Guitarist, producer, and songwriter Jake Fine talks about his ‘cohesive vision’ for Lo-fi projects ‘azayaka‘ and ‘Tone Bo,’ retaining the essence of emotion in his music, how ‘the creative process kicks in,’ and using Downtown Music’s bespoke service to tackle unique music challenges.

The following recaps an interview with Jake Fine as part of Downtown Music’s series, The Music Industry Lives Here. Downtown Music is a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

Jake Fine grew up in a ‘musical family.’ However, when he left his small Jewish school, which had 100 students for a public school in town with a jazz program, the moment marked a crucial step in his identity as a musician.

“I was overwhelmed. I didn’t know how to play Jazz and was yelled at by the instructors, but I had assimilated those steps into my identity. Those were the baby steps. [I questioned,] What does that mean in terms of what I do and how I navigate the world?”

Although Fine never sought a formal music education, he attended Berklee College to gain ‘a path to follow.’

Each step brought Fine an ‘in-over-my-head’ moment within that creative community, but he looked inward for the correct answers. “What’s my role at this music college full of skilled people? How deeply do I want to explore each aspect of the craft?”

That self-reflection followed Fine well through Berklee and beyond. “That existential question of what are the things I want to do to create within this community?”

Fine’s musical identity, he explains, is one that ‘doesn’t overwhelm or feel calculated. “It’s more fulfilling.”

“In my Lo-fi ‘azayaka’ catalog, you find melodies that you can hum to. Some people call it background music, but there’s jam. There’s the musical intention behind it. I try to retain that.”

Fine’s instrumental music catalog now has over 150 songs. “At the top of my mind is being perceived as [someone] retaining a high level of musicality, but also being intentional about giving the song what it needs.”

For Fine, true contentment comes from ‘making songs that last.’ He explains, “There are subtle ranges with jazz hop, chill hop, sad beats, and sleepy beats. Whichever one I’m making retains the essence of that emotional thread.”

Viewing his craft as a ‘sequel,’ Fine is constantly aiming to ‘achieve something just a little bit better, but with similar textures.’

“I like listening to my older songs. I had less skill, but my musical sensibility was still there. I’ll hear the instrumentation and the feel and the tempo and think: what was I doing in a beginner mindset that I can achieve better now?”

“As long as I can draw inspiration, I will be as prolific as I can. And there are plenty of artists out there to draw inspiration from. Hopefully, that keeps it fresh,” he said.

Fine is committed to going wherever inspiration takes him. “Ask me in two years. I’ll be making Lo-fi for 6 or 7 years at that point. Who knows? Maybe I’ll try to integrate more electronic sound design at that point. Maybe I’ll feel like I need something fresh?”

Diving into his collaborative creative process, Fine explains that it involves discussing life, then extracting the emotional context — ‘and trying to understand what they want to create and what they want to say.’

“If you’re doing something with an artist, you’re there to serve the music that they want to create — especially if there’s a writer involved.”

“Often, my job as someone more skilled in that setting with specific instruments is that I grab an instrument and offer up something. Certain chord progressions. Certain moods.”

“If you’re skilled with sound design or drums, you’re probably going to begin with that. So, I start with picking up a guitar. That’s just the way in. Find a chord progression everyone feels passionate about. Move forward.”

Although much of the creative process appears spontaneous, Fine clarifies that he has always made a lot of time investment behind the scenes.

“I’ve done my research. I know what [those] artists created. I’ve listened to their catalog. I’ve even thought of a few chord progressions.”

However, that preparation might fall short. “Sometimes I’m [collaborating with] an R&B artist, but they [say they] love Mitski.”

That’s when spontaneity comes into play. “Now, I’m trying to create a heavier indie world.”

When it comes to creative flow for his projects ‘azayaka’ and ‘Tone Bo,’ surprises and confusion are not part of the process.

“I know that whole ecosystem. I know the genre. I know what I want to create, and I know which drums I want to grab. That’s an easy flow state. I’ve written over 150 songs; I know what I want out of it.”

“I make a chord progression that I love on a felt piano or a guitar. Put the layers in and get the drums going. It doesn’t take too long now, but that’s after 200 reps.”

Fine’s cohesive vision for his Lo-fi tracks is about ‘finding my sound.’ “I want to create music that I genuinely feel proud of.”

As an artist, Fine aims to create music that people enjoy and appreciate. But as a producer, his goal is multilayered — with strategic ambition.

“There’s a certain level of success that I want to achieve. I’ve had to make space for that ambition. When you can circle back to allow yourself to be hungry to achieve something, it feels really good.”

“I want my name to be synonymous with a high level of quality. That journey is multifaceted because it’s such a hard craft to master.”

“After putting in 10,000 hours, it’s not wrong to want to achieve a certain level of quality in your work and a certain level of success to be attached to that. That is a positive thing.”

To fulfill his ambition, Fine requires a publishing process that can keep up. “Having a bespoke service with the Downtown team has made it easy for me. I’ve got my system going, and it works well.”

As most of Fine’s music is released independently, it requires a service that can overcome challenges unique to his genre. “I send in Atmos mixes and have them connected to the correct ISRC. I need all that done correctly because I don’t want to have to do it twice. With songs released every week and every two weeks, I need the Atmos connected.”

“Downtown has provided me with a good platform for consistently releasing songs, and my royalties are collected properly. And when something goes wrong, needs replacement, or that shaker’s too loud, [the team] have the ability to replace the master and update the publishing to different DSPs.”

To artists just beginning their journey as songwriters, producers, etc., Fine says, “Any platform that can help you collect money that is rightfully yours, and to capitalize on the intellectual property that is yours — that’s a good thing. A platform that helps you fairly split money without too much logistic complication. That’s a positive thing.”

“Downtown has checked those boxes for me. It’s part of my system as a producer and creator with multiple artist projects.”

About The Music Industry Lives Here: Downtown Music’s interview series allows powerful conversations with the voices shaping the music industry. To gain weekly access to exclusive interviews with music executives, artists, record label owners, and influential figures who drive the rhythm of the industry, join here.

President of Cerro Music Group, Andres Salce, takes on the lack of services available to artists in the Latin space — in A&R, label, distribution, management, booking, touring, and artist development. Now ‘filling the void,’ Cerro Music is seeing continuous growth since partnering with FUGA.

The following recaps an interview with Andres Salce as part of Downtown Music’s series, The Music Industry Lives Here. Downtown Music is a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

We consider ourselves an ally to the artists. Even though we act as their label, they’re more our partner than label service.

Cerro Music Group is an independent, boutique 360 company. Andres Salce, explains, “We handle artists in the Latin space — working with them in A&R, label, distribution, management, booking, touring, and artist development.”

Regarding the ‘solution-based approach’ Cerro brings to its artists, Salce says, “That’s one of our biggest assets that we’re very proud of — teaching artists how to become an expert in the music industry. The more knowledge we give them, the better artists they can be — the better business person they can be.”

In the 90s, long before Cerro Music was born, Salce worked as a record promoter for an independent label. “Then I had to work for every major, all the way to 2009.”

In its early days, Cerro Music Group operated as a consulting company for touring. “The Live Nations and the AEGs of the world were not staffed in the Latin Department. Touring has always been big, but never national.”

According to Salce, every major venue was accepting artists coming into their city, but they didn’t have a Latin expert. “At that time, Cerro filled that void.”

As the company and the rest of the music world transitioned to the digital world, Cerro Music Group ‘went full-time with touring and consulting, and took on artist development with new releases.”

“At that time, Latin artists didn’t have any knowledge of how to develop their new releases. So, we kept evolving. We started acting as an agent or a liaison for the artists to bring them to an independent distributor.”

However, Cerro soon identified a glitch in the existing system for artist management at independent distributors.

“After we brought these artists to a distributor, we wound up doing the marketing — we wound up being responsible for their release. So we began looking for a simpler and more direct way to give independent artists that new team for them to move forward.”

“Where did those artists go? The whole industry suddenly changed, and the artists had no team to help them get to where they wanted.”

According to Salce, “There was no independent label in that space that was servicing their [Latin musicians’] needs.”

“Latin music has always been here. We’ve always sold millions of albums. We didn’t have the same platforms to make the same global noise. Latin music has always brought the numbers, but didn’t have the data to back it up.”

According to Salce, local artists from small countries like the Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico were releasing Latin hits that failed to transcend onto the global radar. That’s because Latin music was ‘measured differently.’ “We didn’t have the type of stats that we have available today. We didn’t have visualization with social media.”

Salce says that the digital era has created a dynamic where everything exists at the same level. “Music is music now.”

Today, Cerro Music identifies potential artist relationships based on two factors: musicians that need a ‘new home’ and exploring talent in an in-house studio.

“We’ve been [looking for] artists in two ways. One is a relationship we built with an artist for years in the music industry, maybe acting as a promoter or being on tour with them. Now, they need our help with developing and growing the digital space.”

“The other way is through a team of A&R producers that bring in talent. We have a studio that we feel a need for — and new artists are always looking for it. They can record and show the music.”

Salce explains that their partnership with FUGA came at the right time and completely upscaled Cerro Music Group’s growth trajectory.

“FUGA is very effective in providing us with analytics. [They’ve] given us a portal to look for ways to advance our music and the tools to maneuver ourselves to the same level as any major.”

“With FUGA, we can now fully comply with every need an artist has — from studio, A&R, to label to distribution. Then we do everything else with marketing, artists, development, booking, and touring.”

“Since we [partnered] with FUGA, we’ve seen continuous growth. FUGA is the missing piece that has allowed us to provide everything to artists fully. Whether it’s catalog, adding more artists, or releases .”

Salce believes Cerro Music Group’s remarkable growth trajectory has allowed it to take the front lines with every label and corporation in the industry.

“We see ourselves playing an important role in the industry.”

About The Music Industry Lives Here: Downtown Music’s interview series allows powerful conversations with the voices shaping the music industry. To gain weekly access to exclusive interviews with music executives, artists, record label owners, and influential figures who drive the rhythm of the industry, join here.

Producer and composer Erin Davis speaks about his early life as the son of acclaimed jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. Erin reveals Miles’ musical motto of doing away with nostalgia, moving on, and always ‘doing something new.’ In his role as co-manager of Miles Davis’ estate, handled by Downtown Music, Erin says, “We’re in good hands.”

The following recaps an interview with Erin Davis as part of Downtown Music’s series, The Music Industry Lives Here. Downtown Music is a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

Erin Davis didn’t really ‘start hanging out’ with his father Miles Davis until he was ten years old. So Erin’s early interest in music developed because his mother played ‘everything from Miles’ music to Sister Sledge and Pointer Sisters.’ “There was a lot of stuff from the 80s and the late 70s that permeated our house.”

“When I was young, my dad briefly retired from music. He was trying to heal himself and was going through a lot of stuff. When he came out of that, he sent me a bunch of his new stuff — The Man with the Horn and We Want Miles had come out.”

“Then he [Miles] was with Columbia. So I would [ask for] all these Columbia artists like Men at Work, Cheap Trick — and he would send me those records. It was great.”

After moving to Malibu to live with Miles, Erin began to learn how his father created music. “He [Miles] didn’t listen to any kind of swing jazz, cool jazz, hard bop, Bebop — nothing. He didn’t listen to any of his old records. He didn’t have any of them in our house.”

In fact, if Erin found a tape of his father’s band, Miles would take it away.

As Erin joined Miles on the road, he saw what kind of star Miles was — ‘especially away from America.’

“In Europe, they treat Jazz like Rock. It’s just as big as anything else. So when you have the North Sea Jazz Festival, The old JVC festivals, or Umbria Jazz Festival, they are big productions.”

“We were always headlining acts. He was always last to go on and it was really special. Europe, Japan, The Hague in the Netherlands — that was always fun.”

In 1991, Miles passed away — that’s when Erin truly learned the depth of his father’s talent, and uncovered the unique periods of his musical career.

“After he passed away, I was able to get into the back catalog. That was a whole new awakening of who he was.”

“All I knew was the stuff we were doing in the 80s with Columbia, and these great records with Marcus Miller at Warner Bros. I knew that inside out before it was even mixed and mastered.”

“When he passed away, everything was starting to come out on CD — Kind of Blue, Sketches, Birth of the Cool, Milestones, everything. And then they started doing these box sets. So I had to learn about these periods. And that helped me go through the eras, if you will — the periods of his musical career.”

Erin also talks about Miles’ reputation as ‘this prince of darkness kind of person.’ “He [Miles] only needed a break from the creative process sometimes.”

“When he [Miles] needed a break, he would paint. That was his other outlet. We had to go get art supplies. Sketching. A lot of painting. A lot of drawing. He would ride his horses, and also go swimming at Pepperdine.”

“His mystique is [based on] how people perceive him. He knew about that, but there has to be some substance behind it,” says Erin.

Erin says people’s perception did not faze Miles at all. “You get this persona and you get this image: ‘he turns back to the audience’ kind of thing.”

But Miles knew that if he went to somebody’s show, it could affect them a little bit. “I don’t think he did it to be mean. I think he knew that if he was standing on the side of the stage for somebody’s show, that might bother them.”

“It was not disdain. A conductor always faces the orchestra. They don’t face the audience. These perceptions create the mystique. They help. He understood that.”

Speaking about the inspiration behind Miles’ musical genius, Erin says, “It was just the things and sounds around him.”

“He would say, I want that street sound — the sound of the streets. And I would wonder, what does that mean to him? But he’d want that street sound underneath his horn. And that’s what changed over the years — all the things underneath the horn.”

“For him, a lot of it was about bringing some tunes in the studio, and just see what happens. Very loose, collaborative creation.”

“In our documentary, somebody said he [Miles] used to go out into the woods and play with the sounds of the birds and whatever was going on in the woods. And when he moved to New York, that sound changed again.”

“He changed his music by changing what he wanted to hear — what he was feeling. He would hear something and find the right people to help him exercise it.”

“That’s why he worked so hard on his music — making sure that everybody around him is on that same level. You’re always working to have the best people for that particular sound, or that project.”

Erin is carrying Miles’ very prolific and unique legacy. “For me, his legacy is to follow your inner voice and not compromise. Do not look back if you can. It’s hard to do, but that was his thing: keep moving it forward and do not look back.”

“His legacy to me is what I’m doing. I’m not doing [the same] stuff anymore. I see other bands and people want them to play the stuff they played 50 years ago. It sounds great. It’s beautiful and it’s nostalgic.”

“He [Miles] just wasn’t into that. He was like, that’s done.”

And that is why Miles’ career arc is unique. “The styles that he went through; he changed courses in music. He moved things. The legacy of his band itself is legendary — let alone his prolific recording and touring and performing career.”

The Miles Davis Estate is managed by Downtown Music, and Erin says it has been a ‘very comfortable working arrangement.’

“I feel like Downtown is very comfortable with the Miles Davis catalog. They know what they’re doing, and they have a strong sense of what works.”

“I feel like we’re being looked out for, which is always a good feeling. I feel like we’re in good hands.”

About The Music Industry Lives Here: Downtown Music’s interview series allows powerful conversations with the voices shaping the music industry. To gain weekly access to exclusive interviews with music executives, artists, record label owners, and influential figures who drive the rhythm of the industry, join hereci>

Riot Games’ recent Linkin Park Anthem release broke streaming records in the first five hours. In an interview with Downtown Music, Maria Egan, the Global Head of Music at Riot Games, reframes the idea of how music impacts audiences: “Music primarily serves as a community-building tool. It’s a memory machine. Where there’s music, there’s memories.”

The following recaps an interview with Maria Egan as part of Downtown Music’s series, The Music Industry Lives Here. Downtown Music is a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

“Nothing can galvanize a community like music,” says the Global Head of Music at Riot Games, Maria Egan.

Despite the company’s creative spin on music management and remarkable ability to drive streams, Egan insists Riot Games’ core mission remains gaming. “We’re not trying to compete with music companies — not trying to be a music company,” says Egan, adding, “We end up being a music company because Riot is very unique with music.”

Egan explains exactly how Riot’s strategic goals keep gaming at the center. “We don’t put music out just to put music out. We’re not signing artists to a label. Everything we release amplifies something that’s happening in the games — and [is meant] to draw players back to the game.”

“League of Legends has been around for 15 years. Maybe people played it ten years ago and haven’t played in a while. [Now] they see Linkin Park, they’re like, oh yeah, I’m going to reinstall the game and get playing again.”

Egan talks about joining ‘this incredibly unique creative studio,’ Riot Games, and catering to a ‘captive audience that’s highly passionate’ about music. “No one builds community in the way Riot does,” she states.

“There’s an incredible mission and focus on Riot’s community and games. [When I joined in 2022] Arcane [Riot Games’ Netflix show] had just come out. I was obsessed with the TV show and the music.”

Now working in what she calls a ‘really interesting role’ with a supervision team and composer team, Egan is ‘making music and helping the team make music.’

“Gaming is a sophisticated form of entertainment and community building — especially now that we have social and multiplayer games. There’s a profound overlap between gaming fandom and music fandom.”

Egan talks about ‘the biggest music fans in the world’ — Valorant players — who ‘stream more music than almost anybody else.’

“We’re introducing hundreds of millions of players to some of the best new music in the world. And it’s my team’s job to curate those experiences and connect our products to music artists.”

Under the broad gaming umbrella, Egan lists many ways to engage gamers with music. “The soundtrack for our TV show Arcade, the thematics for alt universes that we create — the right player with experience plays most of their music around the game.”

For an audio-based game like Valorant, where listening to footsteps and sounds is a big part of gaining a competitive edge, Egan reveals gamers still consume music while playing.

“[Players are] turning off the in-game sound and listening to Spotify. We see dynamic and novel music consumption behaviors among serious gamers. Music is being used in interactive ways that are really different.”

Speaking about launching Linkin Park’s ‘Heavy is the Crown’ as the official anthem for the 2024 League of Legends World Championship, which broke all streaming records in the first five hours — for Riot Games and Linkin Park — Egan says, “Music primarily serves as a community building tool. It’s a memory machine. Where there’s music, there’s memories. [This is] going to be a peak memory.”

“We’ve been really fortunate to partner with artists at this kind of epic scale. From Imagine Dragons to Lil NAS X, New Jeans, now Linkin Park — they’re genuinely beloved artists for our players.”

“People look at Lil NAS X or Imagine Dragons or Linkin Park, and they might think we’re just chasing superstars. But Dan Reynolds plays League of Legends and is a hardcore gamer. Lil NAS X is invested in esports and very connected to gaming. Before he worked with us, he’d worked with Roblox. ”

Egan emphasizes that all these collaborations are highly strategic for Riot Games. “We’ve had the privilege of working with Linkin Park because Mike Shinoda was working on [Riot’s Netflix show] Arcane. Mike is a massive Valorant player, loves the League of Legends IP — and has been friends with Riot Games’ founders for a long time. All of the worlds meet at this moment — with this one artist that’s very authentically connected to our culture.”

“These aren’t random choices,” says Egan.

But Egan clarifies that Riot Games can work with any artist of any size, of any label, of any background. “We look for an artist that gets it. The process is all about looking for engagement and finding out where the fans are.”

“[An artist] manager will call and ask, how do I get my songs in your game? How do I get my artist working with League? [We say], maybe League is not the right game for your artists!”

“We find out what games [the artist’s audience] plays. We find out what games their fans play. If they don’t play games, canvas your fans. Figure out what communities your fans are a part of. Then go there and try to make that overlap.”

This wide array of working parts — data, insights, music, etc. — come together to form Riot Games. “And this is why Riot works with FUGA,” Egan says, adding, “FUGA has proved to be a label-in-a-box solution for us. They allow us to outperform.”

“We rely on partners like FUGA and the suite of services they build for companies like ours. They have a really great understanding of our complexity.”

“Resourcing, headcount, and strategy are always really leaning toward how the games get resourced and how the games get what they need to thrive and survive and grow.”

“So, what it would take for us to staff a label — that’s probably not the right way for Riot to build a music business.”

“Where we have a music catalog, we have music IP — we have pretty significant engagement with that music. It’s not small amounts of money — it’s millions of dollars a year. And we need trusted partners [to bring] that infrastructure that we won’t build for ourselves.”

“This partnership we have a FUGA is the best way to do a release because they know us, and just snap to our process.”

Egan explains that the wider Downtown ecosystem has ‘services and a great team that we can plug into as we need them.’

She adds, “We’ve had some big records come through the system. It’s exciting to see how the Downtown ecosystem is growing, and its global reach is important to us.”

About The Music Industry Lives Here: Downtown Music’s interview series allows powerful conversations with the voices shaping the music industry. To gain weekly access to exclusive interviews with music executives, artists, record label owners, and influential figures who drive the rhythm of the industry, join here.

Since its birth in 1987, SXSW has grown into one of the largest of its kind — attracting thousands of visitors each year. Attendance was noticeably down at SXSW 2025, but in 2026, SXSW attendees may have an entirely different experience in store. SXSW 2026 is planning to go big with format changes.

For those trekking to SXSW this year, crowds were noticeably thinner. But that didn’t dilute the experience — in fact, many actually appreciated the extra elbow room. Starting with the tech expo that showcased the latest in music, audio, and visual technology, the panels were informative, as always. Topics ranged from AI, streaming fraud, artist revenue, and sync.

During one interactive panel, producers got to play their music for a panel of sync experts. Participants received instant feedback on placing their songs in films, TV shows, and commercials.

From off-site events at large venues like the main stage at the Texas Recording Academy party to modest ones like a backyard DJ set at the DISCO house event, the SXSW experience was as diverse as always.

You can always catch a performance from an up-and-coming artist as you take in the scene. But it’s the chance to network and make new connections that draw people worldwide to SXSW every year.

American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) President and CEO Richard James Burgess spoke to us outside their annual brunch event. “It is all about the networking at SXSW, although I know there’s much more than that.”

The President of the Music Managers Forum (MMF-US), Neeta Ragoowansi, emphasized the importance of connecting with members during their annual SXSW gathering. “Everyone shows up to show support, be part of this community, and really engage with each other on a very important pillar of our organization — networking. They learn from each other. It’s such a beautiful time, and it makes my heart glow,” she said.

As the Austin Convention Center closed down on April 1st for four years to undergo a massive renovation, SXSW organizers are using this as an opportunity to experiment with the usual SXSW format.

For 2026, officials are working on changes to bring back the crowds. For years, tech and film weekends have attracted crowds in droves — but the town empties out right after.

SXSW organizers insist that the event is committed to retaining a core music focus, but critics have had their doubts for a while. Some believe that SXSW has already aggressively diluted their value to the music industry by over-expanding into other areas such as film, TV, and tech.

A SXSW spokesperson told Digital Music News, “With the Conference, Film & TV Festival, and Music Festival all taking place concurrently over seven days, everyone will have the chance to experience the whole of SXSW.”

SXSW 2026 will be two days shorter — but the 6-night Music Fest will now be seven days long. According to SXSW, “A shorter SX gives attendees more of a chance to be here for the entire run.”

This compressed format may spike attendee numbers and engagement — unless there are other factors keeping the usual crowds at bay.

Are companies cutting down Travel and Entertainment (T&E) budgets under the industry wide bid to reduce operational costs? T&E is veritably the second largest operational cost for music companies after salaries, and a budget cut would significantly impact SXSW attendance.

Or, maybe SXSW’s reputation as a ‘party’ vs. serious industry core event (that warrants the travel cost and related expenses) is simply no longer worth it for industry professionals.

On the outset, SXSW does seem ready to make the necessary changes to bring back the music crowds. However, what organizers bring to the table for SXSW 2026 could make or break the future reputation of SXSW as a core music industry event.

Neeta Ragoowansi, President of Music Managers Forum US (MMF-US) and International (I-MMF) spoke about the benefits of conferences for networking and ‘a sense of community.’ “[These] conferences have allowed me to network, grow, and catapult to success.”

Neeta Ragoowansi is the President of MMF-US and IMF, co-founder of direct licensing exchange NPREX, and an entertainment attorney. Ragoowansi is also the global co-chair of the non-profit Women in Music, where she works on women’s empowerment and gender equity growth within the music industry.

Speaking to DMN during the MMF Annual Managers Brunch, Ragoowansi said, “It’s such a beautiful time; it makes my heart glow.” According to Ragoowansi, networking is an important part of MMF. “Managers, startups, media folks, labels, publishers, and the music industry community attend the brunch to engage as a community, and show each other support.”

Ragoowansi believes that without the SXSW network, Women in Music wouldn’t have been able to succeed in advancing and creating opportunities for women in the musical arts.

“Had it not been for SXSW introducing me to that first network and growing and catapulting from there, I would not have been able to do a lot of everything in the music industry — [such as] help others grow the community, and be of service to our industry.”

“This is my 30th year. People need to return year after year to discover constantly. It [reveals] a different pattern of what you can do for your business, your career, or your mission.”

Ragoowansi says such events offer enormous networking and learning opportunities. She believes this is especially valuable because members can reach out to this network to overcome any challenges or hiccups they face.

On a different note, she also addressed the challenges many artists face in finding management that’s capable and willing to support their vision for music — and have the knowledge and connections to best guide their careers.

On that topic, Ragoowansi mentioned the Miami Music Summit for the MMF, an all-day educational event conference that took place on March 21st.

Ragoowansi says, “IMF is doing a bit of a reboot and a relaunch — connecting the global network of managers as a trade association for both artist managers and self-managed artists.”

“If you’re an artist that needs to understand your own business, and there are not enough managers to go around, we share the knowledge.”

Speaking of MMF’s many endeavors within the US, Ragoowansi spoke passionately about developing best practices for ethical AI to ensure revenue opportunities for artists.

MMF’s efforts aim to facilitate regulatory agreements with AI companies in an attempt to protect artist assets. Ragoowansi said, “The [central] pillar of any trade association is advocacy work. MMF focuses on the issues around recognizing human artistry in the AI space. I want to make sure that we’re collaborative.”

“AI is here, so we must proactively engage with AI companies to determine a licensing model. Then, we need to do it on a global level.”

On the global front, Ragoowansi reveals that the IMF is ‘carrying the torch to create International agreements’ that push for law harmonization.

She adds, “These regulatory frameworks will affect how AI and creators [and copyright owners] engage and how we can develop best practices for revenue generation.”

“Because AI is here to stay. It’s like electricity — we’ll live with it now.”

DMN spoke with Ragoowansi during their annual brunch and networking event at SXSW in Austin.

In an interview with DMN, Richard Burgess recalls how he worked to reshape A2IM during the last decade. Burgess also shares his thoughts on the music industry not monetizing music enough, DSPs ‘leaving money on the table,’ and expansion into fast-growing global markets. “We need to make sure that we don’t kill the art of making music.”

Burgess recently announced he would be stepping down from his position as President and CEO of A2IM — after 10 years with the organization. When asked what he’s most proud of during his time at A2IM, and the legacy he wants to leave behind, Burgess humbly replied, “It’s really hard to look at what you’ve done and see it as a legacy.”

Burgess admits that the organization grew massively under his leadership, and is hugely proud of achieving diversification within the A2IM board and membership.

Regarding the A2IM’s improved coordination, Burgess said, “I’m big on trying to keep relationships open with other organizations. Sometimes, you have to collaborate with people even if you disagree on 90% of the things they want.”

“The relationships with the other trade associations have been a big part of what I’ve tried to achieve. I think we’ve done well with that.”

Another achievement Burgess mentioned was the ‘Protect Working Musicians Act.’ “With the PWMA, any group of artists, managers, labels, publishers, songwriters, etc. would be able to gather and jointly negotiate deals,” Burgess explained.

Before the PWMA, a small independent label had no leverage whatsoever. “It’s kind of insane. We’re negotiating with the largest companies of all time. If they want, they can divide and conquer a small independent label by just offering whatever they want to offer.”

Although the PWMA has been around for three years, Burgess expresses that legislation requires a lot of patience, adding, “It takes a while.”

Regarding the challenges of recorded music revenue generation, Burgess spoke passionately about the industry’s failure to grow revenue in proportion to ‘today’s massive audience increase.’

“The big challenge with the recorded music industry is that we should be seeing much higher revenue numbers. If you do the math by adjusted dollars relative to 1999’s revenue, we’re still down about 35 to 40 percent.”

Burgess notes that the industry is not seeing the revenue, and would like to ‘fix that.’ “I’d really like to see the music industry get back to not only the size it was, but the size it should be because the listening audience has increased massively.”

Although Burgess agrees that streaming has been an amazing democratizer in many ways, he believes DSPs are leaving money on the table.

“Music is one of those must-have things in life. People love music. But we’re not seeing the revenue flow commensurate with the amount of love that people give music.”

Burgess thinks that music subscriptions should be at par with video subscriptions — and makes an argument to prove his point. “When you look at surveys about subscriptions, consumers consider music the best value. It’s also the least expensive in the consumer’s mind,” he said.

“Look at what people are paying for Netflix and other subscriptions. I doubt that anybody watches Netflix as much as they listen to music.”

Speaking about other interesting new technologies and business models that could significantly change things for labels, Burgess praises the independent industry’s revenue generation from vinyl sales and merchandise.

“The independents make about 42 percent of their revenue from vinyl, CDs, and physical goods. The major labels are doing well under 10 percent.”

“There are a lot of opportunities there. And I’m seeing people developing technologies and business plans that fit into that kind of concept.”

Burgess also discusses emerging International markets and the massive revenue opportunities they present for the music industry.

Comparing the US streaming market to India, where 80% of subscribers are ad-supported and only 20% are paid, Burgess says, “[The revenue] is certainly a lot lower than the money that comes from economically developed markets like Europe and the US.”

“But we’re seeing those countries increase their gross domestic revenues, which will change things even on a free subscription.”

What does that impending growth mean for the music industry? Burgess says opportunities can be revealed by answering the questions: “What are [emerging markets] buying, and what are they listening to?”

A lot of American music — but also a lot of local music that’s going global now. “Because of streaming, we’re seeing a lot more acts from other countries that we normally would never have heard of.”

Burgess concluded the interview by highlighting that when it comes to revenue generation, the key is not whether people love music— ‘it’s about whether we can monetize it, so we can keep the musicians alive.’

The interview was taken at SXSW 2025 in Austin, during A2IM’s annual brunch networking event.

In an interview with Downtown Music, Gil Gastelum, founder and president of Cosmica Artists recalls his time working in record shops, sleeping in his truck for seven months, temping at Hollywood Records, managing (now Grammy-winning) musician David Garza — and ultimately launching his record label where he had to burn CDs by hand.

The following recaps an interview with Gil Gastelum as part of Downtown Music’s series, The Music Industry Lives Here. Downtown Music is a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

Gastelum grew up listening to Tex Mex music, and oldies like Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly. “They loomed large in my household, and they’re still a big musical influence on me.”

Attending school with primarily Latina students who were listening to rock, R&B, and rap, Gastelum struggled to ’embrace’ his roots.

The ‘big connection’ that Gastelum says ‘forever changed’ his life finally came when his father, a button accordion player, made him watch a group called Los Lobos. “They played the traditional Mexican music mixed with rock — and they were part of the first real wave of punk rock here in LA.”

“Back then, Latin music was segregated and siloed from general pop culture. Very rarely did it cross over. But Los Lobos was so visceral that it forever changed my life in terms of what I gravitated toward.”

But Gastelum’s plans to become a musician disintegrated the night he went to see guitar player David Garza ‘playing his ass off.’ “Made me think: I’m never going to be that good.”

Ultimately, Gastelum started working at a record shop. “I was obsessed with linear notes and putting together the different executives, producers, engineers behind some of the greatest music.”

On a visit to LA, Gastelum met punk artist Robert Lopez aka El Vez, who invited Gastelum to join him on a tour of the States, Europe, ‘and whatnot.’

“I was the kid that hardly went anywhere, and all of a sudden I’m in a Winnebago for the entirety of the summer.”

After the tour ended, Gastelum returned but didn’t have a place to stay. He relays that he slept in his ‘little pickup truck’ for the next seven months, and got another ‘record store gig.’

Gastelum went on to get an internship at MCA Records (now Universal) just because he didn’t want to be in his truck anymore. His residence for the duration: the mailroom. “I’d show up every day and do whatever needed to be done.”

That was when someone who’d just come in recommended him for a marketing position at A&M. Gastelum worked there for three years, working with the smallest of bands, and ‘some of the biggest’ — then left A&M to help filmmaker Robert Rodriguez with ‘some music stuff.’

“At the time, you didn’t leave a major to go to an indie. Indie wasn’t like what it is now; it was no man’s land — tumbleweed. Everyone said you’d be back. But I’ve stayed independent since.”

Ultimately, Gastelum moved to Austin and came across the same guitar player who had long ago made him quit wanting to be a musician: David Garza.

“Originally, I came in as his administrative day-to-day guy, and about a month in, he fired his manager and said ‘you’re the guy.’ That’s what started my true management career.”

Garza and Gastelum released a record and went on tour — until 9/11 halted everything on the music, and Garza decided to move to LA.

“I thought I needed to get back to LA as well. So I was temping at Hollywood Records at the Disney lot in Burbank, and had a flip phone. [I see] messages from all these people I know, executives and staff, congratulating David and myself.”

“David had been named number-two Album of the Year in the New York Times. Back then, news like that really changed your life. Then, David’s label called to say they were dropping David.”

“One day, booking agents are calling me for potential shows, and I’m like, oh my god, we’re back. The next, David lost his publishing deal as part of a merger that happened — when AOL was around and bought off Time Warner. It was a decision that was made prior to the NY Times list.”

That pretty much kickstarted a long process of ‘showcasing your artist and trying to get signed again.’ But David soon put his foot down — ‘no more showcases.’

“David calls me and says I can’t do this anymore. The only way I’m going to put out a record is if you start a label.”

Gastelum knew it was easier said than done, and it took him nine long months — but he did start a label: Cosmica Artists.

That’s when Gastelum got a call from the senior VP of Business development at Redeye. “He said I want David with us — and that’s how it started.”

Gastelum reveals Garza had already put out twenty-one records, and within just one month, Garza had rerecorded much of his catalog. “I had to burn CDs on a real-time burner and take out a loan. Didn’t have any money to send out promos. And that’s the beginning of Cosmica Artists.”

Gastelum also took the time to share his ‘unpopular take’ on the industry’s shortcomings, “Several are self-inflicted; we limit ourselves — the industry only likes to promote wins rather than folks trying to come up.”

Talking about ‘unfair budgets’ for Latin artists, Gastelum says, “A marketing budget for a Latin artist is a fraction of a general market artist’s budget — even though the artist sells just as much.”

Nonetheless, Gastelum reports he’s always ‘blown away by the innovation of imagination with people who are able to create music.’

“That fascinated me — the ability to create something out of nothing. These people can barely function in society — barely tie their shoelaces. But put a guitar in their hand or a piano in front of them? They become absolute masters at what they do.”

Gastelum says it was Downtown Music-owned FUGA that took his company in, when a lot of other companies don’t take someone on the smaller end of the business spectrum.

“A lot of them wouldn’t even see us as a blip, and FUGA looked at us like — this is something we can work with.”

“I’m fifty-three years old now. I want to work with the people I want to work with — and these are the people I want to work with.”

About The Music Industry Lives Here: Downtown Music’s interview series allows powerful conversations with the voices shaping the music industry. To gain weekly access to exclusive interviews with music executives, artists, record label owners, and influential figures who drive the rhythm of the industry, join here.

The 67th Grammy Awards, an evening that would crest on several high notes, featured heartfelt tributes to the individuals who fought the devastating California wildfires. On the biggest annual night in music, the stars descended at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

The following comes from Open On Sunday, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

First, the red carpet — a quick walk behind the scenes before Olivia Rodrigo absolutely shut it down. Jaden Smith definitely made an impression with a headpiece that caused a stir.

Then, it was showtime, with performances covering all the latest hits. The night belonged to Doechii, Saint Vincent, Chappell Roan, Kendrick Lamar, and Beyonce.

Billie Eilish soared singing ‘Birds of a Feather,’ while Benson Boone flipped through ‘Beautiful Things.’ Then there was Doechii, Chappell, Sabrina Carpenter, and Shaboozey — with Taylor Swift front and center, rocking to every tune.

Then, after a star-studded tribute to the late legendary Quincy Jones, the night took a heroic turn.

The Recording Academy recognized the heroes who bravely battled the devastating wildfires that ravaged entire neighborhoods in Los Angeles.

LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said, “I am confident that we will recover and rebuild together because we are LA strong.”

Another significant moment during the night: Rapper Kendrick Lamar took home Grammys for all five of his nominations for the smash hit ‘Not Like Us’ — including Song of the Year.

At the end of the day, there’s nothing more powerful than rap music. But then, there is Beyonce.

After a surprise win for best country album, the music icon was nominated more than any other artist ever — finally winning the Grammy for album of the year with ‘Cowboy Carter.’

Beyonce accepted her well-deserved Grammy, saying, “I’d like to thank and acknowledge and praise all of the firefighters for keeping us safe. I feel very full and very honored. It’s been many, many years. I just want to thank the Grammys, every songwriter, every collaborator, and every producer for all the hard work. I want to dedicate this to Miss (Linda) Martell, and I hope we keep pushing forward and opening doors. God bless you all. Thank you so much.”

In an interview with Downtown Music, self-taught guitarist Andrew Gialanella calls music his ‘escape.’ Speaking of the intertwined journey he made as a person and musician, Gialanella says going sober triggered a ‘big shift’ that led him to a pivotal crossroads in life.

The following recaps an interview with Andrew Gialanella as part of Downtown Music’s series, The Music Industry Lives Here. Downtown Music is a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

Gialanella’s discovery of the guitar was pretty uneventful. “I was twelve and one day I was bored after school, and I thought the guitar’s cool. There were a couple of guitars in the house because my brother and my dad played. I started plucking away and never stopped.”

The introverted kid, and ‘still introverted’ adult, found the instrument to be ‘a safe place to express myself without words.’ Playing in some bands in high school and then college, Gialanella naturally began treating it more professionally, ‘performing at gigs and bars and stuff.’

After graduating from the University of Georgia, Gialanella committed to a massive shift — he got sober. “The lifestyle that comes with playing out all the time started to become problematic for me. I wanted to change — I was at a crossroads in life.”

Gialanella stepped away from live playing ‘to regroup,’ and as months passed by without playing, he realized he still wanted to be creating music. “So I started dabbling with recording and production. [Since] I’m not a vocalist, I made songs with just the guitar, that’s where the instrumental music started.”

As he started to ‘feel better,’ Gialanella’s music evolved to become ‘very peaceful and mellow and centering.’ “That’s where my mind was — as I progressed as a person and musician. Melody is the centerpiece because there are no lyrics. So I try to focus on stuff you might want to whistle to or hum to later.”

Speaking further about his current ‘spontaneous, in-the-moment, and therapeutic’ music-making process, Gialanella finds himself ‘noodling on the guitar,’ which leads to many voice memos on his phone. “Honestly, once I have an idea, it’s straight to the studio. I’ll chase that immediately.”

A significant part of Gialanella’s improvisation comes from his experience as a live music player. “My music is unique. I want people to feel like [my music] is like a friend that you can lean on if you need it.”

Recalling the time when his song ‘Another Year’ went viral in early 2023 and again in early 2024, Gialanella says, “I’ve had people message me saying they listen to me every day while they work — or they’re making breakfast or doing stuff with their kids. Others say my music helped them through a difficult time and was a comforting sound that helped them through stress and anxiety.”

“It’s a beautiful thing.”

Even though Gialanella’s background is the electric guitar, he raves about his love for the ‘organic and earthy’ sound of acoustic guitar.

“I love being outside on a sunny day, under a tree in the shade — that’s my happy place,” he says, adding, “I visualize nature when I’m creating music. I build a production around those sounds, which crosses over to my video content and stuff; it suits the music and fits the vibe.”

For Gialanella, channeling and spreading a message of positivity with his music is important. “I’m big on mental health, and sharing things that go along with my music.”

Aiming to build an ecosystem of conversation around wellness, mindfulness, and self-care,” Gialanella says, “That’s the kind of energy I’m trying to put out into the world. A place of: things are going to be okay,” he adds.

“The only constant in life is change,” says Gialanella, adding that he’s evolving simultaneously as an artist, and as a human.

Speaking about ‘amazingly supportive’ Downtown Music, Gialanella points out that being independent feels like ‘I’m in control of my destiny.’ He adds, “I appreciate the freedom. Owning my masters gives me the ability to keep doing what I’m doing financially.”

“Finding a distribution solution that understands what I’m doing is hard. I feel like Downtown knows how different types of music behave differently across different DSPs.”

As with other unique genres, Gialanella’s music requires some sensibility of how to promote, release, and pitch. “Downtown’s been great with that. My catalog is in really good hands — not many distributors are in tune with the type of thing I’m doing.”

About The Music Industry Lives Here: Downtown Music’s interview series allows powerful conversations with the voices shaping the music industry. To gain weekly access to exclusive interviews with music executives, artists, record label owners, and influential figures who drive the rhythm of the industry, join here.

In an interview with Downtown Music, cellist and ‘90’s kid’ The Wong Janice talks about her love of pop music, dabbling with the guitar, getting piano lessons before finding her instrument, and learning improvisation. Journeying through a career in marketing, and discovering meditation before building a career in meditation music — Janice’s biggest life lesson came from uncovering ‘the shackles that hold us back from attaining life-altering goals.’

The following recaps an interview with The Wong Janice as part of Downtown Music’s series, The Music Industry Lives Here. Downtown Music is a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

Janice was six years old when she picked up piano lessons. Two years later, she discovered the cello. “My main instrument has been cello since I was eight. The sound of cello is so rich and is the closest instrument to the human voice. That spoke to me.”

Talking about ‘love at first listen’ cello, she reveals that her Chinese background led her to music. “It’s quite common for Asian kids to play the piano and stringed instruments. I dropped the piano in my teens because it got too difficult to keep up both instruments at the same time.”

The orchestra also left an imprint on Janice’s music. Her life was heavily classical, and her parents wanted her to play the orchestra ‘because it’s nicer for a child to have a more social environment.’

Janice was thirteen when a chance discovery took her from classical to pop music. When a teacher urged Janice to join a band and play the song ‘Shimmer,’ she learned she had the skill to replicate any song on the cello.

“From then on, I really started to use the cello in pop music — which was my first love.”

Alongside that first love, Janice also recalls the ‘first rejection’ that altered the trajectory of her music career. “I got an audition with a very famous singer at the time. I’d practiced everything perfectly on the album. Afterwards she said, play something of your own to my music. Let’s just jam. And I froze.”

Discovering that she didn’t have the skill to improvise was a defining moment for Janice. “I never got to tour with her, which was my dream. So, I decided I’m going to learn how to improvise.”

In an attempt to excel at what she believed was ‘holding her back,’ Janice played pop music with different bands — even an electronic dance band.

But around that time, a music teacher she ‘really respected’ told Janice that she ‘didn’t have what it takes to be a solo classical musician.’

Those words left a mark on Janice, and steered her off the music track. She left classical music behind, went on to earn a master’s degree in marketing, and secured an internship at Adidas. “Our biggest ambassadors at the time were Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez. I had the best time there and it took me all over the world.”

Soon, things changed in the business, so Janice ‘felt stuck in my life, and in my career.’ Going on a sabbatical, she attended the Vipassana ten-day silent meditation course. There, she discovered that the true ‘shackles to suffering are our reactions to situations.’

“That was my biggest learning, and it was indeed the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. I was working through a lot of things, but by the end of the ten days, I felt free. I learned that I have the key to let go of my suffering and unlock my liberation.”

Following this ‘powerful’ mindset switch, Janice lost her job and instantly identified the silver lining. “It came at the perfect moment. I was ready to move closer to music.”

Janice decided to become a music producer, and studied engineering and music production at Abbey Road Institute in Amsterdam. Although she initially believed that the one year would allow her to make a career switch, it soon became clear that going from a course to proper music production ‘requires some kind of buildup.’

So she took a piece of paper and wrote down all the ways she could make music. “That was a turning point. I had so many ideas. I was really into electronic music at the time, so I thought about making music for games, film, and being a session musician. Actually even did a mock project for my portfolio — making music for a commercial or small film.”

Although the project was an exciting new landscape, she didn’t feel like a composer — so Janice began crossing things off her list. It was this process of elimination that revealed to her the option of becoming an artist. “The crazy thing is, I didn’t even think of the cello.”

Janice says it’s now obvious that cello was always her path. “The teacher that told me I won’t make it was mainly talking about classical music, but it sounded to me like I will never make it in music. I interpreted it myself that I cannot be a cellist.”

She knew she wanted to create something with the cello, but she went ahead with the mindset: what’s the worst that can happen? “So I did some market research, and discovered people listen to cello during very quiet activities like in solitude, in the bath, or at the beach.”

Connecting the dots of her cello background to her enlightening foray into meditation, she recorded her meditative music album within three weeks. Instantly, her research into distributors led her to CD Baby.

“I was ready to upload and my friend showed me how easy CD Baby was. I was really surprised so I thought, okay I can do this. So I put up my first album, and then the second and the third and fourth and fifth.”

For the past year, Janice has been a CD Baby Plus artist, which allows her ‘free submissions that get to platforms in the blink of an eye.’

“I do everything myself so that’s really useful for me. I don’t have a three to six month lead time. I’m like, let’s get this up quickly so my fans have something to listen to.”

After taking a rollercoaster ride to find herself, Janice’s life philosophy is to ‘let go of always chasing more.’ “What I’ve learned from the meditation course is knowing when to stop looking for things that are bigger and better,” she says.

“I would like to continue to make music to feel free, and give my listeners that chance to also let go and be free.”

About The Music Industry Lives Here: Downtown Music’s interview series allows powerful conversations with the voices shaping the music industry. To gain weekly access to exclusive interviews with music executives, artists, record label owners, and influential figures who drive the rhythm of the industry, join here.

In a candid interview with Downtown Music, John Robie reflects on his ‘white-privileged upbringing,’ forming the band ‘Backdoor Man’ as an alternate family, leading the evolution of electronic music, the cultures he embraced along the way, the cost of mediocrity in music, and lessons he learned while working with some of the industry’s most creative minds.

The following recaps an interview with John Robie as part of Downtown Music’s series, The Music Industry Lives Here. Downtown Music is a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

Legendary producer, songwriter, and musician behind many iconic tracks (including ‘Planet Rock’), John Robie started playing music when he was five. Robie grew up during the time when The Beatles were propagating artistic expression to change the face of the industry, driving an evolution in music recording, and initiating transformative socio-cultural movements.

Speaking about how the band inspired him in his early years, Robie said, “When the Beatles came out, it changed everyone’s lives. People talk about it now, but unless you were there experiencing it, [you don’t know] how everyone wanted to get into it.”

Robie’s penchant for music developed when at some point in his childhood ‘there ended up being an electronic chord organ in the house.’ He explains, “[Chord organs] were basically Accordions with legs, with preset chords on the left and a regular keyboard on the right. So I was simultaneously learning guitar and keyboards — which I ended up doing as a profession even though I am a better guitarist than a keyboardist.”

Reflecting on his deep dive into electronic music in the 80s, Robie relays how it all began with ‘Backdoor Man.’

“I had a bunch of friends and we started a band called Backdoor Man. So my father bought me a Farfisa organ — a very generous, very expensive gift from the salary that he made. The organ and amplifier was probably $700 — a fortune in 1966-67. I started playing Ray Manzarek style with this band, and played guitar with another, then the organ with another — and that’s how I got started with electronic music.”

After graduating from college, Robie ‘found an incredible bass player’ and formed another band — auditioning keyboard players because he ‘wanted to play the guitar.’

Although multiple musicians from Berkeley auditioned, Robie says the one who stood out was Ray Jones. “[He was] a skinny black kid who was the coolest guy in the world, and brought this little micro Moog synthesizer.”

Jones lived in some dangerous part of Brooklyn, which led him to leave his synthesizer behind. “I learned on that synthesizer because of Ray Jones,” recalls Robie with some fondness. “This was before synthesizers were programmable. We had to turn knobs to do things and learn the basic functionality of it.”

Robie dives into how the instrument became ‘overkill’ over time, “Today’s synthesizers are way over-sophisticated. There are too many bells and whistles — too many post-effects channels. It’s overkill.”

Robie’s band later got signed by Eddie O’Loughlin, owner of Next Plateau Entertainment — and Robie’s music experienced and absorbed the culture of various music genres.

“Being part of the culture changes everything. I learned to like disco after doing some sessions and seeing how complicated it was. That’s what happened with hip-hop. I hated it and thought it was ridiculous, but when I saw what was happening in the streets and clubs, it was transformative.”

Because of this cultural impact, Robie believes he’s a ‘sound architect’ rather than just a keyboardist. “I was introduced to all these cultures, and did some of what’s now called freestyle. Back then, it wasn’t freestyle.”

Robie also expressed how back in the day, diversity was inherent to the music community. “There wasn’t an obligation; it just existed.”

“Everyone worked together. I worked with black, white, gay artists because there was such diversity in the 80s,” Robie mused. “When you experience so many cultures, you see things through that lens. You start to appreciate how different music moves different people.”

“It changes the way you view not just music in general, but the way you view the world.”

The turning point in Robie’s career occurred when one day, he ‘felt so defeated’ he told O’Loughlin, ‘I don’t really know what to do.’ That meeting kickstarted a series of events that led to a professional studio recording of his song ‘Vena Cava’ being handed over to a record company called Disconet.

That’s where Robie met R. Rodriguez, who first laughed at the music, and then called back later, raving that he was a fan.

Robie relays, “Rodriguez listened to ‘Vena Cava’ and said, you want me to put this out? But one week later, Rodriguez called back to say, I can’t stop listening to the track. This is amazing. We’re going to put this out.”

Rodriguez’s interest exposed Robie to more unknowns. “I wasn’t very good at self-promotion or business; I didn’t know what to do with it. So bam, they said there’s this guy Tom Silverman. Why don’t you play for him?”

Silverman (owner of Tommy Boy Entertainment) and Robie ended up meeting for a session at the former’s office, where Robie met record producer Arthur Baker. “We went to the studio either that day or the next day, and recorded ‘Planet Rock’.”

Today, credited with the creation of music that altered the electronic music landscape, Robie says that ‘artist innovation’ is still the fuel that feeds the industry.

He points out the cost of settling for mediocrity in music and the arts, ‘not just for musicians, but for humanity.’

“The more sounds I produce, the more they become conformist — and that’s what people expect,” he says.

“This happens in every area of culture. You begin to accept the mediocre as great not only because you’re told to, but you lower the bar for you to create. That’s the danger. Something becomes fashionable, then everyone does it, and that becomes what everybody wants.”

Robie concluded the interview by pointing out that in the history of the world, people can confuse self-confidence and competence with arrogance. “I’m not those things; I’m just passionate.”

Speaking about Downtown Music, of which Robie is a client, Robie said, “They’ve organized my life respectfully and conscientiously.”

About The Music Industry Lives Here: Downtown Music’s interview series allows powerful conversations with the voices shaping the music industry. To gain weekly access to exclusive interviews with music executives, artists, record label owners, and influential figures who drive the rhythm of the industry, join here.

Music Tectonics 2024 featured informative panels on hot industry topics like streaming fraud, fan relationship management, music investments, financing options for artists, and more.

The Music Tectonics 2024 conference is all about the fusion of music and tech. There are certain things you come to expect at Music Tectonics in sunny Santa Monica — beautiful beach backgrounds and engaging activities. And the 2024 conference did not disappoint.

Dmitri Vietze, conference director and founder of PR firm Rock Paper Scissors, welcomed attendees along the Santa Monica pier.

“I started this company twenty-five years ago in late October. So this is our 25th anniversary right now and you guys are here with me to celebrate this party,” Vietze said.

The first informative panel was a fireside chat with former Managing Director of Techstars Music (and investor) Bob Moczydlowsky, and Joe Tou from Sony Ventures.

The duo had abundant valuable insights on how businesses and startup owners looking to secure financing can attain their goals.

“There are a lot of startup companies here that people are trying to build. The world’s ready for new creative ideas. And there are a lot of people here who are building the pipes and the platforms to do that,” Tou said.

Taking it all in were the finalists of this year’s startup competition, companies like Soloist. Parker Busick, founder of Soloist, relayed the company’s inspiration and journey.

“We took that loop pedal and put it on your phone and connected it to every other loop pedal in the world so you could use any loop uploaded by any musician — and the result is that you have bandmates in your pocket. You can create with them and play with them,” Busick said, adding, “It allows you to practice with yourself as if you were your bandmate.”

Riley Lemons, Head of Design at Soloist, said, “I’m grateful to be up here with so many other incredible companies.”

After a sunset carousel mixer along the pier, Music Tectonics shifted for day-two to the Annenberg Community Beach House — a stunning poolside venue that’s the perfect setting to network and exchange ideas.

Panel discussions focused on the latest and most significant industry topics: preventing streaming fraud, and moves that help artists develop more profound relationships with their fans.

Tetris Kelly with Billboard explained that for labels to cash in, fans need to feel appreciated by the artist before they can be motivated to spend money on merch and concert tickets.

This year at Music Tectonics, Vietze added a creators’ fair where musicians and music minds could present and share new innovations. Participants included companies like Roland.

Vietze said, “Our focus is on innovation. We’re not solely focused on the recording industry, startups, new creator tools — but we’re bringing it all together.”

Vietze also explained his views on the innovation ecosystem that thrives when conversations can happen in a unique way, at a fabulous destination, and in a fun spot. “We also want a great experience.”

Music Tectonics 2024 took place October 22 — 24.

The following comes from Open On Sunday, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

Billboard Latin Music Week 2024 — artists and industry frontliners converged to attend round table discussions and panels on the rise of reggae, music and data management, monetization, and catalog financing.

Hosted at The Fillmore Miami Beach, Billboard Latin Music Week 2024 kicked off with performances from Latin music’s biggest stars. The event was abuzz with attendees, including established and up-and-coming artists and music industry leaders.

Colombian reggaeton superstar J Balvin was the headliner for the 35th Anniversary Special. Balvin also took part in a special Q&A session, joining other notable guests such as hip hop artists Fat Joe and N.O.R.E.

During a panel discussion, Fat Joe called the hip hop and reggaeton connection ‘crazy but dope.’

Joe added, “Hip hop and reggae go side by side — and hip hop is the influence. It’s like they’re rapping in Spanish, with hip hop beats.”

N.O.R.E. highlighted that the 2004 release of his classic single, Oye Mi Canto ‘set off a movement,’ and made him one of the pioneers of reggaeton. He added, “No one could ever take this away from me, the first reggaeton record on MTV is mine and the first reggaeton record on BET (Black Entertainment Television) is mine. First reggaeton record on Hot 97 is mine. The first reggaeton performing at the Source Awards is mine.”

“If you listen to that record — whether you’re Black or Chinese — you become Latino for three minutes,” N.O.R.E. said.

Billboard Latin Week panels also covered major topics like catalog financing and the carbon footprint of festivals and music events.

Anana Love, Director of Membership for catalog acquisition company Open on Sunday, spoke at a panel to dish out truths about essential catalog elements. “If you’re interested in selling your music catalog, you must have your data in order,” Love told the group.

Tanner Watt, Director of Partnerships at REVERB, also joined the panel. REVERB partners with venues, festivals, and artists to minimize the negative environmental impact of music endeavors.

Watt relayed that he was ‘very excited to connect with more artist teams in the Latin space to help them support non-profit causes they care about — and engage their fans in positive change in the world.’

Many of the Billboard Latin Music Week 2024 attendees were artists looking to promote their music and meet like-minded individuals. However, business professionals were also at hand to network and educate artists on alternative revenue streams.

Luxury real estate agent Wendy Sanchez spoke about the importance of sound financial advice for artists and entertainers. “I am a luxury real estate agent, I also do high-end luxury Airbnb management, and then I also work for one of the top hospitality groups doing their private membership club program.”

“I’m here to help artists or anybody in the entertainment industry with the business side of things — real estate,” Sanchez said.

Financial advisor Andrea Friedman touched upon the importance of balancing family and career — whether you’re an artist or businessperson. “It’s about being disciplined so you can spend time with loved ones and still be a highly successful career individual,” Friedman said.

Billboard Latin Music Week 2024 took place October 15-18.

Open on Sunday webinar, ‘Beyond the Hype: The Economics of Superfandom,’ began today at 2 pm EST. Taking a seat at the table are Executives from superfan monetization platform Stationhead, social music platform Hangout, and SaaS provider, bemyfriends.

Digital Music News and catalog acquisition platform Open on Sunday are combining forces to address the topic of the hour in the music industry: Superfans.

In an oversaturated market with an unsurpassable ceiling on subscriber growth, artists, labels, and streaming platforms seek novel strategies to amplify music monetization.

But how pivotal a role can superfans play in stimulating the music economy? What makes them so powerful?

Panelists for the webinar ‘Beyond the Hype: The Economics of Superfandom’ will delve into the economic value of superfans — expanding on the recent hype surrounding their ability to drive engagement, increase visibility, and generate more revenue.

Ryan Star, CEO and cofounder of Stationhead: Playing as a rock frontman with chart-topping hits, Star built a global fanbase but found that in order to forge a real connection with his fans, the traditional nature of radio needed to be improved. This realization has been a guiding force as Stationhead has developed into a cutting-edge tool for artists to tap into their true fans.

Joseph Perla, CEO of Hangout: Entrepreneur and music tech expert Perla brings his expertise to Hangout, a social platform that allows artists and users to connect and experience music.

Steven Seo, cofounder and Co-CEO of bemyfriends: Seo is considered an authority on fandom’s global business and economic value. Bemyfriends is a SaaS solution that empowers creators to own and autonomously monetize their content and fandom.

Greg Spills, COO of Open On Sunday, brings his expertise in catalog valuation and acquisition, delving into the role of superfan groups elevating the value of IP and driving multiple revenue streams for artists.

Noah Itman of Digital Music News moderates the panel, airing today at 2 pm EST.

Drop into the conversation by joining the webinar ‘Beyond the Hype: The Economics of Superfandom’ — powered by Open on Sunday and DMN.

Panelists explore how and when superfans evolved into a lucrative business strategy. Of course, the existence of superfans isn’t new, but their influence on the music economy is a significant talking point in 2024.

Within the notoriously volatile music industry, superfans have demonstrated incredible economic impact. Their devotion and knack for community drive streams, merchandise sales, album sales, word-of-mouth marketing via user-generated content — and more.

For artists and IP owners, it’s all about working smarter — not harder. Banking on devoted fan groups to drive higher streams ensures a larger piece of the streaming revenue pie.

In the face of a saturated subscriber market (for example, the US has 100 million paid streaming subscribers and only 160 million tax-paying citizens), superfans are a high-value strategy for IP owners.

Back in 2023, Goldman Sachs published a projection of the superfan monetization market at a whopping $4.5 billion.

Since then, this lucrative fan subset has been a constant focus, and industry biggies have noticed. UMG’s Lucian Grainge and Warner CEO Robert Kyncl signed memos earlier this year to outline their plans for superfan monetization in 2024,

In January of 2024, Spotify also dropped hints that a superfans club might be in the works.

The scale of the superfan opportunity is expected to grow. A study by Luminate determined that almost 20% of listeners in the US can be categorized as superfans. This subset of fans is willing to pay over twice of what the average individual spends on music.

Essentially, superfans show up in ways that regular fans simply do not. And that’s what makes them so important.

Superfan groups such as Swifties and the BTS Army have become well-known economic behemoths for Taylor Swift and BTS. When it comes to supporting their artists, these superfan groups have surpassed the value of traditional fan culture.

Besides being generous spenders, their mammoth numbers drive viewership, creating chart-topping tracks and record sales of the latest albums. They also join their artists in philanthropic efforts — anything to ensure their favorite artists stay on top.

But this reach and dedication is driven by a mutually beneficial relationship between an artist and their superfan.

Our panelists will also shed light on how superfans’ loyalty exposes them to efforts of exploitation, and protecting them is imperative to nurture the superfan ecosystem.

Webinar ‘Beyond the Hype: The Economics of Superfandom’ – Watch Now.

Photo by Luke Heiber on Unsplash

As one of the earliest adopters of immersive music mixes, Alex Solano is the mixing engineer behind Dolby Atmos projects for labels like Atlantic Records, Photo Finish, NinjaTune, EMPIRE, Position Music, and many others. Solano’s company, AlexProMix, assists labels and distributors in leveraging revenue generation opportunities provided by Dolby Atmos formats.

The following recaps an interview of Alex Solano — Immersive Audio Specialist — with Music Business Insider. Solano’s AlexProMix is a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

When Solano entered the Dolby Atmos world in 2021, the tech was expensive and complicated. Now, even though the tech has shifted and immersive audio is accessible to anyone with headphones, Solano points out that there’s still a financial cost and investment to ‘doing Dolby right.’

Speaking about the future of audio mixing, Alex Solano revealed the learning curve that led him to become a certified Dolby Atmos engineer. Solano also highlighted the incredible opportunities in store for striving immersive mixes’ engineers.

Because Solano was one of the early adopters of immersive audio in 2021, he faced challenges finding learning resources for Dolby Atmos. By creating educational videos on YouTube, Solano believes he’s paving an easier path for aspiring Dolby mixing engineers.

According to Solano, to do Atmos ‘right’ and experience it correctly requires a room with specialized equipment. “That’s what differentiates a bedroom producer working on headphones, making beats, and publishing their music from somebody experienced in the field and mixing in an immersive room of 12 speakers.”

It was Dolby Atmos that connected Solano to major labels to be certified. “I’m on the approved Dolby Atmos mixer list, which means that any producer, artist, or engineer who wants to convert their music into Atmos can do so. I’m already certified with Universal Music and Warner Music.”

Solano insists that artists and producers need to be aware of the fast-paced segue into Dolby Atmos. “When you look at the history of recorded technology and the switch from mono to stereo, engineers who could only work in mono became irrelevant.”

With a clientele that includes labels, publishers, and distributors, Solano says he’s experiencing a drive toward spatial audio. “My clients pitch their song to Apple, and Apple says, where’s the spatial audio? They’re like, what spatial audio? Apple says go find an engineer.”

“Based on feedback from professionals, music industry events, and the majors, all music formats supported in Dolby Atmos will soon be the standard for converting new music and back catalog music. Otherwise, music streaming services will not support it.”

“To get editorial playlisting, you must have that Dolby Atmos Master,” says Solano.

But what about AI-converted Dolby Atmos mixes? Solano reveals Apple is only accepting immersive mixes if they have the original stamps from a mixing engineer. “From a creative standpoint, no artist that invested in making their music sound great in stereo wants to run it through an AI algorithm. They want it to be remastered correctly.”

Now that Dolby Atmos technology is available to music mixers, creators, and producers via Apple, Tidal, and Amazon, Solano believes it unlocks a world of opportunities to reimagine music arrangements and mix music in a way that immerses the audience and the listener.

With widespread adaptation of gaming, immersive audio has ended up becoming a normal, everyday-experience for this generation. Solano believes artists can ‘future-proof ‘their music by adopting immersive formats.

Solano believes that once the music industry catches up and adapts to immersive audio, the tech will be ‘very common.’ “The fact that you can experience spatial audio on earbuds makes it accessible to anyone.”

For A2IM IndieWeek 2024, the music industry convened at the InterContinental Hotel in Times Square. From panel discussions and sharing insights and knowledge to networking, A2IM IndieWeek offered something for everyone.

A2IM IndieWeek 2024 drew labels, distributors, DSPs, agencies, and other members of the music community — sparking in-depth discussions among music industry leaders. Panels navigated the dynamic nature of marketing trends, leveraging social media platforms, building diverse revenue streams for artists, the role of AI, data, neighboring rights, and more.

Anthony Brown from Influencer collaboration platform Breakr spoke on some early brand marketing successes in his panel, “Brand-tastic; How Can Labels Engage Brands for Their Emerging Artist?”

Brown said about Breakr’s partnership with KitKat, “They basically wanted to do a six-city tour exploring black music — wanted to find influencers, major artists, and emerging artists to tell unique stories in each city. In DC, we studied the history of Gogo, and in Detroit, we studied funk and house, and in Memphis, we went deep into R&B and how gospel music affected those stories. If they went in there on their own, they wouldn’t have known who to touch in authentic ways to tell those stories.”

Nikki Cox, Chief Marketing Officer at Red Bull Records, was asked to summarize music marketing in 2024 during her panel, “Unlocking Global Success: Navigating International DSPs and Marketing.”

Cox said, “It’s everything everywhere all at once.”

During his panel, “Maximizing Your Catalog: Label Strategies Unveiled,” Open On Sunday’s Don McGill explained catalog evaluations and how they source these lucrative deals.

“We have a network of what we call Market Development Partners, essentially catalog brokers,” McGill said, adding, “They find catalogs for us, but we also source a ton of deals through lawyers, managers, and sometimes friends in the industry — just people that you pick up along the way.”

The MMF-US Summit featured its own set of panels. Peter Leathem from PPL spoke about neighboring rights and said that for US performers, there are “some big opportunities.”

Shilpa Sadagopan from SoundOn discussed drafting targeted campaigns leveraging social platforms like TikTok. “We were able to tap into the global International market for SoundOn quickly and activate campaigns across ten different markets, including over 4,600 commissioned videos from our campaigns and over 100 million views. So, I think that also shows our capability to quickly react when you see something happening on the platform.”

New York still serves as one of the biggest music hubs in the world, making it the perfect forum for off-site networking and events.

Held at Kaufman Music Center, The Music Investor Conference was well attended.

Artist and songwriter Jessica Lattman (JeLa) was there to make connections and promote her music better. “I came here to find out how to do my distribution, promotion, and how to get my solo artist project going,” Lattman said.

Caribbean artist Sabi Pitt was looking to do the same. “I’m here networking, trying to get distribution, trying to get some more marketing, and taking it to another level because the world needs positive music right now.”

And we must remember the nightlife. After all, it’s the city that never sleeps.

The ADA party was packed with people networking at the bar and cutting loose on the dance floor. Not to be outdone, the Czech Showcase took it to the rooftops of New York as performers from Prague rocked the crowd well into the night.

From artists and songwriters to label executives and business owners, A2IM IndieWeek once again proved to be the place where the music industry connects.

A2IM IndieWeek 2024 took place June 10th to June 13th, 2024.

At Music Biz 2024 Conference, informative panels focused on innovative music tech, the impact of sync deals, and women’s incredible role in the music industry.

The Music Biz Conference 2024 featured multiple insightful panels covering the latest tech in music, support for independent artists, resources for creatives, gender equity, and other integral matters core to the music industry’s continued progress.

One panel on sync deals included Blackberry Smoke guitarist Charlie Starr and manager Trey Wilson. They delved into the details of experiencing an almost 1000% increase in digital download sales after Blackberry Smoke was featured on the hit TV show Yellowstone.

According to Wilson, the song Hey Delilah was the first ‘real sync’ on the show, which led to the band immediately seeing a triple-digit increase in streams. Wilson said, “It went up astronomically high. I think we had a 999% increase in digital download sales and a 125% increase in Shazams.”

“It’s been the same ever since. Every single song has had some monumental reaction,” Wilson added.

Among Music Biz 2024’s offsite events was The Music Manager Forum’s shindig on a ranch — complete with horses and a bonfire.

Sharon Tapper, the Executive Director of the Music Managers Forum (US), talked about her first evening of Music Biz at the Copper Lime Ranch, formerly Kenny Rogers’s estate. “We’ve had ponies here and peacocks and incredible food and drink and some of the most amazing people from the music business — mixing and mingling and getting to know one another.”

Tapper added, “No matter what you do in the industry, you can be here and in this space together.”

Strong women in leadership positions attended the crescendo celebration of black women.

Gina Miller, the senior vice president and General Manager of Monarch Music Group, said, “We’re celebrating black women who are here at Music Biz, who are in music, and who take care of their business.”

The Moms in Music Organization also hosted a mixer at Music Biz 2024, where DMN spoke to Brittney King Brock, Founder and Operator of King Creative Group.

Brock relayed her goal of inspiring the next generation of women executives and artists to feel like they don’t have to choose between having a family and building their careers. Brock added, “You can do both, and you’ll have a built-in community that honestly shares how to do it. It’s not easy, but it is possible. We’re trying to rewrite the narrative of what motherhood looks like in the music business.”

On day 2 of Music Biz 2024, The Nashville skies cleared just in time for a spectacular evening up on the rooftops — including the annual meet and greet hosted by A2IM and an event by Women in Music.

Shira Yevin, founder of Gritty in Pink, spoke about her focus on breaking down barriers and carving out a space for women freelancers in the industry, backed by Live Nation. Speaking about Music Biz 2024, Yevin said, “It’s the people and what they do that makes Music Biz what it is.”

Jeremy Gruber, head of artist marketing for Friends at Work, spoke about the true value of conferences such as Music Biz. Gruber relayed that his ‘primary role is finding the next step in technology’ and figuring out how to help artists grow their careers.

Gruber said, “[This is] where start-up founders and many of the people trying out new ideas come from. It’s always about meeting people, trying to find out what’s next, and helping bring that to the artists we work with. We can provide them with the technology they need to help grow their audience.”

Chlon Henry, CEO of Wealth Media Distribution and head of Think It’s a Game Records, told DMN, “We’re championing independent labels and Independent artists.”

The Music Biz 2024 Conference took place from May 13th to May 16th, 2024.

Although Nashville has been an excellent host over the years, Music Business Association President Dr. Porsche Sabin announced that in 2025, Music Biz is moving to Atlanta.

Music Biz 2025 will be held at Atlanta’s Renaissance Waverly Hotel from May 12th through the 15th, 2025.

Beyonce’s latest venture into country music with ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ has been a smash commercial success, but it has also sparked a huge debate within the tight-knit genre. Does a Black pop star like Beyonce have ‘the right’ to make country music?

The following comes from Open On Sunday, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

Beyonce’s first country single ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ shot to the top of the charts. At Pop Con 2024 on the campus of USC in Los Angeles, CA, a panel of country music journalists took an in-depth look at the ‘Beyonce debate.’

The panel titled ‘Will the Cannon Be Unbroken — A Roundtable on Country Music Criticism’ included RJ Smith (writer and editor at the Country Music Hall of Fame), David Cantwell (country music writer and author), Jwly Hight (Senior Music Writer for Nashville Public Radio), and Charles L Hughes (historian, music critic and author of the book ‘Country Soul’).

The group took time to peel back the layers built around country music over the years. They discussed how artists like Beyonce and others are beginning to shed light on part of country music’s rich history — one that was once suppressed from the public.

Hight pointed out her belief that it’s well past time to start questioning what is allowed to be considered ‘true’ country music. “Figures that have been traditionally held up as the founding parents of country music, Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family and so on — that is insufficient,” Hight said.

Cantwell explained why he believed Beyonce is ‘having this moment with country,’ adding, “It’s because she’s Beyonce, so it’s the celebrity of it — but also because she made a great dance record. That’s why it’s all over TikTok.”

Cantwell further stated that there are other artists worth mentioning, such as Tanner Adell, Reyna Roberts, Nelly, and Little Nas X.

RJ Smith questioned the ‘us and them’ mentality behind the debate and whether anyone even had the right to criticize Beyonce for foraying into country music.

“Does Beyonce have the right to be Beyonce — and do what she’s been doing? That’s an issue in some circles,” said Smith.

Hughes believes the ‘Beyonce moment is not really about Beyonce.’ “It’s about whether all of these other folks, including the ones who are going to come after, will be thought of.”

“When the Beyonce thing broke, what I loved seeing—including on social media — was another side of cannon building an argument,” Hughes said, adding, “People were like, ‘Cool, Beyonce. And here’s fifty-five other people that you should be checking out.’ And that lineage is important because it prevents the flattening again of these iconic figures.”

In a one-on-one interview with DMN after the panel, Hight highlighted other influential and iconic black figures often left out of the country conversation. She reminded us of Alice Randall, the first black woman to co-write a country number one.

Hight further pointed out that Ray Charles wasn’t inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame for a long time, along with Lil Hardin and DeFord Bailey — the Grand Ole Opry star and legendary harmonica player.

Other contemporary country artists, like Miko Marks, attempted to break into country music in the early 2000s. Hight mentioned that, as a black woman, Marks met several roadblocks on her journey. She also highlighted coalitions like the Black Opry and its founder, Holy G, for providing a platform for black country artists to perform, tour, and showcase their talents to the world.

“It is an exciting moment for the more complete telling of the story. Filling in the gaps and bringing those stories and voices forward,” Hight said.

Hight also spoke about the younger generation of country listeners becoming more accepting of gay and lesbian country and roots artists.

Pointing out the vast LGBTQIA fanbase for artists like Kacey Musgraves, she said, “They’re making young fans feel seen, and young fans are very vocal in their ownership, and it’s a reciprocal thing.”

As for the challenges of breaking into country music outside of Nashville, Hight said, “You can have a rich and meaningful career in your local community or regional community on that circuit without coming to Nashville.

“But if you want the kind of media and industry visibility and are striving for that kind of success?” Height said it all depends on how you define success and your goals.

The panels and presentations at Pop Conference 2024 were an education in music history — topics ranged from how a Mexican military brass band helped shape Jazz in New Orleans, to a deep dive into the rave scene subculture.

The following comes from Open On Sunday, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

USC’s Thornton School of Music was a fitting backdrop for Pop Conference 2024 in Los Angeles. This year’s theme was ‘Legacy, Music Collections, and Archives.’

Speaking to DMN, presenter Lily Moayeri explained how she turned a career’s worth of band interviews into a successful podcast, Pictures of Lily. “We just did episode 80 last month which was Noel Gallagher — it was an interview I did with him from 1995. Next episode is going to be Daft Punk from 1997. And I have two or three more Daft Punk interviews as well, so they might be coming down the line. And I have a lot of interviews with Noel, so they might be coming down the line too,” Msayeri said.

Another awesome topic was peeling back the layers of country music, and how artists like Beyonce and others are starting to shed light on part of the genre’s rich history that was once suppressed from the public.

Jwly Hight, Journalist for Nashville Public Radio spoke about figures that have been traditionally held up as the founding parents of country music, such as Jimmy Rogers and The Carter Family, and so on. “Alice Randall, her own mission has been to bring black voices and brown voices into country music and to redefine how the history of country music and that narrative is told,” said Hight, adding, “[Randall’s] written a book [My Black Country] that not only centers her own legacy, but goes back to the very beginning of commercially recorded country music.”

“[It] shows that there have been black originators and pioneers all along, even though they have been erased from so many tellings of the story,” Hight explained.

The highlight of Pop Con 2024 was a trip down memory lane with keynote speakers Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman.

The legendary musicians and songwriting duo recalled their days creating magic in the band, Prince and the Revolution, recording their own music, and collaborating on countless successful music and film projects.

Lisa told the story of how she first met and auditioned for Prince. After he picked her up from the airport in his hometown of Minneapolis, Lisa lit a cigarette in Prince’s Fiat. Later at his home, Prince was about to get her a ‘plane ticket back to LA’ until he heard her play the piano in his basement. “And the rest was history,” Lisa said.

Pop Conference 2024 took place March 7-9 in Los Angeles.

The following comes from Open On Sunday, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

We were on the ground in Austin, Texas, for South by Southwest (SXSW) 2024 — the place to be to share industry knowledge, ideas, and innovations.

Thousands from around the world converged on the city for SXSW 2024. The week-long music, film, and tech conference showcases the most prominent names and stars in the industry — and provides opportunities to learn and network.

Many of this year’s panels focused on celebrating women’s successes and highlighting their incredible achievements in music, business, and entertainment.

Joi Brown, founder and CEO of Culture Creators — which Brown reveals ‘positions itself as a vital link between global cultural leaders and the generation of diverse creators’ — spoke to DMN at SXSW about lending encouragement and support to those striving for success.

Brown said, “I always hold true to what I believe God purposed me to do on this planet — which is to inspire and to provide opportunities for others to achieve their goals.”

The Creative Industries Expo, held at the Convention Center, is always a hit at SXSW.

The expo showcases the latest technology, from electric vehicles and home assistant robotics to advances in audio speaker systems. The biggest takeaway from the expo in 2024: AI and VR continue to dominate the tech landscape.

Amy Web, CEO of Future Today Institute, told DMN, “Artificial Intelligence is the present, it’s here.”

Richard James Burgess, President and CEO of the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), believes ‘it’s an interesting time for music,’ adding, “We’ve been in the streaming economy for a couple of decades now. We’ve been in the digital economy for a quarter of a century.”

“We’re at a sort of a turning point in the industry. There’s a lot of new interesting models being talked about — things that will ultimately make a big difference,” Burgess said.

Neeta Ragoowansi, President of the Music Managers Forum (MMF-US), spoke about the opportunities presented by SXSW 2024.

We have all these artists’ managers coming in to mix and network, as well as labels, publishers, and DSPs. I see performing arts rights societies and sponsors and partners of all sorts coming in, so we’re really happy to be here,” Ragoowansi said.

With a focus on networking, learning, and unlocking opportunities, several other off-site events and day parties took place all over Austin during SXSW 2024 — providing the platform for up-and-coming artists and songwriters to showcase their music and make key connections in the industry.

SXSW 2024 took place on March 6-18.

Alex Solano of AlexProMix recaps the incredible evolution in Dolby Atmos and spatial audio mixing, how the current shift and technology upgrades underscore the industry’s commitment to innovation and enhanced listening experiences.

The following was developed in collaboration with AlexProMix, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

In 2021 when spatial audio came into the picture, the landscape was packed with technical limitations and challenges.

Music mixing engineer and early adopter of Dolby Atmos, Alex Solano, sat down with DMN to reveal his take on the monumental evolution of Dolby Atmos, the opportunities and challenges the shift now offers professionals, and how his mixing template allows professionals to create immersive mixes and stereo mixes simultaneously, within one session.

Today, the immersive audio landscape looks extremely promising for audio professionals, and opens up a multitude of creative and monetary opportunities. But the transition was a painstaking process, involving significant technical upgrades — including a minimum requirement of a 12-speaker setup and an investment in high-end equipment — alongside mastering the complexities of immersive audio mixing.

To fully appreciate Dolby Atmos music mixing advancements, it’s essential to understand the early obstacles and creative hurdles faced by audio mixers.

During the early days of immersive mixes, collaborative innovations between Avid Pro Tools and Dolby were designed to optimize the music-mixing process. But Dolby Atmos mixing in Pro Tools involved complex setups, with separate applications for Pro Tools and the Dolby Atmos Renderer.

The configuration also limited the use of outboard gear due to the integrated closed-system linking Pro Tools with the Dolby Renderer.

Typically, audio experts also needed a separate computer to operate the Dolby Renderer for speaker routing. This setup was expensive, and required the coordination of multiple systems to function effectively within a music production environment.

“No longer could you create a mix on headphones and check the mix in your car,” explains Solano, adding, “With Atmos, a minimum requirement of a 7.1.4 speaker setup is necessary to ensure your immersive mixes translate to multi-channel playback systems.”

The initial setup also enforced a two-stage creation and approval process, stifling creativity and workflow.

After creating an artist’s stereo mix, mixing engineers would have to seek approval before they exported the pre-mastering processed stems into a new session that was designed for immersive audio. After making a Dolby Atmos mix, the engineers would then be required to seek out artist approval once again.

Apart from this constant back and forth for creation and approval, the process of matching the tonality of the stems to the stereo master was also incredibly complex.

Mixing engineers needed a solution that would allow them to implement multiple sound cards simultaneously. According to Solano, that turning point came with the launch of AUX I/O in Pro Tools.

The feature laid the groundwork for more integrated solutions, and more flexible audio routing — including the Dolby Atmos Renderer to different destinations. Although the solutions improved the workflow, Solano says mixers and engineers still faced stability and latency management challenges with AUX I/O.

“Expanding track widths in Pro Tools to accommodate up to 9.1.6 configurations opened new possibilities for mixing, enabling more seamless integration of stereo and immersive formats,” Solano explains. But despite the initial challenges, Solano says these developments opened up possibilities in mixing technology, and hinted at the development of a unified mixing template — ‘one that could cater to stereo and immersive outputs.’

AUX I/O in ProTools marked a significant turning point in allowing the implementation of multiple sound cards. (Photo: AlexProMix)

However, ‘the game changer in the spatial audio space’ came at the end of 2023, when Pro Tools introduced the integrated Dolby Renderer.

The integration facilitated the simultaneous processing of immersive and stereo mixes, and directly routed stems to the Renderer. Furthermore, the capability to monitor binaural and stereo mixes through dedicated AUX tracks further enhanced the mixing process, ensuring consistency across different listening formats.

“Multi-channel plugins offer tailored processing for immersive formats, and multi-mono plugins apply uniform effects across all channels.”

Solano also points out that the distinction between multi-channel vs multi-mono plugins, and understanding their unique application is vital for achieving the desired tonal balance and dynamic range — in both immersive and stereo mixes. “Multi-channel plugins offer tailored processing for immersive formats, and multi-mono plugins apply uniform effects across all channels.”

Parallel to these advancements, early adopter Solano was investing his expertise in creating a mix template that streamlines the mixing process, while ensuring the quality and emotional impact of music is elevated. “The template brings the artist’s vision to life in an immersive sonic environment, while creating an Atmos and Stereo master that are consistent in the emotional impact of the mix,” he says.

Solano’s immersive music template shares insights and practices that can enrich the mixing workflow, opening the gateways for more creators to explore immersive audio’s incredible possibilities.

Backstage at the 66th Grammys, Atlanta rapper Killer Mike calmly took questions after he won three Grammys, including Best Rap Album for ‘Michael.’ Just moments later, Mike became the talk of the event as he was escorted out of Crypto.com Arena and arrested after a misdemeanor altercation with a security guard.

The following was developed in collaboration with Open On Sunday, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

Shortly before his surprise arrest, DMN asked Grammy-winner Killer Mike whether he consciously set out to make an album that people are calling ‘refreshing, and back to true, real hip-hop.’

In measured tones, Mike answered that he ‘consciously set out to make the best album in the world,’ adding, ‘I consciously set out to sell the story of a young black boy growing up in the west side of Atlanta, so that the world can see that our narrative isn’t just victimization and losing but we can win, we can thrive, and we’ll prosper, and I’m confident in saying that we’re gonna be right back at your ass and do it again next year.”

Moments later, Killer Mike got into an altercation with Grammys security guards. He was quickly escorted out of the event and arrested by LAPD officers on misdemeanor battery charges.

Outside of that unfortunate event, the multi-hour Grammys showcase went smoothly.

The event kicked off with a fantastic performance by Dua Lipa. Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman struck an emotional chord with ‘Fast Car.’ SZA performed her Grammy-winning hits, and Miley Cyrus rocked the house with her Grammy-winning Record Of The Year, ‘Flowers.’

Lainey Wilson, winning her first Grammy for Best Country Album, ‘Bellbottom Country,’ spoke humbly during her acceptance speech, highlighting the incredible journey of her success. “I am from a farming community in Northeast Louisiana, a little town of 200.”

Victoria Monet won Best New Artist, and Billie Eilish took home the Grammy for Song of the Year, writing ‘What Was I Made For,’ for the Barbie Soundtrack. Speaking about what appears to have been the year of the woman at the Grammys, Eilish said, “As a woman, it feels a lot of the time like you’re not being seen, and I feel that this makes me feel very seen.”

And no big surprise, Taylor Swift won the night, taking home her fourth Album of the Year Grammy — this time, for ‘Midnights.’

“I would love to tell you that this is the best moment of my life,” Swift said during her acceptance speech. “But I feel this happy when I finish a song, or when I crack the code to a bridge that I love, or when I’m shot listing a music video, or when I’m rehearsing with my dancers, or my band, or getting ready to go to Tokyo to play a show.

“For me, the award is the work, and all I want to do is keep being able to do this. I love it so much! It makes me so happy. It makes me unbelievably blown away that it makes some people happy who voted for this award, too. All I want to do is keep doing this. So, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to do what I love so much. Mind blown!” Swift said.

Alex Solano became a music tech enthusiast when, at age 12, his older brother brought home an electric guitar. His journey since then has led to him becoming one of the leading voices in spatial audio production and engineering, having worked with countless independent and label artists and catalog remasters.

The following was developed in collaboration with AlexProMix, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

AlexProMix founder Alex Solano believes Spatial Audio has revolutionized the audio world. Past multi-channel high-resolution audio formats like DVD-A and SACD (super audio CD) were held down to the status of a ‘niche product’ due to requiring a physical media format with proprietary disc players and 6+ connected speakers to enjoy. For artists and distributors, the new Spatial Audio formats can easily be integrated into existing DSPs.

The adoption and massive push for Spatial Audio by music streaming services is a game-changer, Solano explains, and allows artists to ‘get more exposure and future proof their music.’ Moreover, the format’s core qualities of better fidelity and dynamic range also bring IP owners higher per-stream royalty payments from platforms like Apple Music.

Solano calls Dolby Atmos ‘an amazing immersive experience’ that engulfs the listener with sound, adding, “For music producers, songwriters, and artists, this is truly the way of the future. “Once you hear your music in Dolby Atmos, you can’t be satisfied with Stereo again.”

Solano emphasizes that amplifying the expression of music isn’t a technical process — and is more about finding the ‘sound of the song and the message of the lyrics.’

“There are endless opportunities for creating immersive sounding mixes that will be able to distribute your song and your message — and who you are as an artist — in the days to come.”

Solano provided DMN with a few examples that he points to as ‘reference quality’ in Spatial Audio mixing:

1. Stressed Out, Blurry Face — twenty one pilots
2. Renegades, VHS — X Ambassadors
3. Blessed, (feat. Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Made In Lagos: Deluxe Edition — Wizkid

The tools artists use for mixing in Spatial Audio can be an important differentiating factor.

We plan on covering some of Solano’s favorite plugins for mixing in our next article, but in the meantime, we wanted to highlight some of the most used tools. Tools like NUGEN Audio Halo Upmix, Perfect Surround Penteo Pro, and Sound Particles’ Energy Panner and Brightness Panner are invaluable. They enable creative sound placement, which is essential in immersive audio.

In the 70s, Joseph Robert Sadler, best known as Grandmaster Flash, created a DJ technique called the ‘Quick Mix Theory.’ Today, many consider it the precursor to sampling — the early sound that helped carve the hip hop genre into the cultural movement it is today.

The following was developed in collaboration with Open On Sunday, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

Grandmaster Flash — one of the world’s first hip-hop producers — sat down with Digital Music News to discuss the progression and evolution of hip hop over the years.

Speaking about his ‘Quick Mix Theory’ and how it shaped the global hip hop phenomena, Flash explained, “Before there was the rapper, the beatboxer, and the turntable, it was just [me] taking two copies of the same record and repeating one particular area or piece of music composition.”

“It could have been a section from a pop, rock, jazz, blues, funk, disco, or R&B record,” Flash said, adding, “At the same time, I put a microphone on the other side of the table just to see if someone could talk to this new style of DJ — called ‘Quick Mix Theory.’”

“What I was doing on the turntables — being able to take a small piece from a composition and extend that, and have a human speak on it — was human sampling,” said Flash, revealing, “[Then] the producers got involved.”

Once music producers stepped into the picture, Flash explained that they would take a small piece of that existing composition, ‘put it on a floppy, and tell the computer and the sampler to loop that particular section over and over again,’ adding, “[Now] they go into a recording studio.”

“So here we are, pretty much doing the same thing that I invented when I first was doing it in the park 50 years ago.”

While talking about artificial intelligence and its potential impact on music production, Flash shared that he doesn’t think AI can recreate the spontaneity of his DJ set — just yet.

“I may want to test it,” he said, explaining that his own natural curiosity has left him open to the possibility of experimenting with AI soon.

Today, Grandmaster Flash makes a fantastic living booking speaking engagements and DJing special events. But he shares that had he known fifty years ago the impact his ‘Quick Mix Theory’ would have on the economics of music, he would have leveraged the idea more, adding, “I probably would have been a trillionaire.”

Flash expressed that instead, “I have a trillionaire of love everywhere I go,” saying that he’s grateful to fans that tell him how his contribution to music has positively impacted their lives.

Hosted at multiple venues in Santa Monica, the Music Tectonics 2023 conference rallied innovators in all fields of music. The three-day event provided the stage for attendees to network, discuss innovations in music-making, share ideas about the future of music, and show off their gear.

The following was developed in collaboration with Open On Sunday, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

Music and tech came together for Music Tectonics 2023 last month in Santa Monica, CA. Startups, distributors, investors, gear manufacturers, software developers, consultants, labels, streaming services, and creators — among many others in the music field — took their time to network and explore innovative solutions.

Speaking to DMN, Dmitri Vietze, founder and curator of Music Tectonics, told DMN what makes the conference unique. “We’re topic agnostic. We think a lot of innovation can happen around solving problems for the music industry, so some of it is super cool, super consumer-facing, sexy stuff [in] gaming and music, artificial intelligence, and music generation,” said Vietze, adding, “Also, some of it’s just really specific to untangling data or how startups get licenses and that sort of thing.”

The three-day conference took place at various ‘nontraditional’ locations and venues throughout the area. Vietze explained why: “We’re picking nontraditional locations because we want people not to feel like they’re in a box physically, but also psychologically.”

“When they’re having conversations around music innovation, we want that expansive feel for brainstorming new concepts and getting business done together,” said Vietze.

Holly Hagerman, founder of AmptUp — a company that streamlines the booking process between venues and bands — told DMN that being at Music Tectonics 2023 was about celebrating innovation, meeting other players in the field, and ‘about community, which is our number one core value.’

Speaking about the conference, Hagerman said, “This is a special group of people. Our business focuses on innovation, and changing what is an ages-old, generations-old industry — and making it more simple, more innovative. That’s what Music Tectonics is about.”

USC Business School student Adewale Oduye attended the conference to bank on the knowledge of like-minded individuals. “One of the things I love is hearing from the folks that have done it before, that understand the music business. They’re imparting that knowledge upon me. That’s what I appreciate,” Oduye said.

Music Tectonics 2023 provided the perfect platform to discuss what’s happening in music now, and what’s on the horizon.

Songwriting advocate Mark Lynch spoke passionately about ‘getting writers paid,’ adding, “Music is not free. It needs to be compensated. Any opportunity that I get to ensure that copyright owners get paid, I will do.”

DMN Pro’s inaugural mini-conference took place on October 25, 2023. The event set the stage for insightful discussions on the current dilemmas plaguing the music industry — in the face of AI. Hosted at the FYI venue in Hollywood, speakers included FYI.me founder will.i.am, CEO of TuneCore Andreea Gleeson, Grammy-Winning producer Jordan, ‘DJ Swivel’ Young, and other high strikers from the music industry.

The following comes from Open On Sunday, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

DMN Pro ‘Rules for AI’ stimulated a thorough and interesting examination of multi-faceted AI applications. Coordinated and moderated by DMN Chief Revenue Officer Noah Itman, the event started with opening remarks from DMN Publisher Paul Resnikoff.

will.i.am then took the stage — flanked by a group of panelists with highly unique perspectives on AI — and wasted no time getting to the heart of the AI debate.

Emphasizing the value and importance of human emotion, will.i.am spoke passionately about how the capability of emotional ‘expression’ will be an artist’s most significant competitive advantage moving forward.

“That true raw human emotion, AI will never take that away from an artist — digging deep inside themselves and unleashing their emotion at its purest,” Will relayed, adding, “I encourage every artist to go down that path. Eventually, they’re going to be competing in a very serious way, so you might as well skill up on your creative, expressive process. How do you express yourself?”

Speaking about his own experience of, and utilization of, AI tools, Will said, “I use AI as an entrepreneur to build new experiences, rather than using AI for my creative exercise. I have no problem with my current state of creative flow. Still, regarding allowing teams to be creative in one place, I use the foundation of AI — these large language models and foundation models to build new experiences for other creatives.”

Jordan ‘DJ Swivel’ Young, founder and CEO of Hooky AI Inc. (a music tech platform specializing in AI voice modeling) spoke at length about his area of expertise — comparing voice modeling to a social media filter.

“Essentially, when matching someone’s voice, think of it like a filter. I can take my voice and then apply Will’s filter to it, and now it sounds like Will,” explains Young.

The Grammy-winning producer also pointed out that the music industry’s history proves the remarkable role technology has played in its growth — whether it was the electric guitar, synthesizer, drum machines and samples, or even auto-tune. “These technologies shaped the way we hear music, and there were tools for artists to create something new that we haven’t heard before. That’s how I view these generative tools. With the advent of generative AI and the speed of technological advances, it’s maybe the most exciting time ever to make records,” Young relayed.

Jason Donnelly and Matthew Yost of Soundtrack Loops attended the event to ‘learn more about AI.’

Soundtrack Loops holds a vast catalog of royalty-free isolated instrument loops artists can use to ‘mix, match, chop, and mingle’ to make their music.

Donnelly said, “We’re here to learn how our loops might be useful within AI applications. We’re talking about possibly licensing our catalog to AI companies who might be able to use royalty-free loops, whether for creating new content or perhaps even learning from our content.”

The first panel concluded discussions right in time for lunch before the second panel took to the stage — the session focusing on copyright issues surrounding AI, current legislation, and navigating the unknown as the music world takes more substantial strides toward the technology.

Shannon Sorensen, SVP of Legal & Business Affairs at NMPA, weighed in on the discussion, elaborating on viewpoints that AI potentially puts human creators out of business. Talking about generative AI in the production space, Sorensen said, “[Say] you’re writing music for TV and someone comes along and says, ‘well, we trained on all of the hundreds of hours of music that you’ve written, and here’s an AI that can do your job for you.’ Obviously, that would put human creators out of business. We don’t want that, so that’s what we’re fighting against.”

Taking a pause, will.i.am again offered his thoughts on the intrinsic value of human emotion that AI cannot reproduce. “What we do at FYI is creating conversational collaboration enterprise messaging for folks to center as a team and have a better workflow — by having digital asset management tools, and strategy tools in the form of AI. Artificial intelligence can help you strategize on how to proliferate your expression.”

“I think it’s important to start empowering and supercharging individuals with their ideas and manifesting those ideas — whatever their ideas are.”

Enjoying the discussion? Get ready for lots more as part of Digital Music News’ premium DMN Pro offering.

MONDO 2023 Conference facilitated in-depth exchange of ideas on artist career development, in the face of incredible AI revolutions taking the music industry by storm.

The following comes from Open On Sunday, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

The eighth MONDO conference set the stage for panel discussions on how AI stimulates change within the music industry. Every year, the conference brings together a global music community alongside technology insiders to discuss the industry’s latest issues and evolutions.

Hosted at the Williamsburg Hotel on the North Brooklyn waterfront, MONDO 2023 also took over independent club venues in Manhattan and Brooklyn for live showcase performances. MONDO 2023 attendees brought with them the vibe and soul of Brooklyn, and the conference kickoff party saw the bar quickly fill up with attendees making new connections.

With tech reminders on every corner, it was fitting that Artificial Intelligence was one of the most frequently discussed topics at the Water Tower venue.

Antony Demekhin, cofounder and CEO of Tuney, spoke to DMN about copyright tracking and attribution when AI is involved. “Deep learning can obscure copyright and sourcing, which makes it hard to keep track of royalties and provide proper attribution to rights holders who input into a deep learning system.”

Demekhin further explained that Tuney’s answer is a loop and sample-based generative music algorithm, because it receives ‘copyright protection, does not obscure ownership, and has full trackability.’ He added, “In the future, there might be systems and legislation that comes into place to make tracking and one-to-one attribution possible in deep learning models, but it’s not possible in 2023. I think sampling and a loop-based generative approach is the way to go for now.”

Panelist Jamie Gale tackled AI discussions on the stage, revealing how AI-generated vocals exposed themselves by being ‘too perfect.’

“We remember Otis Redding, Billie Holiday, Ozzy Osbourne, Johnny Cash, and Neil Young. Whether you like their voices or not, the fact is that the memorable voices of the world we know because of their imperfections — not their perfections,” said Gale.

DMN also spoke to Tanielle Doyle, who revealed that her agency Ethos and Power performs a special type of artist management. “We focus on the actual artist, outside of their careers — the things that matter most to them. We also create experiential events, and really present them and their brands to the world and find really great activations — especially music related.”

MONDO 2023’s schedule was packed with events, including panels, workshops, networking sessions, and artist showcases.

Artist and founder of indie label Family First Music Group, Matthew Maxwell, told DMN he was at MONDO 2023, ‘reconnecting with old colleagues, getting to know new faces, and growing our community and team, and the artists we serve.’

Artists and tech leaders continued to network at off-site spots like K’Far Brooklyn. The tech-connected MONDO week was a thoughtful and informative conference introducing new ideas on AI, catalog financing, technology law, and other pressing industry topics.

MONDO 2023 took place on October 10 – 13, 2023.

Billboard Latin Music Week 2023 brought exclusive expert conversations, industry workshops, and intimate networking opportunities for artists and attendees. Hosted at Faena Forum, Miami, Latin music’s largest event featured Shakira, Peso Pluma, La Base and Wisin, Deja Tu Huella with Myke Towers, Columbian singer-songwriter Fonseca, and others.

The following comes from Open On Sunday, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

Billboard Latin Music Week 2023, the 33rd edition of the event, brought attendees to showcases featuring talent, concerts, activation, and more. The event was all about getting the Latin music community together for entertainment, learning, education, and opportunities.

Billboard Latin Music Week is the world’s longest-running and largest Latin music gathering. The official kick-off event on October 2 provided the perfect stage for Latin music’s finest artists, actors, and entertainers to celebrate. Key themes to emerge from the event were the rise of Latin entertainment, from music to acting and even comedy. After some early rain kick-started the affair, artists and other attendees packed inside the theater.

Faena Forum provided the perfect backdrop for attendees to gain valuable insights from exclusive presentations and workshops — all while networking and making connections.

Discussions covered revenue management and protection, music touring, optimization of earnings in today’s streaming era, and the profound power of an artist’s catalog.

Panelist and catalog broker Denny Marte spoke to DMN about the true value of Latin music and what artists and songwriters need to know before putting their music catalog on the market. Marte revealed that clear conversations are the key to a successful deal.

“As a broker, it’s my responsibility to make sure my client has all their statements in order and their contracts. We are very clear that they don’t owe any money, there are no legal issues in terms of lawsuits, any type of issues that might impact selling the asset,” Marte explained, adding, “Then we put the package together and send it out to our buyers in the portfolio.”

Panelists delved into sources of revenue that are driving the genre forward, and highlighted how correctly navigating music touring could forge deeper relationships with the audience.

US-based Latin music revenues topped an unprecedented $1.1 billion in 2022. Billboard Latin Music Week 2023 highlighted the incredible growth of the music genre during the last three decades.

Earlier this month, Luminate published a study on Latin music, which revealed that Latin was — through the first 34 weeks of 2023 — the fifth-largest genre in the US. Insights from the study also revealed that Latin music topped dance/ electronics in terms of stream volume, and during the same time frame in the US, Latin music releases had racked up 57.9 billion on-demand streams for an almost 22.2% Year-over-Year (YoY) increase.

Latin music’s continued stateside growth has also become evident via other reports. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), in September, US-based Latin music revenues increased 15% to a record high of $627 million — with streaming once again providing the lion’s share of growth, accounting for 98% of recorded revenues.

Billboard Latin Music Week took place on October 2 – October 6.

The A3C 2023 conference and festival delivered in-depth panel discussions, workshops, mentor sessions, and networking opportunities. Hosted at AmericasMart Atlanta, headlining speakers included Taye Diggs, Pinky Cole, Jeezy, Kasim Reed, Timbaland, and more.

The following comes from Open On Sunday, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

The A3C conference celebrates the impact of hip hop culture and its evolution. Founded in 2005, the A3C has evolved considerably, but the uniquely-Atlanta vibe continues to thrive.

Every year, A3C covers emerging industries and topics, bringing together a diverse group of music makers and entrepreneurs for expertly curated panels and sessions. The A3C 2023 conference-festival hybrid featured music technology and business leaders including former Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed, fintech Greenwood’s CEO Ryan Glover, and Kevin ‘Coach K’ Lee — cofounder of label Quality Control Music (QC).

Speakers tackled topics related to hip hop, promotion of financial literacy, artist empowerment, business, music, and culture. A3C also provided the backdrop for networking opportunities, alongside technology and talent showcases.

Tech influencers leveraged the conference to showcase the latest innovations in music gaming. Meanwhile, rap artist Bless Montana said he was attending A3C to network and reconnect with people in the industry. Up-and-coming musicians and artists also took the opportunity to meet new people, and share their talents with the community.

Speaking to a packed house, rapper Jeezy promoted his best-selling book, Adversity for Sale. The Atlanta veteran also signed free copies of his book for fans.

Wallo267 from the hit weekly podcast Million Dollaz Worth of Game shared his triumphant life story, inspiring and motivating the crowd with his wisdom.

During one informative panel session, Kevin ‘Coach K’ Lee explained how Motown legend Berry Gordy inspired Lee to grow his label QC into a global brand.

After studying how Gordy once took his Motown roster on a trip to Europe, Lee told investors that he wanted to visit all the overseas markets where their music was being streamed, set up meetings with colleagues, and discuss in-person how to best connect with their audience.

“I said I want to go stamp my flag down. [They] thought I was crazy,” said Lee, adding that his strategy worked. QC exploded into one of the biggest music labels of this generation, eventually securing a blockbuster deal and partnership with Korea-based Hybe — for an estimated $300 million.

As expected, A3C was the spot to get plugged in with Atlanta, and to experience the latest in urban music, tech, and culture.

A3C 2023 took place on September 28 – October 1.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, chairman of Revolt, hosted the first Revolt World event in Atlanta. Announced by Combs in August, the ‘reimagined Revolt Summit’ was launched to celebrate the global impact of hip-hop and elevate the connections of culture and community.

The following comes from Open On Sunday, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

From September 22-24th, Revolt World 2023 culminated in an immersive experience of urban music and hip-hop culture representation. Despite a few organizational snafus, the event at Pangaea Studios, Atlanta, drew over 30,000 attendees, including musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, and athletes.

The reimagined Revolt conference featured some of hip-hop’s most influential names for discussions, performances, networking, and potential partnerships.

Revolt is a leading black-owned and operated multimedia platform, and Revolt World 2023’s venue hosted multiple platforms for performers, panels, and entertainment.

The soundstage showcased headliners such as Juvenile, Mannie Fresh, MoneyBagg Yo and others, and DJs entertained event attendees throughout the three-day summit.

The venue also featured a dedicated podcast stage to facilitate in-depth discourse on music, entrepreneurship, sports, and culture. Speakers included N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN from Revolt TV’s weekly podcast Drink Champs, alongside G Herbo, Queen Naija, and others. Rapper Jeezy also took the stage to speak about his new book Adversity For Sale, in which he details his life.

Among the many unique immersive experiences designed to submerge event attendees in hip-hop culture, there was a definite standout: ‘The Love Lounge,’ a sensual, red-lit room entirely devoted to ‘Diddy’ Combs and the promotion of his new classic R&B album, The Love Album: Off The Grid.

Combs also made an appearance at Revolt World and was swamped by fans. Speaking at the event, Combs said he had big dreams for the ‘one-of-a-kind’ Revolt.

“Coming together is a sign that people want to unify under the name of love, under the name of hip hop turning 50, and where we’ve come from. This is a testament to where we’re going. We will be the number one platform for our people — unapologetically, in the world,” said Combs.

One attendee, Ray Mullen, told DMN that his favorite thing about the new album is that ‘it brings R&B,’ adding, “[Artists] got away from that, and I’m ready for it to come back.”

With upcoming artists, songwriters, and musicians, Revolt World 2023 culminated as the go-to destination for securing potentially lucrative networking opportunities.

Combs’ Revolt successfully pulled off an event that offered a rich culture-packed experience, and provided the platform that fostered connection building.

DMN spoke to second-year law student Jodi-Ann Salters, who said she was at Revolt World 2023 ‘to network, meet some people, and have a good time.’

Revolt World 2023 took place from Sept 22nd to the 24th.

Recently, Canadian Music Week 2023 took place in Toronto. The events sparked conversations about the impact of AI on the music industry and efforts to tackle streaming fraud. The conference also hosted events to honour and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop.

For its 41st year, the 5-day CMW conference was hosted at Toronto Westin Hotel. DMN TV, sponsored by Open On Sunday, covered panel discussions among performers, music industry professionals, and speakers.

The event arrived at a point of deceleration for the industry from its heady expansion of the past few years. “Now major labels are looking at far more moderate growth on streaming platforms,” DMN publisher Paul Resnikoff noted. “The AI specter ahead — we’ve got that issue to worry about. Music IP valuations are coming back to earth. So there’s a lot that’s settling down, which could lead to more focus back on the art, and on realistic deals and realistic planning.”

(Check out more from Resnikoff’s interview at CMW here.)

And reality is certainly setting in. At CMW, panel discussions ranged from AI threats to combating streaming manipulation and fraud.

Erin Reilly from Moody College of Communication shared her perspective on protecting human artistry in the face of quickly-developing AI tools. “I don’t think you can stop this movement or the development of it. [Let’s] rethink who is actually building out these data lakes that we’re pulling from.”

Speaking about streaming fraud, Morgan Hayduk, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Beatdapp, revealed his thoughts on how fraud is conducted across all platforms. Hayduk explained that a sophisticated apparatus on the web obtains account credentials of legitimate users to utilize them for fraudulent activities. “There’s an infrastructure that mirrors what you see in the legitimate industry. There are people who are experts in running bot farms. And then there are the folks that offer the front line services either to artists, or any organization that’s looking to make money from the music industry. So it’s not pointing the finger at one entity, or one country.”

Besides sparking thought-provoking insights on the repercussions of developing AI and combating fraudulent streaming numbers, CMW 2023 also brought with it another clear goal: honoring and celebrating 50 years of hip hop.

Rapper and activist Chuck D from legendary hip hop group Public Enemy took centre stage throughout the conference. Discussing the importance of the 50th anniversary of hip hop, Chuck D said, “Hip Hop 50 means that the people and the stories are just as important as the songs that people hear or that they hold close to their heart.”

Co-hosted by dot Hip Hop, Chuck D was joined on stage by B-Real from the classic hip hop group Cypress Hill. B-Real highlighted ‘a twist in American radio’ in the mid 90’s, saying, “They stopped playing conscientious hip hop music, stuff that would inspire you in a positive way. It shifted more towards gangster rap. Then it evolved into [what] you hear today.”

Chuck D presented the audience with a first screening of his new PBS documentary, “Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World.” Part one in a four-part docuseries, it featured historic names in hip hop like KRS-One and DJ Kool Herc, tracing its origins back to the streets of the South Bronx, New York in the early 1970’s.

The Canadian Music Week 2023 conference took place on June 5 – June 10.

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) recently hosted IndieWeek 2023 in Manhattan. Apart from being one of the largest gathering of independent artists in the world, the three-day networking conference brings together distributors, labels, DSPs, investors, and others.

The following comes from Open On Sunday, a company DMN is proud to be partnering with.

To launch our new platform, DMN TV, sponsored by Open On Sunday, Digital Music News hit the road to cover panel discussions and industry awards. Artist and songwriter performances also took place during the three-day event A2IM IndieWeek, all hosted at Intercontinental Hotel in Times Square.

A2IM IndieWeek 2023 kicked off with a rooftop party presented by ADA. During the panel discussion, Adrienne Muhammad with Open On Sunday guided record labels on how to manage their catalogs, saying, “Before we even purchase a catalog, we need to get to know who the audience is. So we know how to market those catalogs once we acquire them.”

Multiple panels during the three-day conference cultivated discussions about how evolving technology and processes affect the independent music community. Attendees shared their knowledge about AI, sync, and music marketing alongside other insightful topics.

Speaking at a panel, Leslie Rosales from Rostrum Records narrated how an artist from Milwaukee pulled out all the stops to market his music. “Our artist stood on top of his friend’s car, put out a big speaker, and played songs from his album. His fans went crazy. It was controlled chaos. For one, something was happening in Milwaukee. Two, it’s their hometown hero doing something special for them,” Rosales said.

Discussing sync opportunities and the exposure it brings to the table, Rich Goldman from Riptide Music Group explained how one of their artists seized the ‘spark’ of sync. Goldman explained how an artist is “now approaching 100 million streams because the song got to YouTube,” adding, “It’s kind of nuts. [The song] got ported over to a bunch of different channels, created this streaming activity, and the song keeps going.”

Eden Shiferaw, VP of NVG, LLC, touched on the latest congressional developments surrounding AI and perceived national security threats with mainstream AI use. Shiferaw revealed, “[Members of Congress] are very concerned particularly with American adversaries, in terms of what they’re doing with AI, and how they’re regulating it.”

Other offsite events included a rooftop party hosted by dot HipHop, multiple investor conferences, and two bigger events centered around songwriters and their achievements.

The induction ceremony of the 2023 class of the Songwriters Hall of Fame was held at the Marriott Marquis, and the National Music Publishers Association annual meeting took place at Alice Tully Hall.

During the NMPA Gala, Taylor Swift’s songwriter Liz Rose was surprised with a live rendition of her Grammy-nominated, Swift-co-penned single, “All Too Well.” Alana Springsteen performed the song. The following evening, Rose was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame along with Glen Ballard, Calvin Broadus (Snoop Dogg), Gloria Estefan, Jeff Lynne, and Teddy Riley.

NMPA President and CEO David Israelite wrapped up the final event, remarking on the ‘stronger’ state of the industry, adding, “Last year, the total revenue for the songwriting and publishing industry was just over $5.6 billion. That represents a 19.25% increase year over year.”

A2IM IndieWeek 2023 events took place on June 12 – June 15.