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In a thought-provoking post on the MidemNet Blog, Peter Jenner, President of the UK’s International Music Managers Forum (IMMF), explores the personification of music piracy, underscoring key distinctions between ‘piracy’ and ‘theft’ that have largely been ignored or rejected by the music industry and, perhaps, even concealed to a pragmatic and moral music sharing public.

“If you steal my money I don’t have that money anymore.  If you copy my music I still have it, and so does everyone else who has it.  No one loses anything, the supply of copies just increases.”

Read the entire entry here.

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As an artist, getting your ass on stage and performing to as many people as often as possible is key.  In the US, SXSW is arguably the largest draw of both music fans and artists, certainly independent artists.  Should you get on a SXSW stage?  Of course you should.  However, assuming that you are not yet well known, playing live at an over-crowded and super competitive event has its limitations.  Sometimes, you have to get off the stage in order to truly make an impact and, year after year, I’m seeing more independent artists attending music conferences, on their own behalf, and with their business hat on.  Although the largest of the lot, Midem in Cannes and Popkomm in Berlin, also offer a variety of live performance opportunities to acts big and small, the true event value is in the aimless wondering between the booths and random handshakes with industry professionals.  I’m not joking.  You’ll meet a lot more people on the floor than on stage.  If you meet someone who wants to hear you play, both Midem and Popkomm have listening rooms big enough for you to perform acoustically.  If nothing else, attending these events will teach you a lot about the current music market and provide you with the confidence to approach prospective partners who may [or may not] invest in your next recording, touring, licensing, or writing initiative.  You never know.

Related post: RedGorilla

The partnership between Groove Armada and Bacardi was a hot topic at Midem this year and yet another example of a major music act dumping its label (Sony, in this case) and looking for music-friendly partnerships outside of the traditional music industry ring.  The agreement is intended to help Bacardi become a stronger music-centric brand in the minds of new prospects and tap into Armada (and alike) fans.  Armada will be enjoying some well-funded creative and business license, including greater control over several facets of their business, namely a new digital distribution model slated for launch this year.

Matt Morissroe, A&R Director of Bacardi’s music division, B-Live Records, spoke in length about the deal’s schedule and the two parties’ plans to “share” new Armada music and release it independently, share being the operative word, not just in terms of this deal but also as the thematic underscore to Midem this year, the largest and most influential music industry summit.

Midem, the annual music industry convention in Cannes, France, was marked this year by Coca Cola’s announcement of their next marketing campaign: “Open Happiness”

The prominent global brand has captured the indie music elite; comprising of Fallout Boy, Gym Class Heroes, Panic At The Disco, Cee Lo and Janelle Monae, for a collaborative effort on the song, “Open Happiness”, which was premiered at the convention.  The artists’ images are slated to appear on two hundred million Coca Cola cans in the UK and France.