MUMBAI: The award-winning Digital & Music Matters, and Music Matters Live concluded on 24 May in Singapore with the successful premiere of the first-ever YouTube FanFest with HP and lively discussions on the future of digital entertainment services in Asia and beyond. Over 50 hours of “live” streamed events registered more than 200,000 online viewers for YouTube FanFest with HP, and hundreds of thousands of viewers for Digital & Music Matters conferences and Music Matters Live.

Held from 20 to 21 May at The Ritz Carlton, Millenia Singapore, YouTube FanFest with HP saw 1,400 attendees over two days of performances by today’s rising and established YouTube stars who combined have enjoyed over 3.8 billion page views to their own channels. The audience saw performances by Chester See (US), Ryan Higa (US), Hikakin (JPN), Steph Micayle (SG), Namewee (MY), Eat Your Kimchi (KR) and more. Surprise guests Joe Perry (Aerosmith) and YouTube star, Andrew Garcia, also delivered amazing performances in the show, much to the delight of the audience.

YouTube FanFest (www.youtubefanfest.com) was streamed “live” over two nights and more than 200,000 online viewers tuned in. Singapore viewers accounted for half of the total viewership figure.

Digital and Music Matters (21 to 23 May), is a pioneering industry event in the Asia-Pacific region bringing together key players in the global music, entertainment and digital industries.

Over 1,400 participants from close to 400 companies across 30 countries attended the three-day event which consisted of 15 panels, including 30 keynote presentations and interviews, as well as eight roundtables and workshops focusing on export, digital entertainment, music publishing, synchronisation, online creative and live music.

There were also lots of evening parties and networking sessions, which included Samsung Breakfast, Accenture Lunch, Microsoft/Movideo Cocktails, SG Muso Soundcheck, Asia Pop 40 Launch, Music Matters Live and Seymour Stein cocktails.

The event saw 120 journalists, more than 30 sponsors, over 80 media and industry association partners, 175 artists and students who contributed to the success of the events as they exchanged experiences and discussed new collaborations with all who mattered in the music and digital entertainment industries.

This is also the first year all the events were streamed “live” for over 50 hours, courtesy of Movideo and YouTube, reaching out to the global audience.

The third edition of Digital Matters presented by Windows Azure held in association with Movideo and CASBAA kicked off the exciting week of conferences on 21 May with a “live” Google Hangout with Amanda Palmer, who shared her experience on tapping into social networks to connect with her audience and to raise funding for her independent album.

This year’s conference also saw keynote presentations and speakers from Microsoft, Movideo, Akamai, Google, Samsung, SingTel, HBO Asia, ESPN Asia Pacific, NBA Asia Pacific, YouTube, StarHub, Motion Picture Association, Omnifone, Brightcove, and more.

Music Matters (22 to 23 May) opened with a welcome address by Singapore’s Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information, Lawrence Wong, followed by an important update from the Singapore Music Society (SG MUSO) – membership grew from 350 in 2012 to 620 today and support from the private and government sector had helped the fledgling association organise regular networking sessions to bring together artists, promoters and venue owners to further grow Singapore’s music industry.

This year’s Music Matters saw invigorating performances by seven of today’s breakout artists from Australia, Canada, Korea, Myanmar, the UK and the US. Attendees were also given the latest industry report from Frances Moore, CEO of IFPI, which represents the recording industry worldwide, who shared insights on how the recording industry can sustain its first growth in the last 13 years.

The one-on-one keynote interview with Johnny Wright revealed his thoughts on being an artist manager, with his experience in managing artists who include Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson, Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC and Britney Spears.

The two-day Music Matters Academy saw 120 aspiring artists and recording industry up-starts registering for the sessions to learn tips and advice from industry veterans Seymour Stein (President, Sire Records), Dan Teree (President and COO Ticketfly) and Nick O’Bryne (General Manager, Australian Independent Record Labels Association).

The three-day conference was complemented by Music Matters Live powered by HP, a three-day music festival held from 22nd to 24th May. This year’s festival featured 58 acts from 20 countries, which played 160 shows across seven venues in Clarke Quay, with country showcases from Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. An estimated 10,000 fans attended the shows and hundreds of thousands watched the festival via YouTube.

This is the second year that the festival was streamed “live” via YouTube with the help from students from Singapore Polytechnic who gained hands-on experience in producing a “live” streaming show for the first time.

“We aim to grow the event each year and this year we gave Singapore five nights of entertainment coupled with three days of conferences and two days of academy sessions. The overwhelming response we received this year is a sign that the Asian market is growing and Digital & Music Matters and Music Matters Live provide a much-needed platform to connect emerging artists with today’s digital entertainment decision makers. I want to thank our amazing cast of sponsors and partners for helping us in our journey to bring new artists and music to new audiences,” said Jasper Donat, President of Digital & Music Matters and CEO of Branded Ltd.

Digital & Music Matters is proudly supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, Media Development Authority of Singapore, and Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore. Other key sponsors on board for 2013 are: 88tc88, Accenture, Akamai, AsiaWorld-Expo, Barks, Believe Digital, Audio Network, BMI, Brightcove, CIMA, Channel [V], Eon & Asia Pop 40, Fender, Fox, Google/ YouTube, Gracenote, HP, ICON, Invest HK, Images in Motion, KOCCA, Windows Azure, Movideo, MPAJ, Omnifone, Pacific Beverages, Samsung, Singapore Grand Prix, Sounds Australia and the Singapore National Arts Council.