On Monday, the Digital Music Forum in New York took place and it was a well-attended event with close to 400 participants. The conference had mostly very informative panels, and the mood was mildly upbeat as players in the space are finally starting to see some traction in the marketplace.
Although there were no groundbreaking announcements, this was largely expected. However, highlights came from a keynote address by Sean Ryan of RealNetworks as well as an interview with the RIAA`s Steven Marks. Two panels, in particular, examined the role of P2P in digital music and the other developments on the mobile end.
The first panel, “Selling Music Online: Who Will Be the Winners and the Losers?” discussed the future of digital music sales and who will come out on top. The panelists debated the pros and cons of different music streaming and download services, and how to best monetize these platforms. The panelists agreed that the current state of the streaming industry is still in its early stages, and there is a lot of room for growth in the market.
The second panel, “The Future of P2P: Can the Music Industry Profit from the Legitimate Uses of P2P?”, discussed how the music industry can profit from the legitimate uses of P2P technology. The panelists discussed how P2P can be used in a variety of ways, including for music discovery, social sharing, and music distribution. The panelists agreed that there is a lot of potential in P2P technology, but it is important to balance the needs of consumers with the needs of content creators.
The third panel, “Death of the CD? DVDs, Games and Other Formats for Music Delivery,” focused on the changing landscape of music delivery formats. The panelists discussed how CDs are becoming less popular and how streaming is taking over. They also talked about the potential for music delivery through other formats like DVDs and video games. The panelists agreed that the future of music delivery is changing rapidly and that the industry needs to adapt accordingly.
Finally, the fourth panel, “Mobile Music Deals: Maximizing Potential of the Mobile Market,” discussed the future of music on mobile devices. The panelists discussed how mobile devices are becoming the primary way that people consume music, and how the industry can best capitalize on this trend. The panelists also talked about the challenges of creating a seamless user experience across different mobile platforms and the importance of optimizing music for mobile devices.
In addition to the panels, there were two keynote speakers at the event. Sean Ryan of RealNetworks gave a keynote address and discussed the future of music streaming and how his company is adapting to the changing market. Jonathan Potter of DiMA also gave a keynote address and discussed the importance of copyright law and how it affects the music industry.
Overall, the Digital Music Forum was a successful event that provided valuable insights into the current state and future of the music industry. The event is starting to eclipse New York’s other digital music conference, Jupiter’s Plug.IN, mainly because of its streamlined approach and cheaper ticket prices. The conference was coordinated by Ned Sherman and Digital Media Wire, and more information can be found at digitalmusicforum.com.
