As the electronic dance music community prepares for the first-ever virtual Winter Music Conference, WMC has officially announces the full programming schedule and music showcase lineup for 2021.
Set to take place May 20-21, 2021, the conference portion will take place on May 20th featuring live keynotes, main stage panels, and networking lounges, along with a grouping of digital exhibitor booths. Following the panels, there will be a networking happy hour and a virtual after-party on 5th Dimension. Day Two will be a celebration of electronic music on 5th Dimension (twitch.tv/5dxr) with product demos and the official WMCV music showcase.
For more information about WMC, please visit wintermusicconference.com.
Day 1 Programming Details Announced:
Opening Keynote: The Stranding of the Modern Musician – Featuring Tim Westergren (Pandora/Sessions Live, CoFounder). Moderated by Katie Bain (Billboard)
The music industry is flourishing. Revenue is growing, labels are thriving, and digital services are seeing dramatic increases in their public market values. But it keeps getting harder for musicians. How can artists recapture their profession? Tim has had a front-row seat to this phenomenon for 20 years. Now he’s back in the fray with Sessions, a live-streaming service built on a foundation of advanced gamification and deep foundation of machine learning to power audience acquisition. Come hear Tim discuss an exciting new vision for the future.
The Future of VR and Virtual Live Events – Featuring: Ari Evans (Maestro.io), Anthony Kennada (Hopin), Gina Rosales (Make It Mariko), Raul Navalta (AddVirtual), Dan Scarcelli (Monstercat). Moderated by Sam Speaight (VRJAM / 5th Dimension)
Lockdowns and social distancing have temporarily frozen and decimated the live events business and accelerated the rise of VR and live streaming events. This panel will discuss the evolution and new standard of virtual content from what comes next to what’s happening now.
Discogs Presents – Redefining the Collector – Featuring: Jazzy Jeff (DJ/Producer), Lolo Reskin (Sweat Records Miami), and Cameron Schaefer (Vinyl Me Please). Moderated by Jeffrey Smith (Discogs)
Vinyl has seen almost incredible growth in 2020 and continues to surge as consumers begin to listen to their music more actively. Vinyl is back – but how are people consuming it? Find out what our data says about consumer record collections and how labels and artists can take part. This panel hosted by Discogs brings all of the burning questions you might have about wax to light.
The Power of The Playlist – From Music Discovery to Music Marketing, The Playlist Now Reigns Supreme – Featuring: Jonas Tempel (Beatport), Rida Naser (SiriusXM), Andrew Marcogliese (Pandora). Moderated by Tommie Sunshine (DJ/Producer)
The playlist has become one of the most coveted means of promotion in the music industry and an essential tool for discovering new tunes. Navigating it, creating it, and utilizing this tool is no easy task. This panel will discuss all aspects of the playlist, including practical applications for both artist/label and consumer/DJ.
Strength in numbers: how to use Viberate analytics to understand the music industry – Featuring Umek (DJ/Producer) and Vasja Veber (Viberate)
In a world where data is king, Viberate is holding court. Explore the tools and learn best practices of one of the worlds leading music analytics platforms. How can Viberate help you?
How Do Artists And Brands Collaborate on The Cutting Edge of Technology – Featuring: Shauna Alexander (Soundcloud), Daouda Leonard (Creatsafe), Geoff Colon (Bing/Microsoft), Susan Gloy-Kruse (Beatport), Sarah Hildering (Ledo), Angelica Ayala-Torres (UTA). Moderated by Seth Combs (Sessions Live)
With the onset of the Pandemic last March, both artists and brands have had to rethink everything. With a rise in new technology from VR to innovative live streaming platforms, the post COVID world will bring with it a new normal that no one could have anticipated.
Avid Presents – Leveling Up Your Production – Featuring: Junior Sanchez (DJ/Producer), John Beltran (DJ/Producer), Lazaro Cassanova, Kerry Leva. Moderated by Greg “Stryke” Chin (Avid)
What makes a great track? This panel presented by Avid will speak with seasoned veterans about their production techniques and what it takes to produce a professional-sounding tune.
NFT – A Discerning Look At the Music Industry’s Most Hyped Format Since MP3 – Featuring: Franklin Fitch (Blockparty), Amanda Fairey (Obey Giant Industries), Mike Darlington (Monstercat). Moderated by Declan McGlynn (DJ Mag)
The Non-Fungible Token has taken the art and music world by digital storm creating endless conversations and new opportunities for artists. Is the NFT just another wave of tech hype, or is it here to stay. This panel will discuss the possibilities, the upsides, and the potential downsides of this new marketplace.
What Happens Next – Rebuilding The Live Events Industry – Featuring: Hayata Ishikawa (Avant Gardner), Disco Donnie (Disco Donnie Presents), Aundy Crenshaw (Dirtybird), Rosanne Janmaat (ID&T). Moderated by Dani Deahl
After a year of devastation, the first signs of life are starting to show for what might be a return to normal for live events in Q4 and 2022. What will the new landscape look like? How are promoters coping with recovering? What are the most significant opportunities, and what does the future of hybrid events look like?
The Future of Transactions: How Blockchain Technology Is Changing The Industry – Featuring: Bjorn Niclas (ROCKI), Blond:ish (Artist), Vladislav Ginzburg (Blockparty), Bryce Carr (Rally.Io). Moderated by Shiv Madan (Moonwalk)
From Crypto to NFTs, the world of blockchain technology is taking the world by storm. How can you use this technology in your business? What’s hype, and what’s a real-world strategy for the long term. This panel of experts weighs in on all things blockchain.
Spotify Masterclass – Featuring: Spotify Team Members: Ronny Ho, Jesse Jacobsen, Charlie Tadman, Lucy Blair
Take a personal guide through Spotify’s artists tools & features. Meet the Spotify team and discover your biggest platform, with tips, insight, and advice you don’t want to miss!
Pioneer DJ presents: A conversation with Claude VonStroke
DJ, Music Producer, Label owner, A&R, Festival Promoter, Radio show host, and one half of “Get Real,” CVS wears many hats. Get a glimpse into what makes him tick, how the pandemic inspired a new sound of Dirtybird, and what DJ technology brings out the best in his performance.
Closing Keynote – Digital Commerce 3.0 – Featuring: Kevin Lin (Twitch CoFounder), Arabian Prince (NWA / Entrepreneur), Susan Paley (CEO, Droplabs), and Zach Katz (CEO, Raised In Space)
The global pandemic has not only accelerated innovation in the way we interact with one another, but it has also pushed forward the entire way we do business. From how artists engage with fans to how we consume content to how we listen to music. Driven by data, machine learning, creative communication applications, disruptive products, and an old-fashioned need for more meaningful relationships – this is Digital Commerce 3.0.
Virtual After Party on twitch.tv/5dxr with Ultra Music Featuring Special Guests: Surprise Secret Guest, GATTUSO, Redfield, Marshall Jefferson, and Anabel Englund
Screening – LARRY’S GARAGE – The story of Larry Levan and the Paradise Garage.
LARRY’S GARAGE is a full-length documentary shedding light on the story of DJ legend Larry Levan and the iconic New York club, Paradise Garage. Director/producer Corrado Rizza along with his production partners, Claudio Napoli, and Massimo Mascolo, attempt to reconstruct and understand what Larry represented for those close to him and the entire club culture at large. Presented in intimate detail, the heart of the film features the last exclusive interview and footage of Larry before his untimely passing. In addition, the film highlights several interviews from icons such as Arthur Baker, Barbara Tucker, Boy George, Danny Krivit, David Mancuso, David Morales, François K., Justin Berkmann, Louie Vega, Lenny Fontana, Nicky Siano, Paul Oakenfold, Ray Caviano, Tony Humphries and more.
Day 2 Music & Tech Showcase on twitch.tv/5dxr
Tribe XR Demo – WMCV isn’t just about music, profiling technology that helps to accelerate the possibilities for artists and the music they make is an integral part of what WMCV is all about. On May 21st WMCV presents a showcase of the latest virtual DJ performance tech from industry leaders Tribe XR. Tribe XR’s technology empowers artists to play real-time DJ sets inside a VR headset. Their technology provides a hyper-real, amazingly life-like experience of using a pair of CDJ 3000 decks and a Pioneer DJM mixer. So impressively realistic is their tech that Pioneer DJ very recently announced a partnership with Tribe XR to help support the burgeoning culture around ‘in headset’ DJ performances. Throughout the 2-hour session, DJs will use Tribe’s platform to play live. Tribe’s senior team will provide a technology demo and walkthrough to help artists and managers understand how this astounding new tech can help them expand their creative focus and dive into the brave new virtual world of XR performance.
Celebrating 5 Years of Perfect Havoc – Label Showcase on 5th Dimension Showcasing the chart-topping sounds of Perfect Havoc for the Label Showcase at WMC are Polish DJ and producer, Milkwish, UK DJ/Producer Alfie Cridland, New York’s PS1, and longtime Perfect Havoc signee, Tobtok.
WMCV New Music Showcase – 5th Dimension, in cooperation with EDM.com, will be showcasing a selection of new artists handpicked by 5th Dimension and EDM.com editors to perform at the first-ever WMCV New Music Showcase. Here you will find a fresh crop of talent across many genres with all original material.
Winter Music Conference Historical Documentary Videos To Be Premiered via UphoricTV
In addition, on May 22, during the 5th Dimension live-streamed performances, Winter Music Conference will be premiering a series of short-form video vignettes documenting the rich history of WMC. Music legends like Paul Oakenfold, Arthur Baker, Junior Sanchez, Laidback Luke, Tommie Sunshine, Chocolate Puma, and more, plus industry pioneers Gladys Pizzaro (of Strictly Rhythm) and WMC Founder Bill Kelly, all offer their perspectives on the past, present, and future of Winter Music Conference and electronic music culture. Shot before the pandemic over two years, this 5-part documentary series is produced by creative marketing firm UG Strategies and the UphoricTV festival live-streaming and music content platform.
Networking Rooms: 7 pm – 9 pm PST
The DJ and Producers Lounge – presented by Pioneer DJ
The Blockchain Lounge – presented by ROCKI
The VR / Live Stream Lounge – presented by VRJAM
The Data Lovers Lounge – Presented by Viberate
To check out more events, click here.
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