#Midem 2017 Attendance Flat Despite Music Industry Upturn

Despite a significant uptick in the global music industry over the last year, attendance at international music industry convention Midem was flat this year. Held June 6-9, 2017 in Cannes, France, the 51st Midem drew 4400 attendees, the exact same number as 2016, according to show officials.

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Attendance at Midem 2017 matched 2016 numbers, drawing 4400 from the worldwide music industry to the French Riviera last week. Those numbers were both down from 5500 in 2015, a year when the music industry was far less sure of the positive impact that streaming would have on overall revenue.

But new Midem director Alexandre Deniot remained optimistic. “By changing the listening experience, making it personalised, improving discoverability of catalogues and creating a stronger link with music fans, streaming services improve the monetisation of music, opening new business opportunities for artists, labels, publishers and even for the live music ecosystem,” Deniot said in a statement. “After some challenging years for the music industry, this year’s MIDEM felt like the labels, publishers and artists appeared far more confident that a return to growth is no longer a dream but a reality.”“The global reach of music and the exciting potential for growth in such areas as Asia and Africa, means it is important for MIDEM to showcase countries and explain the different ways for entering those markets,” he added.All 3 major label groups were present at Midem 2017, along with many indies. Trade groups including A2IM, AIM, WIN, BPI, A2IM, IMPALA and others had a strong presence; as did music tech companies including Spotify, Amazon, Deezer, SoundCloud, Napster and China's Tencent.