In the wake of a decidedly more upbeat Winter NAMM show this past January and taking place concurrent to a similarly encouraging Frankfurt get-together (see page 20), this year’s NASMD Convention continued the trend of an industry showing distinct signs of life.
If you’ve never attended the Musikmesse & ProLight & Sound trade show in Frankfurt, Germany, you are certain to find it astounding, just due to the sheer size and scope. The show is comprised of multiple buildings, some the size of commercial airline hangers, moving walkways, and literally miles of aisles of exhibitors, which makes this conference the largest music industry gathering in the world, drawing visitors from 119 countries.
Music publishers from around the world gathered with local and national print retailers and music store owners at the recent Retail Print Music Dealers Association’s annual convention, which took place in downtown Oklahoma City from April 15-17. The collegial three-day event featured an exhibit hall where 46 publishers and other exhibitors showcased the latest print music offerings, as well as a number of workshops, breakout sessions, and social events designed to facilitate communication among the over-200 attendees of the tight-knit retail print music community.
Amidst the palpable camaraderie and collective sense of optimism, however, one relevant question was not directly addressed: how is the print music industry responding to the digital revolution? This is a subject that weighs heavily on the minds of all print media professionals, with music publishers facing potential copyright infringement issues, and retailers up against the growing threat of being cut out of the print music loop by digital downloading, both legal and illegal.
