CANNES, France – Everyone who’s anyone in the music industry is currently either at or watching the Midem music conference in the South of France. The yearly get-together sees the sages of the industry hold forth on the challenges and opportunities facing music makers.
Speaking on a panel devoted to new digital opportunities, Nokia’s global head of music Mike Bebel stressed that there are still plenty of new models to make money out of music, beyond the existing advertising or subscription models that exist today.
He held up the five-star rated Mix Radio experience on Nokia Lumia, which currently offers free music streaming in 38 countries, as a prime example:
“The Mix Radio experience starts with a very simple proposition: easy music discovery with no registration, no cost, no barriers to entry,” said Bebel. “We see this as a great way to put people on the music discovery trail. Now Nokia wants to explore how an ecosystem can be built off this initial experience that brings value for everyone – artists, labels, service providers, non-music brands and others.”
Co-panelist CEO and Co-Founder of music consultancy Frukt (UK), Anthony Ackenhoff, discussed how non-music brands can become involved in new ways. “It’s not about pushing advertising down peoples’ throats,” said Ackenhoff. “It’s about trying to look at consumer passion points and then get specific brands involved to improve the consumer experience.”
A case in point is Gig Finder on Nokia Music. Gig Finder suggests live concerts in your area and lets you click through to buy gig tickets directly from ticket agencies. You can also easily share gig information with your friends via email, SMS or social media. It’s useful for the user while simultaneously making money for all the various partners involved.
“In the music industry technology keeps redefining the rules of engagement and changing the value proposition pretty much every other year,” said another panelist, Umut Ozaydinli, Chief of Possibilities, Deviant Ventures (USA).
“While it is super hard for everyone involved to keep up … I still think this is the golden age of music. People are super engaged and they consume more music than ever before.”
How has mobile changed the way you use music? Any services you’d like to see that no-one seems to have thought of yet?
image credit: Luz Adriana Villa A.