[By Robert Andrews]
I’ve just arrived here at Cannes, where I’ll be posting from the MidemNet digital music conference beginning Saturday, and already I’ve shared a cab with one audio-related startup manager from San Francisco. The climate is decidedly balmier than the raging storms I left behind in northern Europe.
Organizers are expecting some 10,000 delegates here “to do deals, network, learn and check out hot new talent.” Some of those deals, one concerning a “major announcement” that’s being touted by indie labels and is related to Web 2.0, will be unveiled over the next couple of days.
Otherwise, music and entertainment industry figures including RIAA chairman Mitch Bainwol, MTV Networks global digital media president Mike Salmi and Sony Ericsson president Miles Flint will be offering their views on the state of the business.
RealNetworks’ Rob Glaser is here, too, while Wired editor-in-chief Chris Anderson will be talking about the long tail of music downloads, It will be interesting, too, to hear what Microsoft’s Chris Stephenson, who heads up global marketing for the Zune, might have to say about the latest threat from Apple in the shape of the iPhone.
While artist and distributor rights are expected to be a key topic here, one of the festival’s main themes is “power to the consumer”, reflecting an interest in user-generated content and “the new economics of music.”
Away from the panels, the event will host over 40 concerts including Shaggy and Amy Winehouse.
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