Brighton Music Conference (BMC17) grows again for 4th year

Brighton Music Conference (BMC17) returned to the Brighton Dome last week for its fourth year and registered significant increases in both Professional and Academy delegates. The 2-day event drew leading music industry figures, artists and DJs, tech brands, and students from across the UK, with industry professionals flying in from America, Germany, Spain, Sweden, South Africa, Holland, and beyond.

BMC17 featured talks and panels on Thursday 27^th April and Friday 28^th April with speakers from AFEM, Beatport, PRS for Music, PPL, Ministry of Sound, Sony, Label Worx, Live Nation, Mixcloud, Mixmag, Defected, NTIA, Toolroom, Hospital Records, MMF, DJ Mag, AEI Group, DJ Monitor, UKF, Drum & Bass Arena, Loopmasters, Napster, Brapp TV, PIAS, Loopmasters, Sub Club, Clintons, Crown Management, Roland, Anjunabeats, Audiolock, Serato, BIMM, Wunderground, UK Diversity, Native Instruments, and many more, with the conference programme split between the professional and academy theatres.

BMC17’s Professional programme talks included ‘Streaming vs Radio’; ‘AFEM Presents Get Played, Get Paid’; ‘How to Promote Diversity In Dance Music’; ‘What’s Next For Electronic Music?’; ‘BPI Presents Music Piracy’; ‘NTIA Presents Save Our Nightlife’; ‘Creative Law Presents: But it was only a “cheeky” re-edit? Copyright law and the Remix’; ‘BPI Presents ‘Sync In Progress’; ‘Music Recognition Technology: how does it work for you?’ moderated by Tim Arber, Head of Membership Support, PRS for Music, and ‘Giving Back In Association With Last Night A DJ Save My Life Foundation’.

BMC17’s Academy Programme featured panels and topics ‘BIMM Presents: Writing & Producing To A Brief’; ‘Ghost Writing’; ‘How To Get Ahead In The Industry?’; Toolroom Records Q+A; ‘Roland / Serato Workshop’; ‘Why Should I Make A Video?’; ‘DJ Q+A with Friction, Sam Divine, Josh Butler, and My Nu Leng’; ‘ACM Workshop’; ‘Hospital Records Q+A’; Producer Q+A with Seamus Haji, Prok & Fitch, Paul Hartnoll, and Just Her’; and more.

In addition to housing Native Instruments in the BMC Demonstration Igloo installation, the exhibition floor featured brands, organisations, and education providers including Pioneer, AFEM (Association For Electronic Music), BPI, NTIA, Native Instruments, Traktor, Focusrite, Novation, Serato, Roland, Korg, Beatport, PRS for Music, In Music Brands, Toolroom, GAK, Hospital Records, CM Sound, Source Distribution, Ditto Music, DJ Mag, Data Transmission, Decoded, Skiddle, MMF, Believe Digital, Horus Music, Evolution Domes, Yamaha, Steinberg, Element 5, and more.

Native Instruments’ Native Sessions platform ran production seminars, talks and workshops on both days, with topics covered including the use of Maschine, Workflow, Kontakt, and Traktor. Producers and this year’s artists included Randomer, Ikonika, Whyt Noyz, Throwing Shade, with SSR London discussing Tactile Sound Design using Maschine Jam.

The nighttime schedule saw official BMC events including Constant Circles hosting a two day Label Showcase & Art Exhibition; the now legendary Wunderground x BMC Networking event returned to Brighton to host the world’s first ever episode of ‘DJ Blind Date’. Thursday’s hottest ticket was TAKE, with Hot Creations producer and Elrow resident Patrick Topping at The Arch, the Official 2017 BMC After Party. Wiggle returned on Friday 28^th April to hold their 23^rd birthday party with On The House BMC Party with Pioneer DJ and Kuvo at Al Duomo. DJs included Magnus Asberg, Nathan Coles, Terry Francis, Eddie Richards, Andy Blake, Rob Anderson, Lucas Hulan, Felipe Kastegliano, Dylan Debut, Liz Edwards, Joe Volpeliere, Corin Martin, Simon Atkinson, and Beatsworkin.

Brapp threw Friday’s BMC Official after party at Patterns. Headlining the night was the award winning grime, d’n’b, and rap hybrid collective from Manchester known as LEVELZ, one of the best live shows in the country, featuring an upfront collective of producers, MCs and DJs.

This year’s event charity partner was Last Night A DJ.

Brighton Music Conference focuses on innovation, education and the key issues facing the electronic and dance music sector. Attended by thousands of experienced music industry professionals and the next generation of DJs/producers, BMC enables attendees to form new business partnerships, showcase products and expand existing networks, and is the UK’s annual opportunity for the industry to meet face to face, share knowledge, and build new opportunities.

BMC17 brought together Industry-leading delegates and speakers at over 50 talks, seminars and workshops, alongside networking events throughout the conference duration. BMC Professional connects music with business, bringing together thought leaders through a series of panels to discuss the future sustainable growth of the electronic music industry, targeted networking events and access to an evening schedule of events and parties across Brighton. BMC Academy is about plugging in the next generation and fostering new talent via a series of master classes, panels and talks.

Both tickets give access to the two-day exhibition featuring tech showcases, panels and interviews.