| REMONETISING THE RELATIONSHIP |
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The questions over the future of music consumption officially hit the mainstream yesterday, by way of Monday's Radio 4 flagship consumer affairs programme, 'You and Yours'. The programme was pegged on the recent EMI/iTunes "No-DRM" announcement together with details of an upcoming consultation being undertaken by the shiny new UK Intellectual Property Office (ex Patent Office).
The item focused on the massive filesharing the 'kids' get up to, and aired Peter Jenner’s blanket licence idea as one way of monetising P2P. This develops the concept of Value Recognition that was launched by the industry last year, around which a cross-industry working group is developing a consensus solution.
Both these initiatives require a united approach, something MusicTank hasn't seen that often during its humble existence (Outside of education, only CD covermounts come to mind: kicked off by the MMF and a report by Westminster student Helen Doyle; the issue was adopted by the media and backed by the industry to good effect).
But times may be a-changin' and we'd be pleased as punch if a consensus solution to filesharing was adopted. But whether it happens that way, or whether one of the majors (or perhaps the newly forged Merlin), steals the headline with the first licence to a major ISP for filesharing (with the wheels oiled perhaps by some brands' marketing budgets), we're hopeful of eventually seeing some movement here.
Why the confidence? Well first, we're no longer rearranging deckchairs while the titanic sinks. The BPI’s Geoff Taylor was refreshingly candid about the size of P2P - "we estimate .. 20bn illegal downloads last year...a huge amount larger than...the legal market".
Second the Intellectual Property Office's (IPO) consultation will help fix a spotlight on the subject. The IPO will be asking for views on how it implements the copyright changes that Gowers recommended, and of particular interest is the recommendation to introduce a limited private copying exception to enable consumers to format-shift content they purchase for personal use. While the consultation will not consider filesharing, if the government legalises personal copying it’s going to be even harder to maintain a clear distinction between that and filesharing.
The consultation is going to kick off a debate about copying anyway, as there will be stiff opposition from some areas of the industry about introducing a private copying exception without some form of recompense to artists and rightsholders. But the discussion has the opportunity to go a lot further, embrace the wider issues of filesharing, and perhaps lay the foundations for an infrastructure that eventually enables the practice to finally be legalised, whether by consensus approach or via another EMI style announcement. It's a brave step, but one we believe will benefit musicians, fans and business alike.
The consultation will likely begin early June, and will be public, so anyone will be able to send in their comments once the consultation paper is published on the IPO web site (www.ipo.gov.uk). The initial consultation period will last for approx 8 weeks, followed by a second consultation in the Autumn. This will include the text of the draft law and is likely to last for approx 12 weeks, with a view to having the law in place in the second half of 2008.
We’ll keep you posted...fingers crossed common sense will prevail.
Finally a brief plug for our newly launched web site (full details below), fresh with a variety of bells and whistles including a growing library of recordings of our think tanks and conferences, a unique industry planner and members-only discussion boards.
PLUS a very special offer...sign up for membership and attend next week's think tank on the effect of media fragmentation on music television (or one other Think tank before end July), for free.
Editorial by Sam Shemtob
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| OUT & ABOUT - Forthcoming MusicTank Events |
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Remember - All MusicTank events MUST be booked and paid for in advance!
HURRY! Become a MusicTank member now and attend one of these think tanks for FREE!
http://www.musictank.co.uk/about/membership-benefits
24 APRIL: I WANT MY MTV?
MusicTank presents the first of two Think Tank debates looking into the effects of fragmentation of media in a post-YouTube world - from mass markets to a mass of niche ones. Part 1 explores the decline of traditional music television and asks what this means for the future consumption and promotion of music via mainstream media.
SPEAKERS
Keynote: James Scroggs (MTV). Panel: Helen Keegan (Beep Marketing); Assia Grazioli-Venier (Ministry of Sound TV); Malcolm Gerrie (WhizzKid Entertainment); others tbc. Chairman: Keith Harris (Keith Harris Music Ltd/MusicTank Chairman/PPL Director).
DIARY
Date: Tues 24 April '07; Venue: Bertorelli, Soho, London; Time: 18.30 - 21.00hrs;
Price: £20 MusicTank Members | £25 Trade Body Discount | £30 Full Price (See website for full details)
With practically the sum of all music content ever committed to tape now freely accessible at the click of a mouse, consumer is king. As a result the traditional mainstream music media look tired at best, unacceptably prescriptive at worst. Top of the Pops is gone, ITV are struggling to find a sponsor for their mooted CD:UK replacement and MTV recently announced further job cuts across its international operation, together with plans to build thousands of new web sites.
Yet coverage of this year's Brit Awards reached 15% more viewers than in 2006, perhaps proving that mainstream music programming can still hold aspirational appeal for artists and a taste-making function for the general public. Are we simply experiencing a period of transition?
http://www.musictank.co.uk/events/i-want-my-mtv
10 MAY: A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR...CAN AD MONEY MEND THE RECORD BUSINESS?
MusicTank presents the second of two Think Tank debates looking into the effects of fragmentation of media in a post-YouTube world. Part 2 explores the ongoing transfer of ad revenues from TV to online and the future potential of ad-funded download models.
SPEAKERS
Keynote: Michael Bornhäusser (SDC). Panel: Shannon Ferguson (Yahoo! Music Europe); Rupert Vereker (Sonic Network); Natasha Kizzie (KLP). Chairman: Keith Harris (Keith Harris Music Ltd/MusicTank Chairman/PPL Director).
DIARY
Date: Thurs 10th May '07; Venue: Bertorelli, Soho, London; Time: 18.30 - 21.00hrs;
Price: £20 MusicTank Members | £25 Trade Body Discount | £30 Full Price (See website for full details)
Global advertising revenue is worth approx. $67Bn. And the fastest area of growth is online, with the Interactive Advertising Bureau reporting that internet ads brought in $4.3Bn in the third quarter of 2006 alone - an all-time high and a year-on-year increase of 33%.
As the iPod generation's online activities of choice (video streaming services, social networking sites, mobile communities, P2P etc.) become increasingly mainstream - just think Murdoch's deal with MySpace and Google's buyout of YouTube - it seems inevitable that ever more advertisers will look online, bringing with them an increased slice of that $67Bn.
The likes of AOL, MSN and Yahoo have been sharing ad revenue from the streaming of at least some labels' music videos for over a year, and YouTube has deals in place with most of the majors.
But while asking for a share of ad revenue for online streaming uses is perhaps a no-brainer (with some label executives confident this could bring in 15% - as much as their existing synch-publishing revenue), could online advertising ever bring in enough to support the music industry's core business of delivering music to consumers, for keeps?
http://www.musictank.co.uk/events/a-word-from-our-sponsor-can-ad-money-mend-the-record-business
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| JOE POX - Klaxon |
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Joe absconded during an Easter Egg hunt; missing, presumably admidst a chocoholic haze of over-indulgence! Meanwhile, Hugh Nerd to the rescue:
Hugh Nerd Demands to Be Heard - Klaxon
So the Klaxons-led backlash against the burgeoning and (allegedly) Klaxons-led 'New Rave' scene continues apace, with lead singer Jamie Reynolds re-iterating the band's distaste for the terminology. In an interview with Popworld magazine, Reynolds said "We kept getting asked to explain it, and it's like, look, the whole idea of new rave was to take the piss out of the media by making them talk about something that didn't exist, just for our own amusement. And they'd say, 'I appreciate that, but can you tell me more about new rave?'"
I can kind of understand his point: these guys are, after all, at the very start of their careers and could certainly do without being cajoled into fronting an imaginary, media-friendly youth movement. That said, I don't think there's anyone above the age of 16 who thinks 'New Rave' is anything other than a completely vacuous term, more suited to the Departmental Marketing meeting than a real-world conversation. And if no-one takes these terms seriously then where's the harm?
But though they're meaningless, such labels are very tough to shake. What starts off as a 'tongue-in-cheek in-joke between mates' is all of a sudden the central cultural reference point for the entire Topman Spring/Summer 07 collection. I kid you not - the term's barely six months old and the Oxford St fashion warehouse is already stacked to the rafters with day-glo splash print tees, rave whistles and Bootsy Collins-style sunglasses. What is this, like, the fourth summer of love we're on now?
That said, pigeon-holing doesn't only help those looking to cash in on youth culture - it's just as useful for the nervous teen looking for a way into 'the scene', the one that permeates the myspace pages of all the kids they're not cool enough to hang around with. And given the average age of the hot pink scenesters I've seen hanging around outside Café 1001 recently, this could be the ultimate blessing. While the band have to pay disapproving lip-service to the music press, the reality is that these kids can make them (and the marketers) very rich indeed. And where's the harm in that?
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| MUSICTANK LOUNGE - New Website & Membership Offer |
MUSICTANK WEBSITE
A bit like Wembley Stadium (though minus the disputes!), the new site has gone through a long period of redevelopment and as I hope you'll agree, has been well worth the wait...
Launching on 11th April, if you've not yet checked it out may we urge you to do-so and take advantage of a time-limited FREE offer! Importantly, any bookmarks you may have of any page from the old site may not load and will need changing, so please be sure to edit your bookmark to:
http://www.musictank.co.uk
The new site is intuitive and maintains a simple design ethos - ease of use and enhanced functionality. In short, the new-look website offers new services and functions for all, and also marks the beginning of MusicTank's first ever membership scheme.
NEW MEMBERSHIP OFFER INCLUDES:
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FREE Event Podcasts + Transcripts
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Discounts On MusicTank Think Tanks and all other MusicTank Events
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Exclusive Access To Reports + Research
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LIMITED OFFER: First Think Tank FOR FREE - Cancels Out Sign-Up Costs
FREEBIES!
Membership costs £30 per year and, until the end of May, is cancelled out by the added incentive of free admission to a MusicTank Think-Tank (normally £30).
MP3s
MusicTank has also taken the opportunity of this full website re-launch to fully embrace the MP3 / podcast revolution. In addition to exclusive research documents, reports and full event transcripts, for the first time ever, members will be able to access MP3 recordings of all MusicTank events, eventually spanning the entire archive from 2004 onwards. These may be instantly streamed on the website's own detachable, virtual player and may also be downloaded to the member's computer and transferred to any MP3 player.
http://www.musictank.co.uk/podcasts
These recordings feature key representatives from industry bodies such as BPI, IFPI, PPL; major labels; the independent sector; major non-music companies such as Nokia and (in)famous artists, managers, producers. They range from fascinating pre-SonyBMG merger debates to discussion of Dylan Decaffs long before Starbucks launched its own label and also cover consistently 'hot' topics such as copyright, DRM and the role of digital.
FORUMS
The introduction of members-only online discussion boards also means that MusicTank debate will now be able to carry on after the conclusion of regular Think Tank sessions and in advance of future forums - allowing members more input in the shaping of MusicTank events to come.
NON-MEMBERS
The new MusicTank website also features an array of additional functional improvements designed to complement the all-new membership scheme.
Key among these is the introduction of a comprehensive one-stop music industry year planner, enabling visitors to keep abreast of all upcoming MusicTank events and to see how these fit in with and complement other key goings-on in the music business, from events to festivals.
http://www.musictank.co.uk/calendar
OTHER IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE:
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Greater visual appeal and ease of navigation
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A secure online booking and payment facility designed to make attending MusicTank events even easier than before
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A comprehensive search facility enabling users to locate relevant site content quickly and easily
As a collaborative community of UK music industry representatives, MusicTank is first and foremost about sharing knowledge. Over the past few years, countless individuals have attended MusicTank's range of industry workshops and seminars. The new website has been designed to provide more opportunities for individuals such as these to share and expand upon the knowledge acquired as well as to tap into the new opportunities and resources MusicTank will continue to provide.
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| MERRY-GO-ROUND - Announcements |
CALLING ALL MANAGERS
Anna George, a BA Hons Arts Management student at Leeds University is looking for some help with a short questionnaire to help her complete her dissertation - 'Achieving Artist-Longevity Through Effective Management'.
Music Management has only recently been available for study at University at BA Hons level and access to information has been limited. Determined to make an impact in this chosen field, any help would be greatly appreciated. Please contact:
pcu4a2g(a)leeds.ac.uk
DIGITAL MUSIC RESEARCH NETWORK SUMMER CONFERENCE - CALL FOR PAPERS
Hosted by Leeds Metropolitan University, this year the DMRN Summer Conference (6th-8th July) will run in association with the Sonic Art Meeting Group. This collaboration will promote the integration of arts and science-based disciplines including those directed at sonic art performance.
Contributions invited, addressing the following topics:
- Sound synthesis
- Audio analysis
- Signal processing tools
- Music data structures and representations
- Human computer interfacing for music and audio
- Digital music content generation
- Musicology, analysis and performance
- Aesthetic approaches to compositional practice
- Psychoacoustics, perception, cognition of music and audio
Submissions will initially take the form of an abstract of between 300- 500 words. Authors will be invited to present their work either by oral presentation (20 minutes) or as a poster. The conference committee will decide this allocation; however, authors may specify a preference when submitting their abstract.
Please include contact details and list affiliated institutions whereapplicable. Successful contributors will be notified by Monday 7th May 2007.
Abstracts should be e-mailed no later than Monday 23rd April 2007, to:
dmrn(a)leedsmet.ac.uk
MUSIC, SOUND AND THE MOVING IMAGE - CALL FOR PAPERS
Music, Sound, and the Moving Image is the first international scholarly journal devoted to the study of the interaction between music and sound with the entirety of moving image media - film, television, music video, advertising, computer games, mixed-media installation, digital art, VJ-ing, et alia.
Published by Liverpool University Press and co-edited by Anahid Kassabian(University of Liverpool) and Ian Gardiner (Goldsmiths, University of London), the journal is intended to be truly interdisciplinary, inviting contributions from across a range of critical methodologies, to include musicology and music analysis, film studies, popular music studies, cultural theory, aesthetics, sociology, marketing, sound studies, and music psychology.
Issue 1 will be published in Spring / Summer 2007.
Call For Papers: The journal is published twice a year, and articles (5,000-10,000 words) are invited on a continuous basis for editorial consideration and peer review. Style guidelines are available from the editorial addresses below. MSMI is also committed to publishing English translations of important articles from other languages. Proposals for translations are welcome and should include the name of the proposed translator and the willingness to seek permission - we are also interested in receiving recommendations of works that should be translated.
Deadline for Issue 2: June 22, 2007.
ALSO: articles are invited for two special themed issues, to be published 2008/2009.
Editorial enquiries: journal(a)liv.ac.uk
Books for review and review enquiries: holly.rogers(a)cantab.net
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| CREATIVE CORNER |
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Are you ready to hot things up for your creative business or project? Don't sweat, CIDA's Summer 2007 Programme offers inspirational business support, professional development and networking opportunities that will fill you with bright ideas and have you heading for success.
First Steps aims to get freelancers and new businesses moving in the right direction; Creative Business Club offers knowledge through networking and intensive support to existing businesses; Creative Space Agency will connect people to creative spaces in London; Digital Women's Club supports women wanting to work in the creative digital sector; Maker to Market giving London's designer-makers the edge, and Sustain to Gain will help arts organisations and cultural groups become more sustainable.
There's also In Focus... featuring major panel discussions /networking events and CIDA's new 'Time to Think' summer schools - offering support and guidance to all creative sectors.
http://www.cida.co.uk
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| That's
all for this issue - Till next time... |
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If you have any queries regarding any of our events
or activities, please call Jonathan on 020 7915 5412, or
e-mail: info@musictank.co.uk
The views and opinions expressed are those of the
author and are not necessarily condoned or shared by MusicTank.
MusicTank is a non-profit organisation owned and operated by University
of Westminster. University of Westminster is a charity and a company
limited by guarantee. Reg Number: 977818, England. Registered Office:
309 Regent Street, London, W1. MusicTank is based at University
of Westminster, Fifth Floor, Copland Building, 115 New Cavendish
Street, London, W1W 6UW.
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