Editorial April 2011
As we observe the sudden shifts in New England weather over these past few weeks, there seems a distinct sense of renewal in the air. We are surrounded by the much welcome change of the season, and the Music Business Journal’s latest release is as fresh as ever. Harmonizing the tone set by this month’s ReThink Music Conference, the MBJ presents a compilation of industry news that gives insight to the business’s future directions.
Fred Choquette and Kerry Fee open things up with an insightful reflection and detailed interview with ReThink coordinators Allen Bargfrede and Chris Bavitz. As Boston’s first major music conference, and the first appearance of MIDEM in the U.S. in a while, the two share their thoughts on the event’s potential for the industry. Then, Nick Susi provides first hand accounts of this year’s Digital Music Forum East held in New York City and SXSW, held in Austin, TX.
With the recent Citigroup acquisition of the EMI record label, the instability of the majors is more apparent than ever. I’ve provided an account of the deal along with other potential mergers and acquisitions. Also, the Recording Academy has faced a great deal of criticism at this year’s Grammies, and Fred Choquette writes on the controversy. Change in the industry is reflected perhaps in the discussion over the Grammy nominations.
The world of the music cloud is taking shape quicker than ever. Kayleigh Mill has contributed an informative piece on the recently enacted “Apple Tax” and its possible implications. In addition, Ben Scudder provides us with an exclusive look into the inner workings of MOG through a detailed interview with the company’s mobile marketing director, Anu Kirk.
On the law side of things, Luiz Augusto Buff shares a detailed analysis of Termination Rights and how that might affect artists. Ben Hong also provides a thought-provoking piece on Information Security as it pertains to consumer activity on the Internet.
In addition to this month’s latest body of work, it gives me great pleasure to announce that after six months of rethinking our online presence, the MBJ team will be launching a brand new website that will feature our entire database of articles along with lots of additional content. Be sure to check it out soon at www.thembj.org.
Thanks so much for reading,
Evan Kramer, Editor-in-Chief
