Talks

An LGBTQ+-centered professional mixer designed to foster connection, mentorship, and community within the music industry. The happy hour-style gathering includes refreshments and light bites, with opportunities for networking and artist engagement, culminating in a live performance to close out the event.

Last year's summer edition of the NY MusicTech Meetup demo night drew over 200 attendees to Public Records in Brooklyn — one of the most widely attended events during New York Music Month. We're back with another evening of live product demos from hand-picked NYC-based music tech startups, co-hosted by Water & Music founder Cherie Hu and longtime meetup organizer Seth Hillinger. Coinciding with NYMM, NY Tech Week, and A2IM Indie Week, the evening will bring together a curated room of founders, investors, and music industry leaders for demos, conversation, and connections over drinks. Past demos have featured companies working across AI-assisted music creation, fan engagement, creator tools, and music discovery.

A live conversation and performance spotlighting the vocalists behind today’s biggest artists.

The evening features a moderated discussion with working singers across touring, recording, and broadcast, followed by live acoustic performances and audience Q&A.

Blending conversation and live music, the event offers a closer look at the craft, range, and career paths of professional vocalists. You will hear from singers who have supported global artists including Adele, Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll, Yolanda Adams, and Fantasia; appeared on The Voice; performed at NPR’s Tiny Desk; and headlined international residencies, including at the Quincy Jones Bar & Lounge at the Palazzo Versace Hotel in Dubai.

This interactive workshop explores how today’s artists can develop and grow a merchandise strategy across live shows, online channels, and fan communities. Through case studies, discussion, and group exercises, participants will explore what drives fan purchasing, how to design effective products, and how to plan for both in-person and digital sales. Attendees will leave with practical tools and a clearer framework for developing and scaling their merch approach.

This presentation examines the evolution of DJ techniques through the lens of migration, culture, and technology, tracing a path from Jamaican sound system practices to disco and early hip hop in New York City. Emphasis is placed on how technology directly shaped and advanced the art form—from rotary mixers in disco enabling seamless, continuous blends, to the crossfader and headphone cue systems in hip hop facilitating beatmatching, cutting, and real-time performance control. These technical developments are contextualized within the parallel rise of the downtown club scene (including Paradise Garage and Black, Latin, and LGBTQ+ dancefloor culture) and the uptown Bronx hip hop movement, both of which responded to the social, economic, and political conditions of the time. The seminar positions DJing as a technologically driven practice rooted in community, innovation, and cultural exchange.

Join us for an in-depth talk with the legendary co-founder of CHIC and songwriter/producer for David Bowie, Madonna, Daft Punk, Beyonce, Diana Ross, Duran Duran, George Michael, Avicii and dozens more.

Join us at Warner Music Group for an evening of conversations, networking, live performance, and happy hour exploring how artists build community, activate music IP, and create cultural moments beyond streaming.

The evening begins with Cyber PR’s “From Buzz to Bond: Building True Fan Relationships in a Crazy World,” a high-energy panel on superfans, audience connection, and building sustainable careers in today’s evolving music landscape. Following a networking happy hour, AFA presents “Bringing Music IP to Life: From Catalog to Cultural Experience,” a discussion exploring how artists, brands, and rights holders transform music into immersive live experiences, partnerships, and community-driven cultural moments.

The night concludes with a stripped-down performance from a breakthrough NYC-based artist, followed by an industry mixer bringing together artists, executives, and creative leaders from across the music ecosystem

A panel on how curators and community builders are reshaping music discovery. As algorithmic playlists and AI-generated content expand, audiences are increasingly turning to trusted voices and shared spaces. This conversation brings together leaders across editorial, radio, and curation to discuss how taste is built, how trust is earned, and where discovery is headed next. The session will explore the growing role of human perspective in a rapidly changing ecosystem.

Join Downtown for a panel exploring the relationship between music, brands, and advertising, offering insight into how songs and artists become part of powerful campaigns. The session will break down the sync process and highlight what brands and agencies are really looking for. Music supervisors from across the industry, alongside songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Paige Blue, will share practical advice on how to position music for opportunities, build the right relationships, and navigate this fast-evolving space.

Join a special evening celebrating the centennial of Miles Davis, exploring his musical contributions, cultural influence, and enduring legacy through conversation and a live playback excerpt from The Voice of Miles: A Symphonic Celebration. The orchestral experience was created in conjunction with the acclaimed documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool and offers a unique perspective on the life and work of one of the most influential artists in modern music.

A community gathering for independent artists and industry professionals built around one simple belief: that a healthy career starts with a healthy mindset. Designed to foster honest conversation, real connection, and practical tools, the program explores the emotional challenges that can come with building a music career, from burnout and overwhelm to scarcity and self-belief. The event includes a special guest performance, a panel discussion focused on solutions, and a limited number of advance-reservation one-on-one mindset mentorship sessions following the program.

In a saturated digital landscape, great music is the requirement, but a great story is the differentiator. This panel explores the critical role of Communications and PR in the modern music ecosystem—the strategic "bridge" that connects an artist's vision to the media, the industry, and the fans. We’re pulling back the curtain on how narratives are built, managed, and protected in an era of 24/7 news cycles and viral trends.  Join a collective of seasoned publicists and communications strategists as they discuss the "PR Lifecycle." We’ll move past the high-level buzz to tackle the practicalities: how can an independent artist build an effective story on a budget? At what precise milestone does "investing in PR" actually yield a return? And what does the day-to-day work of a music publicist really entail behind the closed doors of major agencies and labels?  This session is designed for the industry's next generation—from students looking to master the art of the pitch to artists ready to scale their presence. We focus on the high-level methodology and the "unspoken" strategies that turn a single release into a career-defining moment.

Join us for Music Publishing 101, an engaging conversation with publishing experts as we break down the fundamentals of songwriter royalties and the evolving world of music publishing. From performance and mechanical royalties to sync, splits, and rights management, this session will provide valuable insights into how songwriters get paid and why publishing plays such a critical role in the music industry. Whether you’re new to publishing or looking to deepen your understanding, this panel is designed to make the business side of music more accessible and approachable.

A fast-moving session exploring what the music industry could look like in 2036—and what that means for creators and companies today. Grounded in research-backed context, the conversation will examine how a music business increasingly shaped by data, AI tools, rights infrastructure, and sophisticated fan ecosystems has been evolving for years. Panelists will each pitch a bold thesis for the next decade, from AI-native catalogs and programmable live experiences to direct-to-fan operating systems, royalty unbundling, and global micro-markets, before turning back to the present to ask what professionals should be building, learning, and watching now. Attendees will vote on the most compelling ideas and the leading indicators to watch in the years ahead.

This conversation will break down what has changed, what matters now, and how to navigate today’s music landscape effectively. Featuring a podcast executive, a Mic Drop platform representative, a signed artist, and an independent artist, the panel offers real, diverse perspectives from across the ecosystem.

After drawing over 100 attendees to our 2025 panel on music tech investment, Water & Music returns with an updated look at where music tech capital is flowing and why. This panel brings together veteran investors in music, media, and technology for a candid, data-driven conversation about the state of the market. Drawing on W&M's proprietary tracking of over 1,000 music tech companies, we'll open with a snapshot of shifting investment patterns before turning to the questions that matter most: which business models are actually working, where AI music investment is moving beyond the hype cycle, and why some of the most compelling music tech stories are being built right here in New York City. The panel will be bookended by networking sessions with fellow attendees.

Transmissions NYC is a half-day summit exploring the forces shaping the future of electronic music culture and business. Presented by the Association for Electronic Music (AFEM) and Resident Advisor, the event brings together record labels, artists, nightlife operators, technologists, and policymakers for an afternoon of forward-thinking conversation and industry connection. 

Through three curated panels and a closing networking mixer, Transmissions NYC will explore some of the most pressing issues facing the dance music ecosystem today: the future of independent labels in a consolidating market, the evolving realities of NYC nightlife, and the growing influence of AI across music creation, rights, and monetization. Rooted in the local electronic music community, the program is designed to spark collaboration, generate new ideas, and create meaningful dialogue around how the industry can evolve while protecting the culture that drives it.

Experience an intimate evening with Young Guru, legendary audio engineer and creative force behind some of hip‑hop’s most influential records. Hosted in the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment's Dolby Atmos–enabled Professional Studio, Guru will walk attendees through his creative process, offering insight into how he approaches sound, collaboration, and decision‑making in the studio. 

Jesse Malin in conversation with Relix editor, Mike Greenhaus. 

Almost Grown: A New York Memoir is a raw, honest, and often funny account of how a kid from a broken home in Queens made his dreams come true, and the hustlers and dreamers he met along the way. 

Malin was inspired by one of his favorite books, The Basketball Diaries. Set in the 1980s and 90s, Malin found his community in the hardcore music scene with his pioneering band, Heart Attack, followed by D Generation. 

In 2023, Malin suffered a rare spinal stroke that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Rather than retreat from the spotlight, he defied the odds and learned to perform again on stage, spreading the gospel of rock and roll, and PMA (Positive Mental Attitude). 

"Almost Grown is a story I want to tell you about myself, the loved ones I’ve lost, and the beautiful characters I met along the way as I was growing up and coming into my own.”

In an era of rapid transformation across music and media, Write On: NYC Music Journalism Today explores how creators, journalists, and independent media voices are adapting, building audiences, and sustaining careers outside traditional systems. 

As legacy outlets shrink and editorial bandwidth disappears, a new generation of freelancers, video essayists, newsletter writers, podcasters, and social-first creators are reshaping how music is discovered, documented, and discussed, especially in New York City, long considered a global hub for music culture and media. 

This panel will bring together NYC-based independent voices and media professionals for a forward-looking conversation on the future of music journalism, creator-led media, audience growth, monetization, and the evolving relationship between artists, fans, and storytellers. 

Topics include: 

-The changing landscape of music journalism in NYC 
-Rise of independent creators and self-built media platforms 
-Social-first storytelling, video essays, podcasts, and new formats 
-Audience growth, monetization, and sustainability 
-How younger generations are consuming and discovering music differently 
-What opportunities may emerge from the industry’s transformation 

Presented by the Music Media Collective (MMC).

A conversation about the emotional and psychological realities of building a career in hip hop, and the support systems available to the people behind the culture. Hip hop has shaped global culture, commerce, and identity, yet honest discussions about the pressures of sustaining a career in the space remain rare. Bringing together artists, executives, and mental health professionals, the conversation will explore the hidden pressures of the industry, including touring burnout, financial instability, performance expectations, public scrutiny in the digital age, grief, community trauma, and the ongoing challenges of therapy access and stigma, while examining where meaningful support exists today.

As part of its ongoing work to support the music community, the Recording Academy is hosting this conversation to address an area that has long been under-discussed but widely experienced.

Pitch Perfecto returns with an opportunity for artists to submit their music for live review by a panel of leading music supervisors and gain insight into what it takes to land a sync placement. Presented in collaboration with DISCO, this live masterclass offers real-time feedback on selected tracks and a behind-the-scenes look at the music supervision process across film, television, and beyond. Two artists selected from the submission pool will be invited to perform live at the June event.

A candid conversation about the shock, the scramble, and the unexpected opportunities that come with reinvention.  From launching new ventures and consulting gigs to pivoting into tech or simply taking a much-needed pause, our speakers will share real stories, resources, and strategies. 

This isn’t just about layoffs—it’s about resilience, creativity, and community. Your former company may move on without you, but your skills, ideas, and network are still very much in demand.

Join us for conversation, drinks and light bites as well as free headshots taken by photographer Jason

A gathering of music and tech professionals exploring the intersection of data-driven artist development and the unique advantages of New York City’s music ecosystem. The program includes a panel discussion, presentation, and networking mixer designed to bring together industry leaders for conversation, insight, and connection.

Get ready to cook up success at the 3rd Annual Recipe Music Workshop, an exclusive 4-hour experience designed to empower songwriters, singers, producers, and artists in today’s evolving music industry. This dynamic event blends creativity, collaboration, and career development in one inspiring space.

Hosted by Head Chef  Mary Brown alongside a panel of acclaimed industry professionals, the workshop serves up essential ingredients creatives need to sharpen their craft and strengthen their understanding of the music business.

Attendees will experience:

- Interactive songwriting exercises and hands-on creative practice
- Live feedback from Grammy-winning and nominated professionals
- Speed mentoring sessions with creatives and music industry executives
- Audio/visual demos and participant performances
- Select participants may have the opportunity to showcase their talent live
-A networking mixer featuring catered food, light bites, and drinks

Whether you’re developing your first project or leveling up your career, The Recipe Music Workshop delivers actionable insight, creative inspiration, and meaningful industry connections to help fuel your artistic journey 

An evening at the intersection of music, technology, and artist community, exploring how emerging tools are changing the independent music landscape. The program includes a panel on new tech and AI tools for creators, the signature “Live Video Mixtape” experience featuring up to 20 artists performing in seamless succession, plus networking and DJ sets throughout the evening. Capturing the spirit of a classic NYC mixtape, the fast-paced showcase spans multiple genres and is enhanced by dynamic visual backdrops, with each set flowing directly into the next to create a continuous, high-energy performance experience.

When the world’s greatest artists need to find their voice, they call Jeremiah Abiah. A New York-based singer, vocal coach, music producer, and healer whose influence spans genres and generations, Jeremiah has worked at the highest levels of the music industry, elevating the artistry of Grammy-recognized, platinum-selling, and internationally acclaimed performers across a spectrum of iconic voices. Known for his transformative approach to vocal technique and artist development, Jeremiah brings a rare combination of masterful technique and soulful intuition to every voice he touches. His methodology doesn’t just train singers – it unleashes them. A Professor and artistic visionary whose influence extends far beyond the classroom and into the highest echelons of the music world, Jeremiah bridges the worlds of classical training and contemporary performance with effortless authority. His masterclasses are not passive experiences. They are revelations. Above all, Jeremiah is a healer – restoring voices, reclaiming artistry, and returning singers to themselves. Now returning to Carnegie Hall for NY Music Month, Jeremiah Abiah invites you inside the process that has shaped some of the most powerful voices in music today. Whether you are a seasoned performer or an emerging artist, this is the masterclass you cannot afford to miss.

This panel discussion and listening session will explore community music initiatives with roots in New York City, looking at how community music functions as a building block for culture, connection, integration, and education across diverse communities throughout New York City. Recent recording sessions as part of Power Stations Community Music initiative to document these communities — including The Central Park Rumba and the Louis Armstrong House Orchestra — will be discussed as case studies of how both informal and formal community music groups serve as a vital part of continuing the legacy of NYC as the world leader of culture.