The Music Tectonics Conference: October 27-28, 2020, in Los Angeles, CA.
Music Tectonics goes beneath the surface.
Go beyond the tremors shaking up the daily news about music and technology: explore the seismic shifts that are shaping the business of music now and in the future.
What will ...
October 27-28, 2020 -- Online Conference
The Music Tectonics Conference is used to swiveling, and this pandemic is no different. Organizers announce the move of their second annual conference to a one-of-a-kind online event while keeping their original dates of October 27-28, 2020 and their futurist-yet-practical theme of seismic shifts in music tech. Music Tectonics will use technology that allows for highly interactive small-group and one-on-one networking, dynamic exhibitor/demo rooms, and...
October 27-28, 2020 -- Online Conference
The Music Tectonics Conference is used to swiveling, and this pandemic is no different. Organizers announce the move of their second annual conference to a one-of-a-kind online event while keeping their original dates of October 27-28, 2020 and their futurist-yet-practical theme of seismic shifts in music tech. Music Tectonics will use technology that allows for highly interactive small-group and one-on-one networking, dynamic exhibitor/demo rooms, and top level presentations from industry leaders and thinkers. Registration is open now, at MusicTectonics.com. (General Admission $59, VIP tickets $300)
For two days in October, Music Tectonics will unite innovators across the music and tech landscapes. The slate of speakers indicates a focus on high-level analysis and roll-your-sleeves-up innovation. Confirmed speakers include:
Building on a successful first edition in 2019 in Los Angeles, Music Tectonics has grown a following for its music tech podcast, community-building events, and quick reflexes. The first Music Tectonics conference saw over 400 attendees gather from across the music and tech macrocosm. The devastating Getty Fire may have closed the original conference venue just 24 hours before it was to start, but the Music Tectonics team swiveled so quickly that the event went ahead on schedule in a new downtown venue far from the fires.
As the wave of coronavirus cancellations knocked down the in-person events where the music tech community was set to gather in 2020, Music Tectonics created a five-month series of #WeeklyWebsdays online meetups with guest speakers, networking, and a warm, welcoming vibe. To keep this growing community connected 24/7/365, the team launched a Music Tectonics social network for music tech that already has 500 members. (Mobile app available on the App Store and Google Play)
All that is just the opening act to October’s main event: the second annual Music Tectonics conference. “We designed our first major event to be different from any other industry gathering, leveraging serious business and big ideas with off-beat programming and enlivening deep networking opportunities with light-hearted fun,” explains director Dmitri Vietze, also CEO of music tech PR firm rock paper scissors. “I knew that this year, we couldn’t just put some talking heads on a screen and call it a Music Tectonics conference.” The aim of Music Tectonics is to provide a space where people from different sectors cross paths and connect, whether they’re with startups, major labels, indie labels, streaming services, distributors, social media platforms, investors, accelerators, legal experts, live event execs, gear makers, or consultants— in short, everyone who works where music and tech meet.
That’s why the conference will take place on an online platform that allows for the chance meetings, impromptu small group chats, and exhibitor hall demos that make in-person events worth attending. When they are not watching keynotes and breakout sessions, attendees can meet each other at randomized networking sessions, invite their connections to one-on-one video calls, or see live and pre-recorded demos at sponsors’ virtual exhibitor booths. “We’re programming exciting panels with sharp music tech thought leaders, but we’re also making space for serendipity,” Vietze muses. “VIP tickets will offer access to even more opportunities to connect with speakers and sponsors and get business done.’
Three music tech leaders have already signed on as top-tier Supernova sponsors: content monetization and music rights administration company AdRev, Music marketing platform Linkfire, and AI-powered audio curation platform Super Hi-Fi. AdRev Founder and President Noah Becker explains why his company signed on as a top Music Tectonics sponsor for the second year in a row: "Dmitri and his team did an exceptional job with the event last year, despite having to relocate venues last minute because of a fire. It was pretty mind-blowing how well coordinated he and his team are. Music Tectonics is attended by an exceptional group of like-minded music and technology entrepreneurs and thought leaders, and we are very glad to be back to both contribute and learn in this new digital format.”
Linkfire Chief Biz Dev Officer Andrea Arcari was also impressed by last year’s event: "Having attended the first edition of Tectonics in 2019, we knew it was a good space for us to be a part of. The MT team shared their vision of how they could take the event online and we were once again impressed by the approach and execution. We're looking forward to October and to this event!" Super Hi-Fi CEO Zack Zalon adds, “We’re incredibly excited to be a part of this year’s Music Tectonics conference. We're looking forward to connecting and collaborating with like-minded people from around the globe whose focus is music technology and streaming music. For Super Hi-Fi, our mission is to help music experience providers deliver the next-generation of listening experiences. Music Tectonics is the perfect opportunity for us to share our vision and to learn from others at the same time… we really think this is going to be a fantastic experience overall."
While recorded music was the focus of most sessions in 2019, the 2020 edition of Music Tectonics will also explore other sides of the industry, including the pandemic’s livestream boom. Vietze elaborates: “While streaming recorded music was the nexus of innovation that drove major changes in the last 20 years, musicians adapted to the changing revenue picture by leaning into live event ticket sales. Now the ground has shifted suddenly again.” Conference sessions will also address music tech investment, music experiences within gaming and fitness environments, long-awaited traction in mixed reality, innovations in sync, and much more.
Music Tectonics Launches Social App for Music Tech Networking and Community
As Music Tech events of the spring and summer fell like dominos to coronavirus cancellations, Dmitri Vietze knew that he couldn’t just wait for conferences and trade fairs to return. After all, he started the Music Tectonics podcast and conference to connect a community he loved. Vietze and his team quickly responded with #WeeklyWebsday online meetups and “Isolate or Innovate,” a two-day crisis response forum. As many as 250 participants gathered at these online events, from L.A., NYC, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, and beyond. It became clear that Music Tech innovators around the world hungered for a space to meet and connect. That’s why Music Tectonics has created a free community mobile app for everyone working where music and tech meet (now available: App Store, Google Play, launch events start July 13, 2020).
Music Tectonics’ guiding vision is to create a space where the innovators of music tech—from all walks of the music and tech industries—can create opportunities for each other 24/7/365. With the Music Tectonics mobile app, members can connect with and message leaders across the music tech macrosystem. They share successes, challenges, and insights in the Community Forum, ask for advice and back up from their Music Tech fam in the Ask & Answer board, and contribute to a curated news feed of what’s happening in the epicenter of music and technology in News Articles. Membership includes exclusive access to video from Music Tectonics events, live streams, and downloads.
Vietze’s commitment to community building in Music Tech is inspired by his own experiences launching self-service music PR startup StoryAmp several years ago: “I found a welcoming community of free-thinkers who wanted to change the world through the convergence of music and innovation,” Vietze recalls. “ Whether you were at a major label or idea-stage startup, whether you wrote for a trade magazine or were an indie label testing out new B2B marketing tools, we became a tribe of like-minded people who were fighting for a better way for artists and their teams to succeed, with less friction and more creativity.”
Vietze went to as many industry conferences as he could to push his startup and to do business development for his music tech PR firm rock paper scissors. But something was missing. Each industry event had its own flavor, but most followed standard conference protocol: the same talking heads on the same panels, with little attention to attendee experiences. With that in mind, he created the Music Tectonics Conference in 2019 with less traditional presentation formats, diversifying voices across the music tech landscape, and even a set of Seismic Shift Trading Cards to enliven and deepen the conversation.
To fill the gaps as coronavirus restrictions prevented gathering in person at SXSW, Music Biz, Midem, and more, the Music Tectonics team started #WeeklyWebsday, a no-charge, networking-focused online experience with highly curated topics and speakers and a curated audience. While holding these successful online events in challenging times, Vietze and his team saw an unfilled need: spaces for Music Tech networking and community that aren’t bound by Zoom rooms and time zones. Creating a Music Tectonics community mobile app was the logical next step: “We are constantly hearing about connections made and business achieved thanks to everything we have already done,” Vietze remarks. “We want to empower each of you in the community to put up your own shingle and use the Music Tectonics platform to get further faster with innovating, partnering, doing deals, and helping inspire more creativity in our shared field.”
When the Music Tectonics team organized a two-day forum on Music Tech responses to crisis, “Isolate or Innovate,” they invited attendees and speakers to try out a pre-release, web-only version of the community app. The response was overwhelming: over 250 members joined. “All those early adopters are going to love the ways the mobile app improves on the web experience!” explains Eleanor Rust, Music Tectonics community manager. “It’s easy to find other members and connect with them, share posts to other social networks and messaging apps, and get notified when members respond to your posts.”
Why not tap into the group networking platforms provided by Facebook or LinkedIn? “We want to practice what we preach to artists and entrepreneurs in the industry: own your data, own your relationships,” Vietze explains. “We are happy to play with all parties, but do not want to put our fate in the hands of someone else’s advertising goals or hardware sales. So we rolled the dice on creating our own app. Now it is our challenge to make it valuable enough for you to choose to spend your time there.” Join the growing community and take part in our launch events the week of July 13: get the app on the App Store or on Google Play.
12:00 pm -6:00 pm (ET), May 19 - 20, 2020
Schedule and Speakers (as they are confirmed) at MusicTectonics.com
Pay-what-you-can registration through Eventbrite
This two-day Zoom forum explores how the music tech and music industries are responding to the worldwide crisis of isolation and remote work. “Isolate or Innovate” will cover the big picture patterns and trends and tactical ideas for moving companies and goals forward while we all anticipate a return to normal.
“Isolate or Innovate” makes space for music and tech entrepreneurs to focus on pivoting, adjusting, and doubling down during a crisis rather than freezing progress. Music tech startup founders, executives at established companies, investors, labels, artist managers, and music marketers are invited to join the conversation on weathering challenges and preparing for the new post-COVID terrain at sessions like:
Music Tectonics knows all about adjustments: their debut conference in October 2019 forged ahead in a new location after a major Los Angeles wildfire shut down the planned venue less than 24 hours before kick-off. So when a Music Tectonics meetup at SXSW 2020 had to be cancelled, it was second nature for the team to pivot and double down. Instead of one in-person event in Austin, Music Tectonics has been hosting weekly music tech meetups online throughout the crisis. Like all these Music Tectonics events, “Isolate or Innovate” focuses on building community across all music tech sectors, with opportunities for attendees to grow their networks and forge deep connections even under self-isolation.
PR firm rock paper scissors, inc. explores the new terrain at the epicenter of music and technology through their blog, podcast, media services, and the annual Music Tectonics Conference. The rps team has a wealth of experience in responding creatively to crisis and amplifying their clients’ compelling stories.