A BLOG OF SORTS FROM CHRIS COOKE
Here is some stuff I did in October 2023…
Vill Vill Vest 2023
I’m heading back to Bergen in Norway next week for the brilliant Vill Vill Vest. CMU is presenting three sessions this year, including this one on Maximising The Rights Of Music-Makers with Becky Brook and Rachael Heeley. We’ve also got sessions on connecting music markets and the impact of dance music. More info on all three here.
Guggenheim stuff
I made it to the Guggenheim! The highlight was probably the steak dinner, but only because it was a very good steak dinner. ‘The Matter Of Time’ was a close second. Maybe these things next. Anyway, that was fun. And now, bye bye Bilbao.
Sunny Bilbao
Another good day at BIME in Bilbao. And look, the sun came out! I say ‘look’ because you can see a slice of blue sky in this photo. I managed to sneak in a few interviews with panelists while I was in the conference centre, so look out for them being published very soon. Tomorrow, I might actually make it inside the Guggenheim this time, rather than just being driven past it.
I’m in Bilbao!
Today I will be keeping things formal and will only answer to the name Christopher. You’ve got to follow what the pass says, right? Let’s see if Andy remembers when I record an edition of Setlist this afternoon. But before that, I’m heading over to BIME PRO central for an on-stage chat with YouTube’s Chiara Santoro.
Heading to BIME
I’m heading to Bilbao tomorrow for BIME. On Thursday, I’ll be on-stage talking to YouTube’s Chiara Santoro about the various different ways artists and labels can build audience and generate revenue across the YouTube platform. There’s more information about that and the rest of the BIME programme here.
This week’s Setlist
On this week’s Setlist we discuss the mounting criticism of a change Universal Music made last year to the way it pays Pandora royalties – a change that can significantly impact what an artist earns and which wasn’t communicated, meaning business managers and royalty specialists had to do some detective work to figure out why their clients were suddenly receiving less money. Listen here or read my CMU article on the whole thing here.
Brunch on a boat
Thanks to to the team at Mint Digital Services for inviting me on a boat trip around Amsterdam’s canals, with a brunch menu that even had a Chris-friendly option on it – which is quite the achievement. I very much enjoyed my first visit to the Amsterdam Dance Event. Next week, back to Bilbao for BIME where I’ll be chatting on stage with YouTube’s Chiara Santoro.
ADE stuff
Thanks to STOMP for inviting me to join their panel at ADE this morning. I think that’s me about to say something interesting. Surely, right? Definitely interesting to hear from my fellow panelists providing both a label and dance sector perspective on how to drive more digital income. And then – having snuck away to record an edition of Setlist – I got to check out more of the big Event. Brunch on a boat tomorrow I think.
I’m in Amsterdam
I am in Amsterdam! You can tell, because there are screaming clogs on the wall of my hotel room. If you are at ADE, my panel is at 11.15am tomorrow – Wednesday – at the Andaz Hotel. Hope to see you there. Not sure I’ll be wearing the clogs though.
Heading to ADE
I am heading to ADE next week for the very first time, so that’s exciting. Indeed, it’s my first trip to Amsterdam ever, other than the airport! I’ll be joining a panel on Wednesday presented by STOMP called ‘Music Streaming – Show Me The Money!’ looking at how the music industry at large – and the independent sector in particular – can further grow its digital revenues. See you there!
One Step Ahead
If you are a member of an IMPALA-allied organisation, why not join us on Thursday for the next One Step Ahead webinar? We’ll be talking through our latest report – the Data Trends Report – which builds on the Data Playbook we published earlier this year. It’s on Thursday at 3pm CET. Check in with your local trade body for info on how to access the One Step Ahead channel on the CMU learning platform.
A licensed walk-on?
I see that Rishi Sunak is due on stage at the Conservative Party Conference tomorrow. Do you think they will have bespoke licensed his walk-on music, fully aware that any PPL-PRS licence they or their venue may have explicitly excludes “keynote speeches during political party conferences”? Or maybe he’ll just walk out to sombre silence, that might be more appropriate. Or will we basically be re-running this edition of Setlist again next week – place your bets!
