Following the successful launch of the first Creators’ Conference in Stockholm in 2010 initiated by the Swedish Society of Popular Music Composers (Skap), the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA) is organising the second Creators Conference. It will be held in Brussels, Belgium on 2-3 February 2012. There will be 4 main panels: CONTENT IS KING Undoubtedly, «content» is driving the industry and everybody wants access to it – everywhere and anytime, cheap and in good quality. But what is behind the simple word «content»? Creators share their views on where the creative process starts, how they compose, write and produce, and – perhaps most importantly – their personal sources of inspiration and creativity. FREEDOM OF CHOICE What importance do creators attach to the freedom of choice? Following the creative process, authors operate in a highly competitive and sometimes confusing legal environment. How will and should collecting societies adapt to a rapidly changing world, and what are the alternatives? Finally, can new business models really guarantee that creators make a living from their work? A CREATIVE LEAP FORWARD Politicians must be creative in order to frame the markets of the future, to balance the concerns of the music value chain and to foster an attitude shift in consumers. How can European copyright be therefore adapted to the new needs of the audience and to those of creators in the 21st century? Which pan-European solutions best guarantee a flourishing, diverse and genre-specific music repertoire, whilst creating a digital single market for music? TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT There is an aggressively growing malpractice that some call «hijacking of author’s rights» through coercive agreements. Refusing to sign disadvantageous contracts or speaking up against this practice is equivalent to professional suicide for creators. How do we address this business practice, which directly affects the lives of composers and songwriters, but of journalists, writers and filmmakers, too? More information at: www.creatorsconference.org