Is digital innovation dead? The question posed to myself, Sammy Andrews and Gregor Pryor last month at the BBC Future of Music Conference (previously BBC on the Beat).
With Rorri Keflan-Jones hosting it was clear we were all supportive of supporting the digital music startup ecosystem. Offering up ideas that perhaps a variation in business model could grow the pie for all. My question is what do we do about it!
To watch back the full panel video from the BBC click play!
Here are the full panel notes from the BBC.
Rory Cellan-Jones leads a panel discussion about innovation in digital music.
Rory has been a reporter for the BBC for more than two decades, covering business and technology stories for much of that time. Rory has been watching the technology scene like a hawk for the last 15 years. From the dotcom bubble of the late 1990s to the rise of Google and Facebook, from the Psion organiser to the iPad, he’s covered all the big gadget and business stories, and interviewed just about everyone who’s played a part in the story of the web. Dot.Rory, his previous blog, was named among the Top 100 blogs by the Sunday Times.
Ben Bowler is the chairman of MusicUp, an industry working group creating value for musicians and rights holders by supporting the music startup ecosystem. Previously Ben has worked at AEI Media and Vice as well as founding Chew – the live streaming platform for DJ’s, producers and radio stations.
Gregor is an experienced lawyer and adviser working in the music industry and is co-chair of Reed Smith LLP’s global Entertainment and Media Industry Group. Having started his career working first in the corporate banking sector and then in the music industry, he is now acknowledged as one of the leading lawyers in digital media. He is described by Legal 500 as a “digital carriage superstar” and rated by legal directories in the Tier 1 of advisors in his sector, recognising his knowledge of digital music rights issues and “unrivalled experience in the market”.
Director of Entertainment Intelligence and independent industry advisor Sammy Andrews has a long history at the forefront of the digital landscape. Having gained a 360 degree view of the music industry through he background as a concert promoter, artist manager and independent record label founder, Andrews took on a position as Head of Digital at the record division of 19 Entertainment in 2005. In addition, Andrews has led her own digital consultancy firm, Sabotage New Media since 2008. Sammy is a long standing outspoken advocate of the value the digital revolution can bring to bands, brands and organisations.