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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

Preconference - September 23
Online kickoff event!
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

All Times Pacific

10:00 AM — 10:40 AM
Keynote: Future Echoes: the Music Business of Tomorrow Being Built Today
Mark Mulligan picture
Mark Mulligan
10:40 AM — 12:00 PM
Pitch Competition Semi-finals

See 10 fresh startups pitch their innovative ideas! The jury of investors will select four finalists.

Dmitri Vietze picture
Dmitri Vietze
Guillaume Thérien picture
Guillaume Thérien
Sydney Singh picture
Sydney Singh
Conor Healy picture
Conor Healy
12:00 PM — 12:30 PM
Investor Q&A

Get your questions answered by the investors on the pitch competition jury!

Guillaume Thérien picture
Guillaume Thérien
Sydney Singh picture
Sydney Singh
Conor Healy picture
Conor Healy
12:00 PM — 6:00 PM
Registration and Hands-on Exhibitor Booths Open
12:00 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
Panel: Creators as Inventors

TBA

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

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

All Times Pacific

Sessions will be assigned time slots soon!

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
11:00 AM — 5:00 PM
What is Direct to Fan in 2027?
11:00 AM — 5:00 PM
Grow the Artist, Grow the Market: The Tools Turning Independent Artists and Labels Into Industry Forces
Darryl Ballantyne picture
Darryl Ballantyne
Andreea Gleeson picture
Andreea Gleeson
11:00 AM — 5:00 PM
Context Without Compromise: The Music Executive's Guide to Safe and Effective AI Operations
Heather Johnson picture
Heather Johnson
Matt Urmy picture
Matt Urmy
Steven Pardo picture
Steven Pardo
Xena Plat picture
Xena Plat
11:00 AM — 5:00 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
11:00 AM — 5:00 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

Sessions will be assigned time slots soon!

11:00 AM — 12:00 PM
Partnering with Artist Estates

at MoFo House - VIP Access only

Dominic Pandiscia picture
Dominic Pandiscia
Jason Sklar picture
Jason Sklar
Spencer picture
Spencer
11:00 AM — 5:00 PM
Rising Tide, Uneven Boats: Closing the Royalty Collection Gap
Jason Feinberg picture
Jason Feinberg
11:00 AM — 5:00 PM
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 — 5:00 PM
Growing the Market for Music Worldwide
Vivian Wei picture
Vivian Wei
Anthony Ramirez picture
Anthony Ramirez
11:00 AM — 5:00 PM
Open Mic for the Innovators of Music Tech: The Pulse of Startups, Scale Ups, and More
11:00 AM — 5:00 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

Sessions will be assigned time slots soon!

11:00 AM — 5:00 PM
Music Is Worth More: Tech That Multiplies Revenue, Not Disrupts It
Bridget Ferris picture
Bridget Ferris
11:00 AM — 5:00 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
11:00 AM — 5:00 PM
Beatlibrary: Recognizing Catalog Valuation and Revenue Recovery for Sampling and Derivative Works
Sho Mitchell picture
Sho Mitchell
11:00 AM — 5:00 PM
Startup Hotbox: Labels React to Music Tech Startups
Rian Rochford picture
Rian Rochford
Heather Johnson picture
Heather Johnson

Sessions will be assigned time slots soon!

11:00 AM — 5:00 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
11:00 AM — 5:00 PM
Find the Money: A Live Game Show About Streams, Payouts and Data
N
Neil Sheehan
Michael Pelczynski picture
Michael Pelczynski
11:00 AM — 5:00 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
11:00 AM — 5:00 PM
The Future of IP is Transmedia: The Cross Platform Secret Weapon

a fireside chat with Luminate

Jaime Marconette picture
Jaime Marconette
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.

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
6:00 PM — 8:00 PM
Pool Party

Bring your swimsuit and jump in the heated pool!

All Times Pacific

Sessions will be assigned time slots soon!

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 — 2:15 PM
Afternoon Sessions 1
2:30 PM — 3:15 PM
Afternoon Sessions 2
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!