Read more Here!

Please join the American Association of Independent Music and The International Trade Administration on February 7, 2012 for a webinar to discuss

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND PROTECTING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN CHINA

Please join our music industry webinar on Tuesday, February 7 at 7:00pm EST, 4:00pm PST (Wednesday Feb. 8th, 8am in China). This session will provide an overview of the music industry and opportunities in China. Speakers will include industry expert Tim Smith, formerly of IFPI, now a senior executive on entertainment law and IPR at the Rouse law firm in Beijing. The webinar will address what you need to know about exporting music to China and Hong Kong and protecting your intellectual property rights. International Trade Administration experts will discuss export assistance and the government’s work to protect IPR globally. The briefing will conclude with a question and answer session.

Please register for the webinar by February 7 here: http://export.gov/newyork/forms/iprwebinar/index.asp.

Call-in details:

DOMESTIC CALLERS
1-866-844-9416 (toll-free)
1-203-369-5026 (toll)
Passcode: USDOC

INTERNATIONAL CALLERS
If you are calling from abroad, please contact Dawn Bruno (below) no later than Friday February  3^rd for the country-specific toll free number.

Log-in details:
URL: https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join/
Conference number: PW1072472
Participant Passcode: USDOC
Participants can join the event directly at:
https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PW1072472&p=USDOC&t=c

PLEASE CHECK YOUR WEB AND COMPUTER SYSTEMS IN ADVANCE OF THE WEBINAR! You may check your system plug-ins at:

https://www.mymeetings.com/emeet/join/src/plugins_mm.php?lang=/en

We will provide the necessary technical support contact information in advance in the event of any difficulties logging on to the webinar/call.

If you have any questions, please contact Dawn.Bruno@trade.gov or 212-809-2647.

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In addition to the breakfast, as a great networking opportunity for the A2IM member community, we are also organizing One-on-One Sessions where you will have the opportunity to meet directly with our Associate Member service providers in the areas of Licensing/Publishing OR New Media/Digital Marketing. Each meeting will last approx. 10 minutes. We will have two sessions from 10-11AM or 11AM-12PM during the breakfast. We will do our best to accommodate all requests. If you are a label interested in meeting service providers, please complete the form HERE by Friday, March 2nd.

If you have not yet registered for SXSW, you can access the A2IM discount HERE.

Big thanks to Entertainment One for sponsoring this event!

Please enter the dates for Indie Week 2012 into your calendars now – Tuesday, June 19 to Thursday, June 21.  Indie Week has grown each year becoming the biggest gathering of A2IM members meeting, discussing business and issues, and having a good time and this year we’ll cap our week together by celebrating the successes of our independent music community.

The company has successfully created a healthy environment for independent artists to thrive, giving them the opportunity to compete on a level playing field with major label acts by securing placements and sync licenses with major film, television, global brands and within worldwide marketing campaigns.

Join the Music Dealers team on January 29th, 2012 at the Black Pearl in Cannes, as they team up with Coca Cola to present a curated music event featuring select emerging independent artists for The Discovery Lounge. Meet, mingle and network with like-minded artists, music and marketing professionals and friends from around the world while checking out some amazing music.

January 29, 2012, 9pm – 1am @ Black Pearl, Cannes, France.

www.musicdealers.com

]]> http://a2im.org/2012/01/19/associate-member-spotlight-music-dealers/feed/ 0 http://a2im.org/2012/01/19/a2im%e2%80%99s-next-nashville-chapter-event-featuring-tom-silverman-is-march-8th-2012/ http://a2im.org/2012/01/19/a2im%e2%80%99s-next-nashville-chapter-event-featuring-tom-silverman-is-march-8th-2012/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:00:26 +0000 A2IM http://a2im.org/?p=6389

Save The Date:  A2IM’s Next Nashville Chapter Event is Thursday, March 8th, 2012

The A2IM speakers for March will be Tom Silverman of Tommy Boy Records who is also the co-founder of the New Music Seminar

When: Thursday, March 8th, 2012

Time: 5:30 PM

Speaker:  Tom Silverman

Where:Savarino’s
2121 Belcourt Avenue
Nashville, TN 37212

]]> http://a2im.org/2012/01/19/a2im%e2%80%99s-next-nashville-chapter-event-featuring-tom-silverman-is-march-8th-2012/feed/ 0 http://a2im.org/2012/01/18/a2im-on-copyright-protection/ http://a2im.org/2012/01/18/a2im-on-copyright-protection/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:55:38 +0000 A2IM http://a2im.org/?p=6367 Today a number of websites are shutting down in protest of proposed anti-piracy legislation.  They are taking a unilateral action to make their content unavailable. However, under current law, A2IM members whose copyrights are infringed upon cannot take similar action. Our independent labels and their artists have no practical way of taking down illegal links to their music from rogue foreign websites accessed via U.S. search engines.

We urge these search engines to support U.S. content creators by working toward anti-piracy legislation acceptable to all. Let’s have a debate that genuinely acknowledges that the voices within our joint communities are deep, broad and diverse and let’s all agree that doing nothing is not an option.

The media has portrayed the issue as that of two giant industries (movies/music and technology) in conflict, as though this was a battle solely between very rich businesses. In fact, our members are small and medium sized independent businesses that invest in the creation of music and whose very existence is being threatened by the availability of illegal content on line. We look forward to solution oriented discussions among all parties. Learn more

You can view a list of A2IM members who have RSVPd HERE.

A2IM’s New Media Committee plan our Tech Day events on a regular basis to bring together the best and brightest from music & technology companies to discuss the topics relevant to our changing industry. If you have not yet read the most recent white papers from this committee, you should do so prior to attending this event. You can find them all HERE on the A2IM website.

If you are a member of A2IM and would like to RSVP for this event, please RSVP HERE.

Sponsorship opportunities available for this event. Please contact Jennifer Masset or Jim Mahoney for more info.

If you have not yet registered for Digital Music Forum East, you may access the A2IM discounted rate HERE.

Big thanks to Redeye Distribution for sponsoring this event!!

This week A2IM’s Vice President Jim Mahoney was quoted in two articles Electronic Musician and Music Connection Magazine.   A2IM thanks Billboard Magazine in Association with The Recording Academy for their January 7, 2012 Special Grammy Issue in which 3 pages were dedicated to independent artists, including a line listing of all independent music nominees.

A2IM congratulates all of our members on their artist’s nominations! Good Luck to All!!

Our view is we need help to reduce unlicensed music copyright access, especially that which occurs from overseas sources where we cannot get voluntary measures and best practices enacted like the “Copyright Alerts” program which the major ISP’s have embraced here in the U.S. or finger-printing and content ID blocking measures that good digital partners are starting to include as standard for their platforms.  As our A2IM Billboard Op-ed had noted:

“If there are ways to strengthen these bills and ensure they are narrowly focused to target rogue sites, we are for that.  No legislation is perfect, and improvements should be made where appropriate.  But let’s have a debate that genuinely acknowledges that the voices within our entertainment family are deep, broad and diverse.  And let’s all agree that doing nothing is not an option any Intellectual Property creators can live with.”

Our comments all along have been in support of the proposed legislation highlighting our unique community, separate from that of the mainstream music industry, tailored toward our community’s needs as small and medium sized independent businesses that invest in the creation of music.  OUR KEY TALKING POINTS:

* The independent music community is impacted by the effect of illegal downloading, even more so in many cases than major music labels or movie studios because margins are so thin for independent labels — because we are not part of larger corporations which might be able to offset losses during leaner years, making a living becomes that much more difficult.

* Independent music labels embrace the Internet as the Internet has been the great equalizer… on the ability to market, promote, monetize and introduce new music.  The Internet has opened up countless opportunities for us.  Why would we do anything to jeopardize that?  A2IM, on behalf of our member community has spent a great deal of time speaking with, hearing from, and reading testimony from legal experts, constitutional experts and technological experts that refute the mis-information campaign that has so many concerned that these bills would suppress free speech, legal innovation or the security of the Internet.

* The time and capital investment required for our community of like-minded, but proudly independent, small business people to monitor the web for infringement and take subsequent legal action simply does not exist. A2IM member music labels simply do not have the financial means or resources to house a stable of systems people and lawyers to monitor the Internet and bombard sites with DMCA takedown notices for seemingly endless illegal links to our music (especially when even successfully removing illegal links is temporary at best as almost all reappear often within seconds).  We do not have the financial means to bankroll field offices in far-flung countries abroad with weak copyright laws. Our members have limited budgets, and whatever living they can eke out is often promptly reinvested back into finding the next new artist or the marketing campaign of an artist already on their roster.

As was noted by the MPAA “our industry not only fully supports free expression, our livelihood is built upon a vibrant First Amendment – it is the foundation of our industry and we would never support any legislation that would limit this fundamental American right.   As had been made clear throughout the legislative consideration of SOPA and the PROTECT-IP Act, neither of these bills implicate free expression but focus solely on illegal conduct, which is not free speech. We agree with Secretary Clinton’s recent statement that “There is no contradiction between intellectual property rights protection and enforcement and ensuring freedom of expression on the Internet.” We also share the Administration’s desire to encourage innovation. The American businesses that are victimized on a daily basis by global Internet thieves are among the most innovative industries in this nation and we welcome the Administration’s support of these American businesses. Every day, American jobs are threatened by thieves from foreign-based rogue websites. This deplorable situation persists because U.S. law enforcement does not have the tools to fight back”

We welcome member comments on this issue.

With more than 400 record labels, music publishers, and distributors relying on Counterpoint every day to run their businesses, we are continually looking for ways to expand our software and services to support the growing needs of a changing market.

What’s New?
We understand the challenges independent music companies face and have solutions to help you run your business efficiently and profitably.

Counterpoint has added to our already robust Counterpoint Online toolbox to bring you even more flexibility to:

• Promote your catalog online and directly license your music;

• Distribute content to stores and services from a single integrated solution;

• Build trusting relationships with publishers, artists, and third parties through accurate and transparent online reporting;

• Manage your business more efficiently saving time and money by replacing manual tasks with automation;

Additionally, we’ve introduced a new pricing model to make it affordable for growing labels to begin using our Maestro range right away to manage their business.

For information or to schedule a demonstration of any of our Maestro music solutuions, please email Mary Aldrich at maldrich@us.counterp.com , call (424) 270-8500, or go to: www.counterp.com.

If you’re attending Midem 2012, please visit us at stand R07.01 in the Riviera or be our guest at the A2IM cocktail party to be held Sunday night from 5-7 p.m. at the A2IM Pavillion, R10.18.

We are currently offering A2IM members free access to our PR service, so if you are attending MIDEM and would like a demo, please contact dmitri@storyamp.com.

OVERVIEW. Artists upload press-savvy “dispatches,” including everything a journalist needs to consider coverage of a performance event or release. Journalists get everything they need in the format and time frame they need for coverage. StoryAmp removes friction for journalists allowing them to ingest music more efficiently than ever, reducing the number of email pitches they get, and making the music pitches they get more targeted to their preferences/needs. For artist representatives, StoryAmp is the most efficient press outreach platform and includes real-time press reports (before the journalist even makes a decision!).

CONTENT PROVIDERS. A free artist account allows a user to upload as many musician profiles and dispatches as they like. Free dispatches include one photo or video and do not include audio tracks (though you can provide links to audio; they just won’t be “built in” to the StoryAmp player). A premium artist account allows for unlimited photos and videos, and allows the user to connect their SoundCloud account to provide audio within the StoryAmp player and radio discovery tool. Premium account holders can also choose to use StoryAmp’s press distribution lists. There are two types of lists: genre (for releases) and cities (for performances). Artists can log into a real-time activity log which will show which media outlets are interacting with each dispatch and how (stream, download, view, feedback, coverage plans, etc.). The artist press contact will receive emails directly from journalists making requests for albums, interview, tickets, etc.

JOURNALISTS. StoryAmp is free for journalists. Over 4,000 music journalists have been migrated from our existing PR company into StoryAmp. Journalists receive a maximum of one email per day from StoryAmp users. If a journalist is set to get more than one dispatch in a day, they show up as a digest in a single email. Each emailed digest includes four links: listen, read more, add to queue (like a Netflix queue for music writers), and unsubscribe from artist. If a journalist chooses to click through the the StoryAmp web application, they have a robust set of tools to help them manage their day-to-day work (see below).

MIDEM. Contact founder/CEO Dmitri Vietze at dmitri@storyamp.com to set up a special account at no charge for 2012.

The Copyright Office released their report on Pre-1972 Sound Recordings and while they do propose federalization, as opposed to keeping them under state jurisdiction, for post-1923 Copyrights the termination date remains 2067.  Pre-1923 copyrights would be limited to a 25 year copyright extension.

The proposal is basically a ‘use it or lose it” situation where you need to keep your music “publicly available” to keep copyright protection thru 2067 (easy enough in the digital age) with a transition period of six to ten years to ensure all materials are available. The onerous part of this might be the initial, and potential ongoing, copyright office registration process. That said, overall this result is favorable and we’ll see if we need to file comments on our registration concerns.

For copies of the Copyright Office’s executive summary and the complete report see the links below:

http://www.copyright.gov/docs/sound/pre-72-exec-summary.pdf

http://www.copyright.gov/docs/sound/pre-72-report.pdf

Broadcasters from all around the world have used Live365 as a vehicle to showcase their ideas, views, opinions, and distinctive musical tastes. Live365’s simple and affordable end-to-end broadcasting services provide a turnkey solution for individuals and organizations with an interest in internet broadcasting. Our world-class streaming platform provides passionate groups, communities, and artists, a one-stop shop for all online broadcasting needs including royalty coverage and more. Utilize Live365’s viral sharing tools and captivate audiences from all across the globe.

Live365 is now available on mobile and internet enabled devices including iPhone and Android, Roku, Western Digital, Kindle Fire, and more.

To start discovering new music today, visit www.live365.com.

Start your own broadcast by visiting www.live365.com/broadcasting.

How InStyle DM increased a Facebook Page’s “Likes” by 580% in 3 months

A long-time music label client of InStyle Digital Marketing, recently asked the digital agency to help them increase the label’s Facebook fan base. After analyzing the potential audience and the reach of their current fanbase, InStyle DM’s team recommended a Sponsored Stories campaign intended to spread virally through the friends of those who already “Like” the label’s Page. The numbers: almost 4000 clicks in a month on the Sponsored Story, with a click- to-“Like” conversion ratio of 71%.

For the second stage, the digital agency implemented small details into the campaigns for the label’s artists intended to residually get new “Likes” from fans of the artists. Highly targeted campaigns included Facebook Tabs, Ad campaigns, and promotional social posts, resulting in roughly 9,000 clicks combined, with click-to-like conversion ratios of 67%. Outstanding numbers for campaigns with a main Call To Action other than liking the Page.

In total, the combined actions implemented by InStyle Digital Marketing, accounted for almost 16,000 new “Likes” to the Facebook Page in less than 3 months. That’s a 580%+ growth rate, taking the page past the 50,000 Fan mark, and counting.

Want the know-how to use Facebook Sponsored Stories for your artists? Download InStyle DM’s free whitepaper HERE

For more info, please contact Diego Prusky at Diego.Prusky@instyledm.com or call +1-888-880-8620.