What's Next for NI Music?
Last night a bunch of impassioned music folks met up at the Spring and Airbrake to air thoughts about the future of the NI Music Industry as a consequence of the closure of NIMIC.
For me the evening was extremely positive as it was clear early-on that there are basically two interest groups - service providers and other grass roots businesses, and, creators / promoters / exporters of IP a.k.a. music content. These groups actually have very different drivers and goals, although everyone contributes to the vision of a successful indigenous industry. And what i realised on reflection is that we've been several steps ahead of ourselves. NIMIC was doomed from the start as it attempted to be all things to all people, when what we really needed was an understanding of the components of the industry, the level they were at, and what needed to be done with each individual sector to make it fit for purpose. We can never be greater than the sum of our parts, because the parts aren't fully formed! As music businesses, we really need to understand our goals (and differences) and organise around them. If that means different groupings, then great! They're more likely to achieve more, and when necessary speak with a single voice. On a personal level this has helped me reaffirm the intent behind my various activities. Escape Act's development, and my work with Open Music Media Belfast both focus broadly on export and development of brand and content. This is the area that I'm most passionate about, and if those with other passions can be equally clear, then perhaps we'll start to having the building blocks of an industry.
