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Music in Devices - Does Audio Quality Matter?

#sxsw #MusicDevices

In the last twenty years, distribution channels have shifted to digital pipelines and consumer electronics devices have led to consumers wanting access to everything everywhere. Gone is the dedicated home stereo and listening room, in favor of smart phones, gadgets and laptops. Music lovers have demonstrated that in the digital age they want convenience, but can they also have high quality audio as the artist intended the music to be heard? Find out what it is going to take to deliver higher quality audio to consumers in the digital age.

Listen:

Presenters

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MODERATOR Vickie Nauman Pres 7digital North America 7digital

Vickie Nauman specializes in music, technology and international business development. Nauman is President-North America for 7digital, the innovative London-based music platform. Through its API, 7digital delivers millions of licensed tracks from all major/indie labels for streaming and download models for global partners including T-Mobile USA, BlackBerry, HP, Samsung, Shazam and many innovative start-ups.

Prior to joining 7digital, Nauman had key roles with Sonos, Seattle station KEXP, RealNetworks, National Public Radio and Procter and Gamble, ran consultancy CrossBorderWorks with clients in China and Europe, and earned a 2006 MBA through the London School of Economics, NYU, and HEC-Paris. Nauman loves music.

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Jason Rubenstein VP, Engineering Pono Music

Jason is VP of Engineering for Pono Music, Neil Young's high-quality music venture.

Prior to joining Pono Music, he worked for Google and for Slide, Inc.

Jason founded and operated an IBM midrange-systems consulting firm before jumping into the consumer internet space by starting a social-games company, later selling that company to Slide.

A musician and programmer since the age of ten, when he was introduced to a computer and to an analog synthesizer in the same week, he's composed and published music and sound effects, released several independent recordings, and produced & licensed music to television for promotion and advertising.

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Gunnar Larsen Dir of Music Dolby Europe Ltd

Gunnar is leading Dolby's global music engagements with services, rights-holders, enablers and artists. Our job is to make sure the original intent of creators is carried through to consumers, regardless of playback device. Gunnar has been active in the mobile/music/games business for more than 15 years, and is based in London.

Founded in 1965, Dolby is best known for enabling high-quality audio and creating innovations that enrich entertainment at the movies, at home, or on the go. Our first ever customer was Decca, who used Dolby A noise reduction to release a LP with Solti conducting the London Symphony in Mahler's 2nd.

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Mike Jbara Pres WEA

Mike Jbara is President and CEO of Warner Elektra Atlantic Corp (WEA Corp.) Based in New York, Jbara is responsible for setting the company’s overall strategic direction and oversees WEA’s day-to-day operations, including retail sales, direct-to-consumer sales and operations, merchandise sales, retail marketing, production and distribution.

Prior to this role, Jbara served as WEA’s EVP and COO, and before that, from 2003 to 2005, he served as VP, Production and Media Operations, where he oversaw the company’s U.S. production and global digital operations.

In that time, WEA has transformed itself from WMG's traditional manufacturing and distribution division into a company that also manages the digital mastering, storage and delivery of digital music worldwide.

Prior to that, Jbara was VP, Operations and Studio Services where he was instrumental in the creation of WEA’s online music and in-house studio operations.

Jbara joined WEA in 1996 as VP, Production Operations where he led day-to-day production on behalf of WMG’s family of labels.

Before joining WEA, Jbara was a Senior Manager in the New York-based Media and Entertainment Practice at Andersen Consulting where he served from 1987 to 1995.

Jbara holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering from the University of Michigan.

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David Chesky Founder/CEO HD Tracks

A composer/musician and three-time Grammy nominee, David Chesky is best known as one of the leaders in advancing research on high-resolution audio technology. Twenty-five years ago, David founded Chesky Records with his brother Norman Chesky. The label has won numerous awards and maintains the reputation as the leading audiophile label in the world known for pioneering new state of the art recording techniques and formats such as 128X oversampled CDs, 96/24 albums, DVD audio, and SACD. As part of the Chesky Records label David has produced and recorded hundreds of the world’s finest jazz and classical artists in hi res audio.

David Chesky is also the founder of HDtracks, the world’s premiere online download service that delivers high sound quality in AIFF, FLAC, WAV, and ALAC, in up to 192kHz/24bit high-resolution files. HDtracks offers master quality music downloads from all the major labels and hundreds of independents in a successful rejoinder to the ubiquitous low quality proliferation of mp3s.

Along with being a world-renowned innovator of audio technologies, David is a classical/jazz composer and pianist who has had his operas, ballets, and symphonic works performed around the world. David was the composer in residence with the National Symphony of Taiwan, and recently the recipient of the 52nd Lancaster Symphony Composer’s Award. As a composer and musician, David Chesky brings a unique perspective to the art of recording as well as to the techniques of music delivery.

Contact:Lisa Hershfield
Lisah@hdtracks.com