Mumbai: The fifth edition of India’s leading music and digital platform Music Connects is back in Mumbai, at ITC Central, Parel, on 26 – 27 November 2013 with a speaker line up that is bursting at the seams with global and local music and digital entertainment leaders.

The following are leading this year’s speakers table, many of whom are making a first time appearance:

Rajesh Kamat, CEO India, CA Media

Satyan Gajwani, CEO, Times Internet

Brian Message, Co Manager, Radiohead

Jyrki Rosenberg, Global Head of Media & Entertainment, Nokia

Bhaskar Sharma, General Manager, Red Bull India

Deepak Jolly, Vice-President – Public Affairs & Communications, Coca-Cola India

P Balaji, Managing Director, Nokia India

Graham Perkins, Director for Market Development – Asia, Fender

Kavita Seth, Artist

Shilpa Rao, Artist

Nikhil Chinapa, Founder, Submerge

Seymour Stein, Co founder and Chairman, Sire Records

Simon Wheeler, Director of Digital, The Beggars Group

Vince Bannon, Vice President – Entertainment Partnerships and Development, Getty Images

Produced by Hong Kong based Music Matters producer Branded and Indiantelevision.com group’s Radioandmusic.com, Nokia Music Connects is supported by the Indian and international music industry trade bodies IMI, SIMCA, PPL, IPRS, BMI among others.

Backed by global mobile devices leader Nokia for the fifth year running, the two-day-long conference has “Redefining Entertainment” as the conference theme. The digital delivery of entertainment and proliferation of platforms, devices and delivery mediums has put all the power in the consumer’s hands. Today, he likes what he wants to consume to be delivered when he wants it, how he wants it and where he wants it.   Above all that, he wants to be able to share it with his friends and others and be seen as the master of his universe.

What challenges does this power shift (where the consumer is at the centre of it all) – throw at the various elements – whether it is the digital streaming, live entertainment, traditional music, online video and traditional linear television players or content creators, aggregators, tech suppliers and device manufacturers – of the entertainment ecosystem?

What are the opportunities that the digital ecosystem players can cash in on?

This year’s Nokia Music Connects will take a hard look at these and other issues.

The Fifth Nokia Music Connects summit will continue to showcase leading executives from the Indian and international labels, digital platforms, live music industry and device manufacturers discussing the current state and the way forward for the music business.

At night the attendees will be rocked at the iconic Blue Frog by international showcases from Britain and Australia.

Global Head of Media & Entertainment at Nokia, Jyrki Rosenberg, is no stranger to the Nokia Music Connects event or to India’s shores. Remarking about his Keynote interview Mr. Rosenberg said: “I am proud of the leading role that Nokia has played in the evolution of the digital music industry in India in recent years and I am looking forward to sharing our views on how the pace of change is about to explode. Indian consumers show a passion for music that, allied with increased access to legal digital content, means that there are amazing opportunities for artists, rights holders and distributors on the horizon. Nokia Music Connects is the perfect platform for people to gather and share their thoughts to help shape the future of entertainment in India.”

On his first business trip to India, Co Manager of global rockers Radiohead, Brian Message said: “In recent years the good news coming out of the Indian music market has grown considerably, capturing the attention of many of us in the UK who have traditionally looked west. It was therefore an opportunity not to be passed up when an invite came to attend Nokia Music Connects and I’m very much looking forward to jumping on the band wagon.”

Seymour Stein, the A&R supremo who discovered many household names including Madonna, Talking Heads and Depeche Mode has a deep-seated passion for Asian music. This will be his third visit to Nokia Music Connects on which he remarked: “I attend many music conferences around the world, and Nokia Music Connects is one I feel is exceptional and can’t miss.  It’s enlightening, well organized, always up-beat and attracts the most important people in Indian Music, as well as the right people from around the world.”

Seymour is attending the conference exclusively to mentor young Indian artists and impart invaluable knowledge from a career spanning over five decades.

Music Matters President, Jasper Donat has been working with the Indian entertainment industry since 1995 and is excited to be returning for the fifth installment of Nokia Music Connects: “Of all the events that we are fortunate to produce around Asia Pacific this is easily one of my favorites. The passion shown by Indian music industry practitioners always makes for healthy and entertaining debate on stage that we miss in some other Asian territories. Matched with great entertainment and my favorite food on the planet I can’t wait to be back in Mumbai with my friends.”

Says Radioandmusic.com Founder Anil Wanvari:  “Entertainment is being consumed across the traditional platforms even today but the share of digital entertainment consumption is increasing quite rapidly in India with bandwidth costs falling.  In the fifth year of Nokia Music Connects, we will be looking at trends in overall entertainment, with a focus on music. This apart there are focuses on live entertainment, the investor’s perspective with – Bollywood Artist crossing the divide and also mentoring sessions by some international big names. Our endeavor is to nurture relationships, leadership thought processes through NMC.”

The organisers are also excited to announce the first ever Indian Music Matters Academy in association with Fender taking place during Nokia Music Connects. Designed to educate musicians in the business of music and giving back to the creator community, invited musicians will be given a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet and receive mentoring and guidance from some of the biggest names in the music industry including Brian Message and Seymour Stein.

Speaking on behalf of Fender, Graham Perkins the Director for Market Development Asia; “Having supported the Music Matters Academy in Singapore, we see the tremendous value that the Academy provides for artists. Being able to get up close and personal with major industry figures, provides a great chance for new and emerging talent to learn from these mentors through their own experiences.”

On the launch of the Academy in India, Mr. Donat remarked: “You can’t Google “how to be a rockstar” so this is some of the most useful content produced at any of our events and a great example of the industry giving back to the people who fuel its creativity. Musicians trying to survive in a digitally flat world are given the tools they need to survive by people who have already made it and willingly give their advice at no charge.”