Jon Platt, Chairman & CEO of Warner/Chappell Music (WCM), will make a special keynote appearance at Midem 2016. Platt will be featured in conversation with American songwriter and musician Justin Tranter — whom the New York Times calls one of the “hottest songwriters in pop,” known for his chart-topping work with Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber and Gwen Stefani, among others. The event will take place on Saturday 4 June as part of the Midem Keynote Series.
“No matter how the music industry evolves, the one constant is the importance of the song,” said Jon Platt. “The nurturing of songwriters and the creative community is not only at the core of music publishing, but at the heart of our entire business. Justin Tranter is a phenomenal talent, and I look forward to joining with him to talk about how songs are born and shaped, the role of publishers in the business today, and how supporting a vibrant, collaborative creative community is the focus of everything we do at Warner/Chappell.”
“It is a great pleasure to welcome Jon Platt as keynote speaker, and we are honoured that he has chosen Midem’s 50th edition as his first speaking engagement since being appointed Chairman & CEO of Warner/Chappell. Jon’s insight will be invaluable for the Midem audience, and he will bring a fresh perspective on both music publishing and artist development. Midem was originally created by publishers, and we are proud to have them still very much present at the heart of our event,” said Jérôme Delhaye, Director of Entertainment at Reed MIDEM.
As Chairman & CEO of Warner/Chappell Music, the global music publishing company of Warner Music Group, Platt drives the cultivation and growth of the company’s diverse roster of songwriters and its spectrum of creative services. Since joining Warner/Chappell in 2012, he has been instrumental in attracting a wide range of new and established talent, including Jay Z, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Mike Will Made It, MNEK, and others, while continuing to build relationships with songwriters such as Katy Perry, Kendrick Lamar, Michael Bublé, and George Michael. Previously, Platt spent 17 years at EMI Music Publishing, where artists he signed at the outset of their careers include Jay Z, Kanye West, Drake, Usher, Ludacris, and Snoop Dogg.
Just last month, Warner/Chappell Music was named 2016 Music Publisher of the Year at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards. WCM was also named Publisher of the Year at the 2015 ASCAP Country Music Awards (for the third year in a row) and the 2015 ASCAP Latin Music Awards.
Justin Tranter is a world-renowned songwriter whose notable credits include Justin Bieber’s “Sorry,” Selena Gomez’s “Hands to Myself” and “Good For You,” DNCE’s “Cake By The Ocean,” Fall Out Boy’s “Centuries,” and Gwen Stefani’s “Used To Love You.” The former lead singer of the band Semi Precious Weapons, he has also written for artists including Nick Jonas, Hailee Steinfeld, Kelly Clarkson, Fifth Harmony, and Breathe Carolina, among others. Midem, the world’s leading music industry B2B event, takes place in Cannes, France from 3-6 June 2016.
About Midem – Midem is an annual international b2b event dedicated to the new music ecosystem, with a tradeshow, conferences, competitions, networking events and live performances. It’s the place where music makers, cutting-edge technologies, brands & talents come together to enrich the passionate relationship between people & music, transform audience engagement and form new business connections. www.midem.com
