The future of discography: with BMG at Lisbon Web Summit
With the advent of streaming and the spread of digital technologies, record companies have also had to make changes to keep pace. The market has changed significantly. Today, within what we call the music industry, there are not only the record companies and the so-called majors fall. All the portals and the platforms that contribute to the commercialization and promotion of the music product are part of the music industry, including music magazines.
In the Seventies, a caste of labels divided the most significant slice, controlling 90% of the market. Gone are those days. Mergers and joint ventures have led to the current scenario. The most prominent majors are BMG, Warner, Universal, Sony, and Virgin, surrounded by several independent music labels to disseminate musical niches and emerging artists. However, the streaming platforms with free and subscription-based services, as well as portals with paid tracks downloads, have entered the big player rightfully. It is also with them that the majors and small record labels have to compete.
Future of discography conference
In an increasingly digital scenario, an independent artist needs to understand what are the logics that direct today’s and tomorrow’s recording market. An excellent opportunity comes from the conference on 7 November entitled Life as the fourth major held by Hartwig Masuch (CEO of BMG). The event takes place at Web Summit Lisbon , where we are present as Media /Press at Music Notes stage.
On this occasion, Hartwig Masuch retraces the last ten years of BMG, recounting how one of the world’s leading record labels has been able to thrive in the new digital landscape. How? Thanks to new editorial and musical strategies, diversification, acquisitions, and streaming.
Something more about the Life as the fourth major speakers at Web Summit
Hartwig Masuch is Chief Executive Officer of BMG Rights Management, a record label of the Bertelsmann group heir to BMG (Bertelsmann Music Group). BMG was founded in 2008 to capitalize on the rift caused by streaming. Masuch has accompanied BMG in over 100 acquisitions to become the fourth largest record label in the world.
Moderator at the conference is Mark Savage, BBC News Music Reporter (British Broadcasting Corporation) for technology, regulation, and business models of the music industry. During his career, he interviewed artists like Madonna, Paul McCartney, and Lady Gaga.
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