Music Tectonics has unveiled the full lineup of speakers, sponsors and panels for its second annual music tech conference, which is being held online from Oct. 27-28.
Headlined by Warner Music Group chief innovation officer Scott Cohen and Water and Music researcher-writer Cherie Hu, the conference has added speakers representing TikTok, BMG, Triller, Sonos, Super Hi-Fi, Songtrust and others.
Among this year’s highlights are two panels dealing with the explosion of social video platforms that have become so integral in launching chart and streaming hits. The first, “Music in a Borderless World,” will host a conversation with TikTok head of music content operations Corey Sheridan, who will grapple with the complexities of organic user-generated content (UGC), how to utilize insights for marketing and A&R and the opportunities that platforms like TikTok make possible for artists in today’s global music marketplace. In the second, “Social Video Explosion: A Case Study from Right Now,” Triller CEO Mike Lu will sit down with Pex CEO Rasty Turek to explore the rise of the upstart platform.
The impact of the pandemic on the music industry will also be a major focus of this year's conference. “Explore The Livestreaming Era: A Sneaker Hit of the Pandemic” will feature StageIt CEO Stephen White, while “New Concert Models” will host Juan Torres of live event management platform Prism and Dayna Frank, board president of the National Independent Venue Association, which is leading the fight to preserve local venues under the #SaveOurStages banner.
The intersection of music and gaming will be the subject of “Gaming is Another Musical World” featuring Roblox global head of music Jon Vlassopulos and Antonio Di Puorto, co-founder of the Minecraft-based event design company Genesis. Another gaming panel, “Mixed Reality & Music," will bring together Jaroslav Beck, co-founder of VR music game Beat Saber; Tom Impallomeni, CEO of VR DJ experience Tribe XR; and Marlon Fuentes, founder of emerging technology consultancy Fuentes Creativas.
In the fitness space, “Let’s Get Digital: The Music Explosion in Fitness” will tackle how modern developments like smart fitness devices are increasing revenue opportunities in the industry with panelists Lauren Pufpaf, COO of Feed.fm, and Ryan Vance, chief content officer of digital strength studio Tonal. Also on the docket is “The Future of Listening Experiences,” which will focus on the crossover between music and podcasting during a conversation with Sonos Radio general manager Ryan Taylor and Super Hi-Fi co-founder and CEO Zack Zalon.
One of the most well-attended sessions at last year's conference was the Music Tech Investor Panel, which returns this year with investors David Dufresne of Panache Ventures and Xavier Peters of LeanSquare. During the session, startup CEOs will receive constructive feedback from a jury of experts including N.W.A. founding member and investor Arabian Prince and Union Square Ventures’ David Gabeau. Winners selected by a popular poll will be invited to spread the word about their startup on the Music Tectonics podcast and during an “Ask Me Anything” on the Music Tectonics community app. Additionally, PR firm rock paper scissors, which organized this year’s conference, will prepare a press release for the winning startup.
Sponsors of this year’s Music Tectonic Conference include so-called “supernova” partners AdRev, Linkfire, Stageit and Super Hi-Fi, as well as “star” partners 2112/Center for Creative Entrepreneurship, Art + Logic, LyricFind, Prism.fm, Qobuz and Tradable Bits.
“The year 2020 has upended many of 2019’s predictions, but it’s also accelerated some recent trends,” said Music Tectonics director Dmitri Vietze. “I’m excited to bring together this group of smart, thoughtful people from all corners of tech and music to map out where we are and where innovation is taking us next. The best conversations happen when you get people in a room together who might not normally talk. The rooms may be virtual this year at our online conference, but the conversations will be real and riveting.”
General admission at this year’s Music Tectonics Conference is $59 and VIP is $300. More details can be found at the official website.
The full list of speakers and panels is below, with more to be added.
Confirmed Speaker List:
Kristen Agee, 411 Music Group
Andrea Arcari, Linkfire
Darryl Ballantyne, Lyricfind
Michael Bassal, Tradable Bits
Jaroslav Beck, Beat Saber
Noah Becker, AdRev
Matthew Boerum, Audible Reality
Dae Bogan, Mechanical Licensing Collective
Anna Bond, Songtrust
Bryan Calhoun, The Blueprint Group/Maverick
Marie Clausen, Ninja Tune
Scott Cohen, Warner Music Group
Kirt Debique, Syncfloor
Antonio Di Puorto, Genesis
David Dufresne, Panache Ventures
Dayna Frank, 1st Avenue Presents/NIVA
Marlon Fuentes, Fuentes Creativas
David Gabeau, Union Square Ventures
Justin Gray, MDIIO
Emma Griffiths, Synchblog
KK Hart, Hart Marketing and Communications
Cherie Hu, Water and Music
Tom Impallomeni, Tribe XR
Chaz Jenkins, Chartmetric
Denisha Kuhlor, Grasshopper Bank and Stan
Ric Leichtung, AdHoc Presents
Mike Lu, Triller
Dan Mackta, Qobuz
Ellie McNeil, Audionamix
Tarik Moody, Radio Milwaukee and 889 Labs
Vickie Nauman, CrossBorderWorks
Xavier Peters, LeanSquare
Brett Porter, Art + Logic
Louis Pratt, BMG
Lauren Pufpaf, Feed.fm
Corey Sheridan, TikTok
Ryan Taylor, Sonos
Juan Torres, Prism.fm
Rasty Turek, Pex
Ryan Vance, Tonal
Jon Vlassopulos, Roblox
Andy Weissman, Union Square Ventures
Stephen White, StageIt
Zack Zalon, Super Hi-Fi
Session Titles:
Fireside Chat with Scott Cohen, Chief Innovation Officer at Warner Music Group
The Value of Music
Music in a Borderless World
The Music Tectonics Investor Panel
Pandemics and Innovation: New Concert Models
Social Video Explosion: A Case Study from Right Now
The Future of Listening Experiences
Marketing to Fans, Not to Analytics
Let's Get Digital: The Music Explosion in Fitness
The Livestreaming Era: A Sneaker Hit of the Pandemic
Leave No Money on the Table: New Revenue Streams Every Day
Everything in Sync: Innovative Tools for Finding, Placing, and Monetizing Music in FIlm, TV and Advertising
Gaming is Another Musical World
Music Goes with Everything: Discovery and Engagement in Unexpected Places
Innovations in Music Making & Listening
Mixed Reality & Music
Fireside Chat with Cherie Hu, music industry researcher & writer, founder of Water and Music