Conference on the future of music : Earz Magazine

Conference on the future of music

November 15, 2007 · Words: Martin S ·

The Skinny ON:07 is a conference taking place at Reid Hall, Edinburgh University on Monday 10 December to discuss and examine changes in music technology and consumption, how these changes affect the art of music itself, and what possible escape routes there are for an industry which has so far struggled in facing and adapting to them.

Organised by the wonderful Skinny Mag, the assembled panel of music-boffins includes Peter Jenner, an industry veteran who currently chairs the IMMF (International Music Managers’ Forum) and has been involved with the management or production of artists like Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd, Ian Dury and Billy Bragg. Jenner has previously voiced support for controversial music-payment methods such as an overall tax levied on broadband and mobile phone users. Other guest speakers include pop-expert, sociologist and critic Simon Frith; Will Page, a highly-placed director in the business of artist rights and royalty collection; and one currently unannounced guest.

This is great news– these issues are highly relevent and come in the wake of EMI’s ambitious announcement to investors that huge spending cuts and new business models will result in growth of 766% over the next five years; a task which seems impossible to everyone else. Meanwhile reputed artists are establishing their independence by experimenting with new business models (ie: Radiohead and Saul Williams), and major outlawed file-sharing sites like OiNK.cd and albumbase have been raided and shutdown, leaving the organisers of similar sites fearing the same fate.