Music China is back after three years
During the pandemic, Music China and The MIDI Association worked closely together to keep information and news about MIDI and MIDI products available in China. Music China hosted online events on their WeChat channels and together we figured out a clever way to iFrame our MIDIable meetings so that we could have people from all over the world share information on new products and new MIDI specifications with people in China. We had several thousand people attend our online session.
This year Music China was able to take the entries from the 2023 MIDI Innovation awards and put the text entries, videos and images into a WeChat mini-program.
If you are not familiar with WeChat, it is the most popular social media application in China. It is literally impossible to survive in China without WeChat. Much of this article features photos that were shared with The MIDI Association via WeChat and portions of the article are screenshots taken from WeChat using the built-in English translation technology. If you plan to go to to China, we really recommend creating a WeChat account, getting a VPN that will work in China (some services like Google and Facebook are blocked in China unless you use a VPN) and finally perhaps getting a payment service like Alipay.
But it was great to be back in China in person. With the help of Music China and all our Chinese MIDI Association members, we were able to have an incredible show and really boost MIDI’s visibility in China.
Music China Overall
With buyers from more than 70 countries and regions, Music China (Shanghai) International Musical Instrument Exhibition (Music China) opened on October 11, ushered in a four-day industry event. As one of the world’s largest musical instrument exhibitions, Music China brings together 1,822 well-known companies in the industry to showcase their products and exchange technologies at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Center. This year’s exhibition area of 120,000 square meters, 20% larger than in 2020, including 10 exhibition halls (W5 to E5) and 3 outdoor exhibition hall (OW2 to OW4), for the majority of the industry and music lovers to present a comprehensive and professional feast of instruments.
by Music China
It is hard to get an idea of how big Music China is, but as they say a picture is worth a thousand words so here are three to try to give everyone an idea of the size and scope of Music China. The first is an overall map of Music China that calls out the OW4 Tech+ Music Lab that the MIDI Association was in. The second is a picture looking back from E5 down to E1.
So that picture is only showing half of the Music China halls! The last is a picture of the crowds lined up to get into the show. 130,000 people pre-registered for the event and a good percentage of those were in attendance.
Music China, The Chinese Musical Instrument Association and The MIDI Association
It’s important to understand the organizations involved in music in China.
Music China is put on by the cooperation of three organizers.
China Music Instrument Association (CMIA)-
Shanghai Intex Exhibition Co., Ltd.
Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.
The Chinese Musical Instrument Association is a music industry trade association made up of companies in China who create musical instruments.
The Shanghai Intex Exhibition company are the feet on the ground at the show and have a number of great people like Aoshuang “Sylvia” Xue who helped to make Music China a success for The MIDI Association.
Messe Franfurt (HK) helps in the overall coordination.
The Future Music and Science Technology committee and The Music Technology Lab
The MIDI Association is a global trade association specifically to promote MIDI and create new MIDI standards based on customers needs. We have members from North and South America, Europe and China.
In the last few years with the help of Yitian Zhao, CEO of CME and Vice Director of the Chinese Musical Instrument Association and President of Future Music and Science Technology committee and Joe Zhang, CTO of Medeli and MIDI Association Technical Standards Board Member, we have signifcantly grown the number of Chinese members. Also with their leadership a number of important changes have happened in the structure of the Chinese Musical Instrument Association (CMIA) . MIDI products used to included in the category of electrical instruments which included anything with electrical power including amps and electric guitars. At the request of Mr Zhao, CMIA created the Future Music and Science Technology Committee and is focusing more on technology and of course MIDI. We will talk more about the ongoing relationship with CMIA later.
In order to link cutting-edge technology at home and abroad and bring innovative products to end users, Music Science and Technology Laboratory specially launched “Chinese Users’ Choice” The “Future Shock Award for Future Music Products” two major user selection activities, the event was jointly launched by the organizers of Music China, the MIDI Association and the China Musical Instrument Association Future Music Technology Special Committee, with the special support of the China Music Association University Alliance.
“China User Choice” Voting Campaign
“Chinese Users’ Choice of the Year” products from overseas innovative enterprises or individual developers, more “MIDI Innovation Awards International MIDI Innovation Awards” winning products shortlisted. Vote for the innovative products you are most looking forward to experiencing at the show, and the top 5 will be showcased at the show!
Voting period: September 1 – September 30
Voting rules: 3 votes per user, no repeat voting
“Future Music Products” Voting Event
Future Shock Awards “Music Technology Product of the Year” will be selected from all “Music Technology Lab” products and 5 “Chinese Users’ Choice” winning products. According to the comprehensive voting results of the expert jury and the live audience, the first winner will receive the 2024 Music Technology Lab booth. From October 11th to 14th, the brand that gets the first votes every day will prepare exquisite gifts for you!
Voting period: October 11 – October 14
(You can preview products on October 7)
Voting rules: 3 votes per user, non-repeatable vote, 10 votes per vote of the expert jury
The user selection activity specially invited domestic well-known experts to form an expert jury to vote on the candidate products, and comprehensive on-site voting results to select a “Future Shock Award Future Music Product.”
by Music China Tech + WeChat mini program
Music Technology Lab Expert Jury
The Chinese Users Choice Awards
The Chinese Users Choice Awards allowed innovative MIDI companies from overseas to gain exposure in the Chinese market. Music China was able to take the entries from the MIDI Innovation awards and put the text entries, videos and images into a WeChat mini-program.
If you are not familiar with WeChat, it is the most popular social media application in China. It is literally impossible to survive in China without WeChat. Much of this article features photos that were shared with The MIDI Association via WeChat and portions of the article are screenshots taken from WeChat using the built-in English translation technology. If you plan to go to to China, we really recommend creating a WeChat account, getting a VPN that will work in China (some services like Google and Facebook are blocked in China unless you use a VPN) and finally perhaps getting a payment service like Alipay.
In any case, here are the winners of the Chinese Users Choice Awards.
Future Shock Awards
The Future Shock Awards were voted on during the show and included both entrants from overseas and from China.
All of the the winners of the Future Shock awards are MIDI Association members (though the contest is not limited to MIDI Association members).
The MIDI Association wins an International Cooperation Award
At the opening welcome dinner for Music China, The MIDI Association (along with NAMM) won an International Cooperation Award.
International Forum On MIDI Technology
More Music China articles to come
So much happened at Music China that we can’t fit it all into one article so in the next few days we will do a full wrap up the whole show as this was just some of what went on in OW4 t the Tech + Music Lab which is just a small part of the show.
But we can’t finish without saying thanks to some very special friends.
Thanks to everyone at Music China
We had three MIDI Brand Ambassadors from Xinghai Conservatory of Music who were a great help. Our members from China who put on the MIDI Forum and did a great job of explaining the benefits of MIDI 2.0 (and we will be putting up the videos we created for Music China in both English and Chinese soon.
Tami X (Buchla modular artists and founder of MIDIFan, the best website in China for information on Music Technology has been great in promoting MIDI information and translating MIDI.org articles into Chinese.
But our trip to Music China would not have been possible without all the help we received from Aoshuang “Sylvia” Xue from Music China and Yitian Zhao from CME.
We are really looking forward to working closely together and for even bigger and better things at Music China 2024!
