Copyright Billboard
The annual Music Tectonics conference kicks off Tuesday (Nov. 4), bringing together music industry professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors alongside the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, Calif. Music Tectonics was founded in 2019 by Dmitri Vietze and his team at public relations firm Rock Paper Scissors. The three-day gathering not only has a great location — the first two days are beachside — but a valuable position on the calendar: After Music Tectonics, music industry events wind down to accommodate the holidays and won’t pick up until Grammy week in Los Angeles in late January. The first day of Music Tectonics’ three-day event takes place at the Santa Monica Pier Carousel. On Wednesday, the conference moves to the Annenberg Community Beach House about a mile up the coast. Thursday’s events — which are focused on entrepreneurism and startups — take place at Expert Dojo, a startup accelerator located near the Santa Monica Pier. A closing party will take place at Universal Music Group’s nearby headquarters. To help attendees know what to expect from the event, Billboard is highlighting some of the most promising programming. Optimization is Not Enough: Are You Ready for Streaming’s Reckoning? MIDiA Research’s Tatiana Cirisano talks about the future of music streaming. In a fireside chat moderated by Music Tectonics founder Dmitri Vietze, Cirisano will argue that focusing on optimization — getting the most out of existing subscribers with higher prices and value-added perks — won’t attract the next generation of customers. The Investor Panel AI startups have commandeered an astounding 51% of venture capital funding in 2025, according to CB Insights. To find out if music is less one-sided, a panel of seasoned investors will discuss what business ideas excite them and where music and technology are headed. They are also expected to give attendees tips on how to pitch them. Featured speakers: Aadit Parikh from Sony Ventures, Conor Healy from Yamaha Music Innovations Fund, and Lucas Cantor Santiago from Mindset Ventures. Entrepreneur and advisor Angel Gambino will moderate. What Everyone Should Know about the New Frontiers: Music, Gaming, AI, and Beyond! If you want to know where the music business is headed, it’s best to hear from the people who help build the products, create the partnerships and advise the companies that are pushing music into the future. The panelists’ many decades of expertise covers streaming platforms, gaming, social media and musical instruments. Featured speakers: Elizabeth Moody from Granderson Des Rochers, Paul McCabe from Roland, and Kirsten Bender from Universal Music Group. Music Tectonics’ Dmitri Vietze will moderate. Tools of the Trade: Platforms That Launch You Out of DIY The best conference panels are often those that offer practical tips that are worth the price of admission. At the “Tools of the Trade” panel, music professionals will give their thoughts on the services that help independent musicians operate in the marketplace. Featured speakers: Kevin Lazaroff from Amuse, Charles Alexander from ViNiL, and Crystal Desai from HiFi Labs. Tetris Kelly from Billboard will moderate. The New Direct-to-Fan E-Commerce “The future of fandom is direct,” says the page for the panel on direct-to-consumer e-commerce. In fact, the future is already here. Direct-to-consumer sales accounted for “two-thirds to 75%” of sales of Universal Music Group’s new releases, COO Boyd Muir said during the company’s Oct. 30 earnings call.
