SPEAKERS:
Peter Schwinge, Founder and Executive, Director Moving Target Group
Tinzar Sherman, CEO & Co-Founder, Digital Media Wire

Visionary presenters give their perspectives on the future of the music business followed by Q/A.

Do You Remember Rock n Roll Radio?
In a world obsessed with music streaming and podcasts does broadcast radio get enough respect? Radio remains one of the most important modes of music consumption.  Radio trumpets how it serves local audiences and advertisers, offers engaging personalities and drives music discovery. Is anyone listening? We’ll take a quick tour through a few key metrics for radio, see how radio stacks up against music streaming options and explore what radio needs to say to stay competitive with pure play music streaming services.
PRESENTER: Russ Crupnick, Managing Partner, MusicWatch

Topic TBA
PRESENTER: Jeff Bronikowski, SVP, Business Development, Head of Innovation & Emerging Tech, Warner Music Group

The overture to the Digital Music Forum. Hear from the people who are leading the charge, staying ahead of the curve, and forging new pathways to a greater music economy.

PANELISTS:
Marci Allen, President, MAC Presents
Jim Mahoney, General Manager, US MERLIN

Fireside Chat with Shahendra Ohneswere, SVP Content Development, Columbia Records

The Music Modernization Act, Fair Play Fair Pay, Net Neutrality, The CASE Act, and more… Hear from the leading voices representing the creative community that take on Washington D.C. to protect music copyrights, ensure fair compensation, and stand up for the rights of music creators. What are these people up to, and what can you do?

From AI developed songs to smart speakers and in-car dashboards, the evolution of AI and voice-powered systems are changing the way artists can create music to how consumers can access music. What is the effect these services and devices have on artists and the end user. How can labels and artists make sure they’re on the right playlists to be called upon, and what does the future hold for for these platforms.

PANELISTS:
Drew Silverstein, CEO, Amper Music
Scott Ryan, Vice President, Music, Gracenote
John Rosso, President, Market Development, Triton Digital
Moderator: Howie Singer, Special Technology Consultant, Universal Music Group

Investing in music has always come with a set of challenges, but with the upswing in global revenues, we’ve seen numerous mergers and catalogue acquisitions, IPOs, and startups. What are the services helping the artist and label royalty payouts? Where is the industry headed, what do you have to give up, and what type of ROI can be seen?

PANELISTS:
Nari Matsuura, Partner, Massarsky Consulting Inc.
Hale Boggs, Chairman, Investment Committee, Manatt Venture Fund
Jason Sklar, Managing Director, Shamrock Capital Advisors
Moderator: Allen Bargfrede, Managing Partner, PDX Media Partners

No longer is it a just posting an image. No longer is it a link to view. These days video has taken center stage in connecting with your audience. Whether you’re an artist, venue, festival, service, or influencer, this is the new era of content creation and audience engagement. What type of investment is required, how can you generate revenue, and what can you do to stand out?

PANELISTS:
Brandon Martinez, Vice President, Live Nation Video Network, Live Nation Entertainment
Grace James, Vice President of Marketing, Atlantic Records
Jacob Pace, CEO, Flighthouse 

Fireside Chat

Nearly every platform offers some sort of insights to your posts, videos, downloads, streams, et. al. With so much information to acquire, knowing what you’re looking at, and how to interpret it can sometimes be overwhelming. How can you best breakdown the key data points to understand your audience and how something is performing?

PANELISTS:
Fabrice Sergent, Managing Partner, Bandsintown
Jeff Ratner, Chief Media Officer, iCrossing
Jon Bahr, VP, Creator Services, CD Baby
Sheryl Allen, Director, Next Big Sound, Pandora

Picking up from the Investing in Music Disucssion, you will learn more about the current market for Music Startups. What are the challenges, how to generate a sustainable user-base when there is so much competition out there, what are investors looking for, and types of exit strategies?

PANELISTS:
Damian Manning, Founder & CEO, Hifi
Dick Wingate, Principal, DEV Advisors
Mike Jbara, CEO, MQA

Streaming services have been expanding their core operations to include more types of content. We now see music streaming services offering tickets, artists analytics, original video content and video services adding music. How are companies and labels leveraging these new formats to create more marketing opportunities and adding value for artists, services, and fans alike?

PANELISTS:
Megan West, Vice President, Content & Community, SoundCloud
Jeff Zuchowski, VP, Artist Marketing and Industry Relations, Pandora
MODERATOR:
Seth Schachner, Managing Director, Strat Americas

Cross-partnerships can help an artist or a brand reach a wider audience, but what is involved in the storytelling era. What unique ways are artists, labels, and brands working together to create a genuine engagement strategy. What works, and where is it going?

PANELISTS:
Matthew Yazge, VP, Brand Partnerships,Nielsen Entertainment
Raymond Roker, Head of AEG Studios, AEG Global Partnerships
Jesse Kirshbaum, CEO, NUE
Jeff Clyburn, Managing Director, Mass Appeal Records

Tokens, Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies, Ethereum are words that are becoming more mainstream in today’s lexicon. Learn how new platforms are simplifying distribution and revenue generation and how companies and artists can best utilize these services.

PANELISTS:
Christoffer Wallin, CEO, Pindify
Benji Rogers, Chief Strategy Officer, Dot Blockchain Media
Jesse Grushack, Co- Founder, Ujo Music