December 6, 2023

Overview: EMEE European Networking Mission to Milan

As part of our ongoing DEMEC project, this month EMEE members participated in a networking mission to Milan, Italy where they were able to learn more about the Italian music eco-system, and participate in local showcase’s Linecheck and Milan Music Week.

Overview of Activities

We arrived in Milan to get a wider understanding of the music scene and its trends, while also getting to chance to network with a range of music industry professionals and artists through those who were attending Linecheck. After a networking lunch in the main Linecheck venue Base, we were given a concise and insightful overview of the Italian music industry by EMEE member Italia Music Export. This included general facts and figures and a closer look at trends (for instance the Italian charts mostly contain Italian music), you can find out more through our Italian Market Report.

With a thorough overview, we were able to attend networking receptions happening throughout Linecheck, and watch the grand opening of the event, which led to an evening of live music throughout the participating venues.

We started the second day by participating in the Music Dialogues conversation, European organisations and music companies had an opportunity to look at how to nurture new talent in music and present their ideas to the commission. Following this detailed and in-depth conversation, we attended a pitch session for Italian professionals from all sectors to tell us more about their work.

These included:

  • Magalie Berardo – Musicalista
  • Davide Ragazzoni – Santeria
  • Sofia Florimonte
  • Carlotta Fiandaca – MI AMI Festival
  • Alessia Porcari – Sugar Music
  • Davide Iurlano – Goodfellas
  • Emanuela Teodora Russo – D’ammassa & partners
  • Leonardo Gussoni – Edizioni Curci
  • Guendalina Gramitto – Carosello Records
  • Giorgio Riccitelli – Radar Concerti
  • Luca Bocchio – Poplar Festival
  • Anna Zò & Dino Lupelli – Linecheck Festival

Following these presentations we had the opportunity to meet the professionals and attend the Swiss Business mixer, followed by an evening of live music.

Key takeaways

Some of the key take-aways from this mission included the fact that Italy is made up of a number of central music points, the main cities for performance and live music are in the North of the country, however there is no one central city for the music industry to be concentrated in.

Music fans in Italy are very supportive of homegrown acts, and the charts reflect this, therefore it can be useful to partner and work with Italian artists to break into the market. In the last few years, the Italian music industry has successfully managed to export and gain international acclaim, since the success of Måneskin, as evidenced by the Italian Music Export report (SIAE, 2022).

The live industry is very varied and considered a majorly important part of the Italian music industry, with a turnover of 450 million euros between January to September 2022. Most small venues fall under the umbrella of ARCI clubs. ARCI is a popular cultural association to which many Italian music clubs belong that support emerging artists and you must pay a small yearly fee to join.

Tips for getting into Italy as a market

  • Having a least one local partner will really help increase your impact, it can be PR, distribution, promoter etc.
  • It’s important to consider physical product as there is still a demand for it in Italy.
  • Most tours are limited to the north of the country, and that’s definitely the area to start though it’s important to note regardless that venues can be seasonal, with some of them moving outdoors during the summer months.
  • Linecheck is a great place to start when trying to access the Italian market – whether playing it or meeting local Italian professionals.