THE UK CORNER: MIDEM continues to be the Mecca for the music industry.

     The world renown event saw 8000 music professionals representing from over 80 countries descend on the Palais des Festivals in Cannes taking every plane, train or automobile seat going.

     The event, which took place between January 18 and 21, saw local hotels fully booked with executives and musicians networking over breakfast.

     Deals were struck including MUZU.TV, the newly launched free music video website and distribution platform signing an agreement with EMI Music.

     Announcements were made such as the rebranding of MCPS-PRS to PRS for Music, products and services were promoted and talent witnessed.

Ndidi Onukwulu

     One of the jewels in the MIDEM Talent 2009 crown was Canadian Jazz/Soul singer Ndidi Onukwulu (Naïve - France). She shone as one of the 20 upcoming artists with strong international potential at the Magic Mirrors venue.

     "MIDEM was a wonderful experience. It was a chance to play for people that can only facilitate furthering my career," Onukwulu. "It was surprisingly a lot of fun and I am grateful that I was selected to play."

     During the whole event there were 300 performers from 23 countries.

     More established artists also sang MIDEM’s praises. Hank Shocklee, President of Shocklee Entertainment and part of Bomb Squad alongside Keith Shocklee, performed at the electro night. Bomb Squad are preparing their debut solo project that will be a combination of bass, dub, electronics, visuals and vocals.  The NYC duo is well recognized & respected for being the original production team behind Public Enemy as well being ahead of technology with their production techniques.

     “MIDEM is great for the worldwide music community," Shockley says. "Bomb Squad got a chance to perform and we reached out to all the international companies that would not normally be in one place. 2009 was particularly good because it was easier to have more one-on-one time than at some of the previous events in the past that have been more hectic."

     Managing Director of Artiste Management Productions, Harvey Goldsmith also saw the positive side of fewer delegates saying, “I don’t worry if there are 8,000 or 8,000,000 people at MIDEM, it’s the quality of the attendance that interests me. In fact, if there a few less people, it makes for a better event as you don’t get hassled every five minutes.”

     MIDEM put particular focus on Classical and jazz music with awards in each genre, and the likes of Jamie Cullum previewing his new album. But in the virtual MIDEMworld delegates had access to products and services across genres. The online database allows you to look at your targeted customers and partners, and set up and prepare your meetings beforehand. The database is also made to detect new business opportunities.

     The event continues to grow – this year saw the launch of the first International Publishing Summit to address the impact of the digital arena and discuss economic models, licences and innovation. Conferences looked at a range of issues affecting the industry including investment in these tough economic times.

     Kevin Arnold, Founder and CEO of the independent Online Distribution Alliance (IODA), the industry-leading digital distribution company for the global independent music community, says:

     ”Historically, bad times make for good opportunities and MIDEM brings us together to explore new possibilities and dive into the next era of our changing industry.”

     The next era will continue to be digital. MIDEMNet, the music business in the digital age forum, took place between January 17 and January 18. Among the new business models discussed in Cannes was Nokia’s unlimited download service, Comes With Music (CWM), which allows Nokia purchasers to download as many songs as they wish from a catalogue of five million tracks. Nokia’s Executive Vice President of Entertainment and Communities, Tero Ojanperä, speaking at MIDEMNet, announced that within the next ten weeks CWM will be extended to include Australia and Singapore and they are now looking at a European rollout of the service.

     Sony Ericsson’s Head of Content Acquisition Management, Martin Blomkvist confirmed that he had held talks with labels at MIDEM to discuss pricing points and business models for the company’s PlayNow service, while Orange’s Vice President of Music, Laurence Le Ny met with rights-holders for discussions on developing Musique Max and Musique Hits, Orange’s unlimited download services.

     The next era for music, according to MIDEM delegates, will increasingly involve brands teaming up with music groups as part of global marketing strategies. In Cannes, Bacardi announced that its nine-month old deal with UK dance group Groove Armada would now include new online elements to launch the band’s new EP via online sharing service www.bliveshare.com.

MIDEM delegates expressed satisfaction over efforts to establish international standards for rights administration. Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) and France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (SACEM) unveiled DEAL (Direct European Administration and Licensing), their joint model for the licensing and administration of rights for multi-territory online and mobile use in Europe.

     While the French authorities continued the debate about legal action to tackle piracy, Feargal Sharkey, Chief Executive of UK Music, said the industry and Internet service providers are close to finding a mutually acceptable solution to the file-sharing issue, which could negate the necessity for government intervention.

     If you are serious about a career in music and want to keep your finger on the pulse of industry trends, I know where you will be between January 24 and 27, 2010! The 11th MIDEMNet, precedes between January 23-24 so don’t say you were not warned...

     For more information on MIDEM visit: http://www.MIDEM.com

The UK Corner covers urban entertainment from a British perspective and is written by Fiona McKinson. She is a freelance journalist and creative writer based in London. Contact her at info@thetalentshow.co.uk.