7 of the best music industry conferences in Africa

Music industry conferences bring together stakeholders and cultural operators but also policy makers, media and civil society to enable dialogue. They are important platforms for the development of the music sector and of cultural policies, and for identifying key issues facing the sector.

This feature gives a snapshot of what I consider to be the best conferences on the continent. In ranking the events I looked at certain key criteria: the number of music industry delegates in attendance, the number of conference sessions and speakers, journalist attendance and artist showcases.

1. Visa For Music (VFM) - Rabat, Morocco

Visa For Music is an essential and major meeting place for professionals of the whole music industry, whoever they are and wherever they are from. VFM aims to be a sharing platform for the promotion of the musical sector of African and Middle Eastern countries.

The six main goals of Visa For Music are to:

• Promote the music of Morocco, Africa and the Middle East to Europe and northern markets;
• Encourage artistic mobility between African countries and the Middle East;
• Participate in the development of the local cultural sector in these areas;
• Develop the music scene at an international level;
• Contribute to the improvement of the status of artists from southern countries; and
• Strengthen the North-South relationship in the cultural sector.

The first edition of Visa For Music took place in November 2014 and the second edition will be held on 11-14 November 2015. VFM has six conference sessions with over 30 speakers and 30+ showcase concerts representing over 200 artists. In addition, workshops and network meetings occur across the 4 days – in 2014 some 960 speed meetings occurred! In 2014, VFM had around 200 journalists and over 1000 music industry delegates in attendance, with 60 stands in the exhibition hall from labels, festivals and other music industry.

2. Atlantic Music Expo (AME) - Praia, Cape Verde

The Atlantic Music Expo (AME) is a meeting for music professionals from Cabo Verde, all over Africa, and both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. AME features conferences, networking meetings, a professional market and showcase concerts. It offers the perfect setting for international music professionals and artists from Cabo Verde and abroad to network, expand their contacts and activities, and discover the country. AME is scheduled right before the annual Kriol Jazz Festival, to give the delegates the possibility to enjoy a broader offer of musical discoveries.

AME has been running for three years, growing from 400 music industry attendees in 2013 to 700 from other 30 countries in 2015. It has six conference sessions, four practical workshops, around 30 showcase concerts and 72 stands in the trade fair.

According to Mamou Daffé, Director of the Festival au Niger (Mali), "AME is an opportunity for the development of music, not only in Cabo Verde but for the whole continent."

According to Jose Luis Cruz, Director of Festival Ollin Kan (Mexico), "My experience in AME leaves me feeling of having to consolidate exchanges between Africa and  Latin America, the urgent need to bring about the movement of groups between the two continents"

3. Moshito - Johannesburg, South Africa

Moshito is one of the oldest music industry conferences in Africa. Starting in 2004, it has established itself as one of the premier industry conferences with a purpose to broaden the business intelligence of music industry professionals in Africa, strengthen business networks for participants and inform delegates, traders and the public about the multifaceted and dynamic nature of the global music industry.

Moshito aims to gather musicians, producers, promoters, publishers, music managers and sponsors together; and to create a platform for artists getting record deals, management and/or agency representation and national and international touring outcomes.

Under new leadership Moshito has grown exponentially over the past few years, from 263 delegates in 2012 to 820 in 2014. It offers two days of conference sessions featuring over 70 speakers from seven different countries, and around 28 showcase concerts over four days. The 12th edition took place at the SABC headquarters on 10-12 September 2015.

4. East African Performing Arts Market (DOADOA) - Jinja, Uganda

DOADOA, the East African Performing Arts Market, aims to provide a platform for professional networking and development of the arts in the region. It brings together various stakeholders, organizations, businesses, knowledge and technology with a view to create demand and develop a market for the performing arts and unlock the potential of the East African creative industry, making it an important factor for economic, social and cultural development throughout the region.

DOADOA has the following objectives:

• To cause a gradual growth in the identification and exposure of East African performing arts within and beyond the region as witnessed by increased trade volumes;
• To enable East African creative entrepreneurs and industry professionals to receive exposure, regionally and internationally, and find new markets within the region and beyond by providing platforms to showcase and promote themselves;
• To professionalize creative entrepreneurs and industry professionals to meet new regional and international challenges through seminars, training workshops and skills exchanges;
• To contribute to the development and strengthening of links and networks between creative entrepreneurs and industry professionals within the region as well as beyond; and
• To contribute to joint lobby and advocacy activities for recognitions and national and regional support towards the creative industry. 

DOADOA started in 2012 with 100 music industry attendees and has grown to over 1 600 in its 4 years! In 2015, it provided a platform for 13 conference sessions, three workshops, 35 speakers, 14 artists and 58 journalists across four days from 4 to 7 May.

5. Indian Ocean Music Market (IOMMA) - Reunion Island

The Indian Ocean Music Market (IOMMA) is a meeting place for Indian Ocean artists and professionals, while building a bridge to key players in the music industry from Europe, Africa, Australia, America and Asia. Started in 2012, IOMMA continues to support the professionalization of the music industry in the Indian Ocean and promote networking between music industry players worldwide through an extensive programme of professional meetings.

IOMMA aims to:

• Pursue the development of a regional network between artists and professionals of the music industry in the Indian Ocean, and build bridges to other similar networks around the world;
• Support the development of the professionalisation of the music industry and regional guide the sector towards new challenges to regional and international dimension through seminars, training and exchange of expertise with professionals in the world;
• Enable music professionals to develop markets with the countries of the Indian Ocean region and the world; and
• Allowing Indian Ocean artists to exhibit and to export markets worldwide.

IOMMA hosts around 250 music industry professionals, 20 showcasing artists from across the Indian Ocean for conferences, workshops and speed meetings – on average around 500 one-on-one meetings take place during the event.

6. Salon International de la Musique Africaine (SIMA) - various locations

SIMA is an international forum for West African music. Hosted by the Bureau Export de la Musique Africaine (BEMA) headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, SIMA has a pan-African aim to bring music industry professionals from around the continent and beyond for five days of networking and showcases.

SIMA aims to: respond to needs identified by professionals of African music; strengthen the African music market; support the professionalization of operators within the market; and promote the export of the African music within Africa and outside Africa.

SIMA started in 2013 with around 110 music industry professionals (including 37 internationals), its size doubled to host over 220 music industry in 2014. The 2015 event took place in Cotonou, Benin from 15 to 19 September, hosting 20 showcase concerts featuring 120 different artists and around 250 music industry professionals in attendance.

7. Music Exchange - Cape Town, South Africa

Music Exchange is one of the leading South African music and entertainment digital exchange networks, culminating in an annual three-day international music conference, workshops and showcase. Music Exchange aims to: develop and promote the South African music, film and entertainment industry, fostering economic sustainability; provide a space for training and skills development; connect brands and technology with artists; and manage and mentor artists.

Starting in 2011 with around 200 music industry attendees, Music Exchange has grown to over 2 000 in its four years. In 2014 Music Exchange provided a platform for conference sessions and workshops, over 60 speakers, 10 artists and over 20 journalists across three days. The 2015 edition took place from 24 to 26 September.

More key conferences

• Breathe Sunshine African Music Conference - held annually in Cape Town, South Africa, Breathe Sunshine aims to facilitate knowledge sharing and foster a spirit of collaboration by empowering the industry and artists across borders. 
• Kenya Music Week - recently rebranded as ONGEA (the East Africa Music Summit), Kenya Music Week was established in Nairobi in 2004 to create an accessible public forum for Industry stakeholders to interact and produce solutions to Industry problems.

Other conferences on the continent worth mentioning are the Lagos Music Week in Nigeria; Le Kolatier in Cameroon; and Festival Panafricain de Musique (FESPAM) in Congo-Brazzaville. Elsewhere in the world, Babel Med in France and the World Music Expo (WOMEX), held annually in different locations in Europe, also offer opportunities for anyone working in the African music industry. A few of the best-known festivals on the continent have also added industry development sessions to their programs. For example, MTN Bushfire in Swaziland has its ‘Artist Round Table’, Sauti za Busara in Zanzibar offers a ‘Movers & Shakers’ Forum, while Azgo in Mozambique offers it ‘Azgo Dialogue’. The Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) in Zimbabwe also has workshops, in 2015 held under the banner of the Impact Music Conference.

So wherever you are based on this vast continent, there is a music industry conference within your region, which can be a great way to build new connections and further develop your career in the music industry.