McGuinness and that Midem speech

The ripples made by U2 manager Paul McGuinness when he called on the Internet providers to share some of the monumental profits he claims are being made on the back of cretive people (notably musicians, although movie makers will soon feel the pinch as well) have travelled the world. The speech's title was clear: "The Online Bonanza: Who Is Making The Money And Why Aren't They Sharing It?" The background is falling music revenue of between 10-17% per year. At the same time, ISPs are openly using the downloading of music as a feature in their ads. So McGuinness wants them to start sharing the profits.

One of the ideas has been a sort of levy on Internet subscriptions. This has met with some resistance, despite the fact that people have accepted levies on blank tapes, CDs and even video recorders in previous years. I pay authors' rights on my cable subscription. Putting one of an ISP is not such a big jump.

Talking to a movie director recently, I said that some people were complaining that as they didn't download music, they shouldn't be asked to pay more for Internet subscriptions. His reply: "That reminds me of the people that say, 'I don't drive at night, why should I have to pay for street lighting?'".

French music sales down (again)

On the eve of Midem in Cannes, the French industry body has released worrying figures. "The 2007 fall is between 15 percent and 20 percent probably around 17 percent, with the market for gross sales worth less than 800 million euros," Christophe Lameignere and Herve Rony, respectively chairman and managing director of the country's recording industry body, SNEP, told AFP. This represents a staggering 50% drop since 2002. The drop-off is accounted for by a drop in ringtone sales. In all, the Internet represents just 10% of sales. Although this is increasing, it is doing so less than in previous years.

Former Pink Floyd manager calls for new music business approach

On the eve of Midem former Pink Floyd, Marc Bolan and Baaba Maal manager Peter Jenner has called for a new approach to the music business. On the MidemNet blog, Jenner explained the changes that the industry is going through as a move towards "a mass of international niche markets, rather than a world of national mass markets". He called on all the various players (such as labels, managers, publishers and broadband companies) to put aside their differences. "The historical antipathy and baggage that all the sectors carry around with them, combined with their desire to protect their existing businesses, has had the affect of completely frustrating anyone in the new digital distribution business trying to build a new 21st century business legally," he says. This was clear 10 years ago already when the first Internet players began approaching the music business and were largely rebuffed. Mobile companies also spent a lot of time and energy trying to find ways of working with the business, expressing considerable frustration when the tricky issue of rights was raised. Yet these same issues are still largely unresolved, as the regional pricing structures on iTunes demonstrate.

Jenner's solution is not a new one, but is becoming increasingly likely. Given that there is a very definite swing away from paying directly for music, whether it be for downloads or CDs, Jenner echoes many industry insiders in calling for "a solution based on actual consumer behaviour... one that allows access to music in a way that addresses how people engage with music today. A seemingly reasonable solution looks to be a system where each customer with a broadband subscription... would pay a small monthly fee to compensate creators and rights-holders for any unauthorised use of music that might occur via their subscription." He suggests about £2/€2.67 a month. I think the way he puts it as compensation rather than acquisition is wrong, but it is probably the most feasible solution on the table today. One of the unsung heroes of downloading, eMusic.com, is a subscription service, for example.

For the complete article, visit Midemnet Blog.

Tony Visconti and Laurence Bell to keynote talent event at Midem

Midem has decided to showcase even more new talent this year through the Talent Only event. Laurence Bell, head of Domino Records, which signed hit bands such as Franz Ferdinand and the Arctic Monkeys, and Tony Visconti, famed producer of acts including David Bowie, T-Rex and Les Rita Mitsuoko, will be the headline attractions at MIDEM Talent Only during a keynote event on 29 January.

“Thanks to an unrivalled eye for talent spotting, Laurence Bell has succeeded in creating one of the best and most respected independent labels,” said Dominique Leguern, Director of MIDEM. “Tony Visconti has become a legend since producing some of the most emblematic albums of the glam-rock period including those of David Bowie and Marc Bolan. Tony Visconti and Laurence Bell, together for a keynote as part of the MIDEM Talent Only, will be a highpoint for all industry executives concerned with the discovery and development of talent.”

Wi-Fi connections in Cannes

It's almost unthinkable to be in Cannes for a few days and not have access to your e-mails. Midem obviously has Internet connections for visitors, although you usually have to stand in a queue. If you want a more accessible connection, you should think about taking a WiFi subscription. SFR is the supplier within the Palais, but I've had no luck finding out how much it costs. The site simply says that you turn your computer on, find the network and follow the payment process (without actually giving a price). The SFR site provides no details. The hotels obviously also have connections you can use. But if you're staying outside town, that doesn't help much during the day.

Amongst the prepaid solutions, the easiest one I could find information about is Orange. They offer 1, 3, 10 and 30 hour packages you can buy in Relay newsagents or online from the Orange site (in French but quite clear). I'll probably opt for the 3-hour option for €10 (with 50% extra for €1 if you purchase before January 15), which should be enough to grab e-mails, work offline and then send them out afterwards. If you have experience using other prepaid WiFi solutions in France, why not drop a line about it in the comments?

Midem deadline fast approaching

If you're thinking about attending Midem in Cannes this year, don't wait too long to decide. The Early Bird deadline is on December 21. The price of €805 represents a 25% discount over the walk-in rate. I also did a quick check with hotels and airlines. Most of the hotels in the inner "banana" (the area closest to the Palais in Cannes) are booked. However there are still rooms available in the "residences" outside town at reasonable prices. Shuttle buses are available to reach these. Some cheap flights can still be booked (although I only checked the European airlines flying to Nice airport).

Good luck - and maybe see you down there. For more info and bookings, visit Midem.com.

U2 manager to keynote at Midem

In case you haven't noticed, Midem is just a few weeks away. And the latest news is that Paul McGuinness will be giving the keynote address at the first-ever International Manager Summit. Not only has U2 spanned 20 years of success, they have also embraced the new media, kept up as a live act and are still very relevant in today's scene. so to a certain degree, they are doing everything right. This will make McGuinness' address quite interesting for the many people that are asking just how to survive in the new music business landscape. For details, visit Midem.com.

Music from Cannes at Midem

It's actually quite rare to find music from Cannes at Midem itself. So it came as a surprise to find the town of Cannes actively plugging bands at their stand at Midem. Amongst these was the band Motel that bill themselves as "psychedelic electronic". They released the album "Neo Luddite" through the Coming Soon label in Paris. Check them out at Motel-Music.net (and "sposiba" to Olga or the tip).

Midem: Some concerts to look out for

It's easy to get lost in the maze of concerts and events. Here is a short list of things I'd recommend. On Monday night at 6.30, I'd go for the Pascal Schumacher Quartet at the Hotel Majestic. Schumacher plays a sassy vibraphone that is "lyrical, stylish and yet still cool", according to Music-Wire. Check them here:

Later on Monday night, Salif Keita, Omar Pene and the delovely Mayra Andrade (photo) will be appearing at the Palais.

On Tuesday, Buika, billed as Afro-Flamenco jazz, caught me eye simply as it's an odd combination. But the main action will be the Jamaican night with a host of talent and Shaggy. I've seen him twice and he can be brilliant when he gets down to doing dancehall. Something else about him: he can actually sing!

I'm not really qualified to talk about Classical music. If anyone has a recommendation, throw it in here. Same goes for Finnish music (last year's surprise) and the British at Midem.

Discount flights to Nice for Midem

Until this year, Midem delegate discounts were applicable only to Air France flights. The good news is that they now also apply to those of other Skyteam Alliance airlines, including Aeroflot, CSA Czech Airlines, Aeromexico, Alitalia, Korean Air and Continental Airlines. If you haven't got your ticket yet, visit the Skyteam website and use Code 0026S. For Air France, you have to fill out and present a form available from the transport section of midem.com.

Midem: The empires strike back

Midem's backbone has always been the indie labels. By definition, they don't have international networks and therefore have the most to gain from hooking up with strong local players from overseas. The relationship between the majors and Midem has always been a little strange. Representatives from major labels have always attended, but rarely take a stand. Many are not even listed in the Midem Guide.

One of the few majors to be present over the years has been EMI Music Publishing, who this year are going the full hog and co-hosting the opening night party with Midem. The idea is to showcase some of their most promising signings (music publishers are not bound to release through their sister labels). EMI Music Publishing president and co-CEO Roger Faxon says, "Sometimes we are so bogged down in business details, we forget it's all about music and musicians, and so we are very pleased to have the opportunity to join with Midem to celebrate the creativity of these talented songwriters and performers.” The fact that they are also bringing 13 local heads to Cannes tells me that something more is afoot - the interesting question being whether they are on a selling or a buying spree! By way of comparison, the BMG group is sending about the same total number, labels included.

This showcase will bring together new Swedish star Mando Diao (EMI Music, Sweden), rising electronica/indie/rock artiste Shiny Toy Guns (Universal/Motown, US), New York-based R’n’B septet Naturally 7 (Festplatte AG-Switzerland –EMI/Virgin, France) and DJ Eric Prydz (Data/Positiva, UK).

MIDEM: Don't miss the early bird rate

In the run-up to Christmas, it's easy to miss out on important deadlines. You still have two weeks (until December 19) to sign up for Midem at the early bird rate of €780, a saving of over 25%.

I see there is an interesting Cuban presence this year. The conferences include an debate on the influence of brands on the music biz, how/if digital and online are changing A&R and Impala discussions about the future for indies.

For details, visit Midem.

Montreux Jazz boss is Midem's Personality of the Year

For the outside world, Midem is most often associated with the global pop business. So it's nice to see that this year's personality of the year is Claude Nobs, founder and director of the Montreux Jazz festival in Switzerland.

Nobs began his career as an accountant for the Montreux Office de Tourisme where he also worked on promoting tourism for the town. In the ‘60s, during a trip to New York, he met Nesuhi Ertegun, who was the President of Atlantic Records at that time. Ertegun introduced him to the singer Roberta Flack, whom he immediately invited to perform at the Rose d’Or in Montreux.

Having successfully persuaded Aretha Franklin to sing for the first time in Europe, Claude Nobs founded the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1967. The initial three-day event was an overnight hit and quickly became the international meeting place for jazz-lovers from around the world. It now welcomes some 250,000 people per year - an outstanding figure. The next event will be in July 2007. Details on the Montreux Jazz site.

Not everything at Montreux is strictly jazz - by a long shot. But it does nonetheless remain the pre-eminent world jazz event. Nobs will receive the award at a special invitation-only event.

Midem: Early bird deadline approaching

If you're considering attending Midem in Cannes next January, maybe you should make your mind up soon. The Early Bird deadline that offers a reduction of nearly 50% is set for October 31. This means the price is just €550 (+VAT). The rate for Midem + Midemnet is €1130, a reduction of 38%.

For this, you get access to the world's foremost music trade fair and/or the world's foremost mobile music conference. There are other fairs, of course. But none offer the scope of opportunities of Midem. Booking early and booking a flight early can take significant chunks off the price of attending. If you miss this deadline, the next one is December 19 (€780) and January 18(€950). The walk-in price for those that are chronically late is €1050 (+ VAT).

For your info, some 75% of the floorspace is already booked. For details visit Midem.

Where to stay at Midem 2006?

Originally posted on January 12, 2006. If you're still making plans, don't despair. Midem 2006 is going to be one of the busiest in years. That's the good news. The bad news is that all the hotels in the centre of town are full. So you're going to have to try either for an apartment (see ads elsewhere on the page) or look further afield. Out of town, my first choice would be for Juan-les-Pins. It's about 6-8 kilometers, but the train will whisk you to the Palais in a few minutes. There are deals from about €190 for three nights in some hotels. You could also hire a car or a mobylette. Try this link for last-minute hotels or check the booking button to the right.

Nizlopi, Raul Paz and Talvin Singh announced for Midem's 40th celebrations

Originally posted Dec 29, 2005. As 2006 is the 40th anniversary of Midem, there will inevitably be celebrations in addition to the regular concert programme. As well as the enigmatically-titled Mozart Cloud and a special concert in the Palais, Midem has booked a number of "pop" acts. These include Spain's new singer-songwriter Bebe, Cuba's salsa redefining Raul Paz, Talvin Singh and the UK's Nizlopi (photo left).


Bebe (photo right) and Nizlopi are the wild cards, being totally unknown
outside their own countries. Nizlopi caused excitement by almost-nearly having the Christmas n° 1 in the UK with a self-released single that first took off on the web: "The JCB Song". Will they win over the international business? They have reportedly good experience playing live, so hopefully there is more to them than the novelty aspect. Bebe is coming to town with a long-awaited debut album "Malo" that promises "attitude, lots of attitude".

Finland unveils pre-Midem mini-site

Originally posted Dec 7, 2005. This year's host for the opening party at Midem is Finland. If you're a little fuzzy on your musical geography, think Värttinä (yes, I checked the spelling), The Rasmus and Nightwish. According to the mini-site they have just unveiled, Finland will be represented by 50 companies in 2006 - the double of previous years. This includes local reps from EMI, Sony and Warner (who do not always advertise their presence in the Palais).

According to the latest figures, released on the October 21, the total market value of Finnish music exports is 21,7 million euros and it has grown an average of 26 % annually 1999-2004. Full report in English available at www.musex.fi

The choice of live music on the opening night looks very wide, with The Five Corners Quintet
playing competent "post-modern" jazz (which is actually what we used to call mainstream post-bop, or something), crossover rumba/ska/rap Don Johnson Big Band, accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen, punk/glam rock 69 Eyes and others. Wot, no Rasmus?

Inevitably, Nokia are in there doing their usual hi-tech thing. You'll also get a chance to catch a genuine curiosity: Laitila beer.

Visit Hear Finland from here.

Harvey Goldsmith to address Live Music Network

Originally posted Dec. 2, 2005. For the second consecutive year, the Live Music Network at Midem will bring together professionals from the live music sector for a series of discussions. Two panels will focus on world-wide touring and the exposure of artists and repertoire within the major world markets. The day will kick-off with two keynotes: Harvey Goldsmith (photo), Managing Director of Harvey Goldsmith Productions Ltd (UK), and Kevin Wall, CEO of Network Live and Executive TV Producer for Live 8 (USA).

Goldsmith and Wall’s careers include the production of the Live 8 concerts on 2 July 2005. The global event succeeded in bringing massive public attention to the G8 summit and triggered a strong response from the international community to help alleviate poverty and famine in Africa. Participants at MIDEM’s Live Music Network will have the opportunity to not only share the challenges of organising such a huge event as Live 8, but also to appreciate how new technologies were used to amplify its political impact. Kevin Wall also founded the multi-platform, digital entertainment network, Network Live. The organisation is at the
forefront of new distribution channels for live music and a joint venture with the world’s largest Internet service provider AOL, major American satellite radio company XM Satellite Radio and leading events organisation AEG.

MidemNet offers digital smorgasbord

Originally posted Nov 24 2005. Like all the entertainment trade fairs, Midem gives a large slice of its attention to mobile and digital opportunities. It's true that since ringtones and i-Tunes became so popular, digital and mobile have piqued the curiosity of a new range of operators. Many of these new entrepreneurs have been a bit put off by the sheer complexity of the intellectual property and territorial rights issues in music. But music has never been so popular, and so those that are willing to take the time and understand the mechanics of the music biz have much to gain.

Keynote speakers at MidemNet this year are Eirc Nicoli, chairman of the EMI Group, Ken Lombard, President of Starbucks Entertainment (non-US readers should check their music programme), Patricia Langrand EVP Content Division France Telecom, Anssi Vanjoki EVP and General Manager of Mulitmedia Nokia, Takeshi Natsuno SVP of NTT DoComo (again, this company is worth checking) and Alex Zubillaga EVP Digital Strategy & Business Development Warner Music Group.

Is that heavyweight or what? There was a time when tradefair conferences were a platform for the sponsor to give a fluffy speech. The level of discussion at MidemNet is pretty high. Subjects include changing revenue models, the increasing plae of video, digital promotion, legal P2P, fixed/mobile convergence, new services vs. ringtones and more.

As a reminder, MidemNet is not included in the Midem entrance fee, so you'll have to cough up some extra cash. Dates: January 21 & 22.