Events

This week, I’ve been to c/o pop conference, or, precisely put, I’ve been to c’n’b conference at Cologne. I absolutely have no clue why re-branding something established. Would you consider changing your domain name? Which is quite similar, I think.

It’s true, they changed focus. But it’s much easier for your audience to stick with the same name although it might not entirely match the topics you present.

The result: Yes, I found a number of topics from different branches tackled at c’n’b. Design, advertising, social media - whatever. It was a nice event, and I met a whole bunch of cool people. Yet it was like… where are the musicians from last year’s event? The number of panels dealing with music didn’t decrease much (though definitely there were more non-music people on the panels than before).

But for some reason, musicians were hardly to be found. Actually, a2n experienced that in last year’s event too. I couldn’t help to find that c’n’b extremely suffered from missing attendees active in music creation.

Continue reading "c/o pop Cologne Goes c'n'b - Lessons To Be Learned" »

Hey… thought it might be a nice idea to post the sessions I’m most probably to attend. Though, there are some German hosted events I will have to be present. Also, you might never know who you are going to meet.

Wednesday

• 11:00 AM - Derek Sivers - Successful SXSW: The Tao of the Conference
  
• 02:00 PM - 1,000 Digital Tools & Strategies: Which 3 Work?
  
• 02:30 PM - Martin Atkins interviewed by Whitney Francis
  
• 03:30 PM - Yancey Strickler (Kickstarter), Ian Rogers (Topspin) - Crowdfunding Music: Raising Money from Your Fans
  
• 05:00 PM - What Comes Next in the World of Marketing Music?

Thursday

• 12:30 PM - Martin Atkins - Welcome to the Music Business - You’re Fucked
  
• 03:30 PM - Simon Wheeler (Beggars) - Promotional Value vs. Licensing Revenue

Friday

• 11:00 AM - DIY or Sign with a Label
  
• 11:00 AM - Rumors of My Demise: Do Artists Need Labels Anymore?
  
• 12:30 PM - Evaluating the New Business Models: Benefit or B.S.?
  
• 02:00 PM - Lou Plaia (ReverbNation), Zoe Keating - Effective Online Marketing Platforms
  
• 05:00 PM - Five Possible Futures for the Music Industry

Saturday

• 11:00 AM - Tim Palmer, Hugh Pdgham - Producers Adapt and Survive
  
• 11:00 AM - Clive Gardiner (We7) - Sustainable Ad-Funded Music Is Not a Pipe Dream
  
• 12:30 PM - Paul Dalen, John Doe - The Cultural Significance of Direct-to-Fan Marketing
  
• 03:30 PM - Suzanne Vega - Artists: Getting a Digital Ass-Kicking?

… also I think I’m going to see the gigs of Zoe Keating, The Crystal Method, The Like - maybe even The Stone Temple Pilots or Street Sweeper Social Club.

Know what: I f***ing hate having no web in train. For four hours. Four hours I could have been working. Ok. I give up. I’m playing around with my my cell phone now to tweet… then again - it’s no iPhone (and I really wish I would have one). But no, not available with any plan at Vodafone. So I’m still using my old Sony Ericsson P1i. 4 chars on 1 key. Great.

More hate. But I’m in dire need for good vibes. Yes (I’m saying that to myself). Yes, I AM going to enjoy SXSW, Austin. Btw, did I mention first we’re going to spend two days in Miami Beach, prepping up for SXSW? We got a hell lot of things to do to get the maximum out of SXSW for Berlin’s all2gethernow, aka a2n.

We keep on being told that everybody’s looking forward to a2n, having heard great things from other people. Obviously Amanda is doing a lot of recommendation here (big thx to Sydney!) - and another one whom I don’t want to mention yet… he’s even recommending us though he wasn’t around last year (you know who you are - already owe you a lot).

If success at SXSW comes just close to what we have started and drafted for a2n - you damn better get a ticket for a2n.

Now I’m enjoying my ride.

P.S.: As you can see: There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, which is a tunnel without web nor power supply. Found it.

Hey there… so here we go! all2gethernow 2010, which is scheduled for Sept 6th-12th, will be present at SXSW booths #509/511/513 in Austin (TX). We are joining teams from Cologne, Hamburg and more peeps from Berlin.

All the freshest news on Germany’s musical landscape and what you are about to expect at all2gethernow - just come over and have a chat with gorgeous Andrea Goetzke or myself (if you can bear that). Of course, we are going to provide you with twitter, friendfeed and facebook coverage, pics’n’all. Hashtag: #a2n

You thought a2n 2009 was a great one with just 10 weeks of preparation? Ok. This year we are about go really boom. You are afraid a2n is losing touch with its bottom-up approach? Hell! Don’t you ever dare to… Never. Artists, fans, bloggers, consumers - keep your bags packed and prepare your suggestions.

More details soon.

Finally. Editing of videos, compiling all material and statements took more time than expected. But it’s - almost - done.

Unfortunately, most statements are available in German only. Yet some of the sessions were held in English.

I’m still missing the sessions on collection societies and DIY marketing, the latter featuring Amanda Palmer and Georgia Wonder. Though one video I’m sure you will enjoy: Amanda Palmer live at Münze Berlin (almost 80 minutes).

Right now, the documentation on Vimeo lists 59 videos. This includes statements from participants right after panels they were involved in as well as full videos of some sessions. Much thanks to the guys from PeopleZapping as well as to Jens Best who was heavily involved into editing the videos. Btw, these videos are the result from our webcasts - please don’t expect HD material shot with the best and most expensive equipment you can find at Amsterdam’s IBC.

Also, you might browse the Flickr group mainly featuring pictures by Robert Eysoldt, Karola Riegler, Sim Sullen and Gaga Nielsen. The type of copyright licence depends on the photographer and the picture.

I came across this when browsing this year’s program to Luxembourg’s Sonic Visions festival and - you guessed it - conference.

Obviously, the question is a more rhetoric one. At least I hope so. Too bad if announced panel’s conclusion would be to reduce and cut conferences. Of course, some conferences appear dispensable. Actually, changes in music industry indicate that some sort of conferences has become redundant.
Continue reading "Do We Need Music Conferences?" »

Several times I mentioned GEMA (Germany’s collection society) and hassles artists as well as event managers and other people are having in dealing with them. Yet, all2gethernow’s panel on collection societies made me feel some relief in looking forward.




Continue reading "Germany's Collection Society GEMA Having a..." »

Es gibt Tage, die ich bevorzugt ohne Medien im Innern meiner Häuslichkeit zubringe. Karneval. Silvester. Abseitig dieser schaurigen Tage kann man entweder der Natur frönen oder sich als unauffälliges Café-Inventar in wunderbar umtriebigen Stadtdschungeln genüsslich dem Menschenstudium hingeben. Nicht so an diesen aufoktroyierten Tagen, die stets im Marketing-günstigen Bundling mit Emotionspaketen einschließlich Nicht-Echtheitsgarantie daher kommen.

Warum der Artikel? Warum heute? Warum innerhalb eines Medien- und Musik-fokussierten Blogs?

Wir schreiben den 3. Oktober, Tag der Einheit, diesmal 2009. Wenn der Tag (glücklicherweise) auch nicht eine solch ausgeprägte Eventcharakteristik hat wie die oben genannten, so tragen die geliebten Medien mit Sondersendungen, MovieFilmFilmMovies, Kurzserien, Dokumentationen, Performances, Ratespielen und Leipziger Allerlei doch das ihnen Mögliche dazu bei.

Ein Tag zum Zurückziehen. In die eigene, solipsistische Welt.

Gäbe es da nicht Veranstaltungen - und hier finden wir wieder den Bezug zur Site-gemäßen Umgebung - die tatsächlich Anlass, Kultur und Charakterstudien zusammenführen. Auf angenehme Art und Weise. Und mit der Option, neue Blickwinkel zu finden.

Farbwerte - eine Ausstellung, geöffnet vom 02.-11.10.2009 in Berlin. Ort ist interessanterweise die ehemalige Staatliche Münze Berlin, wo Reichsmark, DDR-Mark, D-Mark und Euro geprägt wurden.
Continue reading "Farbwerte - Lohnenswerte Perspektiven auf..." »

The concept was to create an event for the creative people. For consumers. For social media geeks. For IT people. For anyone whose interested in discussing the changes in music and culture. It was intended to be a convention for anyone to collectively work on the current situation - all2gethernow.

The first installment of all2gethernow aimed at finding first steps towards solutions - we didn’t expect Harry Potter to attend and make Lord “Where’s the artist’s money?” Voldemort go KA-BOOM. Also, confrontation gets no one nowhere. Starting out, it’s great to get people from different sides talking to each other. To motivate. To initiate. To help people participate.

But, no matter what, a2n will be compared to Popkomm.

Continue reading "all2gethernow at Berlin - a Review (albeit from..." »

Still listening and watching surprise guest Kim “Vermillion” Boekbinder opening the set, there was another sound that made people turn their heads by 100°.

It’s been surely bizarre: Imagine the almost naked architecture of an industrial building’s hall from 75 years ago, and a vaudeville figurine in lingerie playing her ukulele right below the ceiling up on an open stair.

With a quiet yet growing voice she started. No mic at all. Not that she was in need of one.

“I’m a creep... I’m a weirdo...”

This has to be the most haunting and emotional interpretation of Radiohead’s “Creep” I ever heard. While playing, singing, and feeling the song Amanda slowly climbed downstairs with the grace of walking on a huge show stairway and went over to the stage.
Continue reading "Amanda Palmer: "I'm a weirdo..." #a2n" »