Midemlab 2013 Propels Startups To Heart Of The Music Ecosystem

PARIS, Oct. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Midem today unveils the partners who will select the cutting-edge startups and app developers for midemlab, the international pitch competition for digital solutions promising to help music executives, artists and brands to engage and monetise audiences.

The prestigious jury of venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and innovators in the digital media sphere, who will judge the short-listed entries, has also been named.

The sixth edition of midemlab will be held in conjunction with midem, the international trade event dedicated to the new music ecosystem, which runs 26-29 January 2013 in Cannes.

Midemlab has established itself as an effective launch platform for numerous startups who have gone on to make waves in the industry, including SoundCloud, The Echo Nest, Songkick and Next Big Sound. The competition recently widened its scope to encompass startups and apps which do not specifically address the music sector, but which are proposing innovative technological solutions that could be applied to today's music environment.

The competition has three categories: music discovery, recommendation & creation; marketing & social engagement; and direct-to-consumer sales & content monetisation (e-commerce, crowdsourcing, merchandising, etc.).

30 finalists – 10 in each category – will be selected by Music Ally, the UK music business consulting company, and bluenove, the French consultancy specialising in open innovation.

Those startups will have the opportunity to make a five-minute pitch at midem to an international jury comprised of senior executives from the entertainment industry, advertising & brands sector, and leading investors. Short-listed applicants will receive personalised coaching to prepare their pitches from Microsoft BizSpark, a global programme aimed at accelerating the development of young businesses.

All finalists will benefit from numerous networking opportunities during midem, and will be able to meet potential clients and partners among senior music industry executives, artists, brands and new technology players.

The call for entries is currently open via midem.com, and the deadline for submissions is 31 October 2012.

For more information on midemlab and to submit, click here.

Composition of the jury in each category:

1)    Music discovery, recommendation and creation

• Joerg Binnenbruecker, Managing Director, DuMont Venture (Germany)
• Paul Brindley, CEO, Music Ally (UK)
• Axel Dauchez, CEO, Deezer (France)
• Larry Marcus, Managing Director, Walden Venture Capital (USA)
• Patrick Walker, Senior Director EMEA, YouTube Music (UK)
• Nicole Yershon, Director, Innovative Solutions, Ogilvy Group (UK)

2)     Marketing and social engagement

• Martin Duval, CEO, bluenove (France)
• Max Niederhofer, VP, Accel Partners (UK)
• Robert Scoble, Technical Evangelist & Managing Director, Rackspace (USA)
• Olivia Solon, Associate Editor, Wired (UK)
• Peter Vesterbacka, CMO, Rovio (Finland)
• Olivier Vigneaux, General Manager, BETC Digital (France)

3)    Direct to consumer sales and Content Monetisation

• Gilles Babinet, Digital Champion, European Commission, and Entrepreneur and Chairman, Eyeka/Mxp4/CaptainDash (France)
• Colette Ballou, Founder and President, Ballou PR (UK/France)
• Steve Boom, VP, Digital Music, Amazon.com (USA)
• Urs Cete, Managing Director, Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (USA)
• Renaud Visage, CTO, Eventbrite (USA)

To get a taste of what midemlab is all about, watch the trailer here.

About midem – midem is an annual international b2b event dedicated to the new music ecosystem, with a tradeshow, conferences, competitions, networking events and live performances. It's the place where music makers, cutting-edge technologies, brands & talents come together to enrich the passionate relationship between people & music, transform audience engagement and form new business connections. 

SOURCE Reed MIDEM