Berklee College of Music partnered with Midem for the third year running at this year’s event in Cannes, France, held February 1-4. As a result of this alliance, attendance at Midem 2014 has become an integral part of the curriculum for students in the Global Entertainment and Music Business (GEMB) master’s program at Berklee’s campus in Valencia, Spain. Berklee faculty, directors, and alumni staged a number of contemporary music courses and workshops, and a private workshop was presented by Rethink Music, the joint initiative of Berklee and Midem.
“Both Midem and Berklee share a pioneering approach to the future of the music and entertainment industry—Berklee through its commitment to preparing students to meet the artistic management and entrepreneurial challenges to succeed in this rapidly changing environment and Midem through its dedication to bringing the stakeholders and players together at the leading international b2b event for the new music eco-system,” explained Emilien Moyon, director of Berklee’s Master of Global Entertainment and Music Business program.
“All 32 students of this year’s GEMB master program in Valencia will attend Midem 2014 as part of their one-year intensive study, not only gaining first-hand experience and insight into the latest developments, trends, and technologies, but also networking with leading talents, brands, and companies in the business,” Moyon added.
Berklee workshops at Midem Academy included:
Alternative Marketing Streams for Synchronized Content: Andrea “Ani” Johnson, associate professor music business/management, Berklee College of Music (Boston). This session offered those seeking to break into the world of mainstream TV, film, and commercials ways to take a piece of the sync pie—learn to reach new markets, expand visibility, and drive fresh revenue streams through routes such as app integration, sync agents, YouTube video distribution, and crowd-funding.
Listening Like a Producer: Stephen Webber, director, Music Technology and Innovation master’s program, Berklee (Valencia). Listening is the most important and most over-looked skill that everyone in music should develop, from artists, producers and engineers, to managers, agents, and promoters, to A&R executives. It is also important for entrepreneurs and marketers building companies and conveying messages with music. This session armed attendees with the effective tools and strategies to develop listening abilities and deepen skills in this crucial area.
International Marketing Strategy: Ferran Coto, instructor, Berklee (Valencia) and music industry consultant in strategy and business planning for musicians, shared his expertise on 360 deals; direct to fan strategies; and international development and growth.
It’s Not All About “Likes”—Effective B2B Communications in a Direct-to-Fan Economy: Ben Maitland-Lewis, Berklee alumnus, and CEO and founding alchemist of Presskit.to. This session explored how new technology has empowered artists to grow their audience and communicate with fans through multiple channels and platforms, as well as how the resulting dissemination of media and messaging has cluttered the information flow within the industry. Participants were privy to creative solutions to improve their media flow, and how artists can better communicate with businesses, brand managers, and intermediaries to move their careers forward.
In addition, Rethink Music, the initiative created by Berklee College of Music and Midem in 2010 to focus on the future of the music industry, conducted a private workshop on The Business Model of a Song. Led by Allen Bargfrede, director of Rethink Music for Berklee, participants analyzed the A&R and marketing processes of songs and artists through the business model lens. Bargfrede also moderated Midem Talks: Who's Investing in Music.
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