The Music Biz conference was scheduled to take place in Nashville this week, and while it’s been rescheduled for August, the organization will host four live presentations via Zoom this week featuring execs from Spotify, Warner Records, Troy Carter’s Q&A and the Mechanical Licensing Collective.
The sessions will take place Monday through Thursday at 4 p.m. ET/ 1 p.m. PT. To sign up for these special sessions, visit the Zoom registration page linked here; for more information see the Music Biz website.
These presentations are an extension of the Association’s Music Biz LIVE program, in which Sabin interviews a collection of representatives from around different segments to address how COVID-19 has affected their businesses. Music Biz previously announced this year’s Conference would be postponed to August 16 – 19 at the JW Marriott Nashville due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With all the uncertainty the ongoing health crisis has presented us with, it’s more important now than ever for us to remain connected, positive and productive — both as industry professionals and as people,” commented Music Biz President Portia Sabin, who has been hosting online discussion panels since the pandemic took hold in March. “We’ve been thrilled with the turnout and caliber of programming on our Music Biz LIVE sessions, and look forward to bringing the industry together for this special series as we keep our fingers crossed that we can gather in person in Nashville this August.”
Monday, May 11: Marian Dicus and Jeremy Erlich, Global Co-Heads of Music at Spotify
In their first keynote conversation as Global Co-Heads of Music for one of the most influential companies in the modern music business, this duo will detail how they are leading the charge in their new roles and jointly overseeing programming, editorial, artist & label marketing, industry relations, and overall music initiatives. We will kick off our special presentation series by discussing what the company has worked on since the COVID-19 crisis first hit, including listening trends over the past two months, launching the Artist Fundraising Pick feature, and instituting the Spotify Covid-19 Music Relief project which matches dollar-for-dollar up to $10 million for a growing list of organizations offering financial relief to creators around the world.
Tuesday, May 12: Kris Ahrend, CEO of The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC)
The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) is a new non-profit designated to manage the licensing, administration and payments process for digital audio mechanicals in the U.S. and provide greater transparency to self-administered songwriters and music publishers. Starting in January 2021, The MLC will process and distribute mechanical royalties paid by digital audio services in the U.S. at no cost to songwriters or music publishers. In his first public address since taking his new position, The MLC Chief Executive Officer Kris Ahrend will update viewers on the progress and priorities of The MLC, and lay out his vision for the future of this brand-new, globally recognized data & technology startup.
Wednesday, May 13: Troy Carter, Founder & CEO of Q&A; J. Erving, Founder & CEO of Human Re-Sources & Co-Founder of Q&A; and Suzy Ryoo, Co-Founder, President & Chief Strategy Officer of Q&A
Over the past year, this power trio has built a multifaceted music company that seeks to empower the next generation of artists through technology, tools and services. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, they instituted “The Panel” — a Zoom series featuring industry heavy-hitters that serves as a forum to support one another during this unusual time. Dozens of sessions later, we will turn the tables and interview them to get a first-hand look at what they have learned from their guests.
Thursday, May 14: Aaron Bay-Schuck, Co-Chairman & CEO of Warner Records, and Tom Corson, Co-Chairman & COO of Warner Records
In the 18 months since this power duo jointly took the reins at Warner Records, the iconic label has seen a name change, a new office location, an investment in exciting new talent, and seemingly, a rebrand. These industry veterans will take us inside what’s new at Warner Records (formerly Warner Bros.), as well as talk about their pivoted release strategy for one of their biggest projects – Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia.