This optional pre-conference is for those who want to get a jumpstart on networking. It’s in a different location than all other MT events, but not too far from our Monday evening event.
For the pre-conference most people will attend a panel, a fireside chat and some large group networking activities (pitch sessions, light structured mingling). A limited number of registrants can sign up for speed networking in a side room.

We chose Los Angeles for Music Tectonics because of its booming music and tech scenes. We’re hosting our opening reception at Warner Music’s beautiful new downtown headquarters so out-of-towners get a taste of L.A.‘s thriving record label business. Thank you to our supernova sponsor Hydric for supplying wine, beer, and tacos, alongside Flying Embers’ hard kombucha for a special Southern Cali seismic flavor.

Get here by 9 am so you can grab coffee, check out the demos in the Epicenter, and be ready for our 9:30 am Welcome and Mark Mulligan Keynote!

Stop in for a cup of coffee from 9-9:30 am, try out some demos, and meet our amazing sponsors and exhibitors. The Epicenter will be open all day until 8 pm. This is where lunch will be served and where we will host the closing reception sponsored by CD Baby. Schedule meetings here or stroll through if no sessions excite you.
SUPERNOVAS: AdRev, CD Baby, Hydric
STARS: Hyperwallet, LyricFind, Interactive Playground by Universal Music Group
ASTEROIDS: Beatstars, HFA/Rumblefish, Playlist Push, Qobuz, Songtrust, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
METEORS: Art + Logic, Audible Reality, Jammer, mVibe, oiid, Rattle LA, Song AI, Stemit, Super Hi-Fi

Hear from conference director, Dmitri Vietze, about the sesimic shifts that inspired this conference.

At the end of the 1990s technology stuck out a leg and sent a sprinting music industry sprawling. Now, two decades on, technology has created an entirely new paradigm that has reshaped the very making of a song as much as it has the business of music. This keynote will explore how technology is changing the way audiences engage, artists build their careers and the shape of the industry itself. It will also make the case that we are also approaching a tipping point, where the industry could either find itself stumbling into a cul-de-sac or instead be poised for the most dramatic change yet.

Hear from some of the top accelerators for music technology and other accelerators of note, as well as from startups who have gone through the process. Accelerators provide a combination of learning, networking, and investment. In the case of music accelerators, startups get a chance to understand the ins and outs of the music industry as well as running a technology business and preparing for investment. In some cases, the accelerator also includes a cash investment, though that is never the main emphasis. Find out how to apply, what you will get, and how much it will cost you in this panel.

As music has become more fluid across listening services, social music apps, and countries, royalties have become more complex than ever. This panel will discuss the industry-specific challenges of sending royalty payments to an increasingly global roster of artists and contributors. The conversation will unpack how payout disruption in other industries—specifically the marketplace and gig economy—will be paralleled in the music business. Examining the evolving landscape of content creation, this panel will highlight how companies can adapt their royalties solution to attract and retain artists, stay efficient and competitive, and be known for accountability.

Like the internet as a whole, digital music has matured. The legal framework supporting such pivotal concepts as copyright and licensing is shifting dramatically transforming long-standing institutions and processes. This panel will address these changes, how they will impact creators and rights holders, and what tech companies must know as they build music-related products.

For years there has been talk about black box money and questionable market share allocations. The assumption is that many entities are incentivized to keep this pool opaque to protect their financial interests. But there is a new movement that suggests transparency about rights will unlock additional revenue for all. In this fireside chat with AdRev CEO Noah Becker, we’ll explore why playing your cards too close to your chest stops revenue flow for the music business. Using YouTube claim conflicts as an example, Becker will show how transparency will grow music industry revenues in coming years and how untangling data conflicts is good for all players.

When you handle marketing at a label or for an artist, there are so many apps and platforms to vet, test, and adapt. Which ones really work and which are worth the money or trouble of implementation? This panel of labels and managers helps you skip the testing or sidestep the sales pitch and find out which ones actually work. From e-commerce to email marketing, from streaming analytics to conversion tracking, these pros will tell you their favorite tools for getting their work done. Startups looking to build a B2B music tech product will find out why certain services are loved and certain others are hated. Don’t miss this chance to get into the heads of these super users and ask them what’s missing from the market.

We’ve been gathering some of the most prolific investors in music technology. At Walden Ventures, Larry Marcus was involved in investments in Pandora and SoundHound. As an angel investor he backed LyricFind, Maestro, Jukely, and BandPage. Now Marcus is also a co- founder and managing director of Marcy Ventures, cofounded with JAY-Z and Jay Brown. Rishi Patel is managing partner and co-founder of Plus Eight Equity Partners, alongside DJ/producer John Acquaviva. The portfolio of this early stage venture capital firm includes Splice, Endel, Merchbar, and Subpac. Former BMG president Zach Katz is CEO of Raised in Space. This music tech investment group is a partnership between Ripple’s Xpring, founder of Ithaca Holdings and music manager Scooter Braun, Katz, and tech/music entrepreneur Shara Senderoff. And introducing Virginie Berger, the founder of DBTH Capital, a new fund focused on investments in the Rights Tech space (Blockchain, AI, rights infrastructure). These investors see a lot of pitches. Find out what they think about them and what they see coming down the pike in their portfolios and in the industry.

A delicious, fresh focaccia sandwich and salad buffet is catered by the Skirball's culinary team (vegetarian and gluten-free options included). Indoor and outdoor seating and mingling available. Sponsored by AdRev.

As music production, distribution, marketing, and monetization reaches the hands of the masses, a large catalog of independent music has landed on planet earth. Some of those DIY artists rise to the point of success, but even those who have to keep their day jobs are shifting the balance of power within the music industry. Find out what led to independent music becoming the fastest growing sector of the music industry. How are indies today influencing deals with labels, PROs, publishers, and other industry players? What new tools and platforms are emerging to further independent artist entrepreneurship? Do indie artists need traditional music industry players? Are we allowed to ask these questions at a music industry conference?

Put it on the blockchain! That was the cry at music industry conferences over the past couple of years, while industry veterans stood at the back of the room snickering. At Music Tectonics we are facing the tension straight on with the Blockchain Cage Match! Enthusiasts and skeptics will face off on stage. We’ve got blockchain enthusiasts from three different locations on the music value chain: streaming, investment, and metadata. Will their enthusiasm stand up to the critiques of label and publishing veterans? How and where can blockchain fix the imperfect world of humans? Do artists, labels, and publishers trust cryptocurrency? Find out in this unprecedented match with referee Arabian Prince—founding member of rap group NWA—presiding!

Most music tech startups face the question of whether to compete or collaborate with market leaders. Some have built services that depend on partnerships from streaming, ticketing, or other music companies. Others are hoping to take on existing music companies as clients or to become acquired. Here is your chance to hear about case studies, challenges, and opportunities from Spotify, Pandora, and AEG Presents. Step into the heads of the people at these companies who are deciding: partner, hire, or acquire. Walk away with new ideas of what to build next.<br>

People used to talk about how the "on" button on a radio was the simplest music interface of all times. With voice command, the interface became even more simple. But how does removing the visual interface change the experience of music listening, discovery, and engagement? This panel of hardware and app experts takes a deep dive into the latest implications of voice interfaces and music. How does voice command change our requests, listening approaches, and dives for more information? What metadata is required in this new world? What are the latest and future applications of voice for music? Don't miss one of the most important interface shifts of this era.

OK, startups: you dodged the lightning, you surfed the tidal wave, you leapt the earthquakes and made it to the Epicenter of Music Tech. Here is your chance to share with other attendees what you are working on, what you are looking for. But you only have one minute. Form a line and describe your startup in less time than it takes to make a poptart! (That's faster than a Ramen bowl, ok?)

Description coming

One of the bigger obstacles to launching a digital music initiative is partnering with labels. If you can't get the music, it's not much of a music initiative or startup. If you run a B2B platform for artists and labels, and you can't reach artists or labels efficiently or get the validation of a partner they trust, it's a challenging process. The new streaming economy has given labels some room to spread their wings, so they're more open to partnerships. This panel will shed light on options for working together with major labels and distributors, touch on strategy and business models, and include innovations in licensing, affiliate partnerships, strategic investments, acquisitions, and more.

Building demand for streaming music is the starting line. With so much competing for everyone's attention these days, having a near-infinite catalog of music is a baseline, not a feature. Explore how lyrics, mood, translations, immersive listening, and virtual reality can draw in music listeners and keep them engaged. Hear from the companies that are building the next wave of personalized listening that treat music listeners as a diverse body, each seeking out a customized experience for their experiential desires.

Music made with artificial intelligence is shaking up the music industry. Will robots take away the livelihood of artists? Can A.I. do more than make background music? Or will A.I.-generated music lead to a new category of sound that leaves the music industry intact? Could A.I. unlock creativity in more people than ever before, like a printing press or word processor for composition and performance? Regardless of how you feel, the first thing to do is find out what A.I. can really do. We have selected a variety of apps and platforms to show off their sounds so conference goers get a quick deep dive into the sonic possibilities. We’ve invited DJ and producer Dani Deahl, a strong voice in music tech journalism from The Verge, to emcee. Demonstrations will be followed by a conversation about the threats and opportunities of A.I.

An elegant and hearty California-Mediterranean style cocktail buffet, including vegetarian and gluten-free options, with seating and mingling throughout the Skirball's indoor/outdoor event space. Wine and beer included, as well as a variety of non-alcoholic beverages.