Mobile Content World Conference: Day 1

5pm update: Some of the music industry's leading talent management executives share bitterness and answers about how artists can exploit the mobile and digital channel.

Featuring Robbie Williams' manager Tim Clark, Ralph Simon, founder of Jive Records and digital strategist of the likes of Paris Hilton and Avril Lavigne, and Jonathan Shalit, the ex-Saatchi ad man who 'discovered' Charlotte Church and manages acts including Jamelia.

Scroll down for updates

11am: Rapper-turned businessman and former Public Enemy frontman turned online digital music evangelist Chuck D has opened the 7th annual Mobile Content World conference with a keynote speech touching on Napster-founder Shawn Fanning, Rupert Murdoch and MySpace, and why mobiles will be the device of choice for the next generation.

He is, of course, in part promoting his new-ish "audio visual social network" Chuck D Mobile - which gets a rather large video introduction - but the controversial rap star-businessman has serious digital credentials supporting his views.

Chuck D is something of an internet entrepreneur having launched having launched a download and hip hop networking site rapstation.com back in 1999; released an album on the web before it hit the high street and an online radio station bringthenoise.com.

He argues, to chuckles all-round, that "we were a MySpace before MySpace for producers and artists".

While being a massive fan of the social networking site his views of its News International ownership sit uncomfortably alongside his long-held position against corporate control in general.

"We know they are Big Brother, the best idea is to keep one foot in and one foot out," he says with a wry smile.

Despite the illegal filesharing revolution that ensued when Shawn Fanning launched Napster Chuck D argues, in support, that he has had as big an effect on modern music as the Beatles did in the 1960s.

Given that he has made significant amounts of money before the fully-fledged arrival of the music industry revenue-busting phenomenon he perhaps has the luxury to take this view.

Yet, he argues, that there is no turning back for unsigned artists of mega-stars alike - they key there shouldn't be such a thing as "the big business gold rush mentality" in the future.

Artists will have to create music cheaper - including videos - and get used to the idea that a "successful artist" means revenues on a more modest scale.

He is relatively unsympathetic for where the music companies find themselves today arguing that they "let the cat out of the bag" when they launched CDs in the early days without major digital rights management in mind.

With openly shareable MP3 files as the format of choice he argues that although he believes in "some form of DRM" the endgame of the internet is that it has democratised the industry by giving "small businesses a shot as well as big business."

Revenue models will be found, he says, look at the latest announcements hoping that advertiser-funding will help pay for music royalties, but ultimately youth today are not watching so much TV or reading papers or magazines so the question is how to engage them on their terms.

5pm update: Some of the music industry's leading talent management executives discuss how artists can exploit the mobile and digital channel and straight off the bat there is some bitterness here about the role digital has played in taking traditional revenue from artists.

Tim Clark expresses his concern at how the "digital revolution" has meant the likes of Steve Jobs through the genius of the iPod, MTV, YouTube and, probably next, Rupert Murdoch with MySpace are making cash, not so much the artists.

"It is time people thought about the originators. No artists, no industry," he states matter-of-factly.

Clearly not one to mince his words Mr Shalit is quick to agree: "Artists are being screwed completely, (Steve) Jobs screwed us through his brilliance."

He opens out to the audience asking the question as to how to actually make money over and above "spreading the word about Jamelia".

Ralph Simon, who is clearly a seasoned veteran in this sort of discussion as chairman of the Mobile Entertainment Forum, has a few ideas. He argues that the same rules apply digitally as traditionally - it is about developing an audience, the "glue to bind loyalty".

Paris Hilton has the concept of "Paris World" a sort of multi-platform, multi-media brand extension targeting 18 to 28 year olds.

And with Avril Lavigne he is experimenting with developing new types of content that tie-in with her music. One clever idea in the works is making an online Japanese-style manga cartoon soap opera with her as a character and giving fans the chance to be on it as a character as well.

Robbie Williams has a pretty lucrative multi-media deal with Sony Ericsson, Clark points this out as an example as to how you can "definitely" make at least some revenue out of digital.

In 2002 his album 'escapology' was launched with about 20 pieces of additional 'content' such as enhanced CDs. About a year ago 'Intensive Care' came out with 200 building on the opportunities in the new media world.

However, when quizzed on offering free content his answer is emphatic. "We have allowed very little out for free, we are not fond of the notion of free music or the word 'free'. There is kind of a battle we have to fight over new digital channels and ways of distribution...."

He is a tough old music industry hand who nevertheless "welcomes" the freeing up of distribution beyond the iron-grip of the record companies to look for revenue.

He admits that the digital landscape offers lots of opportunities and loves the fact that Nokia, Samsung and others are coming to the party with serious music-playing devices.

"It is good for music, it is good that Steve Jobs has a bit of a fight on his hands."