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The 2026 Music Tectonics Conference focuses on growing the total market for music.

The music industry could be, should be bigger. Everyone from the largest companies in the business to creative new startups, from emerging artists to established execs, agrees that music punches above its weight when it comes to cultural impact. Music Tectonics brings the ecosystem together to translate that impact into revenue.

Music Tectonics is unlike any other conference in music and tech. Top industry movers and shakers mingle with rising innovators and thought leaders.

High-energy sessions explore the latest trends and innovations in the nuts and bolts of the music business. 

Influential creators and gear brands interface with the traditional music industry.​​

Join us in Santa Monica, California, October 27-29, 2026.

Details

Start: October 27, 2026
End: October 29, 2026
Rock Paper Scissors, Inc.

Santa Monica, CA, USA


90401 Santa Monica CA
United States

Schedule

Sessions & Speakers
See programming at a glance
Day 1 - October 27
at the Santa Monica Pier Carousel
Day 2 - October 28
At the Annenberg Beach House
Day 3 - October 29
At the Annenberg Beach House
October 28, 2026 at 9:30 AM — October 28, 2026 at 10:45 AM
Merck Mercuriadis & Dmitri Vietze - A Keynote Chat
Merck Mercuriadis picture
Merck Mercuriadis
Dmitri Vietze picture
Dmitri Vietze
October 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM — October 28, 2026 at 11:45 AM
Investor Confidential: Where the Money's Moving in Music Tech
Jason Yeh picture
Jason Yeh
Sun-Ui Yum picture
Sun-Ui Yum
David Tauber picture
David Tauber
Sun Jen Yung picture
Sun Jen Yung
October 28, 2026 at 2:00 PM — October 28, 2026 at 2:45 PM
What if AI Grows the TAM? A New Licensing & Royalty Paradigm
Matt Adell picture
Matt Adell
Matt Rose picture
Matt Rose
Vickie Nauman picture
Vickie Nauman
Lexi Todd picture
Lexi Todd
October 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM — October 28, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Creating and Optimizing Partnerships with Artists’ Estates (MoFo House ticket required)

VIP Experience

Dominic Pandiscia picture
Dominic Pandiscia
Jason Sklar picture
Jason Sklar
Spencer Klein picture
Spencer Klein
Susan Genco picture
Susan Genco
Kenny Nemes picture
Kenny Nemes
October 28, 2026 at 4:00 PM — October 28, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Making Music Make Sense on Roblox: 123 Million Daily Players and the Next Fan Culture Frontier
Jessica Meehan picture
Jessica Meehan
Rob Levin picture
Rob Levin
Cerys Davies picture
Cerys Davies
J
JR Walker
October 28, 2026 at 4:00 PM — October 28, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Music Is Worth More: Tech That Multiplies Revenue, Not Disrupts It
Bridget Ferris picture
Bridget Ferris
October 28, 2026 at 12:00 PM — October 28, 2026 at 12:45 PM
Should Your Software Have a Hardware Partner? A Real Talk on APIs, Affiliates, and Integrations with Shure Microphones
Laura Davidson picture
Laura Davidson
Constantin Köhncke picture
Constantin Köhncke
October 28, 2026 at 3:00 PM — October 28, 2026 at 3:45 PM
Context Without Compromise: The Music Executive's Guide to Safe and Effective AI Operations

A2IM Spotlight

Heather Johnson picture
Heather Johnson
Matt Urmy picture
Matt Urmy
Xena Plat picture
Xena Plat
Courtney Cary picture
Courtney Cary
October 28, 2026 at 4:00 PM — October 28, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Don't Sell Before You Know Your Options: How Artists Are Growing the Music Economy Without Signing Away Their Rights
Matthew Tilley picture
Matthew Tilley
Ed Poston picture
Ed Poston
Helen Sartory picture
Helen Sartory
Laurel Stearns picture
Laurel Stearns
October 28, 2026 at 12:00 PM — October 28, 2026 at 5:45 PM
Rising Tide, Uneven Boats: Closing the Royalty Collection Gap
Jason Feinberg picture
Jason Feinberg
Sierra Lever picture
Sierra Lever
Marisol Segal picture
Marisol Segal
R
Ryan McMahan
October 28, 2026 at 4:00 PM — October 28, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Grow the Artist, Grow the Market: The Tools Turning Independent Artists and Labels Into Industry Forces

A2IM Spotlight

Darryl Ballantyne picture
Darryl Ballantyne
Andreea Gleeson picture
Andreea Gleeson
Colby Silon picture
Colby Silon
Matthew Gawrych picture
Matthew Gawrych
October 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM — October 28, 2026 at 11:45 AM
Find the Money: A Live Game Show About Streams, Payouts and Data

A2IM Spotlight

N
Neil Sheehan
Michael Pelczynski picture
Michael Pelczynski
DAOuda Leonard picture
DAOuda Leonard
J
Jess O'Donnell
Vivian Donohue picture
Vivian Donohue
October 28, 2026 at 3:00 PM — October 28, 2026 at 3:45 PM
What is a Music Creator? Growing the TAM in the World of Creators
Andrew Kahn picture
Andrew Kahn
Eddie Mick picture
Eddie Mick
Dani Deahl picture
Dani Deahl
October 28, 2026 at 12:00 PM — October 28, 2026 at 12:45 PM
Growing the Market for Music Worldwide
Vivian Wei picture
Vivian Wei
Jesse Coolbroth picture
Jesse Coolbroth
I
Isaac Miranda
October 28, 2026 at 2:00 PM — October 28, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Physical, Connected: Bringing Digital Innovation Into the Physical Music Experience

A2IM Spotlight

Jennifer Sullivan picture
Jennifer Sullivan
Liora London picture
Liora London
Anthony Ramirez picture
Anthony Ramirez
Nick D'Angiolillo picture
Nick D'Angiolillo
October 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM — October 28, 2026 at 11:45 AM
Trains, Planes, and Holograms: Adding Music Everywhere and the Data That Powers New Experiences
Allen Schrott picture
Allen Schrott
Jason Thurman picture
Jason Thurman
Lisa Farris picture
Lisa Farris
October 28, 2026 at 3:00 PM — October 28, 2026 at 3:45 PM
Blurt.FM - Find a show, buy the merch, skip the industry. Real income. Direct to indie artists.
Scott San Filippo picture
Scott San Filippo
October 28, 2026 at 3:00 PM — October 28, 2026 at 3:45 PM
Beatlibrary: Recognizing Catalog Valuation and Revenue Recovery for Sampling and Derivative Works
Sho Mitchell picture
Sho Mitchell
October 28, 2026 at 12:00 PM — October 28, 2026 at 12:45 PM
Startup Hotbox: Labels React to Music Tech Startups

A2IM Spotlight

Rian Rochford picture
Rian Rochford
Heather Johnson picture
Heather Johnson
Chirag Patel picture
Chirag Patel
October 28, 2026 at 11:00 AM — October 28, 2026 at 11:45 AM
Direct to Fan in 2027: Know Them Before You Sell to Them
Mag Rodriguez picture
Mag Rodriguez
Maxwell Zotz picture
Maxwell Zotz
October 28, 2026 at 2:00 PM — October 28, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Open Mic for the Innovators of Music Tech: The Pulse of Startups, Scale Ups, and More
12:00 PM — 6:00 PM
Registration and Hands-on Exhibitor Booths Open
Dmitri Vietze picture
Dmitri Vietze
12:15 PM — 6:00 PM
Creator Fair

Talks, hands-on demos, giveaways, and more! Make connections and build your creative career.

1:30 PM — 2:00 PM
Fireside chat

TBA

2:15 PM — 2:30 PM
Creator Performance

TBA

2:30 PM — 3:15 PM
Creators as Inventors
T
Tarun Nayar
S
Satish Chakravarty
C
Chuck Sutton
L
Laura Escudé
Adam McHeffey picture
Adam McHeffey
3:30 PM — 4:15 PM
Creator Performance

TBA

4:30 PM — 5:00 PM
Fireside chat

TBA

6:00 PM — 8:00 PM
Opening Party presented by ONErpm

Gather around the Carousel for drinks, light hors d'oeuvres, and networking!

All Times Pacific

9:00 AM — 6:00 PM
Registration Open
9:30 AM — 10:45 AM
Merck Mercuriadis & Dmitri Vietze - A Keynote Chat

 

Merck Mercuriadis knows all about successfully growing the value of music. As Executive Chairman of newly launched Hipgnosis Artist Partnerships, Mercuriadis shares his view on how the next decade will transform the fortunes of artists, songwriters, producers and managers without whom, he says, "there is no music industry.” 

As Founder and CEO of Hipgnosis Song Management, FTSE 250 listed Hipgnosis Songs Fund and private Hipgnosis Songs Capital with funds from Blackstone, Merck sensed that a radically different approach to music catalogs would shake up the industry to the benefit of artists and songwriters, and generate significant, predictable, and reliable revenue for creators and institutional investors through proving intellectual property rights are a premium asset class.

Read more about Merck and Music Tectonics at Billboard and Hypebot!
Merck Mercuriadis picture
Merck Mercuriadis
Dmitri Vietze picture
Dmitri Vietze
9:30 AM — 11:00 AM
Networking Lounge (MoFo House ticket required)

VIP Experience

11:00 AM — 11:45 AM
Investor Confidential: Where the Money's Moving in Music Tech
Jason Yeh picture
Jason Yeh
Sun-Ui Yum picture
Sun-Ui Yum
David Tauber picture
David Tauber
Sun Jen Yung picture
Sun Jen Yung
11:00 AM — 11:45 AM
Trains, Planes, and Holograms: Adding Music Everywhere and the Data That Powers New Experiences
Allen Schrott picture
Allen Schrott
Jason Thurman picture
Jason Thurman
Lisa Farris picture
Lisa Farris
11:00 AM — 11:45 AM
Find the Money: A Live Game Show About Streams, Payouts and Data

A2IM Spotlight

N
Neil Sheehan
Michael Pelczynski picture
Michael Pelczynski
DAOuda Leonard picture
DAOuda Leonard
J
Jess O'Donnell
Vivian Donohue picture
Vivian Donohue
11:00 AM — 11:45 AM
Direct to Fan in 2027: Know Them Before You Sell to Them
Maxwell Zotz picture
Maxwell Zotz
Mag Rodriguez picture
Mag Rodriguez
11:00 AM — 12:00 PM
Creating and Optimizing Partnerships with Artists’ Estates (MoFo House ticket required)

VIP Experience

Dominic Pandiscia picture
Dominic Pandiscia
Jason Sklar picture
Jason Sklar
Spencer Klein picture
Spencer Klein
Susan Genco picture
Susan Genco
Kenny Nemes picture
Kenny Nemes
12:00 PM — 12:45 PM
Growing the Market for Music Worldwide
Vivian Wei picture
Vivian Wei
Jesse Coolbroth picture
Jesse Coolbroth
I
Isaac Miranda
12:00 PM — 5:45 PM
Rising Tide, Uneven Boats: Closing the Royalty Collection Gap
Jason Feinberg picture
Jason Feinberg
Sierra Lever picture
Sierra Lever
Marisol Segal picture
Marisol Segal
R
Ryan McMahan
12:00 PM — 12:45 PM
Should Your Software Have a Hardware Partner? A Real Talk on APIs, Affiliates, and Integrations with Shure Microphones
Laura Davidson picture
Laura Davidson
Constantin Köhncke picture
Constantin Köhncke
12:00 PM — 12:45 PM
Startup Hotbox: Labels React to Music Tech Startups

A2IM Spotlight

Rian Rochford picture
Rian Rochford
Heather Johnson picture
Heather Johnson
Chirag Patel picture
Chirag Patel
12:00 PM — 12:45 PM
Networking Lounge (MoFo House ticket required)

VIP Experience

12:45 PM — 2:00 PM
Lunch on the Pool Deck

Boxed lunches provided so you don't miss a beat. Have a casual lunch meeting, visit the exhibitors around the pool deck, or connect with your posse.

12:45 PM — 2:00 PM
VIP Lunch and Keynote (MoFo House ticket required)

VIP Experience

2:00 PM — 4:00 PM
MoFo Office Hours

Morrison Foerster, a leading technology law firm and Supernova sponsor, is offering complimentary office hours. Sit down one-on-one with MoFo’s own lawyers for a focused conversation about your business! 

Find details and scheduling link in the Attendee Packet or the Event App.

VIP Access Not Required. 

2:00 PM — 2:45 PM
Open Mic for the Innovators of Music Tech: The Pulse of Startups, Scale Ups, and More
2:00 PM — 2:45 PM
Physical, Connected: Bringing Digital Innovation Into the Physical Music Experience
Jennifer Sullivan picture
Jennifer Sullivan
Liora London picture
Liora London
Anthony Ramirez picture
Anthony Ramirez
Nick D'Angiolillo picture
Nick D'Angiolillo
2:00 PM — 2:45 PM
The Future of IP is Transmedia: The Cross Platform Secret Weapon

a fireside chat with Luminate

Jaime Marconette picture
Jaime Marconette
2:00 PM — 2:45 PM
What if AI Grows the TAM? A New Licensing & Royalty Paradigm
Matt Adell picture
Matt Adell
Matt Rose picture
Matt Rose
Vickie Nauman picture
Vickie Nauman
Lexi Todd picture
Lexi Todd
2:00 PM — 5:00 PM
Networking Lounge (MoFo House ticket required)

VIP Experience

3:00 PM — 3:45 PM
Beatlibrary: Recognizing Catalog Valuation and Revenue Recovery for Sampling and Derivative Works
Sho Mitchell picture
Sho Mitchell
3:00 PM — 3:45 PM
Blurt.FM - Find a show, buy the merch, skip the industry. Real income. Direct to indie artists.
Scott San Filippo picture
Scott San Filippo
3:00 PM — 3:45 PM
Context Without Compromise: The Music Executive's Guide to Safe and Effective AI Operations

A2IM Spotlight

Heather Johnson picture
Heather Johnson
Matt Urmy picture
Matt Urmy
Xena Plat picture
Xena Plat
Courtney Cary picture
Courtney Cary
3:00 PM — 3:45 PM
What is a Music Creator? Growing the TAM in the World of Creators
Andrew Kahn picture
Andrew Kahn
Eddie Mick picture
Eddie Mick
Dani Deahl picture
Dani Deahl
4:00 PM — 4:45 PM
Don't Sell Before You Know Your Options: How Artists Are Growing the Music Economy Without Signing Away Their Rights
Matthew Tilley picture
Matthew Tilley
Ed Poston picture
Ed Poston
Helen Sartory picture
Helen Sartory
Laurel Stearns picture
Laurel Stearns
4:00 PM — 4:45 PM
Grow the Artist, Grow the Market: The Tools Turning Independent Artists and Labels Into Industry Forces

A2IM Spotlight

Darryl Ballantyne picture
Darryl Ballantyne
Andreea Gleeson picture
Andreea Gleeson
Colby Silon picture
Colby Silon
Matthew Gawrych picture
Matthew Gawrych
4:00 PM — 4:45 PM
Making Music Make Sense on Roblox: 123 Million Daily Players and the Next Fan Culture Frontier
Jessica Meehan picture
Jessica Meehan
Rob Levin picture
Rob Levin
Cerys Davies picture
Cerys Davies
J
JR Walker
4:00 PM — 4:45 PM
Music Is Worth More: Tech That Multiplies Revenue, Not Disrupts It
Bridget Ferris picture
Bridget Ferris
5:00 PM — 6:00 PM
Pitch Competition Finals: Swimming with Narwhals

See four founders pitch their startups before a jury of investors. Vote for the audience choice award!

Andrew Kahn picture
Andrew Kahn
Ishan Sachdev picture
Ishan Sachdev
Mike Walsh picture
Mike Walsh
Dmitri Vietze picture
Dmitri Vietze
6:00 PM — 8:00 PM
Jump in the Pool! Music Tectonics Swim

Bring your swimsuit and jump in the heated pool!

All Times Pacific

9:00 AM — 10:00 AM
Invite Only: Co-investment Meeting
10:00 AM — 12:30 PM
Investor Speed Networking

Apply to connect with investors at Music Tectonics! Open to ticket holders only.
Even if you aren’t selected for one of the limited spots, your application and contact information will be shared with all participating investors! 

1:00 PM — 1:30 PM
Turning Up the Volume: What Builders Are Telling Us About Music's Next Growth Wave

AWS Presents Founders' Mix: Lessons from the Music Tech Startup Road

M
Marc Wojcik
1:30 PM — 2:15 PM
Founders Unplugged: What Nobody Tells You About Building in Music Tech

AWS Presents Founders' Mix: Lessons from the Music Tech Startup Road

D
Dana LaGatutta
1:30 PM — 2:15 PM
The Music Creator Playbook: What's Working for Labels and Artists Today
F
Fefi Oliveira
2:30 PM — 3:15 PM
Ten Years, One Big Bet: Helge Steffen on Building Songtradr

AWS Presents Founders' Mix: Lessons from the Music Tech Startup Road

H
Helge Steffen
C
Christopher Bell
4:00 PM — 7:00 PM
UMG Startup Studio

Conference badge and advance RSVP required
Music Tectonics startup attendees are invited to join Universal Music Group's Digital Innovation team in a state-of-the-art studio space and get an insider’s perspective on what it takes to build meaningful partnerships with one of the world’s most iconic music companies. All Swimming with Narwhals competition applicants will be submitted for an additional pitch opportunity with UMG. Three founders will then be invited to present and receive feedback directly from UMG leaders in an intimate studio setting. Other attending startups will also have an opportunity to hop on mic and introduce themselves and their companies to the UMG team. We’ll wrap the session with drinks, light snacks and a networking opportunity with the UMG team and fellow founders. 

Come for the access. Stay for the connections. Leave with a better understanding of how to partner with UMG.
 

All Times Pacific

Venues

October 27, 2026
Santa Monica Pier Carousel
200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA 90401

October 28-29, 2026
Annenberg Beach House
415 Pacific Coast Highway Santa Monica, CA, 90402

Music Tectonics takes place at two sunny beachside venues in Santa Monica, California. In 2026, we're expanding programming on Day 3 by returning to the Annenberg Beach House for a second day!