Thousands of musicians, managers, labels, and tech companies converged at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France on June 6th-9th for Midem, the world’s oldest and largest music conference. This year’s event had a clear focus on streaming, as the industry and its artists continue to navigate the ever-changing digital landscape. However, as the conference unfolded, another very important theme emerged when several thought leaders advised artists to always understand their value and manage their careers according to their goals.

Vydia CEO, Roy LaManna, opened the first day of the conference with a popular panel titled “Why Independent Artists From Around the World Should be Setting the Standard for America.” Using global data from the Vydia platform, LaManna illustrated the different patterns of trending artists based on their geolocations. “Many unsigned artists are underselling themselves and don’t know their true worth,” explained LaManna. The data told a story of how American musicians seem more likely to accept a label’s offer without considering what the value of their ownership over time is worth. Conversely, artists from other parts of the world are holding out for the right offer or not interested in giving up ownership of their profitable assets at all.

Later in the week, this observation was supported by an eye-opening panel featuring Daddy Yankee, whose recent hit song “Despacito” is #1 worldwide and has clocked almost 2 billion views on YouTube. His session, “From Local to Global, the Power of Digital”, revealed the surprising fact that despite his many years of massive success, he remains an independent artist. “I’ve been investing with my tracks and I own my masters. When anybody negotiates with Daddy Yankee, it’s straight with me. I’m my own jefe,” Daddy Yankee says as the crowd applauds. Daddy Yankee goes on to talk about how you need to leverage your data when negotiating deals, know your worth, and create your own movement.

Another great session, “Run The Jewels: Making the Most Out of All Marketing Channels” highlighted the marketing strategy behind the hip-hop phenomenon. Run the Jewels has found success using an innovative approach to marketing by tapping into many different channels and mediums to connect with their audience. “It’s rare to have…especially in rap, two guys at the age 40, make a breakthrough. They’ve never had so much fun, they’re living the dream, they are doing exactly what they want to do,” boasts Artist Manager Amaechi Uzoigwe from Monotone. “They’ve learned a lot and they’ve learned what’s important: The music, the fans, and being compensated fairly.” Uzoigwe expanded his thought by explaining that providing valuable content is all it takes to connect with your audience. Taking strategic and meaningful steps forward in releasing your content will ultimately be what moves the needle. He goes on to warn that being famous is not the same as success, joking that he knows some very famous, very broke musicians. “It’s not about the fame and being on TV…It’s about being paid correctly for the work you do…Because they [Run the Jewels] have earned the right… If there isn’t a proper value exchange, what’s the point?”

After four days of educational sessions, music showcases, technology pitches, networking with other industry experts, and meeting with some of Vydia’s international creators, we are prouder than ever to be providing artists with a platform that helps them manage their content, protect their assets, and evaluate their performance data. Many music industry experts at Midem agree that leveraging the right technology and data is a priority when growing your business as an artist. To learn more about how to centralize the management of your video content across the digital space, check out how Vydia empowers creators here. Also, be sure to stay up-to-date on industry trends and success stories by following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.