News

Music Biz & Music Ally to Bring High-Level ‘NY:LON Connect’ Conference to New York City from January 23-24, 2018

Event to include featured discussion with Spotify’s Stefan Blom with more to be announced

September 20, 2017 – The Music Business Association (Music Biz) and Music Ally will host the second annual NY:LON Connect conference from January 23-24, 2018, at the Dream Downtown Hotel in New York City. The global music industry summit, which alternates between London and New York each year, will bring together top executives and influencers from the international music industry to engage in high-level discussions on critical topics, learn from each other, and drive positive change within the wider business. The event will coincide with 2018 GRAMMY® Week in New York City, leading into the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards on January 28 at Madison Square Garden.

NY:LON Connect will be headlined by a series of keynotes and panels featuring senior global business development executives from major and independent labels, music services, publishers, and PROs, including a featured discussion with Stefan Blom, Chief Content Officer at Spotify. In this role, Blom leads the company’s content and distribution operations, including all licensing, programming, studios and original content, industry and creator relationships, and products globally. Before joining Spotify, he held several senior positions at EMI Music, including CEO and Chairman of the group’s Nordic operations and, prior to that, EVP of Commercial Development in a global capacity. He has also served as Head of Products and Services at Hutchison-owned telecom operator 3.

Topics to be discussed at the conference can be found below. Additional keynotes, speakers, and details on specific panels and presentations will be announced shortly.

  • The Adolescence of Streaming
  • Global Copyright & Rights Management
  • Technology: Smart Speakers, AI, and Music
  • Driving Global Video Revenue
  • International: Spotlight on Latin America and India
  • The Many Faces of Direct to Fan
  • Innovation: Investing in Music and Startup Showcases

“We’re thrilled to bring NY:LON Connect back for a second year, this time on our side of the pond in New York City,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “As we kick off 2018, it is crucial that the music industry’s power players have a place to meet, discuss and debate core challenges, and come up with a game plan for the year that leads to maximum revenue for the entire worldwide music business. The event owes a lot to Bill Wilson who runs digital programming and industry relations for the Association. Bill has played a crucial role with Music Ally on building this event so we could provide a forum for this discussion, and we’re all looking forward to working with them more as we get closer to the event.”

“Last year’s NY:LON Connect in London was a great success, with senior executives from across the global music industry putting their heads together in preparation for what turned out to be a very positive year for the business,” said Paul Brindley, Co-Founder and CEO of Music Ally. “The 2018 edition promises to build on this renewed sense of optimism within the business, and we’re excited to work with Music Biz once again to bring it to fruition.”

Last year’s inaugural NY:LON Connect in London drew representatives from major and independent labels and distributors, publishers and PROs, digital service providers, data and research companies, management companies, law firms, and startups. The event’s comprehensive program featured presentations and speaking appearances from a host of top players from all corners of the global music industry.

For more information on the event, details on becoming a sponsor, or to register for NY:LON Connect 2018, visit www.nylonconnect.com.

About the Music Business Association

The Music Business Association (Music Biz) is a membership organization that advances and promotes music commerce — a community committed to the full spectrum of monetization models in the industry. It provides common ground by offering thought leadership, resources and unparalleled networking opportunities, all geared to the specific needs of its membership. Music Biz brings a unique perspective and valuable insight into the trends and changes that innovation brings. Today, we put our collective experience to work across all delivery models: physical, digital, mobile, and more. Music Biz and its members are committed to building the future of music commerce — together.

About Music Ally

Music Ally has been covering the music industry’s fast-moving digital developments since 2002. Known as a digital thought leader in the global music business, our clients span the music and technology sectors, including all of the major labels and indies, music publishers and collecting societies, music platforms like Spotify and Deezer, and tech giants like Google, Facebook and Microsoft. We are the leading periodical on the new music business, enabling companies to understand the landscape and effectively operate through marketing, training and advisory services. We also collaborate with global events and produce our own conference, awards and networking events.

Music Biz Media Contact

Laurie Jakobsen, Jaybird Communications — laurie@jaybirdcom.com, 1-646-484-6764