Industry News

When MIDEM convenes in Cannes Jan. 28-31, the event will once again draw participants from more corners of the globe than any other music business conference. In 2011, more than 6,800 participants from 77 countries and 3,120 companies participated in MIDEM, which is now in its 46th year. 

How can one get a grasp on the numerous offerings at MIDEM?

For starters, Billboard offers this guide to 12 points to watch at MIDEM in 2012, from a trans-Atlantic perspective, as compiled by senior editorial analyst Glenn Peoples in the United States and contributor Richard Smirke in the United Kingdom.

1. Late-Night Thrills

Grammy Award-nominated alternative pop duo the Ting Tings and Belgian dance act 2ManyDJs are among the headline acts at the inaugural three-day MIDEM festival, which will run Jan. 28-30 and is open to all delegates and attendees. Set to take place in a 3,500-seat marquee on Palm Beach Croisette, with a limited number of tickets on sale to the public, the festival also will feature 21-year-old Belgian singer Selah Sue (Jan. 28), Paris-based folk-pop act Brigitte and controversial rapper Orelsan, commonly dubbed the French Eminem (both Jan. 30). As in previous years, Cannes' bars and clubs will once again showcase upcoming talent as part of "MIDEM Off." A Jan. 30 gala evening dedicated to classical music, meanwhile, will feature an exclusive performance from Classical BRIT Award-winning trumpet soloist Alison Balsom.

2. Hack-A-Thon

MIDEM's second Music Hack Day, which will actually run across three days (Jan. 28-30), promises to provide examples of the most exciting innovations taking place in the music industry. A group of 30 developers and graphic designers will have 48 hours to conceptualize and create their music apps. Previous Music Hack Days--regularly held in cities around the world--have resulted in apps that act like invisible instruments, take requests for a DJ using SMS messages or Twitter and mobile apps that take advantage of the open application programming interfaces of subscriptions services MOG and Rdio. Organizers will take the best ideas--a maximum of 20 will be accepted--from MIDEM registrants and present them to app developers. Selected ideas will be pitched to developers, who create an app based on all the ideas presented to them.

3. New Startups

For the first time, MIDEM's digital startup showcase Midemlab is open to non-music entrepreneurs and app developers, as well as music-focused organizations. Previous years heralded the launch of SoundCloud, the Echo Nest and Songkick. Will this edition debut similarly game-changing innovations? Among the 30 Midemlab finalists taking part in daily pitch sessions at the Innovation Factory, a new dedicated tech zone in the Riviera Hall, will be mobile music service ChartsNow, social discovery app Rexly, live streaming tool CrowdSurfing by LiveOne Group and Tastebuds, a dating site with a music focal point. At 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 28, the Next Web managing editor Martin Bryant will deliver "Pitching Your Startup or App to the Media." At 10:55 a.m. on Jan. 30, Rovio CEO Mikael Hed will discuss how he helped make Angry Birds one of the world's most popular apps.

4. Copyright--Too Long or Too Short?

Copyright is an evergreen topic in the music business. It's evolving and dynamic, too. In September, the European Union extended copyright for sound recordings to 70 years from 50 years. In the United States, Viacom is currently appealing its loss to YouTube concerning the "safe harbor" protections of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Panels at MIDEM 2012 will look at the developments in copyright change and reform, including "New Horizons in Copyright Law" with Lommen Abdo VP Kenneth Abdo; Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman's Bernard Resnick; and Sukin Law Group's Michael Sukin at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 28. Expect other discussions, covering everything from cloud technology to performance rights, to touch upon hot-button copyright issues as well. And for alternatives to copyright, TechDirt editor Mike Masnick will host a session at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 29 titled "How to Ignore Copyright and Still Make Money."

5. The Changing Role of Publishers

It's often said that recorded music looks more and more like the music publishing business. As new business models emerge, labels are monetizing their recordings by generating smaller amounts of revenue from a greater number of sources. Similarly, publishers are taking a more label-like role in their relationships with artists. A&R is hardly the domain of just labels. Today's music publisher takes an active role in artist development from the very early stages of a career. "Publishers As an Early Ally in an Artist's Career," at noon on Jan. 31, will delve into the ways music publishers have taken more of a leadership role in artist development. Among the panelists will be peermusic European creative director Fabien Bonnin and Songs Music Publishing CEO Matt Pincus. Expect the changing role of publishers to also be discussed in conversations about synch licensing and multi-rights contracts.

6. The Artist as a Brand

Artists aren't just musicians. They're businesses with identifiable brands that need to be crafted, nurtured and protected. The brand aspect of an artist's career becomes even more important as revenue from licensing and direct-to-fan sales constitutes a larger part of the overall mix. "Building Your Artist Brand As a Business," at 2 p.m. on Jan. 29, will feature Frukt Source editor Giles Fitzgerald and Greenberg Traurig partner Joel Katz. A legal workshop titled "Licensing 101 for Artists and Labels Going D2F," at 10:05 a.m. on Jan. 30, will offer tips from Kendrick Law managing partner James Kendrick and Field Fisher Waterhouse partner Louis Buchman. At 10 a.m. on Jan. 29, MIDEM will also offer "The Marketing Sandbox," an invite-only round table with key people from the world of branding, music and technology.

7. Building Audience Engagement

As partnerships between musicians and big brands become tighter, maximizing that relationship is increasingly important for both artists and brands. At 10 a.m. on Jan. 30, Saatchi & Saatchi worldwide CEO Kevin Roberts will explore how marketers build brand loyalty through music. At 2 p.m. the same day, producer/artist Mark Ronson will examine the other side of the coin when he discusses his involvement in Coca-Cola's "Move to the Beat" campaign alongside Coca-Cola senior VP of marketing Wendy Clark. The inaugural MIDEM marketing campaign competition will, meanwhile, honor the most creative use of music in an ad campaign with the winner announced at 3:50 p.m. on Jan. 30. During "Marketing--How to Find, Manage and Motivate Your Superfans" at 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 29, Red Magnet Media senior strategist Mayka Mei will offer further expert insight.

8. Life with Facebook

Facebook was huge in the music world in 2011. It was a year filled with new and improved tools for marketing and selling on the platform. The company's f8 conference in September debuted partnerships with music companies ranging from subscription service Spotify to Web-based ticketing company Ticketfly. Simply put, there's no way Facebook won't be a frequent topic of discussion. Facebook VP of partnerships and platform marketing Dan Rose will be on hand for a keynote interview with Billboard editorial director Bill Werde at 4:40 p.m. on Jan. 30. And for those artists who have stumbled with Facebook, marketing expert Ariel Hyatt will offer a training session titled "Learn From Your Own Social Media Mistakes" at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 28.

9. More for Artists

Today's acts must be more resourceful and self-reliant. The Direct2Fan Camp, a newly launched program dedicated to artists and music entrepreneurs, aims to deliver the expertise that contemporary acts need. "Tips on New Business Models" at noon on Jan. 29 will feature Futures Agency CEO Gerd Leonhard, Techdirt blog editor/Floor64 president/CEO Mike Masnick, music analyst Mark Mulligan, Frascogna Entertainment Law's Martin F. Frascogna and Resilient Music founding partner Richard Kirstein. Latin American artist Javier Limón (4 p.m. on Jan. 28) and Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite (4 p.m. on Jan. 29) will participate in the "Artists Speak to Artists" sessions. The Jan. 30 "Visionary Monday" program will feature a presentation by the Future of Music Coalition of its "Artist Revenue Streams" project, detailing how more than 5,000 U.S. musicians and composers earn money from music.

10. Advice for Entrepreneurs

The days when MIDEM's conference floor was filled with the booths of retailers and distributors are long gone. Now the confab is filled with young visionaries trying to build a better mousetrap. It's a place for entrepreneurs to commiserate, network and launch their businesses as many from the global music industry watch. MIDEM 2012 will have plenty of advice for entrepreneurs. "Tips of Entrepreneurship," at 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 29, will feature advice from Guerilla Management CEO Konrad Sommermeyer. At 5:15 p.m. on Jan. 29, "Tips From Successful Digital Entrepreneurs to Help You Grow Your Business" will feature pearls of wisdom from the likes of MOG CEO David Hyman, ReverbNation CEO Michael Doernberg, Music Dealers co-founder/CEO Eric Sheinkop and Bopler Games CEO Albin Serviant.

11. New Business Models

If 2011 had a multitude of major changes take place throughout the industry, then it's fair to say that one can expect plenty more in the coming years. Examining the new globally focused music marketplace--and looking ahead to the future--"How to Work With the Fab Four: Lessons for Success" at 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 30 will feature comments from Merlin CEO Charles Caldas, Universal Music Group president of global digital business Rob Wells, Amazon director of music content acquisition Craig Pape and TAG Strategic managing partner Ted Cohen, all of whom will debate the many assets and pitfalls of working alongside Amazon, iTunes, Facebook and Google. At 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 29, "How to Get the Most From Record Labels in the Next Five Years" will feature music analyst Mark Mulligan adopting a forward-looking approach to the all-important artist/label equation.

12. Cloud-Based Services--For and Against

With Apple, Amazon and Google all turning their focus to cloud-based platforms, expect cloud services to be a hot topic at this year's event, especially among copyright-holders and publishers. At 10 a.m. on Jan. 31, "The Cloud . . . Is It Just a Licensing Issue?" will feature a discussion by Rdio VP of strategic and international partnerships Scott Bagby; BMI senior VP of corporate strategy, communications and new media Richard Conlon; Merlin head of business affairs/general counsel Charlie Lexton; and Nokia head of music publishing business affairs Mitch Rubin of the labyrinthian copyright issues involved and the wider implications of music in the cloud.