The Midem conference is the annual convergence of the brightest and best minds in the music industry today. It is there that the ideas and advancements which will undoubtedly shape the industry throughout the coming year are announced, discussed and debated.
MusicRadar.com has compiled a list of six of the most preeminent topics from Midem 2010, and given a few reasons why everyone in the industry should take notice.
1. MusicDNA
MusicDNA is billed as an “enhanced, unified media format” that enables music to be tagged with lots and lots of metadata. Attributes such as tempo, instrumentation, mood and ‘colour’ can be added, which has consequences for the way people search for music, create playlists and discover similar material. Rather than being added manually, this data (or DNA) is generated through an automated analysis process of an existing audio file.
2. Utopian Streaming
The rise and rise of the likes of Spotify, We7 and streaming music is hardly a new revelation, but you’ll be hard pushed to find any Midem 2010 coverage that doesn’t mention at least one aspect of its effect (good and bad) on the future of the music industry.
3. The UK Government To Pass Anti-Piracy Bill Before The General Election
Odds are very much on for PM Gordon Brown to call a general election as early as May this year but, despite the tight deadline, the BPI (the body representing UK labels) is convinced Britain’s Digital Economy Bill will be passed in time.
What this means is that, while the original ‘three strikes and your out’ proposal was deemed too harsh, naughty file sharers can expect a slap on the wrist in the form of a warning letter.
4. Even More Fan Engagement
“To me, the more the fan is interacting with you and feels part of the community, the more interested they will be in buying your music or coming out to your shows,” said Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz during the Artists and Social Media – What’s Next in Fan Engagement discussion.
The adoption of social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook by artists and record labels alike is set to continue in 2010. But, clearly, there’s still a complete lack of unity between the two parties.
5. MySpace?
You might have jumped the MySpace ship at some point in 2007 but, according to Billboard: “MySpace Music, the social network’s dedicated music joint venture with the major labels, had 92% growth in unique users year on year, and 30% growth in the past month.”
Without getting bogged down in percentages, MySpace’s diversification into multiple revenue streams – selling gig tickets and merchandise, integrating iTunes and Amazon download links and pulling in big-spending major brands to sponsor the popular Secret Shows – means we probably shouldn’t write off the original kings of horrible DIY profile pages just yet. Not again, anyway.
6. Ignoring The Middle Man, Self-Marketing and Chasing The Pay Check
All-round modern music guru and entrepreneur Pharrell Williams was one of this year’s big artist draws. While not entirely dissing the approaches of traditional records – “the majors still have a purse that the average kid doesn’t have” – the NERD/Neptunes mainman was pretty direct in his advice for young bands starting out today.
“I would probably build a site, a home for my music, a destination where people could come and see me and what I do and what I’m thinking about. And then I’d probably assemble a team of kids that would go and bug the hell out of advertising agencies and marketing companies to use my music.”
Read more at MusicRadar.com
