Vote for your indie music peers before the August 26 deadline on the SXSW Panel Picker platform.
Learn more about the A2IM Member panels up for voting below:
By HIFI
“As artists and businesses alike pursue new paths to maximize revenue, payment models must evolve in tandem with these diversified income streams, reshaping the way artists are paid. From new working capital sources and direct-from-fan models, to the application of crypto technology, these industry leaders will unpack both the developing opportunities and challenges from all sides of the new music economy.
Speakers:
Will Griggs – CXO, HIFI
Alyssa Lein Smith- Vice President, Quincy Jones Productions
Candice Rodney – EVP, Dreamville
Will Page- Author & Economist, Will Page
Takeaways
- As technology advances, the financial industry will continue to drastically change and every other industry will need to adapt.
- The pandemic disrupted the music industry but it also revealed a need for change in everything from financial compensation to live shows.
- How the ever-changing landscape of entertainment is forcing artists to find new streams of revenue.”
By AWAL
Big budget, small budget – yes, size matters, but it shouldn’t limit your ability to execute an effective marketing campaign. Artists at every level have to learn how to use the tools in their toolbox to make a maximum impact. Hear from music marketing experts about building a targeted approach to marketing spend, asset creation, social strategy, and bringing in brand and media partners to contribute to your campaign. They’ll share insight on where you should be focusing your energy, and ultimately, how to do the most with whatever you have (which oftentimes isn’t a lot).
TAKEAWAYS
- Maximizing your budget to optimize your marketing campaign (how to do the most with whatever you got)
- Navigating through the current digital landscape to cut through the noise and develop an engaged audience
- Collaborating with companies, causes and people who align with your values and contribute to your creative ideas
SPEAKERS
- Katie Baloian, Vice President, Artist Marketing, AWAL
- Robert Nelson, Marketing Manager, AWAL
- Dimplez Ijeoma, Founder & Head of Digital Marketing, IJEOMA
By Ingrooves Music Group
“BREAKING MAINSTREAM: LATIN MUSIC’S EPIC CROSSOVER
In many ways Latin Music has been floating in and around the mainstream since the 50s, but in the past 5 years, we’ve seen an epic takeover of the top charts with mega hits. With the huge popularity of streaming, Latin music is no longer siloed but considered part of the core pop sound. Every label – major and indie – has started to dig deeper in the genre, trying to uncover the next J Balvin or Bad Bunny and every artist is looking for the perfect Latin collab. On this panel industry leaders will dissect the genre’s rise and discuss their plans to keep the Latin music sound relevant and at the forefront of entertainment. “
By Entergain
“Are you looking for a toolkit that will turn your DEI conversations into action plans? Join the discussion with these experts on how to effectuate diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. Take DEI well beyond recruiting, and make it real at each stage of the employee experience, and on-stage in whatever live, recorded or online content your organization produces.
Takeaways
- Learn key concepts to embed DEI such as the difference between equity and equality and their implications in creating lasting progress at work.
- Learn strategies to use at every stage of the employee lifecycle that work towards making DEI sustainable, and reduce unconscious bias and inequity.
- Understand what metrics to track around mentoring opportunities, promotions, compensation, attrition, and retention to increase DEI accountability.”
By CD Baby
The fractured market of today’s music industry makes it difficult for artists to understand what constitutes “fair compensation” in the music industry. The panel discusses better practices to implement fair compensation, and how the music industry can adapt to putting the creator first.
A commitment to transparency along with timely, efficient payment to artists is critical for artists to achieve a sustainable career. Other technologies are being developed to help combat payola and “black box” algorithms in an equitable, meritocratic manner. Considering the growing debate about recognizing the value of music that came from the streaming phenomenon, consumers and businesses are calling for new business models that are more respectful of the artists.
By Verifi Media
After the hype bubble burst for Blockchain tech in the music space and COVID-19 made it difficult for the highly segmented music/media industry to communicate with each other, where are we now?
The supply chain is further distributed in the post-pandemic world than it was before, making it imperative for all industry stakeholders to come together and collaborate on better data. How do we nurture cooperation while protecting proprietary data?
In this panel, we will discuss what the future of the supply chain could look like and explore solutions to overcome communication roadblocks and increase transparency for the industry. We will also highlight how better data collaboration helps industry players make better business decisions, improves the business in general, and where artists fit in.
By Marauder
Safety in events is often discussed through the lens of visible physical safety: fire hazards, inclement weather, gun policy etc. In creating a safe space for female identifying and LGBTQIA+ attendees, precautions need to be taken to decrease the risk of discrimination, criticism, harassment, and any other emotional or physical harm. These panelists will discuss steps they’ve taken and ways in which venues and event producers can be intentional in creating a true safe space for marginalized individuals.
By The Orchard
It goes without saying that the global, Covid-19 pandemic–appropriately nicknamed “The Great Accelerator”–put the spotlight on the pre-existing, social challenges that would no longer be deemed “inappropriate talk at work.” The music biz, which is no stranger to constant change, finds itself once again facing profound organizational shifts due to societal and technological influences. On this panel, Naledi Nyahuma Seck, The Orchard’s VP of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion will moderate a discussion on how companies are lowering the barriers to entry and successfully merging culture and commerce.
By Nettwerk
My name is Miki Ratsula. I’m a trans nonbinary artist, songwriter, & producer. I came out as nonbinary almost 2 years ago. Since I came out I’ve noticed a stark difference in the way I’m treated in the music industry & how much ignorance is rampant. I fired a manager because of his transphobic views & inability to listen, learn, and vow to be the best ally/manager I needed him to be. I’ve been vocal about being a trans artist but my experience with him drove me to want to directly educate those in the music industry. I don’t ever want a trans person to be let down by someone whose job is to celebrate, respect, and protect them and their craft. It is imperative that industry leaders vow to do and be better for their queer & trans artists. With this session I hope to lead the industry there.
Takeaways
- How to create teachable moments to create a safe environment by standing up for artistry and humanity.
- Educating industry leaders on how to support, protect, and elevate up & coming artists within the LGTBQ+ community.
- How to provide resources to the next generation of artists who are in the community.
Speakers
- Miki Ratsula, Artist, Nettwerk Records
- Inuka Bacote-Capiga, Producer, Video Commissioner, Nettwerk
- Rach Millhauser, Music Agent, Wasserman
Organizer
Miki Ratsula, Artist, Nettwerk
By AWAL
If you’re an artist, you should be in the driver’s seat of your career- without sacrificing the support of an experienced team. Unfortunately, that often isn’t the case. It’s time to redefine what being an independent artist truly means and what success can look like when you retain creative freedom and ownership of your music. “Independent” doesn’t have to mean “alone”.
This discussion will provide artists with the keys to understanding how an independent deal structure can work. And how to build the right team without having to give up the reins on their career.
TAKEAWAYS
- Insight on various deal structure scenarios for independent artists who want to maintain ownership of their masters
- Short and long term payoffs of being independent
- How to assemble and engage a team that adds real value to your project (experienced personnel & resources)
SPEAKERS
- Ben Akinbola, Director, Strategy & Growth, AWAL
- Eve Fairley-Chickwe, Director A&R, AWAL
- Lizzie Hardy, General Manager, Split Second”
By AWAL
Some artists just want to make music, but many desire multi-faceted careers and have ambitions to be at the intersection of various industries, such as fashion, gaming, tv and film. Creatives should never feel pigeonholed, but being a successful multi-hyphenate artist means figuring out how to strategically leverage your various creative talents to create exactly the career you want to have .
This session will focus on how independent artists can build a music career that intersects with their other creative passions and how to connect the dots between different audiences to develop one cohesive artist brand.
TAKEAWAYS
- Where and when do you focus your efforts as a multi-faceted artist who desires a music career with crossover into other industries (tv, gaming, etc)
- How do you build a strategy for connecting the dots between your various passions to develop a cohesive artist brand and one mobilized fanbase
- How do you assemble a team that will support your various creative ambitions and help to pursue opportunities across multiple industries
SPEAKERS
- Bianca Bhagat, Senior Vice President of Creative Marketing, AWAL
- Max Gredinger, Executive Vice President & Artist Manager, Foundations Music
- mxmtoon (aka Maia), Singer-Songwriter, (Independant Artist)
- Tiffany Yu, Head of Music, WeTransfer
By Vydia, Inc.
Since the boom of ‘Despacito’, Latin music has been riding a growing wave of listeners, new creators, and industry executives from around the world. The big question now is what will catapult the second swell into an even larger wave? The answer it seems comes in the form of Regional Mexican music.
Regional is growing faster than any other Latin sub-genre, but its roots are shared. With so many idiosyncrasies involved, is it a genre that can transcend borders? Is it musically compatible? And how can females become their own stars in a post Jenni Rivera world?
A panel of experts who form part of different branches in the music industry also discuss the roots, cross-cultural challenges, and benefits of how the genre might produce the next Bad Bunny, Camila Cabello, Santana or Shakira.
By Revelator
This panel discusses how the rise of NFTs and digital assets affect the music industry. Blockchain, smart contracts, and tokenization are not a fad anymore; they are a part of a maturing market and digital assets offer creators new ways to monetize and distribute their creative work. For creators in the music industry, blockchain offers a secure platform for their works, and a new framework to monetize and engage their audiences with digital assets and collectibles.
The panel addresses the questions: Are Digital Assets & Smart Contract Technology A Fad?, How Will NFTs Impact Direct-to-Consumer Fan Engagement?, and How Will Creative IP Management, the Ownership Economy, & Fractional Rights Ownership Shape the Music Industry?
By PEX
While the creator economy is thriving, creators are still at risk of something detrimental to their online presence — takedowns due to content infringing copyright. What’s worse, no one in the creator economy — platforms, rightsholders, creators, or consumers — benefit from takedowns.
Creators can’t upload without fear of content being removed, and consumers miss content they know and love. Meanwhile, platforms are liable for potentially hosting content violating copyright, and rightsholders don’t have tools in place to track copyrighted content at-scale. Kirstine Stewart, CRO at Pex, is joined by Jim Louderback, GM and SVP of VidCon, to discuss the consequences of the takedown regime and how technology for licensing and attributing content can help mitigate this issue for the creator ecosystem.