The CMU Training team posted ten tips on how to get the most out of Facebook yesterday, adding to the ever growing library of tips and advice for artists, managers, label execs and everyone working in music.

Specifically focused on recent changes made by Facebook when they rolled out Timeline to artist pages, though with some more general advice for getting the most out of the social network too, the ten tips are online here.

The latest set of CMU tips come ahead of the launch next week of a brand new CMU Training course focused on all things social media, and how social media platforms can be used to engage, analyse and sell to fanbases, and to build audience.

The one-day course, which costs just £95 plus VAT, takes place in Shoreditch next Wednesday from 11am – 6pm. More details and bookings here.

This week the CMU Tips library – the free online resource for music people from the CMU Training team – will again expand ahead of the launch next week of a new training course focused on social media. As previously reported, the new one-day course will focus on social and digital networks, and how they can be used to engage and grow a fanbase for both established and new artists.

It will look at the key social media platforms available and other useful digital tools, the importance of interaction and content, how to manage an artist’s social media presence on a day-to-day basis, advertising on social media platforms, how to measure social activity, and how social media fits in to a wider marketing and communication strategy. The first edition takes place next Wednesday, 23 May, in Shoreditch, East London, and places are just £95 plus VAT.

Ahead of that, CMU Training’s social media expert Sam Taylor has thrown the spotlight on Facebook’s timeline, that recent innovation that most artists and labels are still grappling with. The new default landing page for anyone’s Facebook presence has a lot of potential if used correctly, and today we provide a introduction to the feature, and on Thursday will provide ten tips to getting the most out of it.

Access the CMU Tips for free here, and book your place on the social media course here.

Day two of last week’s Great Escape convention in Brighton included a focus on the music media, and the future of both the music press and music radio, in the UK and beyond. Before she joined the debate on the future of the music press, CMU caught up with the Sunday Times’ Serena Kutchinsky, and asked her what the music media might look like in ten years time – would print titles die out in her opinion, and where is digital publishing heading?

“Currently, there’s a lot of hype about the demise of print but not that much evidence it’s actually happening”, she mused. “Print is still relatively healthy. Websites have huge reach but haven’t yet found an effective revenue generating mechanism. Digital sales currently account for less than 1% of total ABCs. So print and digital formats are likely to continue to co-exist for at least the next ten years”.

She continued: “Tablet publishing is the new great white hope and the blueprint is there for this to become the dominant platform, offering an integrated, enhanced reader experience with room for longer format articles. Plus, the ability to have all your magazines stored on one device means you’re likely to read more, which is a positive for the industry. But the price of devices such as the iPad is currently preventing them from being ubiquitous. This is one area where the evolution over the next ten years is key but I think it’s still too early to make a definitive statement”.

Focusing in particular of the music press, Kutchinsky added: “In terms of titles, I think we all suspect that the NME will be digital only. Its print circulation is down to 27,650, yet its publishers claim an audience of over one million thanks to their digital platforms. If they can pour their energy into improving their digital offering and focusing on spin-off, brand enhancements such as NME Extra and NME Radio then there might be a future for what is still a strong brand. On the flip side to that, established online-only publications such as Drowned In Sound, Pitchfork and Resident Advisor might see revenue opportunities in physical products down the line, whether they be printed annuals, compendiums of best content presented in a box set, or other limited edition formats”.

Joining Kutchinsky on the new music press panel was Dan Miller from VICE, who likewise observed that while the future will obviously be dominated by digital, print still had its place. Similarly optimistic about the future, despite the many challenges faced by the magazine publishing sector just now, Miller also reckoned that those titles which properly engage their audience will be able to find revenue streams beyond somewhat lacklustre banner advertising – whether that be branded content, an area where VICE has led, or the subscription route, the option where Kutchinsky’s employers are the pioneers.

Miller told CMU: “The landscape will almost certainly be dominated by digital, but print will definitely still survive across some multi-platform titles. The success stories will be those that identify their audience and consistently engage and challenge them – be it through branded content or exploring subscription models”.

While Saturday’s sessions at The Great Escape convention last week were more laid back, there was still time to discuss a couple of important topics for bands and rights owners, perhaps most prominently the whole brands thing.

Richard Kirstein from Resilient Music, Tim Dellow from Love Live, Jemma Downey from Live Nation and Jasmine Skee from O2 debated when and why brands work with new acts over global rock stars, what brands might offer such acts in return, and how artists should go about pursuing brand partnership opportunities. After the event Richard took to his own blog to round up some of the points raised by both himself and his fellow panellists.

In terms of how band brand partnerships are formed, a lot was said about the importance of ‘fit’. Richard writes: “Clearly authenticity and credibility are important objectives in any artist partnership – and on Saturday we examined the idea of ‘fit’; though it’s certainly a subjective term, there were some strong views on partnerships that worked and those that didn’t”.

Richard shares some of those case studies on his blog, before advising artists considering approaching brands that they too consider the ‘fit’ thing: “Identify brands who work with artists in a similar genre to you, examine the types of campaign that target brands have previously activated, and examine brands’ campaign cycles [ie when are they likely to be planning new activity] and time your approach accordingly”.

He adds: “Consider brands that you or your artist already uses in daily life, and consider brands whose services or products you need to support your career eg transport, clothing, footwear, equipment”.

As for what brands will offer artists in return, we asked the panel what was on the table for new artists, money, free product or audience? “Yes to all three”, Richard says. “During the panel, on money, Tim felt that artists should always be paid, but Jasmine commented on how O2 rarely paid emerging artists. I believe that ‘value exchange’ is certainly a better strategy for both parties (rather than a straight financial transaction), especially where longevity of relationship is a key objective”.

He continues: “Where brands pay fees, managers take commission and labels/publishers withhold artists’ shares against unrecouped balances. In contrast, artists receive the full benefit directly for any goods or services provided by a brand within a “value exchange” deal. A manager can’t take 20% of a van or jacket!”

You can read Richard’s full post-TGE blog post here.

During Thursday’s Spotlight On DIY strand at last week’s Great Escape convention, Bristol-based organisation Teenage Rampage – which offers mentoring and hands-on training to those who aspire to perform or work behind the scenes in music – presented a session looking at how young people wanting to work in music should go about it; what is it that employers in the music sector look for?

While opinion was slightly divided over the merits of university qualifications in music business management, all agreed that hands-on experience, passion and the willingness to work hard were prerequisites for those looking for their first job in music. And while internships at existing music companies – especially the paid kind – can be as hard to come by as proper jobs sometimes, the panel of experts noted that setting up a music blog, running a gig night or helping manage a friend’s band were just as valuable, and could be achieved with initiative rather than contacts and resources.

Speaking just before the session, Morna Cook, Senior Director Of HR at Universal Music UK, told CMU: “Any music experience is good experience – put together a CV that shows you have carried out music related projects in your own time, whether that’s running or promoting your own night, managing a band, or writing a music related blog. Projects like this show you are passionate and have an active interest in the industry, and that you are proactive”.

From the independent side, Simon Goffe of Brownswood Recordings also talked up the blogging approach. “Set up your own music blog”, he said. “It will impress potential employers immensely and show them your genuine passion. And then, when contacting prospective employers, do your research and write a personalised letter. Never send round blanket letters or emails. They get deleted straight away!”

Cook likewise agreed that, when approaching music companies for jobs, whatever the size of the firm, aspiring music execs needed to do their research before getting in touch. “Ensure you’ve done your research on the company, and know what’s going on in the wider industry, from the latest technological developments to what’s happening in the charts”.

Meanwhile Matt Booth from Teenage Rampage, who has run numerous programmes helping young people interested in the music industry, had some other advice for people who do find internships, training opportunities or even a first job in music. “Be prepared to work very hard. Don’t just wait for the opportunities to come to you, and when you do get that first opportunity, do the job you’ve been asked to do as well as you can. Hard and passionate workers will be spotted by other people working on a project, and they might be future employers”.

Wrapping things up in the ‘advice for newcomers’ department, Jack Kingslake, who has also run ventures supporting young talent, told CMU: “Appreciate and innovate. Be professional: be nice, turn up on time and work hard. And don’t forget why you love music”.

There is more information about Teenage Rampage here.

One of the main strands of the first day of the CMU-programmed Great Escape convention, which kicked off in Brighton yesterday, was a series of panels looking at the DIY approach and offering advice to artists looking to manage their careers themselves, both creatively and commercially.

The second session of the day saw PR company Create Spark’s Debbie Ball, digital marketing agency Good Lizard’s David Riley, direct-to-fan service Music Glue’s Joe Porn and DIY artist Chris T-T discuss getting noticed without a record label’s marketing budget. Ahead of the session, we asked Debbie Ball and Chris T-T for some of their top tips.

“Be selective”, said Ball. “Figure out how you want to present your act to the public from the off, both aesthetically and ideologically, online and offline”.

She continued: “Build a team that suits you to advise the early stages of your musical endeavours and start off small (you don’t have to have the whole range of promotional people to start with, for instance). Work out a realistic plan together to loosely stick to, to create opportunities to get your music noticed and take advantage of new opportunities that may arise”.

Finally, she emphasised the importance of timing. She said: “Don’t rush into doing things that might be too early in relation to where you’re at in your career and bear in mind that certain opportunities can be come back to further down the line. A considered approach is a good way to building your reputation and letting people know about your music. You can then adjust the pace of when you do things depending on how quickly people start taking notice and a natural momentum occurs”.

On the more creative side of things, Chris T-T said: “Make everything you do beautiful and something you’re 100% proud of. Get the art and craft right first, before you become a marketing guru. Never send out demos that are just roughs – 99% of people, industry or not, can’t hear ‘through’ the rough sound or rehearsal-room performance, even if they claim they can”.

He also emphasised the importance of trying to think differently and come up with ways of making yourself stand out from the rest of the pack: “Don’t be afraid to go outside the norms of the industry – even when you’re first gigging in your home town, build your own shows from scratch outside normal venues and away from regular promoters, so they’re memorable, crazy and different. If you get known for running insane parties, it’ll go a million times further than getting known for being a decent new band”.

Finally, he advised artists to get out of their hometown and tour as soon as possible, saying: “Play away as soon as you can and only ‘come home’ to your hometown friends/fanbase when you absolutely need to. Learn to tour. Learn to behave right on the road and play a great set to three people. Believe in a learning period, so don’t expect yourself to be sorted from the start – even if your music is amazing, you’ll need to learn the language and rhythm of the live world away from your mates”.

Stay tuned to theCMUwebsite.com/thegreatescape for more updates from this years Great Escape convention.

As part of the stand of sessions giving advice for artists considering going the DIY route on the first day of the CMU-programmed Great Escape convention, which kicked off in Brighton yesterday, the founders of four independent labels gave an insight into what goes into running an independent record label, and what they can offer over an artist self-releasing their recordings themselves.

The panel included Memphis Industries’ Ollie Jacob, Robert Luis from Tru Thoughts, Alex Fitzpatrick from Holy Roar, and Song, By Toad’s Matthew Young. Prior to going on stage, we asked three of the panelists whether they are any pros to artists going down the DIY route versus signing with a label.

“I think artists going the DIY route is a good way to understand how various aspects of the business of music works”, said Luis. “Though, in the long run, running a label is time consuming, so you’ll need someone fulltime working on it. As a label, we offer staff who specialise in different aspects of their jobs (publishing, licensing, PR, distribution, accounts and contracts to name a few) and a set up and contact list that is well established and experienced”.

He added: “My view is if you are a talented artist, keep an eye on the ‘business’ but let someone else concentrate on it and do the work so you can concentrate on the creative side of making great music”.

Fitzpatrick added: “I think a label such as ours offers (I hope) a stamp of validity to an artist’s work. I think labels can act as a filter, can elevate artists onto a pedestal somewhat and help them stand out above the clutter. Labels also offer advice on a variety of topics and help with tours, managers, booking agents, merchandise – everything really. I am very pro bands going down a DIY route, but it is a lot of work and harder than working with a label you trust and respect”.

As for advice for anyone considering setting up their own label, Jacob said: “Manage expectations, both yours and the artists. Make sure, however much you love them and their music, that you don’t let your spend on an artist get out of hand”.

Luis added: “Ask as many people as possible who actually run labels or have released music for advice (no matter what the genre of music). Do not worry about making mistakes, this is an important learning curve. And expect to work hard to get people to pay attention to your music”.

Stay tuned to theCMUwebsite.com/thegreatescape for more updates from this years Great Escape convention.

The CMU-programmed Great Escape convention kicked off in Brighton this morning, with two sessions on copyright issues getting the proceedings going. One will look at the government’s current consultation on fair use type issues, while a session presented by PRS For Music is tackling the ongoing debate over piracy, and efforts to crack down on the distribution of illegal content online.

Artists, labels and other rights owners have scored a number of wins in recent years in persuading judges and ministers to crack down on illegal file-sharing, but when it comes to public opinion those who support file-sharing, or at least fear the draconian enforcement of copyright, have generally had the upper hand. And public opinion is everything – the successful anti-SOPA protests in the US earlier this year, led by Wikipedia and other leading web firms, derailed anti-piracy legislation Stateside that had been years in the making.

But what can the music community do to better put its side of the argument to the world at large? CMU spoke to two of the experts taking part in this Great Escape debate just before taking to the stage, and between them the advice is this: give a better voice to artists and creators, try to be less combative, and rethink your corporate PR strategy.

Songwriter and Guardian journalist Helienne Lindvall told CMU: “We need to end the myth that the music industry equals a bunch of big corporations, and that copyright only exists to line their pockets. The way to do it is to help creators and small labels feel safe enough to speak out”.

She continued: “As there’s safety in numbers, let’s start off by using a tool that the anti-copyright lobby has used with great success: online petitions. We need to support creators and smaller labels who dare to speak out, as it’s vital people understand that the erosion of copyright has a much more detrimental effect on creators and small labels than the big corporations. And to get people to understand, we need to explain why in an easy to grasp way”.

Meanwhile PR expert Andy Saunders of Velocity Communications told us: “If the creative industries think that they can put the genie back in the bottle they are wrong. They need to accept that, stop being so combative and take a more consultative approach to these issues”.

He added: “By properly engaging with consumers, ISPs, content licensees and governments, and listening to their arguments and concerns – rather than simply taking a blunt instrument, zero tolerance approach to all issues of copyright infringement – they might find a way through the no-win situation they currently find themselves in. They also need to invest in some decent PR strategy, which takes a more sophisticated, nuanced approach to the issues. This shrill, hectoring approach to external communications will get them nowhere”.

PRS For Music is hosting a whole day of sessions at The Great Escape today, including Brian Molko In Conversation with 6music’s Matt Everitt, and the always essential Will Page keynote, which became even more essential last night with the announcement that Martin Mills, Chairman of the Beggars Group, was joining his panel. Check theCMUwebsite.com/thegreatescape for more information about the convention and wider TGE festival.

As well as PRS For Music’s sessions, the other big strand taking place at the CMU-programmed Great Escape today focuses on the DIY approach, ie artists going it alone, either in a bid to keep more creative and commercial control over their careers, or simply to make themselves more attractive to future label partners down the line.

The first practical session in this strand will provide insights galore for new acts, and before the experts providing the advice took to the stage, CMU got some top tips from each of them.

First up, DIY artist MJ Hibbett told us: “Don’t wait around for just the right gig or release, get on with it – after all the most important part of ‘Do It Yourself’ is ‘Do It’! Get a diary and use it to plan out what you’re going to do – not just gigs, but notes to yourself to ring people, set up recordings, re-hassle people for gigs – everything”.

He added: “Don’t pay somebody else to do something if you can earn to do it yourself. Learning how to set artwork up into the correct format, for instance, is a colossal pain the first time you have to do it, but once you’ve learnt how it works you can do it forever and save yourself time and money”.

Thinking about the copyrights songwriters create, Simon Pursehouse from Sentric Music says: “As an emerging artist you’ll probably make more money from your music publishing rights than anywhere else – so ensure you’re registered with a performing rights organisation and that you’re claiming what is rightfully yours”.

As for the sync potential of those rights, Pursehouse adds: “Landing syncs isn’t easy and competition is fierce, but get a good representative in this space, and then make sure they have everything they need – WAVs, key information and correct metadata”.

In terms of selling recordings, Mark McQuillan of Brighton-based distributors Republic Of Music advises: “Believe in your product and work as hard as possible to engage your core fanbase to purchase – signed CDs, bonus discs and added value items will help. Don’t just sit back and wait for orders to come in, as it ain’t gonna happen, so be prepared to work for every sale”.

He continued: “Have strong distribution, if possible, as they can open doors into all the key first stage stores (and the best indies, iTunes and the online retailers) and listen to any advice your distributer offers regarding release strategy, release dates, formats and added value. And try not to overspend on promo costs or over budget on initial sales potential – it will leave you no options for phase two and beyond. It takes time to build a release, but small well planned steps can get you there”.

And finally, from a legal angle, Josh Little of ACUMEN told us: “Check the availability of your band name early and register a trademark. Your band is your brand so you need to protect it early on. And as much as possible, don’t enter into agreements on a handshake. They will only cause you pain later on. Oh, and copyright is free and automatic. You don’t need to register it – just able to prove when you created your work”.

So, that’s a lot of tips to be getting on with. Look out for a plethora of useful advice coming out of the Old Courtroom at The Great Escape today. We’ll document a helping of it here at theCMUwebsite.com/thegreatescape

So, The Great Escape showcase festival and music business convention kicks off in Brighton bright and early tomorrow morning, and we’ve just put the full printed-programme for the CMU-curated convention strand online for you to view in a digital fashion. Meanwhile, here’s some updates on things to look out for that we’ve not previously featured in the CMU Daily.

Tomorrow morning copyright issues will be under the spotlight with two great sessions. The first, presented by PRS For Music, will look at piracy, and the battle to win over judges, politicians and, most importantly, the public in the debate on protecting music rights online. Arguably the music industry has done much better at presenting its case to the former two than the public at large, and public opinion is crucial if copyright rules are to work. The Register’s Andrew Orlowski, Velocity Communications’ Andy Saunders and Peter Bradwell from the Open Rights Group will join The Guardian’s Helienne Lindvall to debate those issues.

Next up, around the corner at Komedia, ACUMEDIA at The Great Escape will focus on the copyright consultation currently being undertaken by the government, following last year’s Hargreaves Review. Should UK consumers have a private copy right, and if so should they pay a levy on digital devices for the privilege? Should artists have the right to veto their music appearing on YouTube videos, even if they are being paid for it, and even if the video is a parody? And what about the grand plan for a Digital Rights Exchange? UK Music’s Adam Webb, Cooking Vinyl chief Martin Goldschmidt, comedian Jill Edwards and Darryl Sherbourne from Future Copyright will debate the issues.

Tomorrow afternoon, at the conclusion of a day of sessions focused on the DIY approach, the first ever Great Escape Digital Pitch Party will take place. Representatives from thirteen companies which provide digital tools for artists and rights owners will take to the stage and outline what their services offer in just 90 seconds, then taking question from the floor. Each pitcher will also bring a drink to the party, explaining their choice of beverage as part of their pitch. Once the pitching is done, networking will begin while the drink is drunk. Pitching up will be: Sentric Music, Webdoc, Zimbalam, Music Glue, 7digital, Dizzyjam, Mobile Roadie, Shazam, Bandwagon, Pepper, Rara.com, INgrooves and Mixcloud.

Looking ahead to Saturday, and there’s a great selection of more laid back panels for the weekend, including the Digital Wedding and a session where brand experts will tell it like it is. Plus you’ll get Producers (Lol Crème, Trevor Horn and Ash Soan) and ‘How Soon Is Now?’ author Richard King in conversation, John Robb’s Pop Question Time and the return of Heroes & Villains. Also taking place on Saturday, will be the recording of an edition of Vice’s ‘Noisey Talks’, in which music types debate various issues in front of a live TGE audience, and Noisey’s cameras for later webcasting (food and drink will also be dished out).

Spector’s Fred Macpherson will lead the talking, and he’ll be joined by Klaxons’ Jamie Reynolds, Radio 1′s Jen Long and Peter Jarrett from Record Of The Day. Macpherson told CMU: “Before ‘Noisey Talks’ I didn’t think there was a platform to discuss the minutiae of the music industry with like-minded indie geeks, and at the same time talk about other things I’m fond of, like Princess Diana, One Direction, Colin Firth and Stephen Hawking”.

So, get all those in your diary (or download the official Great Escape app from the Apple or Android app stores and make your own itinerary). But don’t forget the music while you’re at it! Over 300 bands will play Brighton over the next three days. We’ve already tipped some artists playing via three CMU Playlists which you can check out in numerical order here, here and here.

Plus, have some more playlisting action why don’t you? This year’s lead international parter at The Great Escape is Catalan Sounds, showcasing music from Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. And the Catalan Sounds team have put together a Spotify playlist of the bands from their region playing at this handy link.

Meanwhile, how about a playlist of tracks from some of the many Canadian bands playing this year? Canadian Blast will host its own venue as part of the proceedings this time. To get you in the mood, you can check out a playlist featuring some of the Canadian acts appearing at TGE here.

And finally, a CMU approved act playing TGE this year, Bleeding Heart Narrative, have announced a competition to mark their performance at Above Audio on Friday at 8.45pm. Via the Great Escape and the band’s own Facebook pages, fans will be asked to list one animal and two objects. The band’s five favourite suggestions will win a copy of the latest BHN EP ‘Bison’. But that’s not it! “In recognition of the fact that ‘Bison’ is almost exactly how you say ‘Brighton’ with a mouth full of drawing pencils” (the band say) the top three will also have there suggestions of animals and things turned into a personalised drawing by BHN frontman Oli Barrett.

Phew. Hey, see you in Brighton. Wear a hat.

The CMU Training team today announce a brand new course due to launch later this month, which has been developed based on input provided in a recent readers’ survey.

The new one-day course will focus on social media, and how it can be used to engage and grow a fanbase for both established and new artists. It will look at the key social media platforms available and other useful digital tools, the importance of interaction and content, how to manage an artist’s social media presence on a day-to-day basis, advertising on social media platforms, how to measure social activity, and how social media fits in to a wider marketing and communication strategy.

Confirming the new course, CMU Publisher and Business Editor Chris Cooke says this: “Our Promoting Music course includes a beginners guide to social media, but it’s become clear from both people attending that seminar, and our recent CMU Training survey, that with social media now becoming a crucial part of the marketing mix for all artists, from the biggest to the newest, that many labels, publicists and managers are looking for something more in-depth. This new course will tell you what technologies are worth the time investment, how to get the most out of them, and how social media should be integrated with your other marketing and fan communication work”.

The first edition of Social Media & Fan Engagement will take place on 23 May in Shoreditch, East London, and places can be booked now via theCMUwebsite.com/training. Places are also now available on the next editions of CMU’s acclaimed courses on music rights, promoting music, and music business models and artist deals.

While there’s been a whole load of updates on next week’s Great Escape this week, which you’ll find nicely summarised in the TGE section of theCMUwebsite.com (by which we mean www.theCMUwebsite.com/thegreatescape), news has also been flowing about some other showcase festivals and music business conventions of late.

First up, Liverpool Sound City, which is also speeding into view with some pace. LSC organisers announced recently that hip hop author, filmmaker, journalist, critic and social commentator Nelson George will join their convention’s line-up as a second keynote speaker, alongside the previously reported keynote event featuring Mobile Roadie’s Andrew Mains. Elsewhere newly confirmed panels will focus on music tech, music discovery and forward thinking labels.

Meanwhile, more information has been announced today of the LSC Expo event, a two day expo at Liverpool’s Echo Arena, which will boast a music, digital and DJ hub, and feature representatives from Dolphin Music, Access To Music, Yamaha, LIPA, M Audio, Metropolis, Ward Hadaway, SAE Institute, Headstock, Sound Technology, LJMU, American Audio, Denon DJ, Pioneer DJ, Vestax, DJ TV Live, Traktor DJ and many more. LSC takes place from 17-19 May, with more info at www.liverpoolsoundcity.co.uk

Looking to the end of the month, and a little further afield, line up info has been announced for  PrimaveraPro, the conference side to Barcelona’s Primavera Sound festival. The future of music festivals in general will be a key topic up for consideration, with reps from Womad, SxSW, Eurockéennes and the UK’s Association Of Independent Festivals all confirmed to take part. Amongst the specific festival themed topics to be explored is how to survive in the competitive festivals market, the importance creativity plays in success, and the positive role major music events have on their host cities or regions.

Another theme being explored at the Barcelona event will be the power of music to change the world, plus crowdfunding, online marketing, and changes in the digital dynamic. It all takes place from 30 May to 1 Jun with info at pro.primaverasound.com

And finally, for those who like their showcase festival news very upfront, organisers of the Eurosonic festival, which takes place in the Netherlands each January, have announced that next year’s featured country will be Finland. Delegate registration and artist submissions are also now open. More on it all at www.eurosonic-noorderslag.nl (or Sonic Bids for artist submissions).

And while we are talking showcase festivals and music conventions, don’t forget the shortlists have been announced for this year’s Yearly Music Conference Awards, which will be presented on the Saturday morning of next week’s Great Escape. Have your say here.

More details about the networking sessions at this year’s CMU-programmed Great Escape Convention have been announced. As well as the packed schedule of panels, debates and interviews that take place during the UK’s premiere music business conference, there are also numerous opportunities to meet, network and do business with other delegates from all over the world.

Three networking sessions will focus on different strands of the industry, with Meet The Distributors (Thursday am), Meet The Agents (Thursday pm) and Meet The Bookers (Friday am). Leading players from the UK distribution, booking agency and gig promotion sectors will be on hand to meet with those delegates interested in these services. Each session will include an hour of formal speed meetings, and an hour of informal networking open to all. For more information and to sign up, anyone with a Great Escape delegates pass should check this page here.

In addition to that little lot, for UK delegates there is UK Trade & Investment’s International Networking Sessions on Friday afternoon. As the official blurb says: “Meet a label from Japan, an agent from the States or a festival promoter from China – over 20 key international industry reps are on hand to talk about their markets and how to do business there”. Delivered in association with the Association Of Independent Music, UK-based TGE delegates interested in participating in this session should e-mail creative@ukti.gsi.gov.uk.

Finally, on a digital theme, this year’s convention programme will include a Digital Pitch Party and Digital Demo Party. At the former on Thursday afternoon, various companies who offer digital services for artists and labels will each make an elevator pitch and take questions via Twitter. Each pitcher will also bring a drink of their choice to the party which they believe represents their company. Once all the pitching is done, more informal networking will take place as all the drink is drunk.

The Digital Demo Party on Saturday afternoon will offer a more relaxed environment where both consumer-facing digital platforms and those offering digital tools for artists and labels can demo their products. Look out for more information of those companies taking part at in the next few days at www.escapegreat.com/networking

Finally from the TGE desk today, the shortlists are out for the Yearly Music Conference Awards. As previously reported, with The Great Escape taking place towards the end of the city-based showcase festival season, and as the music industry prepares to head to the fields for the big summer events, the YMCAs look back at the year just gone. Presented at a ticket-only brunch as part of the final day of the convention, the awards are also a chance for those agents, managers, bookers, business owners and export offices who visit many of these events, not to mention the people who organise them, to come together to eat, drink and be merry, and discuss the highs (and lows) of the music year.

The YMCAs committee has selected the shortlists for all of this year’s prizes, and wants the input of music types to decide the winners of eight categories. Shortlists and details of how to vote are online at www.theCMUwebsite.com/ymcas.

The CMU-programmed Great Escape Convention takes place next week from 10-12 May in Brighton, along the 300 artists+ Great Escape festival. For the full convention schedule click here, and for the full Great Escape festival line-up click here. You will also find an overview of the convention programme from CMU Business Editor Chris Cooke here. And delegate passes, if you haven’t already got one, are a bargain at £150 and available right here.

Brian Molko completes the In Conversation line-up at this year’s CMU-programmed Great Escape Convention, which takes place in Brighton next week (10-12 May). The Placebo frontman will appear in conversation with 6music’s Matt Everitt as part of a whole day of sessions presented by PRS For Music on 10 May, the first day of this year’s Great Escape.

As Placebo embark on a summer of festival dates, Molko will discuss a decade and a half in the spotlight, his creative process, and the continued thrill of live performance. Plus, particularly relevant given the DIY theme that will appear elsewhere at this year’s Great Escape Convention, we’ll get some insights on Placebo’s last album ‘Battle For The Sun’, which the band chose to self-release, striking up different licensing deals around the world, with very impressive results.

Confirming his interviewer role at the Great Escape Convention this year, Everitt told CMU: “There’s something special about interviewing someone live in front of an intimate audience – especially when it’s someone as fascinating, talented and unique as Brian. It’s going be an opportunity for me to speak to a musician who rarely gives interviews, and to discover more about his career, his life and how he regards his music and the industry around him, as well as to hear some stories that may not be suitable for repetition anywhere else!”

For the third year running, PRS For Music will present a whole day of sessions at next week’s Great Escape Convention. As well as the in conversation with Brian Molko, PRS For Music’s Chief Economist Will Page will present a keynote session looking at where the British music industry is heading in 2012, with contributions from Universal Music Group’s Olly Barnes, Live Nation Entertainment’s Tim Chambers and sync expert Ruth Simmons from soundlounge.

Meanwhile, other PRS For Music-organised sessions will look at the PR battle for legislative reform over copyright and the second screening phenomenon in TV, while the Make It Happen panel will offer practical tips to three new bands. Full details about these and the whole convention schedule for 2012 is now online at escapegreat.com/conversations

The Brian Molko In Conversation session is amongst the final additions to the line-up for this year’s CMU-programmed Great Escape convention, the full programme for which is now live here.

While CMU oversees the convention side of The Great Escape, a plethora of other great content partners will also host sessions. As well as PRS For Music’s full day of events, there will be panels this year from ACUMEN, PPL, the Music Publishers Association, MusicTank, Record Of The Day, Generator, Teenage Rampage, IC Music, Made In Brighton and Institut Ramon Llull, the latter being this year’s lead international partner for the whole Great Escape festival and convention.

Also just added to the In Conversation strand are legendary producers and musicians Lol Creme, Trevor Horn and Ash Soan, who will appear together in conversation as they prepare to release a new album from their collaborative group Producers. Between them, the members of this exciting collective have, over the past 40 years, scored over 200 hit singles and albums, which, we reckon, puts them in a very fine position to share some thoughts, advice and stories.

As previously reported, already announced for this year’s In Conversation programme were Xfm’s new music champion John Kennedy, who will be chatting to Jon Hillcock as the alternative station celebrates 20 years on air in London, and Domino Records’ Richard King, who will talk to The Guardian’s Alexis Petridis about his book exploring the history of British indie labels, ‘How Soon Is Now’.

Meanwhile Michael Eavis and Rob da Bank will be reunited on the TGE stage for the first time in six years to lead The Great Festival Conversation. Da Bank will then continue the festivals debate with three of the UK festival community’s most inspirational new promoters: Jo Vidler from the Wilderness and Secret Garden Party festivals, Simon Taffe from End Of The Road and Tom Baker from Field Day.

The In Conversation strand is, of course, just one component of The Great Escape Convention, which offers a packed programme of panels, debates, networking sessions and parties over three days in Brighton next week. As also previously reported, this year’s programme will feature a series of sessions on the whole DIY thing, and another on the state of the music media in 2012.

Offering practical advice to any artists considering going it alone to keep more control over their artistic and commercial affairs will be ACUMEN Business Law’s Josh Little, Republic Of Music’s Mark McQuillan, Sentric Music’s Simon Pursehouse, Create Spark’s Debbie Ball, Good Lizard’s David Riley, Music Glue’s Joe Porn, Brownswood Music’s Simon Goffe, Hi Road Studios’ Jack Kingslake, 13 Artists’ Angus Baskerville, Anorak London’s Sinead Mills, The Weird And Wonderful’s Steven Braines and DIY artists Adam Ficek and Chris T-T.

Meanwhile, considering the challenges and opportunities faced by the music press and radio industry in the digital age will be likes of Drowned In Sound’s Sean Adams, This Is Fake DIY’s Stephen Ackroyd, Vice’s Dan Miller, The Line Of Best Fit’s Josh Hall, The Times’ Will Hodgkinson, Q’s Paul Stokes, The Sun’s Jacqui Swift, Daily Mirror’s Gavin Martin, The Guardian’s Chris Lawson and Caspar Llewellyn Smith, Juice 107.2′s Daniel Nathan, Folder Media’s Matt Deegan, Amazing Radio’s Matt Jamison, podcasters Darren Hemmings and Matthew Young, and Xfm founder Sammy Jacob.

So, as you can see, rather a lot to be getting on with. Full details about the whole convention schedule for 2012 is now online here, while the full Great Escape festival line-up is available via this link. You will also find an overview of the convention programme from CMU Business Editor Chris Cooke here. And delegate passes, if you haven’t already got one, are a bargain at £150 and available right here.

See you in Brighton next week!

Entertainment investment firm Ingenious has announced a deal with the organisers of showcase festival and music convention Liverpool Sound City, the latest edition of which will take place from 17-19 May.

The move follows a successful exit for the finance firm from another Merseyside-based music business, the promoter of Creamfields. The new investment will be used to fund the growth of the Sound City brand, both in the UK and abroad. As previously reported, the Sound City team recently staged an event under the name in New York, and has in the past run a convention in Dubai.

Confirming the new alliance, Ingenious Investment Director Paul Bedford told CMU: “We are delighted to be working with the team at Sound City, who have a deep understanding of how the worlds of music and digital can complement each other. The events they develop have a relevance that too many others lack in this day and age. The success of the first New York Sound City also shows that this relevance is not just limited to the UK and we truly believe that Sound City can develop a worldwide brand over the next few years”.

Meanwhile Sound City chief David Pichilingi added: “Both the team and I are very excited about the strategic alliance with Ingenious. We have developed a new, exciting and innovative customer experience for music lovers and those in the business of music and digital. Paul and his team share our vision and we will work closely together to develop the Sound City brand in overseas territories as well as strengthen our UK position”.

How about another update from the CMU-programmed Great Escape convention? Well, once again this May, The Great Escape will host the already legendary Yearly Music Conference Awards (or YMCAs to its friends), celebrating the great and the good of the world’s music business conventions and showcase festivals.

With The Great Escape taking place towards the end of the city-based showcase festival season, as the music industry prepares to head to the fields for the big summer events, the YMCAs looks back at the year just gone.

Presented at an exclusive ticket-only event as part of the final day of The Great Escape convention, the awards are also a chance for those agents, managers, bookers, business owners and export offices who visit many of these events, not to mention the people who organise them, to come together to eat, drink and be merry, and discuss the highs (and lows!) of the music year.

Nominations are already being accepted in all eleven categories. These can be emailed to ymcas@escapegreat.com. Nominees for each category will then be announced and people will be invited to vote in each section.

This year’s prestigious categories:

Best Delegate’s Bag
Best Delegate Bar
Best Hotel/Convention Centre
Best App Or Digital Tool
Best Export Office
Best Networking Event Or Feature
Best Award Show
Best Regional Event
Best Panel Near Punch-Up
Accident (or Incident) Of The Year
Conference Junkie Of The Year

So get sending in your nominations – ymcas@escapegreat.com. Ticket information for the YMCAs will go online at escapegreat.com next week.

This announcement comes alongside a number of other updates from The Great Escape today, including the addition of 42 new bands to the festival line-up (look out for full planners going live at escapegreat.com soon); confirmation that Red Stripe will be sponsoring this year’s programme of street gigs; that Ford will be recording Bands In Transit sessions at the event; that the open air stage on Jubilee Square, The Hub, will be back; and that 20 venues will appear in the Alternative Escape fringe programme this year. So much to digest – basically, it’s going to be awesome – get a ticket now!

Organisers of Liverpool Sound City announced yesterday that Andrew Mains, COO of music app specialists Mobile Roadie, will deliver a keynote as part of the event’s convention this year. Having previously worked at both Topspin and Universal Music, Mains will be discussing the future of all things app like.

The Liverpool Sound City festival and convention, and for the first time this year an Expo event, take place on Merseyside from 17-19 May. More at www.liverpoolsoundcity.co.uk

The Wide Days music business conference kicks off in Edinburgh today, with panels planned on the connection between the live and sports industries, and discussions on how to stand out on download stores and how to build and analyse your audience. The two day event continues tomorrow, including a tech-focused session chaired by CMU Business Editor Chris Cooke. More details at www.widedays.com

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, tomorrow evening the team behind the International Music Summit in Ibiza, including Pete Tong, will host an invite-only symposium in Palm Springs, California ahead of this weekend’s Coachella festival which aims to enable “today’s electronic music leaders to meet and share ideas with those who can help drive their future businesses”. Bringing together key tech and branding people with the great and the good of electronic music, reps from YouTube, Twitter, Smirnoff, Burberry, EA, William Morris and CAA will be among those taking part.

More panels have been added to the line-up for this year’s CMU-programmed Great Escape convention, as the deadline for buying delegate passes at the special early bird rate of £120 approaches.

In addition to the previously reported strand of sessions putting the spotlight on DIY, another strand will focus on the music media in 2012, exploring how the music press and music radio are changing as media owners adapt to the digital and social media age.

Drowned In Sound’s Sean Adams, This Is Fake DIY’s Stephen Ackroyd and Vice’s Dan Miller will discuss the changing nature of the music press, while Amazing Radio’s Matt Jamison, Juice 107.2′s Daniel Nathan and Mr Trick And Wrongtom’s Darren Hemmings will consider radio and podcasting. Meanwhile Record Of The Day will lead a debate on the role of music reviewing in the digital era, involving Q’s Paul Stokes, The Sun’s Jacqui Swift, The Times’ Will Hodgkinson, The Line Of Best Fit’s Josh Hall and The Guardian’s Caspar Llewellyn Smith.

Joining the In Conversations programme – which already includes Xfm’s John Kennedy in conversation with 6music’s Jon Hillcock, and Glastonbury’s Michael Eavis and Bestival’s Rob da Bank taking part in the Great Festival Conversation – is Domino Records’ Richard King, who will be discussing his brilliant indie-label-reviewing book ‘How Soon Is Now?’ with The Guardian’s Alexis Petridis.

Once again a stack of great content partners will also return, presenting events as part of The Great Escape convention, led by PRS For Music, who will be hosting a whole day of sessions, including debates on the PR battle over copyright reform and opportunities that the second screening phenomenon offer the music business, plus the traditional TGE keynote from PRS For Music’s Chief Economist Will Page, which will focus on the emerging music market in Brazil. Elsewhere, PPL will present a panel asking what bands looking for a record deal need to do to make themselves ‘label ready’, and the Music Publishers Association will reveal some of the secrets about sync.

You will find a full overview of this year’s convention as confirmed so far on theCMUwebsite.com, or check out the schedule on escapegreat.com. Though take note, a final raft of sessions is still to be added, this time next week, with more partners, more topics, and more great speakers. Plus, of course, on top of all that there’s the fabulous festival line-up, also available via escapegreat.com.

All of which means you really ought to be getting your delegates passes sorted asap – and by tomorrow to benefit from the discounted early bird price of £120. Visit this URL to do so.