Berklee & MIDEM Present Rethink Music Conference, Music Business Model Competition To Award $50K

November 29th, 2010 by Janice Brown

This Fall, Berklee College of Music and MIDEM announced a partnership to launch the first “Rethink Music Conference” in Boston, April 25-27, 2011.

"Rethink Music: Creativity, Commerce and Policy in the 21st Century" - April 25-27, 2011, Boston.

Presented in association with Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society and Harvard Business School, “Rethink Music: Creativity, Commerce and Policy in the 21st Century” is designed to bring music industry stakeholders together with legal, business and academic experts to discuss business models for the future.

As part of Rethink Music, the conference will solicit white papers from educators, students and the public, dealing with the economic systems and business models for music copyright and copyright policy. Berklee College of Music will award $50,000 to the best business model, with the runner-up receiving a $5,000 prize.

Simultaneously, the Berkman Center will manage a call for papers seeking policy proposals that recommend changes to existing U.S. law to help those who create and distribute music cope with the challenges facing the industry.

Here are the details of how to submit ideas/papers to each of these initiatives. Music business entrepreneurs, read on!

First, Berklee College of Music and Harvard Business School are hosting a Music Industry Business Model Competition, seeking proposals that provide new or improved ways to encourage and monetize creativity in the evolving music industry. Participants should submit a 500 word executive summary of their proposal (in pdf format) to rethinkmusic@berklee.edu before February 1, 2011.

The proposals will be evaluated using three criteria: value creation, innovation, and viability. A group of finalists will be invited to submit a complete business plan, to be reviewed by a panel of venture capitalists, faculty from Harvard Business School and Berklee, and industry executives. Again, Berklee will award $50K to the best business proposal, and $5K to the first runner-up. Finalists also receive the opportunity to present their plans at the Rethink Music conference.

sponsored

For complete submission guidelines and rules, please visit Rethink-Music.com.

And secondly, the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, in collaboration with Harvard Law School’s Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law (“JSEL”) has put out a call for papers, seeking policy proposals that advance the interests of music creators, consumers, and entrepreneurs.

Responses will suggest changes in existing intellectual property or other laws relating to the creation, production, distribution, performance, or other use of musical works.

Papers will be reviewed on criteria including identifying problems with existing laws, recommending changes, and feasibility of implementation. Up to four authors will be invited to present their work at Rethink Music, with Berklee providing airfare and accommodations. Up to two of the papers will be considered for publication in JSEL.

Submissions must be received by January 24, 2011. Applicants should adhere to the guidelines posted at harvardjsel.com/submissions and indicate that the submission is for the Rethink Music Call for Papers. A copy should also be sent to rethink@cyber.law.harvard.edu.

Complete details about the Call for Papers are available at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/node/6456.

Rethink Music will focus on economic and policy concerns that dictate the viability of creative industries. The event, which will be held at Boston’s Hynes Convention Center, aims to differentiate itself from the myriad of other music and intellectual property conferences by focusing on law, economics, and emerging business models together; extensively involving creators; soliciting input from both within and outside of traditional music companies and organizations; and inviting submission of policy proposals and business models.

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