MaMA Great Debates

Right now, we can reveal the first five MaMA Great Debates of the MaMA Convention 2022 programme. The rest of the programme will be revealed over the coming months until September!

• Artists & publishing
• Social issues
• Cultural & institutional policy
• Recording industry
• Live & Media

Great Debate #1

Theme: Live

Why do we go to gigs?

When Covid-19 redefined the rules of entertainment, temporarily throwing the world into a live-streaming tunnel that ultimately managed to retain some of its aspects, concert promoters had to seriously reassess their position. What is the core of concert promotion? What audience needs do producers and venues managers have to meet? Are young gig-goers looking for a new experience that goes beyond the simple stage/audience relationship? What can digital technology bring to all of this? It appears that the profession has arrived at a crossroads where everything has to be reinvented. The artists’, promoters’ and public incentives are to be questioned in depth – because what’s at stake is the future vision of gigs!

Great Debate #2

Theme: Recording Industry

What are the pockets of growth in the music industry beyond streaming?

For more than 10 years, streaming has established itself as the primary source of revenue for the recorded music industry. However, new pockets of growth are beginning to emerge, allowing industry players to diversify their income. From the metaverse to video games, fitness apps, livestreaming and other forms of consumption based on new technology (such as NFTs), these are all proving to be new drivers of growth and diversification. What is the actual economic impact and prospects of these music consumption modes? Who do they benefit? What investments are required? And how can labels, artists and music publishers ensure that they’re part of this new development in consumption patterns? A panel of industry experts and entrepreneurs will answer these questions

Great Debate #3

Theme: Social Issues

Women in Music/Equality and Inclusion in Music – Progress, blind spots and the next steps

Gender equality is now a subject in its own right within the music sector, even at the highest level: freedom of speech, dedicated protocols, award criteria for grants and a CNM commission, professional directory of women and gender minorities in music, public awareness campaigns. And yet… the balance of power remains incredibly asymmetrical, within which lies power and predatory attitudes at the origin of inequality and violence. This round table will focus on the different levers which enable everyone to act at their individual level to make the sector healthier and more respectful of everyone.

Great Debate #4

Theme : Social Issues

Creativity, cooperation, sobriety: different pillars for the climate transition.

There have never been so many initiatives from the music industry as it looks to tackle the climate transition. Artists are questioning their touring schedules and their heavy reliance on planes, festivals are offering more vegetarian food options, and multi-year projects looking to invent the music industry’s carbon-free future are in the pipeline. However, while human activity has already warmed the world by 1.1°C since pre-industrial times, will these initiatives be enough to bring the music sector back on track to meet Paris agreement targets (below 2°C)? What if the challenge was to go beyond the numbers to tackle models?

Presented by Lucie Bouchet, expert in climate and social transition in the music sector, programmer and Sustainable Development Space project manager for BIS Nantes.

Great Debate #5

Theme: Recording Industry

The return of the blockchain: do NFTs and web3 have a future in the music industry?

Non-Fungible Tokens, or NFTs, are all the rage in the cultural sectors. Without being a pioneer, the music world has dipped its toes in the water with NFTs, leading to an increase in projects. For some creators, this technology based on blockchain and web 3.0 would offer more prospects and freedom than current digital services. For music companies, it’s impossible to ignore the potential additional revenue, as well as the emergence of a possible technological and business disruption. A short-lived hype or real innovation? A new publicity stunt for blockchain enthusiasts or the first truly convincing applications in the music industry? Artists’ excessive expectations or real prospects for readjusting the balance vis-à-vis producers and publishers? Industry insiders will give an overview of the potential of NFTs in the music industry.

Great Debate #6

Theme : Cultural & institutional policy

It’s (r)evolution time for classical music? How the genre is reinventing itself in the digital and popular music era.

For the past few years, the way the classical music community has been operating has evolved from a predominantly public-supported sector to embracing more diversified business practices. Today, many players — such as independent ensembles or permanent orchestras — are redefining the way they run their operations. Is the grammar of the classical music sector now inspired from new practices and business models closer to the ones in vogue with popular music and the digital sector? This session will bring together the various players from the classical music scene to discuss the way the sector can build from new experiences.

Great Debate #7

Theme: Live & Media

Live music and digital platforms: challenges and opportunities

The impact of the COVID-19 crisis has lastingly transformed the live music ecosystem in Europe. In the midst of a multi-faceted crisis, the live sector has been faced with the need to reinvent itself and bring forward new formats to keep audiences engaged, notably through an unprecedented collaboration with digital platforms. Livestream, in game shows, or the metaverse are but a few of the constitutive elements of this unprecedented paradigm shift, which needs to be engaged by all involved in order to make the most out of new opportunities and preserve the value chain. This roundtable will bring together live music operators, experts, policymakers and digital professionals in order to start a reflection which will require mutual understanding and cooperation.

Great Debate #8

Theme : Cultural & institutional policy

CNM: 2023, year 0!

A few weeks after the Centre national de la musique was officially created, the cataclysm of the covid pandemic struck the world, paradoxically confirming the central role of this hub for all music professionals by the scale and the effectiveness of its various emergency measures and packages. The CNM is not only a public institution representing the entire music industry in all its diversity, reflected in its Board of Directors and Professional Council, it also acts to provide the tools and support mechanisms needed to confront the challenges facing the industry in the years to come (climate emergency, energy crisis, gender equality, recruitment challenges) and provides funding to ensure the industry’s longevity