10/02/06

PN: Music industry exec at LBF: Adapt or die?

Music man to address digitisation at LBF

THE EUROPEAN BOOKSELLERS Federation, in association with the BA, is bringing a top music industry executive to the London Book Fair next month to address a seminar entitled: ‘Digitisation of content: the end of bookselling and publishing as we know it?’

Tim Renner, former Chairman and CEO of Universal Music in Germany and now running Berlin-based Motor Records, believes booksellers may have to reinvent themselves to survive the onset of increasing digitisation. Renner, who is also the author of Death is Not So Bad: the Future of the Music Industry (Cyan Books), will be speaking at the LBF on Sunday 5 March.

EBF President John McNamee, who also runs Laois Educational Supplies, in Portlaoise, Ireland, told PN: “The music industry has faced similar issues. In the book trade there is much discussion about e-readers becoming more acceptable to the consumer – if not today, then certainly very quickly. I think we all know it’s going to happen, and it has all sorts of ramifications. Will publishers deal directly with consumers? How many people will move from pbooks to e-books? Should there be download facilities in bookshops to ensure bibliographic accuracy?”

McNamee is among those watching announcements concerning the Sony Reader, dubbed the book trade’s iPod, with interest. “Industry sources say it’s very good. We’re waiting to get our hands on one. We have to look at what’s happening to ensure that it’s in the interests of everyone in the supply chain – from authors and agents to publishers and booksellers.”

BA Chief Executive Tim Godfray commented: “The music trade is a bit ahead of us in that they’ve had an issue with the downloading of music over the last few years, whereas we’re about to begin this new phase. Hopefully, Tim will have some interesting thoughts on the lessons we can learn from what’s been going on in music – things which individual businesses can consider.”

Posted by Peter Collingridge in Future of the book, Publishing.