Are conferences worth the money?
Are scientific conferences truly worth this time and money? The answer is yes, according to a new Northwestern University study. Scientists who interact with others during assigned sessions at conferences are more likely to form productive collaborations than scientists who do not, researchers found.
What is music conference?
These music conferences call in industry professionals, producers, artists, promoters, record labels, and enthusiasts. There are various seminars, panels, workshops, parties, DJ spinoffs, and networking events for those in the industry or looking to learn more about the music industry.
Sign up to get free editable seating charts and other freebies
About a month ago on social media, I learned about the International Music Education Summit. I decided to go ahead sign-up to attend the online conference and pay the $99 fee. I was a little upset with myself because the three day conference started the very day that we ended school.
Hi, I’m Rhonda
I make teaching music easier for elementary music teachers, like you. I enjoy sharing my experience, materials, and ideas from over 28 years of teaching. I’d love to hear what you wish could be done for you, to make your teaching life easier! I live in Madison, Wisconsin with my cat, Max and enjoy making music with friends.
11 Popular Music Conferences (Worth Going To)
There are hundreds and thousands of music conferences being held all over the world every year. But only a handful of them offer enough substance and knowledge that actually make them actually worth attending.
Midem
Midem is one of the biggest music conferences in the world and a leading event for the global music community. In previous years, it has been held in Cannes, France. Due to the global circumstances of the pandemic, Midem has decided to go completely virtual in 2021.
Music Biz
Another high-quality and large-scale music conference is Music Biz in Nashville, Tennessee. This four day event is packed with industry-defining conversations among some of the biggest names in the music industry. Music Biz will be happening May 9th-12th 2022 and feature both face-to-face and virtual panels.
CD Baby’s DIY Musician Conference
Although CD Baby ‘s DIY Musician Conference already passed for this year, it is definitely one you want to be on the lookout for in 2022. The three day event led by industry leaders is dedicated to educating independent artists and taking their careers to the next level.
SXSW
We can’t name the top music industry conferences and not mention South by Southwest. SXSW is one of the most honorable and biggest music events in the entire world and of course held in the music capital of the world — Austin, Texas.
A3C Music Conference
If popularity is what we’re talking about, then A3C has to be one of the top-ranking rap and hip-hop music conferences of all time. This conference and music festival has been held in Atlanta, Georgia for over 16 successful years and continues to prosper each year.
SF Music Tech Summit
The SF Music Tech Summit expands far beyond just a music conference. It brings together visionaries in the evolving music/business/technology world, along with the best and brightest developers, entrepreneurs, investors, service providers, journalists, musicians, and organizations who work with them at the intersection of culture and commerce.
1. Meeting people from afar
At a conference, you’ll meet a myriad of people that you’d never dream of meeting back home, or even on your tour stops. Conferences tend to be held in cities with a flourishing music scene. That gives you the chance to immerse yourself in that market. Plus, you’ll have people traveling in from all over the country and world.
2. Learning
With three days of seminar and workshop offerings at IBMA, I went home with real-world, practical information. Unless you’ve already made it to the Top 40 charts, everyone stands to learn more about the music business. Some sample topics:
3. Building relationships
The music business is all about networking and building relationships. If you stay stuck behind email, phone, or messaging, you’ll never make true personal connections. By meeting people face-to-face, you build a real connection, and over time, trust.
4. Targeted Advertising
This is a big one. Every single one of the hundreds to thousands of people at the conference are there because they have a professional interest in music. And not just any music – your kind of music.
5. Leads
While you shouldn’t expect to walk away with a bunch of new gigs in the bag, you will most certainly have many new leads. There are gig opportunities you may not otherwise know about, whether it be festivals you hadn’t heard of yet, or European tours. But it’s more than just gig leads.
SXSW (Austin, Texas)
It would be almost impossible to encapsulate the beast entity that is South by South West into words. With over 3 decades of expertise and traction, this should be THE event for you to attend if you’re starting out in the music industry.
Winter Music Conference (Miami Beach, Florida)
Winter Music Conference is one of the longest-running festivals of its kind. Last year, the event rolled out a new feature called “Signed On The Spot” where the selected artists have the opportunity to play their tracks for record labels in person and sign potential deals.
MUSEXPO (Hollywood, California)
This event will offer an in-depth analysis of the global music landscape from the industry’s leading executives and innovators across different facets of the industry.
ASCAP Experience (Downtown LA, California)
The ASCAP Experience, previously known as ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO, is one of the largest gathering events of music creators in North America.
LAUNCH Music Conference & Festival (Lancaster, Pennsylvania)
This music conference and festival has a reputation for featuring great one-on-one mentor sessions, workshops, expert panels, and performances.
320 Festival (Los Angeles, California)
The brainchild of Talinda Bennington, Chester Bennington’s widow and Kevin Lyman who was formerly in charge of running the Vans Warped Tour, the two joined together to advocate for mental health to music fans in one of the music capitals in the US.
Music Biz Conference (Nashville, Tennessee)
The Music Biz Conference by the Music Business Association brings together global power players and music industry enthusiasts who are committed to the future of music monetization for over a hundred panels, workshops, presentations, private meetings, live music, cocktail parties, and more.