Since many of the best conversations at MIDEM happen at bars in the wee hours, Billboard decided to pick the brain of Ian Rogers, CEO of Topspin while at a boite in Cannes. Rogers is widely considered a legitimate digital music star. When he’s on a panel or writing on his blog, people pay attention. When he co-hosts an open-bar, people show up. When he was at the bar at The Carlton, here’s what he was saying.
Billbaord.biz: If you could create a panel that misses everything that is not going to be discussed at MIDEM, what is on that panel?
Ian Rogers: The one thing that gets overlooked is the music. There’s not a damn thing any of us can do to sell music that isn’t any good. In the future, people are going to have a choice. Our kids won’t know watching golf on Sundays because there’s nothing else on, or coming home every day and watching “Brady Bunch” or “Gilligan’s Island” because it’s the only thing on television. Our kids have Hulu and YouTube. They experience exactly what they want to experience. And if it’s not any good, they’re not going to care about it. None of anything we talk about in the business world matters if the music isn’t any good.
You mentioned Artesia, California (the Little India of Los Angeles) for Bollywood music and clubs, what’s that area like?
Artesia is home to great food and you can find some of the best Indian music on the planet there. You could verify this with the Beastie Boys. Artesia, California is the place to go. Dosas — incredible. According to Wikipedia, the Indian population of Artesia, California is only 4.6%.