Published 27 October, 2022

VMDO Links is a new networking event, connecting the Victorian music industry to key topics locally and globally.

Music Ally has spent 2021 covering a blizzard of music business news: market data, deals, new startups and (sometimes!) heated rows about what it all means for the future of this industry.

In this session, we'll be joined by Stuart Dredge, Head of Insight at Music Ally (UK) who will be taking a step back to talk about the bigger picture in some of the key trends. Streaming's growth and the artist activism that goes with it, for example, or the excitement around high-potential markets like China, India and Africa.

In this session we'll also explore how livestreaming is evolving; TikTok and the wider short-video space; what the podcasts and live audio boom means for artists and labels; and music creation for non-musicians.

Plus, we'll dig below the hype around the metaverse and NFTs to offer our views on what potential these technologies *really* have for the music industry. The session will focus on our observations, questions and predictions on these trends, as well as some recommendations for how you can explore them yourself in the coming months.

Presenter: Stuart Dredge

Stuart Dredge is a UK-based journalist who writes about the music industry, consumer technology and digital culture. He is Music Ally's head of insight, writing its daily news bulletin and working on its deeper research on industry trends. He has also written for publications including The Guardian and The Week Junior.