| RITMO addresses challenges currently faced by the independent music industry in Europe in relation to "Technology Building Blocks for Trust and Security", as well as "Access to Digital Collections of Cultural Content". Although on-line distribution offers exciting opportunities to independent music producers, adoption in Europe is slow. There is uncertainty on standards and no clear vision as to how a global infrastructure for distribution, rights management, royalty collection and payment will evolve. Market fragmentation means that technology providers do not understand real needs of the 10.000 SMEs making up the independent music industry. This action will clearly identify the technology needs of the independent music industry. It will lead to the development of models for on-line music distribution. It will pave the way for open, accessible platforms by which the independent music of Europe can be distributed to the markets of the world.
Objectives:
Carry out a comparative legal analysis of music distribution contracts in Europe.
Study the interaction between interests addressed by these contracts and new technologies for on-line music distribution.
Elaborate experimental model contracts for European on-line music distribution.
Clarify technology solutions for rights management, royalty collection and payment in relation to on-line music distribution.
Clarify technology solutions for rights management, royalty collections and payment in relation to on-line music distribution.
Develop business models for on-line distribution suitable for adoption by SMEs.
Develop globalisation strategies for the technology driven development of the European independent music industry.
Elaborate a sectoral profile of the independent music industry in Europe.
Disseminate these results to the independent music industry, to researchers and to the developers of technologies for on-line music distribution, to intermediaries and third parties such as collection societies and the providers of infrastructures for trust and confidence brokerage
Work description:
The work will consist of the following main activities:
1. Administration and co-ordination activities such as planning, the organisation of venues for meetings, the management of experts, logistic support to the working groups, and logistic support to the dissemination effort.
2. The work of the three study groups-Legal Issues, Technology Options and Business Models. Each group will meet 12 times over a period of one year. This work includes the preparation of issue papers and discussion documents prior to each meeting, the animation of the meetings, the editing of synthetic reports and proceedings from each meeting, as well as the preparation of resource packs for general dissemination.
3. Sectoral profiling. The gathering of intelligence on the European music industry. The qualitative description of the industry and its players. The quantitative description of the size of the different sectors in terms of the amount of music sold, the turnover, the number of organisations involved, the number of people employed etc.
4. The systematic dissemination of results via the consortium members, via the trade press, via participation in appropriate high profile events.
5. The evaluation of the scope and impact of the action.
Milestones:
The main milestone will be the final recommendations of the study groups, as well as a sectoral profiling of the independent music industry. To ensure good publicity for the action and effective dissemination, each working group will deliver a progress report after each meeting, as well as a resource pack for use by journalists and member organisations. The final deliverable will consist of an evaluation of the scope and the impact of the action |