How Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Balances Complimentary Digital Program Books With Paid Printed Programs

Since returning to live performances after the lockdown, many arts organizations have questioned whether or not they should charge for printed programs. Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) returned from lockdown with a hybrid approach to their programs - paid printed programs and complimentary digital programs. We caught up with MSO’s Digital Projects Manager Phil Paschke to learn more about it.

InstantEncore: Prior to January 2023, how did you create and deliver your program books?

MSO’s Phil Paschke: Prior to 2020, we printed programs for free distribution at concerts. We also created PDF versions of these programs for viewing online. After returning to the concert hall full time in 2022, we transitioned to charging for printed programs and providing access to the digital pdf versions for free.

IE: How did you introduce the idea of paying for a printed program to patrons? How did they respond?

MSO: We began charging for programs when we resumed printing them. We positioned the charge as a cost-recovery measure. We did receive some negative feedback from audience members who were used to receiving a free program pre-COVID, but for the most part, people have been understanding. Also, subscribers, members, and many donors are able to receive a complimentary printed program. That helped mitigate negative feedback from our most frequent and loyal customers.

IE: What inspired you to use InsideGuide to create your digital programs in 2023?

MSO: We were looking for a more user-friendly option than PDF versions of a printed program, for better readability and speedier loading times. We also wanted a platform that would easily fit into our program production flow without creating a lot of additional time spent creating and administering digital programs.

IE: How did the program book change when you created it in InsideGuide?

MSO: Compared to the PDF versions of the printed program we used to use, the layout of the InsideGuide programs is much more friendly to use on a mobile device. We use a 'dark mode' template to reduce the impact of audience members viewing the digital program in the concert hall, and overall pages offer much better readability.

An audience member views the MSO digital program on their smartphone. The “dark mode” template helps to reduce ambient light in the hall.

TIP: Take “dark mode” to the next level by using silver or grey text instead of white.

We can also design ads to use specifically in the digital program, rather than adding links to a PDF program (e.g. including a 'Book Now' button on a future performance promo.) It's also great to be able to include links to external sources of information that are not necessarily appropriate to include in the program itself, or include multimedia assets where appropriate. It’s also much easier to update when there’s a last minute change!

IE: How do you promote the digital program to your patrons? How does it differ from promoting the printed option?

MSO: The digital program is available via our website a few days prior to a performance, and a link is included in the pre-concert email sent to attendees. We also have QR codes available at our venues linking to the digital program. Printed programs can be pre-ordered via our website (the customer receives a voucher to redeem when they arrive) – that’s available as an upsell in their cart when purchasing tickets, and is mentioned in the pre-concert email as well.

IE: Comparing your 2019 program expenses to your 2023 anticipated expenses, how have they changed?

MSO: Our printing costs in 2023 are likely to come in only slightly less than in 2019, despite printing many fewer programs. This is mainly due to a significant rise in paper costs and vendor expenses since 2019. It’s also not as ‘efficient’ to print fewer copies of a program as the per unit cost ends up being quite a bit higher.

However, we have seen that the environmental cost of printing single-use, 24-page booklets has been reduced. This reduction in printed paper is a key pillar in our goal to become a Green orchestra without sacrificing one of our subscribers' most-valued benefits.

IE: What’s your favorite thing about InsideGuide?

MSO: The modular approach is great, allowing us to easily reuse common content across many different programs without having to recreate it each time.

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra can deliver digital program books to their patrons before they arrive at the concert hall.

IE: How have patrons responded to your digital program books?

MSO: Our audiences appreciate having a more accessible digital program available - both ahead of the concert and when they arrive at the performance.

IE: What advice do you have for others considering using InsideGuide for their digital program books?

MSO: If you're looking for an easy and straightforward system for offering accessible digital programs to your audiences, InsideGuide is a great option!

Want to learn more about digital programs powered by InsideGuide?

Let’s talk! We would love to discuss what InsideGuide can do for you.

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Have a question? Contact David.