Sensoria (April 23-25) will offer a mix of screenings, performance, talks, events and exhibitions in the UK town of Sheffield that will be followed by Sensoria Teasers – events, activities and collaborations “as and when the opportunity arises”. Events include “Music for real airports”, a screening of “12 Angry Men” with live music, “Man of Aran” with live music by British Seapower and an interesting Pro section. These talks will include discussion about synch licences, monetisation in the digital world and a masterclass with Paul Leonard-Morgan. Details at Sensoria.

Midem 2010, the place were the global music community comes together, will feature a number of exclusive licensing events. Are your songs good enough for the next DJ Hero® videogame, a movie trailer, a US popular show, or even a Pantene campaign?

If you’re attending Midem, submit them for up to five Listening Sessions via Activision Blizzard, Grey Advertising, RipTide Music, MTV and Zync Music, all taking place only at MIDEM 2010, January 23-26, 2010 in Cannes!

Improved tracking – and therefore more accurate payments – is becoming a major issue with members of author’s rights societies worldwide. The US body Sesac is introducing tracking using Vericast, from BMAT, to more accurately track music usage for select publishers. BMAT uses real-time audio recognition to spot the tracks being used in advertising and radio, even recognising music under a voice-over or that has been put through effects. Traditionally, societies have had to rely on users declaring uses. But this is a cumbersome system to manage, the result being that most payments could best be described as “guesstimates”.

Systems such as BMAT, however, are expensive. This is probably why Sesac in its press release says “Thousands of audio files from select SESAC publisher affiliates will be monitored across top broadcast and cable outlets”. In other words, they are focussing on the top earners from the top publishers at major media outlets. So although this will improve accuracy, it will most likely only do so for higher earners. For more details, visit Sesac and BMAT.

The MOFFOM Music on Film/Film on Music Minifest & Market will take place in Berlin on the original dates of the now cancelled Popkomm international music market. This event includes both a market part aiming at film and music professionals as well as a small film festival part targeting the broader audience of film and music aficionados.

Throughout the day of September 17, three panels will offer insights on soundtrack marketing strategies and the creative collaboration between filmmakers and musicians, as speakers like Mikkel Maltha (Zentropa), Andro Steinborn (NEU Filmproduktion), Thomas Jamois (Naïve Label) or Hannes Stöhr (“Berlin Calling”) share their experiences. The panels are moderated by John Groves (Vice President, Federation of Film & Audiovisual Composers of Europe – FFACE). For details, visit Just Temptation.

To discuss the issues of film and music, Just Temptation is organising the Music on Film/Film on Music (MOFFOM) Minifest & Market on the original dates of the now cancelled Popkomm international music market in Berlin. This event will include both a market part open to film and music professionals as well as a mini festival part targeting the broader audience of film and music aficionados.
Read the rest of this entry…

EMI Publishing has announced that it’s not going to be making its catalogue available at the new audio streaming rates for websites, that were recently published by the UK collection society PRS for Music. PRS recently cut its minimum stream rates from 0.22p to 0.085p last month, in a move that was intended to ease relationships with digital sites and YouTube in particular.

“We are not currently satisfied that the new rates – in particular the minima – proposed by PRS for Music for streaming services are appropriate”, said EMI Music Publishing’s general counsel for Europe Antony Bebawi.

In practical terms, this means that the company will itself adminster streaming services. It is regrettable that EMI Publishing and PRS did not come to a joint decision about rates. But on the other hand, the fact that digital companies were created on unrealistic rates is not really a valid argument for demanding reductions.