Unprecedented CEO-level retreat unveiled at GRAMMYs on the Hill event in Washington, D.C.

GRAMMY.com

One year to the day after calling for a "music and technology truce," Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow returned to Washington at GRAMMYs on The Hill to announce for the first time the outcome of an unprecedented two-day retreat this summer that included the best and brightest working in the digital music field. Set amidst the creative backdrop of George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch, the participants envisioned a set of music and technology principles.

Presidents, CEOs and other high-level leaders dedicated significant time to this first-of-its-kind discussion. Executives from digital music services such as Rhapsody, Napster, eMusic, SNOCAP and Pandora; technology manufacturers such as Microsoft and Sandisk; retailers including Best Buy and Amazon; major and independent music publishers; and all four major music labels came to Skywalker Ranch for the retreat (a full list is available here). Additionally, accomplished music creators Ronnie Dunn (of Brooks & Dunn), producer/songwriter Jimmy Jam, Leslie Ann Jones of Skywalker Sound, and producer Phil Ramone took part in the retreat.

In his keynote address at GRAMMYs on The Hill, Portnow noted, "Many of these executives were meeting face to face for the first time and to us, that in and of itself was important. That they engaged in such an honest and open dialogue was even more fulfilling. That they all agreed to continue the discussion beyond the retreat was gratifying all the more. But perhaps paramount were their contributions to several guiding philosophies, which we're calling the GRAMMY Music & Technology Principles." Unveiled for the first time at GRAMMYs on The Hill, these principles include:

• Music creators are the foundation of the music business and must be adequately compensated regardless of the technology
• Meeting the needs of consumers is critical, and the music and technology industries must provide a wide array of business models that appeal to consumers and value compensation to creators and copyright owners
• New technologies are essential to the future of the music business, therefore an environment for experimentation and innovation — that respects copyright and music creators — should be fostered
• Interoperability across hardware and services is essential to the consumer experience and should be a priority in the digital music space
• The best defense against music piracy is a vibrant, complete and legal digital marketplace
• The industry must make faster rights clearances a higher priority in order to grow the legal digital distribution of music and to more effectively compete with the enormous volume of titles available through illegitimate source
• The music economy is not a zero-sum game; music and technology sectors can both benefit as the business grows
• Continued dialogue among music and technology leaders is essential to facilitating growth in the marketplace

"We realize that these principles are just a first step in greater cooperation between the music and technology sectors," Portnow added. "There will continue to be hurdles and challenges ahead as we adapt to the new marketplace. But I have great respect for these leaders who came to Skywalker to build consensus, and I believe the entire industry should follow their example and the standards they have set forth."

Portnow made his remarks at the annual GRAMMYs on the Hill dinner in Washington — this year honoring Quincy Jones, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), and Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) — for their contributions to the music community.

The Music & Technology Leadership Retreat is part of the GRAMMY Industry Roundtable, an ongoing program created at The Recording Academy designed to build consensus among music industry leadership on critical challenges facing the industry.

To read Neil Portnow's GRAMMYs on the Hill keynote speech, click here.