Today’s post is by FMC Policy Consultant Adam Holofcener

The 2011 Future of Music Policy Summit is here! (Well, almost… Oct. 3-4 is right around the corner.) Last year, I laughed too loud, and too lovingly, during T Bone Burnett’s interview with Greg Kot. The goal for this year is keeping it under control, but how can I do that with such fun stuff on deck? As a policy consultant for FMC, here are a couple panels that I don’t want to miss:

Data Without Borders

We all know how easy it is to find music that we like on the internet. However, sometimes it is more difficult to find the people behind the music (no, not like a VH1 special). I mean like the people that you would want to contact if you were interested in licensing a song, say, for your Saturn car commercial. And, as a musician you want people to be able to find you, or whomever manages the rights associated with your music, because such licenses could mean a major payday. Creating a database that identifies music with the parties that manage musician’s rights sounds like a great idea that everyone wants, and, for the most part, it is. But, creating such a global registry is easier said than done. This panel should delve into what it might take to have players on a domestic and international level hammer out the logistics of such a potentially beneficial system.

Getting Cozy with Blanket Licensing

As a law student, I am used to wading through the bog of copyrights, licensing and digital technologies, but don’t ask me about the future of blanket licenses. This panel will dive into that fascinating — and timely — topic. One of the clear advantages to blanket licenses is that broadcasters and music services can have access large catalogs of music while only having to deal with a minimum of outside entities, such as a performing rights organization. Yet there are questions about how blanket licenses should work in the digital age, where tracking plays and delivering catalog is relatively easy. This panel will touch on this and other aspects of current arrangements while pondering what the licensing landscape may look in the future.

Be sure to check out the full schedule for all the exciting panels and presentations.

Just a reminder: online registration closes Friday, Sept. 30, at noon. We’d love to see you in DC, so reserve your spot now! If you can’t make it, be sure to RSVP for the live webcast.