Music Biz 2024 Conference: New Music Tech, Innovations, and Strategy

At Music Biz 2024 Conference, informative panels focused on innovative music tech, the impact of sync deals, and women’s incredible role in the music industry.The Music Biz Conference 2024 featured multiple insightful panels covering the latest tech in music, support for independent artists, resources for creatives, gender equity, and other integral matters core to the music industry’s continued progress.

One panel on sync deals included Blackberry Smoke guitarist Charlie Starr and manager Trey Wilson. They delved into the details of experiencing an almost 1000% increase in digital download sales after Blackberry Smoke was featured on the hit TV show Yellowstone.

According to Wilson, the song Hey Delilah was the first ‘real sync’ on the show, which led to the band immediately seeing a triple-digit increase in streams. Wilson said, “It went up astronomically high. I think we had a 999% increase in digital download sales and a 125% increase in Shazams.”

“It’s been the same ever since. Every single song has had some monumental reaction,” Wilson added.

Among Music Biz 2024’s offsite events was The Music Manager Forum’s shindig on a ranch — complete with horses and a bonfire.Sharon Tapper, the Executive Director of the Music Managers Forum (US), talked about her first evening of Music Biz at the Copper Lime Ranch, formerly Kenny Rogers’s estate. “We’ve had ponies here and peacocks and incredible food and drink and some of the most amazing people from the music business — mixing and mingling and getting to know one another.”

Tapper added, “No matter what you do in the industry, you can be here and in this space together.”

Strong women in leadership positions attended the crescendo celebration of black women.Gina Miller, the senior vice president and General Manager of Monarch Music Group, said, “We’re celebrating black women who are here at Music Biz, who are in music, and who take care of their business.”

The Moms in Music Organization also hosted a mixer at Music Biz 2024, where DMN spoke to Brittney King Brock, Founder and Operator of King Creative Group.

Brock relayed her goal of inspiring the next generation of women executives and artists to feel like they don’t have to choose between having a family and building their careers. Brock added, “You can do both, and you’ll have a built-in community that honestly shares how to do it. It’s not easy, but it is possible. We’re trying to rewrite the narrative of what motherhood looks like in the music business.”

On day 2 of Music Biz 2024, The Nashville skies cleared just in time for a spectacular evening up on the rooftops — including the annual meet and greet hosted by A2IM and an event by Women in Music.Shira Yevin, founder of Gritty in Pink, spoke about her focus on breaking down barriers and carving out a space for women freelancers in the industry, backed by Live Nation. Speaking about Music Biz 2024, Yevin said, “It’s the people and what they do that makes Music Biz what it is.”

Jeremy Gruber, head of artist marketing for Friends at Work, spoke about the true value of conferences such as Music Biz. Gruber relayed that his ‘primary role is finding the next step in technology’ and figuring out how to help artists grow their careers.

Gruber said, “[This is] where start-up founders and many of the people trying out new ideas come from. It’s always about meeting people, trying to find out what’s next, and helping bring that to the artists we work with. We can provide them with the technology they need to help grow their audience.”

Chlon Henry, CEO of Wealth Media Distribution and head of Think It’s a Game Records, told DMN, “We’re championing independent labels and Independent artists.”

The Music Biz 2024 Conference took place from May 13th to May 16th, 2024.Although Nashville has been an excellent host over the years, Music Business Association President Dr. Porsche Sabin announced that in 2025, Music Biz is moving to Atlanta.

Music Biz 2025 will be held at Atlanta’s Renaissance Waverly Hotel from May 12th through the 15th, 2025.