Technological innovations continue to create an exciting new landscape in the music industry.

PR firm rock paper scissors is launching the first annual Music Tectonics Conference, the intersection of music, technology, and business, on October 29, 2019, at the stunning Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, CA. Participants can register now at MusicTectonics.com/conference. Early adopters will receive a coupon code for $50 off registration when they sign up for the Music Tectonics mailing list. The conference is sponsored by CD Baby,  AdRev, and Hydric, along with LyricFind and Hyperwallet.

Music Tectonics is about the big picture: how the minor tremors that ripple through the daily news add up to seismic shifts that shape the business of music now and in the future. The Music Tectonics conference welcomes thinkers, doers, and investors who recognize that in the increasingly interconnected worlds of music and technology, innovators can’t afford to remain siloed in narrow specializations—or to disregard the technical requirements of the existing music industry, from licensing and royalty payouts to metadata and attribution.

Meet and mingle at a welcome reception on October 28 (venue TBA), then gather at the centrally located Skirball (2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049; free parking) for a full conference day on October 29, including an evening reception finale.

Music Tectonics brings thought leaders together with industry insiders—and outsiders of note—who work at the epicenter of music and technology. Confirmed speakers include Cherie Hu, the award-winning music tech journalist (Billboard, Music Business Worldwide, and Forbes), industry darling researcher Mark Mulligan of MIDiA, thoughtful leader Ken Umezaki of Dot Blockchain, and tech innovator Arabian Prince, founding member of N.W.A. Many more speakers will be confirmed in the coming weeks. Breakout sessions will map the shifting terrain in areas like these (and any new directions the industry takes):

• The Blockchain Cage Match
• Music Tech is a Global Market
• Living in a Voice Activated World
• The Battle for Independence
• A.I.: Competition or Augmentation?
• New Music Licensing Opportunities

With years of expertise representing music technology clients and providing event planning services, PR firm rock paper scissors has built a network of experts across the music and technology spectrum who are planning to speak, attend, and sponsor the conference. “If this is a standard music industry conference, shoot me now,” says RPS founder and host of the Music Tectonics podcast Dmitri Vietze. “Imagine a place where decision-makers and innovators get down to the real issues over drinks and laughter. That’s where we are headed with our first year’s conference.”

Industry reaction to the L.A. event is strong. "The rock paper scissors team puts incredible thought into programming compelling conference sessions and building an amazing attendee and sponsor experience,” says Kevin Breuner, VP of Marketing at CD Baby and the annual DIY Musician Conference. “We can't wait for the inaugural Music Tectonics and believe it is an important gathering for everyone in music technology." Visit MusicTectonics.com for more information.

Reveal Event: October 3, 2019 at General Assembly, Downtown L.A.

Los Angeles’ new annual music technology conference, Music Tectonics, is launching a set of thought-provoking “Seismic Shifts” trading cards. Each unique card includes an original illustration and colorful design alongside a transformative theme and short explanation. 

The trading cards are the brainchild of Dmitri Vietze, the CEO of music tech PR firm rock paper scissors, inc. (www.rockpaperscissors.biz), who’s been in the music industry since way before Napster. Vietze launched the first-ever Music Tectonics Conference, taking place in L.A. October 28-29, 2019 and hosts the weekly Music Tectonics podcast which explores the seismic shifts changing the music industry as a result of technology and innovation. 

“The changes sweeping music in particular and digital media in general can feel utterly disorienting,” Vietze reflects. “We distilled the dynamics at work into this fun visual format that we think will guide more productive and creative conversations about the future of music and tech.”

The limited-edition set of 18 cards will first be revealed at an October 3 event called “Music Like Fire: 18 Seismic Shifts in Music Technology,” held at General Assembly, 360 E. 2nd St., Suite 400 in Los Angeles. There is no charge to attend the event, but RSVP is required here. 

The print run of 500 trading card sets will only be available to attendees of the late October conference, but music and tech advocates and professionals can get a preview and hear a presentation from Vietze during the October 3 event. Media partners will reveal digital versions of the cards online in the coming weeks. 

Examples of the cards include:

Music Production is in the Hands of the Masses. Home studios. Laptops as studios. Phones with music-making apps. A.I. assistants. Making music is easier, faster, and cheaper.

Music is Like Air. First physical recordings disappeared. Now physical interfaces disappear. Hello: Access. Goodbye: Liner Notes.

The push to transparency is irreversible. Data everywhere is a window that cannot be unseen. Black box thinking is on the way out. Data liquidity untangles rights disputes and grows revenue for all. 

Humpty Dumpty is together again. The industry fell apart when it went digital. New music uses emerge. These become problems, then revenue streams, then systems to solve. Humpty will never be the same.

The remaining cards cover these themes:

• Music is like Water
• Music is like Fire
• The Gates are Broken
• Self-Driving Artists Change Everything
• Music is More Global Than Ever
• No Single Path to Success
• Music Has Been Sliced into Smaller and Smaller Pieces
• Music Uses Outpace Systems
• Data Everywhere
• More Music Than Ever
• Music as an Experience
• Music is Competing with Everything
• No Single Path to Listening
• Creation and Engagement Intermingle

“Many people think we have reached a new stability in the music industry,” says Vietze. “I’m going to share 18 seismic shifts that will make you think twice about that. These are the things that have led us to where we are today and will continue to turn the world of music upside down again.”

A Blockchain Cage Match, an A.I. Talent Show, and everything you need to know about voice interfaces and music will shake up L.A. in October.

The first annual Music Tectonics Conference in Los Angeles, October 28-29, 2019, is a destination event for innovators in music and technology. The conference speaker lineup brings together thinkers, doers and investors to explore the seismic shifts that are shaping the business of music. Labels, managers, publishers, tech companies, and startups will come together to map the new terrain.

Music Tectonics is designed to promote cross-industry meeting, dealmaking, and big-picture conversations about music tech innovation. Conference goers will get to:

• Party at Warner Music Group’s new DTLA digs.
• Cheer on blockchain skeptics and enthusiasts, refereed by NWA's Arabian Prince.
• Hear what A.I. music creation apps and platforms can really do, emceed by The Verge’s Dani Deahl.
• Learn from music tech investors, moderated by writer and podcaster Cherie Hu.
• Get a bird’s-eye view of the music tech landscape with Mark Mulligan of MIDiA Research. 
• Find out what voice interface experts from Pandora, Google, and Soundhound want the music biz to know.
• Keep the vibe alive the next day at A2IM’s SynchUp.

“Too many conversations about the future of the music industry are happening in siloes,” says Dmitri Vietze, conference organizer, Music Tectonics podcast host, and CEO of rock paper scissors inc., a music tech PR firm. “Take blockchain. Blockchain fans have their own conferences about how it will change systems, including music. What will happen when they sit down with music industry skeptics to really talk about how blockchain might innovate music? That’s the kind of energy and creative connection we need as an industry, to move into the next era of innovation, business, and music making.”

See the Conference Schedule

Music Tectonics kicks off October 28 with a reception at Warner Music Group’s new Downtown Arts District headquarters. Attendees will get a coveted glimpse of the label’s dynamic new space in a dramatically redesigned historic building. 

On October 29, conference goers will convene at the Skirball Cultural Center (2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049; free parking) for a jam-packed day, going beneath the tremors shaking up the daily news about music and technology to grasp the big picture. 
Keynote speaker Mark Mulligan, head of MIDiA Research, is known for crystallizing insight (and infographics) from deep dives into music industry data. A counterpoint to sensationalist headlines about robot music, an A.I. talent show emceed by music tech journalist (and accomplished DJ/producer) Dani Deahl will show off music creation apps and platforms powered by artificial intelligence. 

Breakout sessions will explore the shape of things to come. “Music Like Air,” for example, brings together experts from Pandora, Google, and Soundhound to demystify music discovery and listening as voice interfaces replace physical input and visual displays. Investors in the music technology space, including Zach Katz of Raised in Space, Larry Marcus of Marcy Venture Partners, and Rishi Patel of Plus 8 Equity, will tell startups what it takes to secure funding in a real talk-filled session moderated by Cherie Hu, insightful music tech writer and podcaster. Other sessions will explore new music-related copyright legislation, the latest music marketing tools, innovative listening experiences, new approaches to licensing, the future of live streaming, and more. 

Finding meaningful trends and stories in seemingly scattered scenes has obsessed Vietze and the team at rock paper scissors since the company began diving into music tech. With years of music technology PR and event planning expertise, rock paper scissors has built a network of experts across the music and technology spectrum who are looking for a new kind of conversation and engagement. “If this is a standard music industry conference, shoot me now,” says Vietze. “Imagine a place where decision-makers and innovators get down to the real issues over drinks and laughter. That’s where we are headed with our first year’s conference.”

Registration is open now at MusicTectonics.com/conference, along with a growing list of confirmed speakers. The conference is sponsored by CD Baby, AdRev, and Hydric, along with LyricFind, HFA, Qobuz, and Playlist Push.

Music Tectonics is partnering with A2IM’s 5th annual SynchUp event on October 30 at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica. The gathering now focuses on digital capacity as well as sync licensing. More information at www.a2imsynchup.com/. A2IM members can get discounts on Music Tectonics badges and bundled tickets when buying through A2IM.

CONFIRMED SESSIONS:
Blockchain Cage Match refereed by NWA's Arabian Prince
A.I.s Got Talent (talent show) emceed by The Verge's Dani Deahl 
The Investor Panel moderated by Cherie Hu
The State of Music Tech Startups Keynote by Mark Mulligan
Optimizing Music for Voice and Discovery
Rethinking Royalties
Labels Share Digital Marketing Tips and Tools
How Startups Can Work with Majors and Distributors
Innovations in Listening Experiences
How to Partner with DSPs
The Accelerator Panel
Music and New Social Video Formats
Music Modernization Act Update
...and several more

COMPANIES REPRESENTED:

Universal Music Group
AEG
Warner Music Group
Pandora
Google
Marcy Venture Partners
Raised in Space Enterprises
Plus Eight Equity Partners
DBTH
Techstars
Capitol Records
Soundhound 
Art + Logic
mVibe
New West Records
Verifi Media
Boomy
Song.AI
Amadeus Code
Synchtank
...and many more