Music conference follows turbulent year for industry

Washington, Jan 7: Despite a year of headline-generating turmoil, musicians, techies, media executives and lawmakers gathering for the second ‘Future of Music’ conference on Monday will find that much remains unresolved on the digital-music landscape.

Over the past year, recording companies managed to force the shutdown of the free online song-swapping service Napster and roll out services of their own, but then saw new threats sprout up hydra-like in the form of second-generation free services like Kazaa and Morpheus.

Recording artists won a battle with the industry when they secured the right to be paid directly for Internet-based broadcasts. But they still wield little control over the music they create, advocates said.
Tech firms rolled out a steady stream of digital-music devices and services, but saw funding for new ventures dry up in the face of lawsuits and a weakened economy.

And players on all sides won the attention of Capitol Hill, only to see the September 11 terror attacks wipe digital-music issues off the congressional agenda. "It’s really changed very little, which is unfortunate, because I think change would be very productive," said Mr Eric Schierer, a digital-music analyst with Forrester Research Inc.
Despite the presence of Capitol Hill players and music-industry heavyweights, the tone of Monday’s conference is expected to be distinctly anti-establishment.

Conference organizer Jenny Toomey, an activist and musician with the punk band Tsunami, hoped to shine the spotlight on independent artists who retain control of their music.

Panelists will include musician/entrepreneurs such as Ian Mackaye of Fugazi and Dave Fagin of the Rosenbergs, who have found success outside usual music-industry pathways. Napster CEO Konrad Hilbers is scheduled to speak as well.

But while the buzz on and off the dais will likely focus on
the recording industry’s recent moves, 2001 may be remembered as the year the industry finally caught up with the digital revolution.

— Reuters