MusicConnex » Conference 2011

MusicConnex is an all-encompassing three day event focused on DIY in music.

The programmes cover a range of topics discussed by the leaders in the music business – divided into Panels, Seminars and Masterclasses – there is something for everyone.

A list of live showcases featured throughout the event can be seen on our Live Acts Page coming soon.

Have Your Say…The aim of MusicConnex is to encourage communication and co-operation between all areas of the industry. Whatever your level of experience as a member of the audience we’d value your input into the event and you can help us to tailor it to suit you by suggesting questions or areas of interest that you would like to see covered within the Panels that will be taking place each day. Please see the panels below and send us your questions/comments to info@musicconnex.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you…

*Please note that all sessions are subject to change*

Day One Day Two Day Three

Panels

Artist Panel -The Future Of Music 15:45 - 17:00

What is the future for Artists career? There are fewer and fewer emerging truly global stars. Does the increasing choice the internet provides mean it is difficult for a limited number of artists to achieve scale as they did when the media outlets were more limited and less music was available? Is it harder now to achieve cut through as there are so many outlets for music and choice online while traditional media has declining audiences. Is this a new era which allows more creative freedom but the trade-off is more limited audiences? Creative freedom versus mass market adulation.

Speakers:

Data is the New Oil 15:45 - 17:00

The internet has enabled easy content distribution. It has also enabled easy communication. But who is consuming that content? Who is interested in what kind of content? Where are people spending their time? How do people find out about content? Data is now one of the world’s most valuable assets and under pins some of the world’s biggest digital businesses such as Google and Facebook. It is not simply about data collection and analysis. It is also about getting paid, without accurate meta data your content cannot be found or tracked for payment. There are also various ways to identify music, there is no universal system. Learn about everything from ISRC codes to WIPO. Learn how to drill for this Oil and exactly how much value it holds.

Speakers:

Funding Opportunities 09:15 - 10:30

How can I get funding? The world of funding is becoming ever more complex and difficult to navigate especially with severe government cut backs and more commercial businesses keen to maintain Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) credentials there are many ways to access funding from venture capital to crowd sourcing

Speakers:

Meet The New Platforms 9:15 - 10:30

There are a huge range of new innovative digital platforms and tools to help develop your career as an artist and monetise your activity. This is an opportunity for emerging platforms to give their elevator pitch and increase awareness of what they do.

Speakers:

Music Support 11:30 - 12:45

What help is there for new unsigned artists? How can you get support other than finance? There are many organisations who can help with Training, Studio Time and access to media. We want to showcase some of the great work being done by some of the best schemes. However Is there enough support? What can these organisations do? How do you get access to this support? What other support would be useful?

Speakers:

What is the Best Management? 11:30 - 12:45

As the shape of the music industry is rapidly changing, how does this affect the role of a Manager. How relevant are the traditional skills of managers? What skills do the music managers of the future need? Do you need an established Manager? How much can they help you develop your career? Do you need someone to simply take care of your business or do managers now replace the role or become more important than that of the traditional record Label.

Speakers:

Who Rules the Roost in the Booth? 14:00 - 15:15

Who determines the sound? The Artist or the Producer? Is the artist the vessel for a producers sound such as famously the Motown Sound or Phil Spector’s Wall Of Sound, etc. Or should Artists have their own vision for their sound and ‘employ’ producers to help take their vision in a certain direction to enhance ‘their’ music. Some producers such as the legendary Quincy Jones have consistently innovated and evolved the sonic experience into timeless masterpieces, an art in itself. Should it be a joint effort where the Artist and producer work in partnership.

Speakers:

Seminars

‘12,000 new fans per year’ by Sprung Media 15:45 - 16:45

Society is increasingly living, communicating and consuming online, which is continuing to have a huge impact on the music industry. In this seminar, musicians and record labels can get some tips on how to use Twitter to gain 12,000 new fans every year using a strategy that has been tried and tested by PR and digital marketing agency Sprung Media. Creating huge digital audiences helps to gain a stream of gig bookings, gig promotion, track and album sales. Sprung Media has implemented this strategy on a number of music clients who’ve since seen a huge increase in interaction with fans, sold more tickets to gigs, booked better headline and support gigs, increased video views on YouTube and increased their number of Facebook fans. Take advantage of a world of consumers who are eagerly waiting to discover your music and grab yourself 12,000 new fans per year!

Speakers:

Craig Evans

Artist Health Checklist – Hosted by ACM 14:00 - 15:00

This seminar introduces artists to the Academy of Contemporary Music’s ‘Artist Health Checklist’ tool, which equips and empowers artist’s with forming the strategy needed to take their career forward in today’s challenging but exciting market. The Artist health Check List helps artists build their brand, their artist proposition, their fanbase and music industry profile. The Artist Health checklist was developed by ACM’s Business & Artist Development Centre (BDC), which helps to further artist’s careers. This seminar is delivered by ACM’s experienced A&R, Marketing and Artist Development consultants. The seminar will explain how the checklist works, what it can do for you as the artist, why it is needed and how artists can apply it today.

Speakers:

Maximizing your online marketing and promotion with ReverbNation 14:00 - 15:00

Learn how to best utilize the tools provided by ReverbNation to grow your fan base, manage fan relationships, get gigs, and make money from your music.

Speakers:

Jed Carlson

Promoting artists on Spotify – raise awareness, drive engagement and leverage social music discovery 11:30 - 12:00

Music listening habits are set to change drastically over the coming years. People already listen to a much wider variety of music sources and it’s clear that they want to be in complete charge of what music they listen to, where they can listen and how they share it. iTunes, Amazon and Spotify now account for 94.4% of all indie digital revenues in the UK. From a creator’s perspective this is a huge opportunity; artists have access to an audience that is actively seeking new music and a platform that is geared for sharing it. With this in mind we will take a closer look at the music sensation Spotify. The music service is being used to market established ‘big’ artists as well as up-and-coming, developing bands – and is already a powerful marketing platform for performers, whether established or breaking. Spotify is on its way to becoming a hugely powerful artist platform – raising awareness of new music, driving engagement and supporting music discovery.

Speakers:

Jonathan Forster

Roadmap 2011 – A lawyer’s overview of the modern music industry 9:15 - 10:15

How do artists navigate the music industry outside of the major label system? This is a question that Clintons, one of the country’s leading music and entertainment specialist law firms, have found themselves being asked with increasing regularity in recent months, by artists and managers at all levels – be it a new artist with a few hundred committed followers or a household name with a global reach. Tom Frederikse, Richard Hoare and Berkeley Edwards set out to distil their wide-ranging experience of dealing with many of the new routes to market into an approachable one-page roadmap which can be used by artists and managers alike. This session sees the team set out this framework, and run through four case studies (using hypothetical illustrations from artists at varying stages of their careers) to explore some of the ways in which artists are now working outside of the major label system.

Speakers:

Masterclasses

Production Workshop – Hosted by Point Blank 11:00 -12:00

Point Blank Online is the world’s leading interactive online music school bringing groundbreaking production techniques into your home or mobile device. Cutting edge dance producers like Claude VonStroke have studied with Point Blank, as well as complete beginners, and all leave glowing reports of their experiences. In today’s workshop, Point Blank’s Danny J Lewis (Spiritual South, Defected) will demonstrate their unique system of personalised video feedback – DVR™ – to help guide you on your creative journey through the world of music production. Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to get up to date with the latest music production skills.

Speakers:

Danny J Lewis

Production Workshop – Hosted by Point Blank 12:30 - 13:30

Speakers:

Danny J Lewis

Production Workshop – Hosted by Point Blank 14:00 - 15:00

Speakers:

Danny J Lewis

Production Workshop – Hosted by Point Blank 15:30 - 16:30

Speakers:

Danny J Lewis

Panels

Artists and Brands 11:30 - 12:45

There are many examples of successful partnerships between artists and brands. How do they work? How do Artists benefit? How do the Brands benefits? Does it compromise creativity of Artists? There are other examples in other creative industries (i.e Film, Art, Photography etc). Is this a good development?

Speakers:

Heads Of Music/Listening Session 14:00 - 15:30

This is an opportunity for Artists to get their music heard not merely by those who may offer valuable critic but by those who may be able to actually make a difference. Panellists, who have the power to act in the traditional and emerging media.

Speakers:

How Do I Sell Internationally? 09:15 - 10:30

The promise of the digital revolution is you can now communicate with anyone in the world and sell content or merchandise globally. The world is your oyster? Or is it? How easy it? How do you transcend boundaries?

Speakers:

Live Panel – How To Get A Gig/Tour 16:00 - 17:15

Getting gigs is not always easy. Everyone has to start somewhere. Where are the opportunities? Do you need an Agent? How can get a good Agent? How do you get support slots on tours? The live market is still very buoyant, is there money to be made? How does it work financially?

Speakers:

Marketing & Promotion – How To Get Cut Through 14:00 - 15:15

The digital revolution has democratised content distribution. Everyone can now access the world all the barriers to entry have now been removed. There is no longer the risk of manufacturing costs or physical distribution to worry about. Incumbent media is facing rapidly declining audiences as people migrate to digital platforms. Facebook is now the biggest ‘media’ platform as we move from broadcast to networked content distribution. Facebook is now the second biggest website in the world! The problem is democratisation has enabled consumers so much choice it is overwhelming. Type ‘music’ into Google and there are over a billion related websites. So how do you create cut through? What are the techniques to build communities or fans? How do you get noticed in amongst all that noise?

Speakers:

The Importance Of Music Industry Courses 11:30-12:45

Recent years have seen a surge in Music Industry Courses being taught at universities and purpose built colleges. It used to be that you typically either went the academic OR the musical route, but now we are seeing a trend towards perfecting technique, accelerating networks and work experience and learning about the business side of music, via tailored Music and Music Business degrees and diplomas. What is the effect of this? Are we breeding a new race of technology savvy, self-sufficient enterprising musicians? Every year more students are graduating with specialist qualifications with the aim of getting into the industry, whilst the industry, in turn, faces decreasing funds and jobs. So what does this mean for these graduates? How important is this teaching in providing a platform for a DIY career in the music industry?

Speakers:

Seminars

How to Create a Brand – Hosted by Flexewebs 09:15 - 10:15

Emerging artists often overlook the fact that their act is defined by their brand. Businesses use brands in order to obtain instant recognition. In order to succeed, emerging music acts need to think of themselves as businesses and apply tried and tested business tactics and strategies in order to give themselves highest chance of succeeding. In modern times, it is possible to do this with little or no monetary investment through use of relevant digital channels. This talk will cover the most important points up-and-coming acts need to remember when building their careers.

Speakers:

Jason Grant

How to DIY by OK Go 15:45 - 16:45

Mike explores the fascinating story of how he worked with OK Go to help them leave their record label and embrace the new music industry as it exists today. ‘While I wouldn’t say there is any hard and fast model, we are certainly seeing some clear trends in how bands are functioning without the security of the old school major label system and I will discuss the tools and strategies that we employ and discuss how those can be utilized by others to help them on their unique creative careers.’

Speakers:

Mike Rosenthal

How to Make Compelling Content by YouTube 09:15-10:15

YouTube Music: Artists, Curators and Eyeballs.

Channels like SB.TV and the UKF stable have shown that music on YouTube isn’t just about single-artist homes – although Lady Gaga and her billion-plus views may beg to differ. The plan for this session is to hear from the brains behind the creation and management of these genuinely innovative and successful ventures, and to add the thoughts of one of the UK’s top YouTube users to the mix. What next in an online environment that is getting noisier by the minute?

Speakers:

Jamie Dolling

Publishing – Hosted by MPA 15:45 - 17:00

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Music Publishing But Were Afraid To Ask (15.45 – 16.15)

A top music publisher (TBC) in conversation with Stephen Navin (Chief Executive, MPA) will lift the lid on the world of music publishing. What do music publishers do? Where does the money come from? How do music publishers promote your music? What is the relationship between publishers and writers? All this, and much, much, more, will be revealed.

How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love My Music Publisher (16.15-17.00)

Are you ready for a publishing deal? What are publishers looking for in writers? What should you be looking for in a publisher? Stephen Navin (Chief Executive, MPA) will chair a panel of experts looking at the vital role music publishers play in finding, nurturing, developing, marketing and financing talent.

Speakers:

Synchronisation & Licensing – Hosted by Music Dealers 14:00 - 15:00

The programme will include:

How to get your music into TV, Commercials, Film and more and how get paid well for it.

How to keep all the rights to your music

Why are Publishers and Major Labels no longer needed and how are you able to launch
your career and make money whilst remaining independent?

-Learn about dIfferent types of licensing companies, licensing clients and licensing options (going to a publisher, exclusive, buy outs)
-The most license friendly type of songs and trends in licensing. How to increase your chances of getting discovered and licensed.
-How licensing leads to increased sales, radio play, tours and more.

You will be provided with an overview of the industry, along with real steps you can take to enhance your career.

Speakers:

Eric Sheinkop

Masterclasses

Creating Your Image – Hosted by High Roller 11:30 - 12:30

Your image is one of the most important selling tools, second only to your musical ability. With careful crafting your image can find you fans, land you a front cover and sell out stadiums. In this master class we’ll hear from a range of experts on their sartorial steps to success. Speakers include make-up artist Adam De Cruz (X Factor, Skin, Leona Lewis), fashion stylist Rebekah Roy (Kaiser Chiefs, Little Boots, Kate Nash) and journalist Pat McNulty (online editor at Cosmopolitan & previously Instyle).

Speakers:

Fan Engagement 14:00 - 15:00

83% of the YGen buy upon recommendation, there are 80 million of them in the US, they spend 53hrs per week on online and spend $2 billion dollars per year. The YGen are regulating music consumption, although very internet savvy, and early adopters of technology they are very fickle and conscientious of the power they command. How do you connect with this audience, maintain engagement and breed loyalty? What strategies and platforms exist to assist artists with their fan engagement strategy, Where will they be in the future? How will their habits change? What solutions exist to assist with monitoring and capitalising on these changes?

Speakers:

Dana Al Salem

Panels

Digital Retail – Is Streaming The Future? Access Vs Ownership 14:00 - 15:15

Is ownership relevant anymore? Do we really care about owning music as long as we can access what we want, when we want? Instant gratification is significantly aided by digital access, which not only makes a wider breadth of content readily available, but more quickly and less expensive. No longer do you have to travel any distance to buy a cd or watch a performance or engage in discussion – this can all be achieved remotely from the convenience of your own home via the internet. Why buy a cd when you can download tracks instantly? And is download and memory capacity even important anymore, now that you can access music directly online? Why travel to attend a conference if you can watch online? Is access overriding the concept and importance of ownership? Is some of the value of the music experience in the tactile interaction with the ‘product’, the art of the product itself. How important is the accompanying sleeve note information? Who was the writer, producer, arranger? Is that still important?

Speakers:

Distribution – How To Get Your Music Out There 09:15 - 10:30

There are many ways to access global markets for independent Artists. The key players discuss the advantages of their proposition, the deals available and how to access their service

Speakers:

How Do I Make Money? 11:30 - 12:45

So you have successfully built a community of fans. People are listening to your music (streaming and downloading). You have some gigs. But still not making money?How do you monetise those communities from your brand, merchandise, Live performances and content? What other opportunities are there?

Speakers:

Mobile Platforms 15:45 - 17:00

Increasingly mobile is becoming a more important platform for music content delivery. Initially it was only possible through side loading. Now 3G networks, and the increasing proliferation of WiFi networks, has enabled not only download over the air but streaming too. In addition in many territories around the world (e.g India, China, Africa etc) the penetration of mobile phones is incredibly high were as desktop computers and broadband infrastructure is extremely limited. Is the future of content distribution all about mobile? Will there finally be complete convergence to mobile devices? Will you access music streams in your car via mobile internet rather than a broadcast signal? If mobile is the future what will be the best format of delivery? Is it simply about Apps? Which system will prevail? iPhone? Blackberry? Android? How will 4G revolutionise mobility of the internet? Will this be the end of storage and ownership?

Speakers:

Routes To Market – Label V/S Unsigned 11:30 - 12:45

Record labels are still very powerful at marketing acts globally but they are no longer the only route to market there are other ways. It is now possible to build a fan base and maintain a direct relationship with your consumer, gain global distribution and monetise. What are the pros and cons of the different routes?

Speakers:

The Importance of Music Video in the Digital Age by MTV UK 14:00 - 15:15

An MTV-hosted panel discussing the power and importance of music videos in the modern music landscape, and giving advice to aspiring young film makers, featuring an expert panel of directors, producers, commissioners and programmers

FEATURING –

Kim Taylor Bennett as Host

Corin Hardy – Director, Academy Films

Liz Kessler – Head of Music Video, Academy Films

Phil Lee – Head of Visuals, XL Recordings

Caroline Bottomley – Founder, Radar Music Videos

Duncan Allen – Music Programmer, MTV Networks UK & Ireland

Speakers:

Seminars

How to Get Paid – Hosted by PPL 15:45 - 16:45

This seminar will cover the key aspects of getting paid as a performer and a rights holder with PPL, the UK’s public performance licensing company for the recording copyright. Dan will be talking about the rights that we license, how PPL license them and what that means for the performer and rights holder. Dan will also look at what needs to be done in order to maximise revenues from PPL. At the end of the seminar there will be a little time for some questions and Dan will be around afterwards for more detailed questions.

Speakers:

Daniel Millington

How to Maximise Social Networks by Facebook 16:00 - 17:00

The programme will cover:

How the world has gone social (Background to why Facebook is now used )
Facebook reach in the UK (who is using it and what is driving this behaviour)
How to connect with your audience on Facebook
- Facebook FanPage
- Facebook Advertising
- Facebook deals
Success stories – how this has worked for up and coming bands

Speakers:

Owen O’Donoghue

MyPlay Direct by Sony Music 09:15 - 10:15

A look into Sony Music’s commerce framework that powers innovative shopping experiences for Artists, Labels, and Consumers.

Speakers:

Patrick Bingley

Masterclasses

Brain Rehearsal 09:15 - 10:30

Using groundbreaking neuroscience research from Harvard University, NLP coach and musician Ruthie Culver leads this practical session in how to use the ‘brain rehearsal’ technique to increase your confidence, skills and performance. Learn to harness the brain’s automatic processes to improve your work and life. You will gain insights and tips to help you move forward, increase motivation and focus, avoid overwhelm and free up your creativity.

Speakers:

Ruthie Culver

Mastering by Metropolis 14:00 - 15:00

Mastering Explained. Mazen Murad will demonstrate the creative and technical approach of audio mastering.

Speakers:

Mazen Murad

Songwriting 11:30 - 12:30

Grammy Award Winning Songwriter Al Shux tells us his story and explores the key to good songwriting

Speakers:

Al Shuckburugh

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