News

Programming Announced for Second Annual NY:LON Connect Global Music Industry Summit in New York City

Keynotes and Featured Discussions with Kobalt’s Willard Ahdritz, Spotify’s Stefan Blom; as well as Experts from UMG, WMG, ASCAP, SOCAN, Amazon, Pandora, and More Set for January 23 & 24

The Music Business Association (Music Biz) and Music Ally have announced the programming for their joint NY:LON Connect conference, which will be held January 23-24, 2018, at the Dream Downtown Hotel in New York City, coinciding with 2018 GRAMMY® Week. The discussions at this global music industry summit will center on Streaming, Global Copyright & Rights Management, New Technology, Emerging Markets, Direct-To-Fan, Modern Day Music Companies, and Startups and will be presented by top-level executives and influencers from the international music business, including:

  • Willard Ahdritz, Founder and CEO, Kobalt
  • Eric Baptiste, CEO, SOCAN
  • Noah Becker, President & CEO, AdRev
  • Stefan Blom, Chief Content Officer, Spotify
  • Jacqueline Charlesworth, Of Counsel, Covington & Burling LLP
  • Katherine Cheung, Founder, Open Road Holdings
  • Diluk Dias, Managing Director, AEI Group
  • Pete Downton, Deputy CEO, 7digital
  • Jonathan Dworkin, SVP of Digital Strategy and Business Development, Universal Music Group
  • Tracy Gardner, SVP of Global Business Development and Strategy, Warner Music Group
  • Brian Hamilton, General Manager of Music and Auto, Gracenote
  • Adel Hattem, Founder, DMusicMarketing
  • Cherie Hu, Contributing Writer/Editor, Billboard/Forbes
  • Mike Jbara, CEO, MQA
  • Tracy Maddux, CEO, CD Baby
  • Beth Matthews, CEO, ASCAP
  • Elizabeth Moody, VP Global Content Licensing, Pandora
  • Vickie Nauman, Founder & Owner, CrossBorderWorks
  • Ryan Redington, Director of Amazon Music, Amazon

Universal Music Group’s Jonathan Dworkin and Warner Music Group’s Tracy Gardner will kick off the event on January 23 with a discussion of the future of streaming during a keynote panel moderated by the Music Business Association’s Bill Wilson, after which Spotify’s Stefan Blom will take part in a fireside chat with Music Ally’s Wesley T. A’Harrah. SOCAN’s Eric Baptiste, Gracenote’s Brian Hamilton, Downtown Music Publishing/Songtrust’s Joe Conyers III, and ASCAP’s Beth Matthews will then discuss “The New Face of Global Rights Management,” while Amazon’s Ryan Redington, 7digital’s Pete Downton, and Sonos’ Ryan Taylor will give presentations addressing “Smart Speakers & Voice Interface — What’s the Reality for the Music Biz?“ Kobalt CEO Willard Ahdritz will open the day on January 24 with a keynote conversation with Music Ally Founder and CEO Paul Brindley, followed by sessions on the modern day music company, international markets, smart speakers, AI and high res audio, and ticketing and direct-to-fan relationships. More speakers and the full event program will be announced soon.

NY:LON Connect is backed by a number of  sponsors including Gracenote, Armonia Online, 7digital, MQA, SOCAN, CD Baby, and AdRev. Registration is available for $499 per person at www.nylonconnect.com. A discounted rate of $399 is also available for Music Biz members and Music Ally subscribers.

“NY:LON Connect is all about bringing the best of the best together for a deep dive into the major issues facing the music business, and these speakers certainly fit the bill,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “Credit goes to our own Bill Wilson, who heads digital programming and industry relations for the Association, for working with Music Ally to secure this top-tier lineup. We look forward to a productive conversation that we hope will chart a productive course forward for the year ahead.”

“After the success of last year’s event in London, we’re excited to bring a strong group of industry leaders stateside to New York City,” said Paul Brindley, Co-Founder and CEO of Music Ally. “I’m also particularly looking forward to hearing from some of the most promising startups, both international and U.S.-based. This promises to be an essential event for anyone who wants to understand the key issues for the international music business.”

For more information on NY:LON Connect 2018, details on becoming a sponsor, or to register for the conference, 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 conferences, awards and networking events.

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