Change of Tune: Digital Music and Fandom

It's an incredible time to be a music listener.

Digital platforms offer both an over-abundance of choice and easy access to artists. For most people, the perfect playlist is a few clicks (and – optionally! – a small monthly fee) away.

At the intersection of machine curation and personal preference, are we simply customising music listening to fit us perfectly – or flattering the safe choices of our taste? As streaming platforms and their algorithms grow in their influence of what reaches our ears, how do musicians form all-important connections with listeners? How can fans go beyond the music they already love … and how will these shifts in culture, technology and money influence the music industry of the future?

Moderated by Genneah Turner (Artist Manager), panellists include: Dyana Kass (Novateur Entertainment - Founder), Mardi Caught (The Annex - Founder) and Regan Lethbridge (Lemon Tree Music - Founder).

Presented as part of BIGSOUND 2020. This event will be streamed from the BIGSOUND Conference Hub.

More information about dates and times coming soon.

Wednesday 21 October, 10.30am - 11.30am AEDT

Global Music Now

We live in a time where audiences are built through social media, playlists and digital influence - none of which aren’t limited by territory boundaries. Pre-COVID, quick expansion meant touring but with that off the table, how can artists leverage digital tools to expand their audiences globally? This panel brings together a diverse group of thinkers who’ve broken artists on a global level to discuss the challenges they and their teams face when they scale to new audiences. How do you find influence in territories where you don’t know anyone? How do you do it on a limited budget? What are the best tools to get there? How do you decide which markets to go into? How do you respect the culture? Do you need boots on the ground? Join us for practical advice from global industry leaders covering the USA, UK, Brazil, China, India and more.

Moderated by Amber Horsburgh (Deep Cuts - Director), panellists include: Alex Taggart (Outdustry - Head of International), Emily Williams (mtheory - Marketing Director, Artist Partnerships) and Andy Sloan-Vincent (Spotify - Lead, International Music).

Presented as part of BIGSOUND 2020. This event will be streamed from the BIGSOUND Conference Hub.

Thursday 22 October, 10.30am - 11.30am AEDT

Past VMDO Talks

MMW Talks: Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow (with Scott Cohen)

Streaming music and social media are driving the huge growth in the music industry. But that is about to all change with the development of Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and other new technologies.

Presented by the VMDO, Melbourne Music Week and RMIT Screen and Sound Cultures.

About Scott

Scott Cohen is Chief Innovation Officer, Recorded Music, Warner Music Group. Scott works closely with Warner’s senior management team to help chart the long-term course of the company at the intersection of music, technology, and culture.

A prominent public speaker and lecturer, Scott travels the world evangelizing new business models for the digital age. An outspoken proponent of AR, VR, Blockchain and AI, he is also the co-founder of CyborgNest, a company exploring the interface of biological and digital intelligence.

Scott began his music career in the late ‘80s in independent and major label artist management.

In 1997, Scott and Richard Gottehrer started The Orchard on New York’s Lower East Side to provide independent artists the ability to sell their music to mainstream audiences. With the launch of iTunes in 2003, The Orchard delivered the largest catalogue of independent music to the digital music consumer. A year later, they had become the first indie digital distributor to hit one million paid downloads. In subsequent years, The Orchard expanded into video, music licensing, marketing & analytics, royalty collections, sports media, and other arenas. Two decades after its formation, the company is now owned by Sony Music and has operations in 40 global territories.

Scott sat on the British Phonographic Industry Council for many years and sits on the boards of several cutting-edge companies.

Scott is a human rights activist and strict vegan. No meat, fish, cheese, milk, honey, leather, wool or anything else derived from an animal. And did you know he himself is a cyborg?