What Else Was Bubbling In NYC This Month? Add MMF-US Summit to the Music Industry Conference List

New York City was the ‘IT’ music industry locale in June, thanks to a confluence of nearly half-a-dozen events and conferences in one week. One we almost forgot to mention was MMF-US Summit, where DMN TV was prancing the floor — and interviewing artists like pianist and composer Marta Cascales Alimbau.Alimbau talked about moving from Barcelona to New York to pursue her career, and attend events like the MMF–US Summit to network, meet other artists, and broaden her horizons. “Modern classical is my type of music. It’s very poetic and cinematic in a way,” Alimbau said, adding that her music influences are Max Richter and Hania Rani.

Originally from Barcelona, Alimbau recently moved to New York in hopes of learning more about the music industry. “I want to understand the complicated landscape, and connect with artists and professionals.”

MMF-US Summit took place on June 11th at the Spotify offices in New York during IndieWeek 2025. Panel discussions at the summit covered hot topics including distribution, marketing, DTC, and live music.The event began with remarks by Sharon Tapper (Executive Director, MMF-US), Wesley T A’Harrah (VP, Membership & Education, MMF-US), Neeta Ragoowansi (President, MMF-US & IMMF), and Monica Damashek (Head of Artist & Label Partnerships, Spotify).

Alejandra Olea (Managing Director, Believe Americas) went on to interview Ragoowansi, peeling the layers on how the current music climate affects artists and managers.

Presentations were next on the agenda, led by Panos Polimatidis (Director Label & Artist Solutions, Believe UK), Brian Miller (Chief Revenue Officer, TuneCore), and Brian Moroney (Music Partnerships Manager, SoundOn/TikTok).

That was just one of several meetings, presentations, and panels, with the rest of the schedule stuffed with informative tips, perspectives, and trend analyses.

During the first panel, ‘The Power of Independent Distribution,’ contributors had an insightful discussion on overcoming challenges faced by indie artists. This was a stacked bill of indie players, with the following panel lineup:Panos Polimatidis (Director Label & Artist Solutions, Believe UK)Brian Miller (Chief Revenue Officer, TuneCore)Brian Moroney (Music Partnerships Manager, SoundOn/TikTok)Leah Kraft (Member Relations Manager, Merlin)Khufu Reign (We Make Music, Manager – De La Soul, Awkwafina, Tyla, & Wild East Radio)The panel was moderated by Tony Alexander (Co-Founder, President & Managing Director of Made in Memphis Entertainment).Next on the agenda was the panel ‘Creator-Led Marketing,’ moderated by Chaz Jenkins (Chief Commercial Officer, Chartmetric). Here’s a rundown of panelists that dove into artists taking the reigns of their own reach, success, and monetization by a self-led approach:Sammy Kaufman (Music Partnerships Manager, Linktree)Catherine Yi (IQ Client Strategy Executive, UTA)Caroline Halloran (Director of Audience Development, mtheory)Mike McGarry (SVP of Marketing, Patreon)The panel ‘Maximizing Direct-to-Consumer and Live,’ was moderated by Fabrice Sergent (Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Cellfish). Executives at the table were:Rod Yancy (Founder & CEO, Bootleg)Maulin Hemani (Founder & CEO, FanPad)Bryan Grone (Head of Production & Artist Relations, B Side)Matt Bacon (Founder, Sapphire Eye & Dropout Media)Presentations kickstarted a stream of out-of-the-box perspectives on leveraging superfans, merchandizing, audience relationship building avenues, and more.

Paul Pacifico (CEO, Saudi Music Commission), Matt Bacon (Founder, Sapphire Eye & Dropout Media), Bryan Grone (Head of Production & Artist Relations, B Side), Maulin Hemani (Founder & CEO, FanPad), and Rod Yancy (Founder & CEO, Bootleg) took turns covering the money left on the table for artists not prioritizing the value of superfan monetization.

The event also included keynotes by Khufu Reign (We Make Music, Manager – De La Soul, Awkwafina, Tyla, & Wild East Radio) and  Sammy Kaufman (Music Partnerships Manager, Linktree).

About DMN TVDigital Music News TV is DMN’s video journalism arm. Check in for impactful interviews, and coverage of music industry events.