CMJ has announced its initial list of panels for CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival 2012. The Kimmel Center at New York University’s historic Greenwich Village campus will host the music industry’s most informed and insightful thinkers on October 16-20, where critical topics facing the business will be thoroughly discussed and dissected. CMJ panels present all badge holders with the opportunity to join industry veterans and rising stars as they offer concepts and thoughts on an ever-changing marketplace.

The initial list of panels for CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival includes:

Social Media Sobriety: The social media environment is frantic and volatile. Learn how to build and execute a social media plan. Which sites, tools, widgets and apps work best? How much manpower is needed and how much does it cost?

What’s the Deal?: What do 2012 deals look like? Expert entertainment dealmakers will dissect a cross-section of deals, including rights-based issues and much more. 

International Hopscotch: Touring Outside the U.S.: From opportunities to obstacles, find out what is and isn’t working on the international touring circuit, including preparation, financials, international agents, taxes, promoters and marketing.

The Real-Deal Breakdown of Branded Placement: Trace the steps of a song to learn exactly what goes into a branded major placement. Exactly how does a song get aligned with a brand? What do the deals and the contracts look like?

An Intervention on Career Reinvention: As mergers, consolidations and their requisite downsizing abound, what does it take to reinvent your career? How do you find a lane and forge your own new opportunities?

Dumb Band, Smart Phone: A Smartphone can be an artist’s best friend. This panel goes deep into the effects of new mobile technologies on the modern artist.

The Cloud Hovers: Opinions on the direction of cloud computing vary. How do musicians feel about the fact that most “premium” accounts allow any files to be shared freely? How do labels feel about the cloud?

A&R = Arithmetic and Research: How do decision makers discover new talent? What are the numbers required to get on the radar of A&R executives? These modern-day algorithmic gatekeepers shed light on the contemporary talent scout.

Modern Music Business Education Programs: What are colleges and other academic programs currently teaching? And which institutions are leading the way to find solutions for the next generation of musicians? Get the lowdown on music education here.

Get more info here.