Thursday, December 20, 2012

Submit Your Program Ideas For Music Biz 2012

NARM, the music business association, and digitalmusic.org, the virtual home of NARM’s digital initiatives, invite all music and entertainment business professionals to submit program ideas for Music Biz 2012 to be held Monday, May 7, through Thursday, May 10 at the Los Angeles Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. Submissions for product and service presentations, educational/research offerings, issue/trend discussions, and best practices overviews will be considered to fill programming slots on the afternoons of Wednesday, May 9 and Thursday, May 10.

“Past annual event attendees have come to expect a high-level of educational programming and rank it among the top reasons why they come back year-after-year,” said Jim Donio, NARM President. “By considering proposals for presentations submitted by the true experts in the business — those who work in the trenches of the industry each and every day – NARM and digitalmusic.org hope to hone the best and most desirable topics and speakers for the limited number of programming slots that are available during Music Biz 2012.”

Submissions will be reviewed and finalists will be chosen by the NARM and digitalmusic.org executive staff, as well as members of the NARM Board of Directors. Finalists will be voted on by the members of NARM and digitalmusic.org. Submissions will be judged on overall quality, focus and innovation; relevance to the issues facing the music and entertainment industry; sound research and theoretical basis (if applicable); and practical implications to the NARM and digitalmusic.org membership.

Parties interested in submitting a program proposal should consider the following guidelines:

Deadlines

Submissions must be received by 8 PM PST on Friday, December 16, 2011.
Organizers of the chosen entries will be contacted via phone in January.

Submission Form

Use the form at this link to submit your program proposal.
Each proposal should be as specific as possible, especially in the title and description of your program.
Proposal must contain:

Title: Should be concise (10 words or less) and descriptive of the program content.
Extended Description: This description will be used in the evaluation process and should include main points, objectives and goals of the proposed program.
Brief Description: This brief description (no more than 200 words) will be used in the event’s “Official Guide” program book. This description provides the basis upon which attendees select the sessions that they will attend. Explain what the audience will learn from the presentation/panel and how they may be able to implement that in their businesses.
Presentation/Panel Participants: List, in addition to the organizer, individuals who will be part of the proposed presentation.
Desired Length of Time to Present the Program

Proposals will be rejected if all information on the online submission form is not completed.
An organizer may submit a maximum of two proposals and cannot submit the same proposal more than once.

Expenses

There are no fees required to submit a proposal.
NARM membership is not a requirement for submitting a proposal.
NARM does NOT pay per diem, honoraria, or travel expenses and hotel accommodations for those chosen to present.
Presenters/panelists will receive a complimentary full registration to attend the event.

Presentation Space

The meeting room at the Los Angeles Hyatt Regency Century Plaza where these presentations will take place will include:

6′ table with 4 chairs and table microphone;
Podium with microphone;
Internet connection;
Screen; and
LCD projector.

If the presentation requires equipment other than that shown above, organizer and/or participants must provide equipment at their own expense.

Music Conferences

We've Written Some of the Biggest Songs In History. And This Is What Pandora Pays Us...

Ellen Shipley famously made $39 off of 3.1 million Pandora plays, but this is by no means an aberration. Ahead of a broader hearing on Capitol Hill on Wednesday morning, some of the most successful, Grammy-adorned songwriters held a closed session with members of the media and legislators to discuss their internet radio royalty situation. The meeting was held on the second floor of the Rayburn House Office Building.

Before the presentation (and performances) started, these songwriters showed Digital Music News their royalty breakdowns for some of their most successful songs. These are overall payments for all songwriters involved.

My Song Was Played 3.1 Million Times on Pandora. My Check Was $39...

The following comment, posted on our site Tuesday, comes from Grammy-nominated, hit songwriter Ellen Shipley. One of her top tracks, "Heaven Is a Place On Earth," got played more than 3.1 million times on Pandora, in the last three months alone. Here's the rest...

It is interesting and very disturbing that no one is addressing the SONGWRITER's situation in this Pandora debacle.

Pandora wishes to REDUCE the amount of royalties that songwriters have already seen CUT in 2005. Let me give you an example of what Pandora is paying in royalties to SONGWRITERS--not the performers, but the people who write the songs--the foundation of the music world---

PANDORA ----"Heaven Is A Place On Earth" (co-written)

accounting period for 3 months-----3,112,300 streams

My Pandora royalty .................$39.61

AND they want us to take an EIGHTY FIVE PERCENT CUT!!!

Does that give you an understanding of the meager, insulting, outrageous amount of money songwriters are being paid from PANDORA and SPOTIFY and YOUTUBE and GOOGLE (I received 15 cents from GOOGLE the other day)?

FACT:

According to the FEDERAL CENSUS, we have lost 45% of our professional songwriters in the last ten years or even less (since the advent of streaming and piracy on the Internet depriving us of earning our LEGAL royalties)

So--here is the question:

WHY is it alright for PANDORA to want to exist and grow and earn profits while it is NOT alright for the SONGWRITERS to SURVIVE, be respected, earn a fair royalty?

PANDORA's model is failing-- because as Steve Jobs recognized much earlier on when he rejected the idea of Streaming Digital radio--they don't have a business plan that gives them a way (such as ad revenue) to earn a profit OTHER THAN NOT PAYING FOR MUSIC!

Listen Up Everyone Please:

Without the Songwriters who create music for artists who do NOT write their own songs, there will be little if any music when you go to PANDORA OR SPOTIFY OR YOUTUBE....

I am grateful for my success as a Grammy-nominated, hit songwriter....I am grateful that my songs have reached millions of people and meant something to them in their lives....

But I will NOT perpetrate the myth that somehow Songwriters should give their music away for free or let it be stolen by Corporations interested in their own profits by any means possible.

THis is a human rights issue---We are discriminated against and unprotected by the US governments obligation to make sure our FIFTH AMMENDMENT RIGHTS in the BILL OF RIGHTS (the "right to the pursuit of happiness" which includes the right to work at the JOB OF OUR CHOICE and earn an income from that job without--my words- interference from any person, place, corporation, streaming sites that are robbing us of our COnstitutional rights.

Let the voice of the Songwriters Be Heard! Send a petition to

us--allow us to be represented at all these meetings between the music world and those who would seek to destroy what we have worked so long and hard to achieve in our lives.

Ellen Shipley

Congress Wants to Spend Millions Flying Indie Artists Around the World...

And this is a problem because...?

It's hard to argue against anything that helps independent artists reach a broader audience. And if Congress is dangling money for anything arts-related, the best advice is to say yes and take it.

Which brings us to the "Making United States Independents Competitive Act," or "MUSIC Act" for short, which largely focuses on picking up the tab for sending indie bands to overseas music trade shows like MIDEM (in the South of France). That's right, trade shows, with the expressed purpose of increasing sales of recordings.

Whatever, let's pass this thing fast. Page 2 of the draft bill, sponsored by New York Democrat Jerrold Nadler, spells it out.

The strategy is a bit interesting. Most regard the trade floors at Midem - and other international music trade shows - to be basically useless at this point. In fact, many of the execs we've talked to at the event never set foot on the trade floor, though there may be other opportunities to reach executives and potential label partners, distributors, radio outlets, and producers at the broader event.

Indeed, the networking is what's really keeping MIDEM alive and relevant these days. And, the reason why lots of Americans still make the extravagant trek.

Back in the old days, you didn't need as much justification: MIDEM and shows like it were critical marketplaces for cross-border selling, discovery and licensing. Fast-forward to the present, and most of that in-person exchange has been replaced by the internet. It's mostly obvious, but you don't have to get on a thirteen hour flight anymore unless the deal is really, really important.

Actually, money has already been spent on a number of overseas meetings for independents, including those in the South of France and various Asian countries. A major player in this whole process is A2IM, which has somehow figured out a way to get the US Government to support music export. That's an accomplishment by any standard.

This is a proposed amount of roughly $1 million per year, modest by Washington standards. The funds will be available to indies with less than $50 million in annual revenues, and less than one percent total marketshare.

A copy of the draft legislation is here.

Songflow Wants to Fix Your DIY Disillusionment...

If DIY is broken, how do you fix it? The following comes from Thomas van Wijk, founder of the just-launched Songflow.

Amsterdam, 2012-12-18

The artists that we talk to and meet share two ultimate goals: To have fans that love their music and be picked up by a professional who gives them a life-altering opportunity to step into the music industry and build a career.

Whether it's a radio DJ, booker, manager or label rep, somewhere down the road talent always needs help to reach its full potential. Getting an investment to make a record is close to impossible, so millions of musicians turn to DIY solutions.

Unlike the anti-establishment attitude of Tunecore, our vision for Songflow is to empower music professionals to discover and connect with talent. If there's a match between an artist and a music professional, we'll make it.

It's commonly known that most artists don't get rich from digital music sales. Songflow lowers the barrier more than ever and makes digital distribution a cost effective, risk free investment. We can think of a couple of reasons why:

1. Consumers (the people you try to reach, especially the young ones) are shifting to online music services to listen to music. If you’re not there you’re nowhere.

2. Music professionals, aka businessmen, don’t invest in a project that doesn’t show potential. It’s up to the artists themselves to prove they’re worth their attention.

We founded Songflow based on the trends and real life experiences of artists to come up with a better, more balanced solution. There’s nothing more exciting than being able to show that your music is getting listened to and generating revenue. If there is a (potential) fan base Songflow connects the artists and their songs to it. Professionals will look at the most promising releases and think of what they can bring to the table to scale such a project.

Digital sales + likes + followers + emails + views = market potential

The Songflow reality is that you have great promotional platforms in one hand and direct sales and digital distribution services in the other, while your fans are happily socializing on Facebook and Twitter with other people. Tunecore, Ditto Music, Zimbalam and many smaller aggregators are basically portals that throw your music over the fence, so to speak. What happens from there?

Songflow is built to connect and control distribution, promotion and sharing activities in one place. We call this 'socializing your music'. By definition this idea is based on working with great partners like Spotify, iTunes, Facebook, Youtube and PledgeMusic. The reason why Songflow relies so heavily on Facebook is because they have a billion users around the world that you can engage with and convert into loyal fans.

With our competitive pricing ($6 per song/year) and 100% payout

promise, we believe that Songflow can grow to become a world leading music platform where DIY talent meets the professional music industry.

Madonna tries to shock in tasteless lingerie

Madonna has stirred plenty of controversy on her MDNA tour, but her newest stunt borders on a sad cry for attention.

It wasn’t enough to flash her derriere or a nipple during her previous concerts this year, this time the 54-year-old exposed a region of her body that only her lady doctor should be allowed to see.

On Monday in Miami, the aging Queen of Pop strutted her (albeit fabulous) body in a tight black bustier, fishnet tights and bottoms that could only be described as an intentional wardrobe malfunction. See the pic for yourself, though we warn it might be a tad NSFW.

Splash News

Madonna's MDNA show in Miami was filmed for a future DVD release

Enough is enough. Madge, put on some pants.