MUMBAI: As technological upheavals shake up how music is made and enjoyed, there’s one place where industry innovators gather to spot what’s on the horizon—and it’s by the beach in Santa Monica. Music Tectonics brings together thinkers, movers, shakers, and makers in music and tech for three days in October. In this roller-coaster year that’s seen record-setting music revenues, a bumpy ride in tech investment, and an AI boom causing a stir in every creative industry, an event like this is more vital than ever.

2023 conference sessions explore current and emerging trends in the music business with the help of speakers who are top innovators in their fields. Standouts include: 

- “Music Meets AI: Navigating a Positive Future” with streaming experts Angela Abbott of TIDAL and Con Raso of Tuned Global in conversation with Marina Guz of Endel, an AI music and wellness company that leads the way working with artists and major labels.
- “The Explosion of Musical Creativity in Gaming & Esports” with Maria Egan of Riot Games, David Knox of Reactional Music, and Aadit Parikh, an entertainment and new media investor at Sony Ventures.
- “Strength in Numbers: Growth of the Independent Artist and the Future of DIY,” a fireside chat by Andreea Gleeson of TuneCore with Kristin Robinson of Billboard.
- “The State of Creativity in Music Tech” with Dani DiCiaccio of Splice and Daniel Rowland of LANDR, moderated by Dani Deahl, BandLab.

See the full schedule of sessions at the Music Tectonics website here. 

Music Tectonics is designed to help attendees meet the future of music head-on. In 2019, the conference put on an AI Talent Show long before generative AI became headline news. In this year of AI, expect nuanced conversations and transformative experiences with AI music. “I named this event Music Tectonics because we explore the shifting trends that change the industry sometimes suddenly and sometimes incrementally, the way the earth’s tectonic plates cause quakes and make mountains,” explains Music Tectonics director Dmitri Vietze. “Music tech founders, label execs, artist teams, investors, and industry stakeholders come back to Music Tectonics each year because they learn about what’s about to emerge as well as what the state of innovation is.”

One way the conference instigates cutting-edge innovation is through Swimming with Narwhals, a startup pitch competition for young tech companies poised to shape the future of music. Five finalists will present their pitches to an audience and a panel of music tech investors at the conference. This competition is welcoming and anti-shark, but making it through to the finals is no mean feat. “It's inspiring to witness the wave of innovation happening right now in the music industry, and the rich spectrum of companies reshaping the music landscape, from revolutionizing ticketing to redefining music video creation,” said Sony Ventures’ Aadit Parikh, a judge at the semi-final. Learn more about the finalists and the competition here.

Music Tectonics’ ecosystem-wide reach is supported by the companies that are driving innovation. Top level support from leaders based in three continents, Kuack Media Group, LyricFind, and MU:CON, demonstrate the international impact of the conference. Sponsors Beatdapp, Innovation Norway, The MLC, Moises, Music Reports, Reactional Music, Revohloo, RoyFi, SESAC Music Group, TuneCore, TunedGlobal, Downtown Music Holdings, and MAM bmat represent every corner of the music industry where innovation is bubbling up.

Music and tech innovation thrive on connection and conversation, so the Music Tectonics schedule makes space for networking, meetings, and serendipity. “We chose eclectic venues by the beach strategically,” explains Music Tectonics head of events Shayli Ankenbruck. “Everyone feels more relaxed and open when they watch the sun set over the ocean or ride a carousel together. We’re all tired of conferences in hotel basements and on Zoom screens.”

Those connections don’t begin and end in October: the conference is just one way Music Tectonics convenes the music tech community. “Ticketholders can start networking in our new event app right now,” says Eleanor Rust, Music Tectonics marketing director. “Throughout the year, we hold free ‘Seismic Activity’ online events for our international community as well as in-person meetups at major events like SXSW. Our podcast checks the pulse of music innovation in a different corner of the industry each week.” 

To stay in the loop on all the ways Music Tectonics brings music innovators together, sign up for the Music Tectonics newsletter on its website.

Program Highlights:

Music Tech Investment Panel
Bruce Hamilton, Mech Ventures; Rishi Patel, Plus 8 Equity Partners; and Joe Tou, Sony Ventures; moderated by Tatiana Cirisano, MIDiA Research

Music Meets AI: Navigating a Positive Future
Angela Abbott, TIDAL; Marina Guz, Endel; and Con Raso, Tuned Global; moderated by Allie Garfinkle, Yahoo Finance

The Explosion of Musical Creativity in Gaming & Esports
Maria Egan, Riot Games; David Knox, Reactional Music; and Aadit Parikh, Sony Ventures, moderated by Vickie Nauman, Consultant

Strength in Numbers: Growth of the Independent Artist and the Future of DIY
A fireside chat with Andreea Gleeson, TuneCore; and Kristin Robinson, Billboard

The State of Creativity in Music Tech
Dani DiCiaccio, Splice and Daniel Rowland, LANDR; moderated by Dani Deahl, BandLab

Monetization Beyond Streaming
Amit Nerurkar, Bandcamp; Rian Rochford, Loma Vista Recordings; and Michael Shanley, Music Reports 

Fueling Fan Engagement: Creating Meaningful User Experiences
Darryl Ballantyne, LyricFind; Tracy DeBarros, Revohloo; and Tine Nitsch, Amazon Music

Untangling Music Data for the Benefit of All
Dae Bogan, The MLC; Britnee Foreman, Exceleration Music

Rising Tech: Expanding Music Distribution Through New Technology
Alisha Outridge, TuneCore and Mauhan Zonoozy, Spotify; moderated by Amelia Daly, Solana Partnerships

The X Billion $ Problem: Emerging Solutions to the Music Industry’s Streaming Fraud Conundrum
Morgan Hayduk, beatdapp

Untapped Opportunities in the Mobile Market
Juan Saavedra, Kuack Media Group

Illuminating Artist Deals: The Inevitability of Fairness
Peter Harvey, RoyFi, moderated by Tristra Newyear Yeager

Transmedia Approaches to Music The Intersection of Hollywood, Gaming, and Music
Brando Bauman

AI Innovation House
An AI Music Demo Experience

Swimming with Narwhals Final Pitch Competition
Pitches by Aux, Get Moments, MAYK, Offstage, RealCount