say that I’ve been involved in the scene. I actually used to do something similar in the past actually, and I have been thinking of starting a platform again for several years. Then while I was at a concert celebrating 20 years of the Rockhal with many bands from the past performing, I realised this was the moment, it triggered me into starting scene.lu

Why do you think Luxembourg needed a dedicated music hub like this now?

While Luxembourg is a hive of musical activity, there is not much in the way of a hub for music. There’s also a lack of professional music organisations based in Luxembourg. There are great organisations out there helping upcoming musicians such as Rocklab, and Kultur LX, but nothing that quite combines everything scene.lu does that is both for musicians and the general public – So to answer your question “why now?”  - well, it has been missing for a while, and I see expansion in the industry, so now is as good a time as any!

You launched in October and reached over 100 acts in just 6 months — what were the key drivers behind such rapid growth?

As there was no totally open - free to use, and submit to - directory before, I think word of mouth and via social media played a role and submissions came thick and fast. Admittedly I also approached several acts to see if they wanted to be part of the directory and all were delighted to be listed, passed on to fellow musicians, and the ball kept rolling from there.

What were the biggest challenges in the early stages of building Scene.lu?

I guess the biggest challenge is working from a blank sheet, starting out, and design of the platform. I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t have content at first, but once that started it was probably an easy part: Finding news, people submitting ideas etc, it all came together quite smoothly.

How did you attract the first artists and users to the platform?

Without sounding big-headed, I am actually known in the Luxembourg music world, when I approached several musicians I know, they were more than happy to contribute, and in turn they passed on the details. Then a bit of a push on social media went quite a way in helping. The Luxembourg music world is quite a tightly knit community and word of mouth counts for a lot.

How do you position Scene.lu: is it more of a media platform, a directory, or a community hub?

All of the above – I know that sounds a bit cliché, but all of those work hand-in-hand. As it is designed for Luxembourg musicians, those interested in the music world, and the general public, it must be all 3.

What makes Scene.lu different from existing platforms like social media or event listings?

Show me a main-stream social media where you can find Luxembourg music news and advice, targeted Luxembourg music event listings, and a directly of acts in one place, and I would consider stopping scene.lu tomorrow! Kidding, but I think you get my point.

How do artists benefit from being listed on Scene.lu in practical terms?

That’s a good question. If scene.lu really becomes a go-to site, then being listed not only gets them publicity and a profile link they can use anywhere, but venues, and event organisers could consult the directory to find the best acts to suit their events. Music industry experts could also consult it, both from inside and outside of Luxembourg. There are many possibilities going forward.

From your perspective, how would you describe the Luxembourg music scene today?

The scene is great; it is evolving and now acts get sound quite professional really quickly. If there’s one criticism I have is that unlike the past, Instagram and TikTok now play a major role in everything musicians do which is great, but also has downsides as some think that’s all they need to use. So stuff people and professionals what to know is missing – where’s the bio?, where’s the band setup info?, contact info?, and so on. Hopefully scene.lu fills that gap.

What are the main challenges that local artists face in Luxembourg?

As Luxembourg is a very small country, the scene is relatively small too. They need all the help they can get to push them not only in the local scene, but beyond borders too.

What are your main goals for Scene.lu in the next 6–12 months?

My goals are to expand further the sections of the platform, have more input, interaction and advice from people who want to contribute and make it a real community. I want people to think of scene.lu as a “go to” part of the Luxembourg music community.

Are you planning to expand the platform’s functionality or introduce new features?

I’d love to cover more news especially, and have some concert reviews possibly. Venturing into podcasting could be a way forward too, but I’m not promising anything.

What would you like people to feel or do after discovering Scene.lu?

As the motto of scene.lu says across the platform “Be heard, be scene!” that pretty much sums up what I’d like people to feel and of course spread the word!