It would seem safe to say the music industry has gone through a rather historic evolution over the past decade. As the years progress onward and the age of CDs finds itself nearing an exit (if it is not already there), the time of streaming digital music appears to be prominent and, for now, permanent. With this in mind, the debate still exists as to whether or not this digital age is beneficial for both new artists and the industry alike.
Since 1980, New Music Seminar (NMS) has been the leading go to for in-depth discussions, panels and opinions on industry trends, and has stood at the forefront of music news with an aim to build a better business through discussions, networks and engagements. And coming this June, the seminar is back to examine the aforementioned rise of the digital age, as well as many other issues, and to formulate solutions to drive the industry and artist into the next phase of the music business. Because of this, the NMS 2014 theme is more essential than ever: "the beginning of a brand new music business."
The NMS conference will be held on June 8-10, at The New Yorker Hotel in New York, NY, and will consist of over 160 leaders in the music industry participating in panel discussions. Check out the full list here.
The annual summit was founded by Tom Silverman, head of Tommy Boy Records, and originally ran from 1980-1994, where it established itself as the world's most influential music business convention. In 2009, after witnessing the drastic change in the industry (i.e. the near death of the record business) Silverman revived NMS with a new take. "This is the year that we change our language from records and albums to streams and attention. We're now in the business of monetizing the attention of our artists," he exclusively told Music Times. "The future of the music business isn't about selling records anymore. It's about selling the attention around music."
This year's seminar welcomes in SoundExchange, which focuses on the growth in streaming music, as a partner and prime sponsor. In speaking of the supporter, Silverman added, "It's very exciting to see these new revenue centers growing rapidly. It's really important for us to be optimistic about the future and guide it instead of trying to prolong the past."
NMS 2014 will unfold through detailed dialogs and will contain an array of panels such as:
- The Branding of Cool: Round Table Discussion
- The Producers Movement
- Dance Music: Not Another Disco Bubble
- Independent Labels Coming to Power
- High Resolution Audio is Coming. Are You Ready?
- The Globalization of Music
- The Big Four Artist Agreements
View the full NMS 2014 schedule.
In addition, Monday and Tuesday night will entail live music featuring Artists on the Verge, a selection of developing artists, in venues in both the East Village and Lower East Side of New York. Such events will include performances from the likes of JuiceBox, Sara Phillips, Rachel Lynn, Blackfoot Gypsies, Space Jesus, and many more. View the full performance schedule here.
The music industry is now "selling exposure," as Silverman puts it. "It's an entirely different mind set, and that's what I'm most excited about. Everybody understands that it isn't the record business anymore. It's something much bigger and much, much more exciting."
NMS has been known the world over for being the ideal place for breakout artists and industry types (execs, CEOs, managers, etc.) to witness interactions and discussions that will shape new business solutions. Be sure to reserve your tickets now!
