Writing Camps are an essential part of the songwriting process, but many in and out of the community don’t understand them. We’ll demystify this part of the songwriting profession for those who have never participated and want to, who want to establish one for their writers, who want to find one, and for those who represent writers & producers. Join this panel of songwriters, writing camp organizers, and more to learn how effective writing camps are put together, how to find the right ones and what to look for in camps, and how to get the most out of them as an A&R, writer, manager, and more.

With more and more music being pushed to DSPs every day, independent labels and artists need to use every tool in their arsenal to stand out. One of the newer ways to break through the noise is animated album artwork through Apple Music Album Motion, Spotify Canvas Videos, and more. Adding motion to your DSP visuals can draw the eye of potential new listeners, and has been shown to lead to increased engagement. But how do you make these videos, and do you need video editing expertise to do it? This panel will answer these questions and more.

Many tech companies claim that licensing music to train generative AI models is too onerous of a task, relying on fair use. This just isn’t true and becomes less so every day. Marketplaces have already risen to provide easy access to millions of tracks at a reasonable price point and without rights issues. Companies have also launched products that detect how much of a track was used in an AI-generated song, allowing rights to flow through to the original artists. In this panel, experts in AI music dataset licensing will explain how to do it, why you should, and why fair use won’t save you.

As streaming reshapes how music is experienced, functional audio—designed to boost focus, mood, and behavior—is redefining where and how music matters. From classrooms to clinics to retail, neuroscience-backed compositions are driving emotional outcomes and creating measurable improvements in learning, productivity, and sentiment. This panel explores how composers, researchers, and platforms are creating purpose-built music that now outperforms major label artists—financially and functionally—on DSPs and B2B services.

“The algorithm” can often seem like a giant mystery for artists to decode across the numerous streaming and social media platforms on which they are expected to have a presence. The rules and best practices for a particular platform can change on any given day, leaving artists and their teams overwhelmed and confused about how to best break through and make sure their content gets seen and amplified. This session will dive into the most effective ways to master the algorithm and utilize all available data to an artist’s advantage.

For independent artists, it can be a full-time job staying on top of music industry best practices and putting in the time and legwork to get the right team and record label partner in place. For independent record labels, it is crucial to build a roster of artists who have an established voice and a supportive fan community behind them. This session will cover the most important strategic areas that independent artists should be focusing on to grow their reach and how independent record labels can successfully build their rosters and empower their artists.

While there are many recent examples of viral songs on social media launching major artist careers, chasing that viral hit isn’t always necessarily sustainable or the most feasible way for an artist to go about building long term success. Rather than solely focusing on going viral, there are several other areas an artist can look at for building their career such as defining their unique brand and sound, consistently releasing high quality music, and building community. This session will dive into each of these areas to provide artists with realistic tips that they can apply to their careers.

The international music business is far larger and more lucrative than many expect – just look at the broad worldwide impact of LATAM artists like Bad Bunny and K-Pop groups like BTS. The question is, how does an artist from these regions and beyond achieve this kind of success? The answer lies with music distributors, marketers, and data analysts, who have the tools to break talented artists both in their home countries and around the world. In this panel, experts will explain what it takes to achieve global success and share secrets to get independent artists started.