Music Biz Conference Announces Nashville Schedule

The Music Business Association (Music Biz) has announced a preliminary schedule for its flagship Music Biz 2015 conference, held for the first time in Nashville on May 12-14 at the Sheraton Downtown Hotel.

As previously announced, Martina McBride and Scott Borchetta will be honored during the awards luncheon on May 14. The Doobie Brothers and Waterloo Records & Video Owner/President John T. Kunz will additionally be honored.

Key retailers, record labels, artists, managers, startups, and more will be in attendance throughout the week. This year’s event will feature the third annual Metadata Summit, the Music Startup Academy educational sessions, and the Entertainment and Technology Law Program as well as various Special Interest Town Halls, Genre-Based Meetups, Breakout Sessions, and Live Music Showcases. Highlights from the currently confirmed agenda are below.

“We’re thrilled to bring Music Biz 2015 to Nashville for the first time in the event’s 56-year history and have crafted a far-reaching program that will appeal to attendees from all industry sectors,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “Whether you’re a major music executive or a student trying to break into the business, we’ve made sure that there’s something for everyone.”

Registration is available, with early bird discounts available until March 8.

Select Events for Music Biz 2015

Metadata Summit
Tuesday, May 12, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Join others who share your metadata concerns during our third annual Metadata Summit, sponsored by DDEX and Sony DADC. From the music datapocalypse to interoperability to high-quality images, these conversations are sure to set the course for solutions to current metadata issues.

Music Startup Academy: Startups, Rights & Artists
Tuesday, May 12, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Calling all startups, app developers, and music entrepreneurs: Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to break through the barriers of entry into the music biz. You’ll meet seasoned music business professionals, who will lead sessions on licensing, business development, music APIs, and more. Our popular ‘Elevator Pitch Shark Tank’ session will give you the chance to pitch their ideas to our biz dev experts.

Breakfast & Business Session
Wednesday, May 13, 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Nashville Mayor Karl Dean welcomes Music Biz to Music City. With the highest concentration of music jobs in the country, Dean will discuss how he and the Music City Music Council work to attract and retain music industry professionals in Nashville. Music Biz President James Donio will take the stage to offer an update on Association initiatives. Board Chairman Fred Beteille of YouTube will announce the Scholarship Foundation Class of 2015 and welcome the 2015-2016 Board of Directors. Rounding out the morning, Donio will present the 2015 Independent Spirit Award to John Kunz, Owner and President of Austin’s iconic independent record store Waterloo Records & Video Inc. and an over 40-year music industry veteran.

Metadata for Artists
Wednesday, May 13, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Metadata. It’s often one of the main things standing between artists and a variety of new opportunities to make money. Join our panelists to discuss the essentials that artists need to know about metadata, in addition to more forward-thinking areas of how metadata will be a catalyst in building the products of the future.

Awards Luncheon
Thursday, May 14, 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Each year, Music Biz honors some of the biggest stars in the music industry at the Awards Luncheon. This year, the prestigious Presidential Award for Outstanding Executive Achievement will go to Scott Borchetta, President and CEO of the Big Machine Label Group and a mentor on American Idol, who has helped his label’s first signee, Taylor Swift, score three straight million-plus-selling album debuts. Country superstar Martina McBride will then receive the Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award for her tireless efforts to end domestic violence, and top-selling Rock band The Doobie Brothers will receive the Chairman’s Award for Sustained Creative Achievement. Artist of the Year and Breakthrough Artist of the Year recipients will be announced shortly.

Entertainment & Technology Law Conference
Thursday, May 14, 3:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.
The Entertainment & Technology Law Conference program will gather top legal minds from the entertainment and technology industries to discuss a variety of topics at the forefront of both trades. Topics currently scheduled to be covered at Music Biz 2015 include “The Rules of the Road: An Examination of the Current State of Touring” and “Music’s Middle Class: An Endangered Species?”