The 10th Vienna Music Business Research Days 2019 in retrospective

At the 10^th anniversary Vienna Music Business Research Days music business researchers and music industry representatives from around the globe looked into the crystal ball to highlight and discuss the “Future of the Music Business”.

The Young Scholars Workshop traditionally opened the conference as a forum for master and PhD students to present and discuss their research results with renown international music business scientists. This year two papers were awarded by an international jury with the first prize: “THE NEW MAGIC PEOPLE: An Ethnographic Study of East London’s Cultural Workers at Shoreditch House” by Sam Edrisi of Westminster University and King’s College London and “Creativity, Constraints, and Copyright – Hired Music Guns and the Case of Soundalikes” by Konstantin Hondros of the University Duisburg-Essen. Both papers are considered tob e published in the International Journal of Music Business Research (IJMBR).

On the following Conference Track Day, music business researchers from Australia, Austria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Romenia, Spain, South Africa, UK and the US presented their research results on a broad range of music business topics, such as gender aspects in the classical music sphere, the live music business in the Netherlands, self-management and entrepreneurship of musicians, the demand for music in the music streaming age, music branding, music labour markets and music education issues (see program).

The final Invited Conference Day on September 13^th focused on the conference main topic the “Future of the Music Business”. The London-based entertainment lawyer Cliff Fluet held the introductory keynote “The Music Business & Technology – How Their Past and Present will Dictate Their Future” and joined the following panel discussion on “The Future of Music Copyright” with Ros Lynch (Intellectual Property Office, London) and the blockchain start-up founder Steve Stewart (vezt, Los Angeles), moderated by Sally Gross (University of Westminster, London). The panelists discussed the impact of new technologies such as the blockchain and artificial intellectual on copyright legislation.

Michael Smellie, the former COO of Sony/BMG and Australian start-up investor, closed the morning session by looking back into the music industry’s recent past with his keynote on the music industry’s “Seven Deadly Sins” to learn more about the industry’s future.

 

After the lunch break Paul O’Hagan of the University of Ulster had a conversation with music manager Peter Jenner on the concept of label service contracts, which Peter Jenner introduced by signing Billy Bragg to Cooking Vinyl. Label service contracts have become very popular among superstars such as Taylor Swift, since there is no need to contract away all rights to the labels. Peter Jenner was also a mastermind and initiator of the “Music 2025” project, which was introduced for the first to the public by him and Dennis Collopy (University of Hertfordshire, UK) in 2014 at the Vienna Music Business Research Days. This year Dennis Collopy presented the project’s results to an international audience.

In the following keynote “What Are the Key Drivers of Growth in Music Streaming?” music industry analyst Chris Carey outlined the past, present and future developments in the music streaming economy. This was a good starting point for the final panel discussion on “Future of the Music Business – What’s Next after Music Streaming?” with Rebecca Brook (music industry consultant, London), Chris Carey (Media Insight Consulting, London), Phil Graham (University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia) and Michael Smellie (start-up investor, Australia), moderated by Dennis Collopy (University of Hertfordshire).

The 10^th Vienna Music Business Research Days were supplemented by a book presentation event in the evening of September 11^th. Daniel Nordgård of the University of Agder in Kristiansand/Norway presented the first volume of the Springer book series “Music Business Research” entitled “The Music Business and Digital Impacts. Innovations and Disruptions in the Music Industries“. Phil Graham of the University of the Sunshine Coast/Australia followed with the presentation of the book series’ second volume “Music, Management, Marketing, and Law. Interviews Across the Music Business Value Chain“. Subsequently both authors joined a panel discussion on “Big Data in the Music Business” with the Vienna-based start-up entrepreneur Nermina Mumic and music manager Peter Jenner.

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Introducing our guests: Cliff Fluet (copyright lawyer, London)

In the 10th anniversary Vienna Music Business Research Days on the “Future of the Music Business” at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (Anton-von-Webern-Platz 1, 1030 Vienna/Austria) music business researchers and music business professionals look into the recent past of the music industry to learn more about its future. Find the program here.

Cliff Fluet (Lewis Silkin LLP, London, UK) holds a keynote on “The Music Business & Technology – How Their Past and Present will Dictate Their Future” in mdw’s Joseph Haydn-Hall on Sep. 13, from 9:15-10:00 and will then join the panel discussion on “The Future of Music Copyright” with Karl Ryan (Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google UK), Ros Lynch (Intellectual Property Office, London, UK) and Steve Stewart (vezt, Los Angeles, USA) moderated by Sally Gross (University of Westminster, London, UK).

Cliff Fluet has operated in the world of digital music for well over two decades. He has a dual role as a partner at the law firm, Lewis Silkin, focussing on digital media and leads an advisory firm, Eleven, for clients operating at the cutting edge of where content and context meet technology.

 

 

 

10th Anniversary Music Business Research Days 2019 on “Future of the Music Business”

The Vienna Music Business Research Days conference celebrates its 10^th birthday this year by looking into the past to learn more about the future of the music business. In the past ten years the VMBR-Days were a platform for forward looking and controversial music industry topics. In 2011, Dagfinn Bach highlighted the high CO₂ emissions of music streaming compared to music downloads – a topic, which has become highly relevant in the times of climate change. In the same year the founder of the German music streaming service Simfy, Steffen Wicker, and then PRS for Music chief economist, Will Page, who later joined Spotify, discussed if music streaming would be the next big thing in the music industry. In 2013, Mike Michalke introduced the project of a creative commons collecting society, which was established a few years later as the Cultural Commons Collecting Society (C3S) in Germany. Also in 2013 international experts, among them the doyen of intellectual property rights research, Adolf Dietz, discussed how copyright legislation has to be adapted to new technological and social challenges. Some of the proposals, which were discussed in Vienna, later entered the recently enacted EU Copyright Directive. In 2015, alternative instruments to finance music projects such as crowdfunding, angel investment and start-up funding, which are common practice now, were highlighted by keynotes and panel discussions. In 2017, the blockchain technology and its impact on the music business was in the focus of the 8^th Vienna Music Business Research Days. And further topics such as the live music and concert business, self-management of artists, new music consumption behavior and music file sharing were discussed in the past years.

In 2019, some of the topics will be resumed in the 10^th anniversary conference. After a keynote by London-based copyright lawyer Cliff Fluet of Lewis Silkin LLP, he will discuss on “The Future of Music Copyright” with Karl Ryan (Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google UK), Ros Lynch (Intellectual Property Office, London, UK) and Steve Stewart (vezt, Los Angeles, USA).

The former COO of Sony/BMG and Australian start-up investor Michael Smellie will look back in the recent history of the music industry by highlighting the music industry’s “Seven Deadly Sins”. In the afternoon, Paul O’Hagan (Ulster University, UK) and music manager Peter Jenner (Pink Floyd, The Clash, Billy Bragg) will discuss the future of artist contracts in the recorded music business, before Peter will join Dennis Collopy (University of Hertfordshire, UK) to present the results of the “Music 2025” project, which was introduced by them to the public at the Vienna Music Business Research Days 2014. Then the founder of the British music streaming service 7digital, Pete Downton, will highlight the drivers of growth of music streaming. In the following panel discussion on the “Future of the Music Business – What’s Next after Music Streaming?”, Pete will exchange thoughts with music industry consultant Rebecca Brook (London, UK) communications researcher Phil Graham (University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia) and start-up investor Michael Smellie (Brisbane, Australia).

The Vienna Music Business research Days will be opened on Sep. 11^th with the Young Scholars’ Workshop for master and PhD students to present their research to renown music business researchers in a closed workshop atmosphere. On Sep. 12^th scientists from all around the world will present their research finding on different music business/industry topics (see program).

 

Tickets for September 12-13, 2019: https://ntry.at/vmbrd2019

Promotion YouTube video: https://youtu.be/GkgAZX5uS_M

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ViennaMusicBusinessResearchDays/

Live video-stream of the last conference day on Sep. 13^th, 9:00-17:30 CEST: https://live.mdw.ac.at/VMBRD_2019

Introducing our guests: Rebecca Brook (music industry consultant, London)

In the 10th anniversary Vienna Music Business Research Days on the “Future of the Music Business” at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (Anton-von-Webern-Platz 1, 1030 Vienna/Austria) music business researchers and music business professionals look into the recent past of the music industry to learn more about its future. Find the program here.

Rebecca Brooks (music industry consultant, London) will discuss on the “Future of the Music Business – What’s Next after Music Streaming?”with Michael Smellie (former COO of Sony/BMG, Australia), Pete Downton (7digital, London, UK) and Phil Graham (University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia).

Becky advises technology and music companies on music rights & licensing. Current and prior clients include 7digital, JAAK, Lirica, Lickd and TagMix.

Prior to becoming a consultant, she was Vice President of Commercial Development at digital music services firm Omnifone, where she headed up the Global Licensing team. Before that, she held a variety of strategy and business development roles at companies including EMI Music, SeeSaw, Sony Pictures and Warner Music Group.

She has extensive prior speaking experience including panels/presentations on music rights and licensing at various 4.5 Seminars, CISAC AGM, C/O Pop, MusicWeek Tech Summit, The Great Escape, Wide Days Edinburgh.”

 

 

Introducing our guests: Michael Smellie (former COO of Sony/BMG)

In the 10th anniversary Vienna Music Business Research Days on the “Future of the Music Business” at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (Anton-von-Webern-Platz 1, 1030 Vienna/Austria) music business researchers and music business professionals look into the recent past of the music industry to learn more about its future. Find the program here.

Michael Smellie, the former COO of the recorded music major Sony/BMG and Australian start-up investor, looks into the recent history of the music industry by highlighting the “Seven Deadly Sins of the Music Industry”. He is also a panelist in the discussion on the “Future of the Music Business – What’s Next after Music Streaming?”with Rebecca Brook (music industry consultant, London, UK), Pete Downton (7digital, London, UK) and Phil Graham (University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia).

Michael’s career in the music business spans more than 25 years and across five continents as former Global Chief Operating Officer of SonyBMG, Asia Pacific Head of BMG and Managing Director of PolyGram and rooArt in Australia.

As COO of BMG worldwide, he directed the company through some turbulent years and was an integral part of negotiating and implementing the merger with Sony Music. He was appointed COO of SonyBMG in 2004 before leaving at the end of 2005 to return to Australia. He was then appointed President of Media Development for Asia Pacific for German media giant Bertelsmann from 2006 until 2009.

He is an investor, advisor and board member of a number of creative start-up businesses in Australia and USA. He is a past Chair of the Australian Film Television and Radio School, Creative Enterprise Australia and the Australian operation of Global Citizen. He is currently the Chair of The Music Council of Australia.

 

 

 

Introducing our guests: Paul O’Hagan (University of Ulster)

In the 10th anniversary Vienna Music Business Research Days on the “Future of the Music Business” at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (Anton-von-Webern-Platz 1, 1030 Vienna/Austria) music business researchers and music business professionals look into the recent past of the music industry to learn more about its future. Find the program here.

Paul O’Hagan (Ulster University) discusses with the music manager Peter Jenner (Sincere Music, London) the question “Why Label Services? – The Case of Taylor Swift, Billy Bragg & The Bluebells, Or How To Avoid Indentured Servitude In The Music Business” in mdw’s Joseph Haydn-Hall on Sep. 13th from 13:30-14:00.

He is currently working with Ulster University and UKIPO researching music copyright, data registration systems and the impact of digital transformation on the creative economy. Having worked for over 25 years as a performer, songwriter/arranger, studio engineer, producer and music educator, he has consistently been an agitator, instigator and advocate for projects which empower and promote agency across the creative sector. Studying Cultural & Critical Theory at Salford University and Creative & Cultural Entrepreneurship at Goldsmiths College developed into an interest in research with strong socio-political/economic relevance which is reflected in his current PhD project ‘(Non)Attribution & The Business Of Music’. Paul is also co-founder of Smidj Ltd and is strategic advisor to JadeBlok Ltd, two SME’s currently piloting projects concerned with innovation in cross-sector, cross-border and cross-platform data in the creative sector.

 

 

 

Introducing our guests: Dennis Collopy (University of Hertfordshire, UK)

In the 10th anniversary Vienna Music Business Research Days on the “Future of the Music Business” at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (Anton-von-Webern-Platz 1, 1030 Vienna/Austria) music business researchers and music business professionals look into the recent past of the music industry to learn more about its future. Find the program here.

Dennis Collopy’s keynote “Music 2025 – Is Music Data Fit for Purpose in the Digital Era?” focuses on the key legal and copyright ownership data issues that impact the benefits of the digital music economy especially for creators and non-corporate rightsholders . The data issues highlighted are an outcome of the Music 2025 manifesto first launched by Peter Jenner and Dennis Collopy at the 5th Vienna Music Business Research Days in 2014 and the keynote summarises the key findings of an 15 month intensive research project involving researchers at University of Ulster funded by the UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and supported by the two main UK collective rights management organizations PRS for Music and PPL.

Dennis’ talk is scheduled in mdw’s Joseph Haydn-Hall on Sep. 13th from 14:00-14:45 and he will be assisted by music manager and project partner Peter Jenner (Sincere Music, London). He will then moderate the panel discussion on the “Future of the Music Business – What’s Next after Music Streaming?” with Rebecca Brook (msuic industry consultant, London, UK), Pete Downton (7digital, London, UK), Phil Graham (University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia) and Michael Smellie (Start-up investor, Brisbane, Australia).

Dennis Collopy is Senior Research Fellow at the University of Hertfordshire, where he has specialised in Music and IP Rights related research including various studies for UK Music and the IPO. He has spent over 4 decades in music working across artist management, record labels and music publishing having been MD of Riva Music (signing the Clash and John Mellencamp) BMG Music Publishing (signing Bruce Hornsby, Steve Earle, Maria Mckee, Eurythmics and Clannad) EG (working with KLF, the Orb and Robert Fripp) and most recently his own Menace Music Management managing rights for artists and song writers like Matt Aitken (from Stock Aitken and Waterman), Frankie Miller, Slowdive/Mojave 3’s Neil Halstead, acclaimed reggae songwriter Gary Benson and one of the most successful singers in EDM, Steve Edwards. Dennis is a former director of PRS and board member of the UK’s MPA.

 

 

Introducing our guests: Phil Graham (Universiy of the Sunshine Coast, Australia)

In the 10th anniversary Vienna Music Business Research Days on the “Future of the Music Business” at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (Anton-von-Webern-Platz 1, 1030 Vienna/Austria) music business researchers and music business professionals look into the recent past of the music industry to learn more about its future. Find the program here.

Phil Graham will present his recent book “Music, Management, Marketing, and Law. Interviews Across the Music Business Value Chain” in Fanny Hensel-Hall at mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna on September 11, 2019 from 19:30-21:30 before he will participate in panel discussion on “Big data and the Digital Music Business” with Nermina Mumic (Legitary, Vienna), Peter Jenner (Sincere Music, London) and Daniel Nordgård (University of Agder, Norway).

On Sep. 12, Phil Graham will also present a paper entitled “Implications of the digital economy for independent musical labour Or: Global ‘craft’ economies” in track B of the Conference Track Day (Fanny Hensel-Hall) from 14:00-14:45.

Last but not least Phil is one of the discussants on the “Future of the Music Business – What’s Next after Music Streaming?” in Joseph Haydn-Hall from 16:00-17:30 on Sep. 13th with Rebecca Brook (music industry consultant, London, UK), Pete Downton (7digital, London, UK) and Michael Smellie (Start-up investor, Brisbane, Australia) moderated by Dennis Collopy (University of Hertfordshire, UK).

Phil Graham is Professor and Head of School, Creative Industries, at Australia’s University of the Sunshine Coast. Before becoming an academic, Phil made a living as a musician, composing, producing, and performing for all areas of the Creative Industries. As an academic, he has written over 120 academic papers and books, as well as producing hundreds of creative outputs as part of his research. His most recent book is Music, Management, Marketing, and Law (Springer). Phil continues to produce music for commercial contexts when time and opportunity permits.

 

 

Introducing our guests: Peter Jenner (Sincere Management, London)

In the 10th anniversary Vienna Music Business Research Days on the “Future of the Music Business” at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (Anton-von-Webern-Platz 1, 1030 Vienna/Austria) music business researchers and music business professionals look into the recent past of the music industry to learn more about its future. Find the program here.

In an additional book presentation event the former Pink Floyd manager Peter Jenner will be a panelist on “Big Data in the Digital Music Business” in mdw’s Fanny Hensel-Hall on Sep. 11th from 19:30-21:30. Find more details about the book presentation event here. Mr. Jenner will also assist Dennis Collopy (University of Herfortshire) in presenting the results of the “Music 2025” project on Sep. 13th from 14:00-14:45 at mdw’s Joseph Haydn-Hall.

Peter is legendary in the music business. He put on a number of free concerts in London’s Hyde Park which included the 1969 concert by The Rolling Stones. He was one time manager to Pink Floyd, The Clash, Ian Dury & Billy Bragg amongst many others. Now Peter is at the forefront of the debates surrounding the digital use of music. He is President Emeritus (IMMF), former Director (UK MMF) and on the advisory board of FAC. He is also a visiting professor for the University of Hertfordshire and the University of Adger in Norway. For more details, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Jenner (not all of it accurate).

Peter Jenner was among the first guests of the 1st Vienna Music Business Research Days in 2010 and participated frequently in the following conferences. In 2018, Peter Jenner was unanimously voted by to be the first “Honorary Member” of the International Music Business Research Association (IMBRA).

 

Book presentation event on “Big Data in the Digital Music Business”

A book presentation event will take place in Fanny Hensel-Hall at mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna on September 11, 2019 from 19:30-21:30. The first two volumes of the “Music Business Research” series of Springer Publishing will be presented to public with a following panel discussion on “Big Data in the Digital Music Business”.

Daniel Nordgård of the University of Agder in Kristiansand/Norway will present his book “The Music Business and Digital Impacts. Innovations and Disruptions in the Music Industries“. The book provides rare insights into the difficult and complex dialogues between stakeholders within and outside the music industries in a time of transition. It builds on a series of recorded meetings in which key stakeholders discuss and assess options and considerations for the music industries’ transition to a digital era. These talks were closed to the public and operated under the Chatham House Rule, which means that they involved a very different type of discussion from those held in public settings, panels or conferences. As such, the book offers a much more nuanced understanding of the industries’ difficulties in adjusting to changing conditions, demonstrating the internal power-struggles and differences that make digital change so difficult.

 

Phil Graham of the University of the Sunshine Coast/Australia introduces his volume on “Music, Management, Marketing, and Law. Interviews Across the Music Business Value Chain“. This collection of interviews captures a period of historic change for the global music business along with a wealth of professional knowledge that extends from the late 1960s through to late 2012 when the interviews were conducted. They record the experiences and insights of people who helped to shape a global business that is quickly passing into history and transforming into something entirely new, often because of decisions the interviewees have been directly involved in making. The material includes the aesthetic, artistic, technical, commercial, legal, and strategic aspects of the music industry. What is said is timeless in its historical significance for the music business and in its relevance for researchers engaged in studies on the dynamics of change in the global commercial music landscape.

 

After the two short presentations the authors discuss with the music manager Peter Jenner (Sincere Music, London) and the founder and CEO of the Vienna-based data analytics company Legitary, Nermina Mumic on

“Big Data and the Digital Music Business”

Admission free, but please register here: vmbrd@mdw.ac.at

 

The book presentation event is held within the 10th Vienna Music Business Research Days in cooperation with the Austrian Chamber of Commerce