The Foundation for Independent Music (FIM) today announces programming for the 18th annual Indie Week conference, along with a keynote from Shira Perlmutter, Register of Copyrights and Director, U.S. Copyright Office. Perlmutter joins previously announced keynote speaker Charlie Lexton, CEO of Merlin.
Supported by the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), Indie Week is the premier gathering for the independent music community, bringing together label executives, artists, distributors, technology leaders, attorneys, and global partners of strategic conversations, networking, and forward-looking programming. The three-day conference takes place June 8-11 at the InterContinental New York Times Square. Purchase tickets HERE.
This year’s special programming includes IndieVest – an initiative designed to bridge the gap between the independent music community and the investment world – the dedicated networking and discussing session Record Swap, and Continued Legal Education (CLE) sessions curated by Perkins Coie. Along with sponsored workshops and masterclasses, Indie Week programming seeks to bring together leaders from across the independent music ecosystem for strategic insight, collaboration, and community.
Indie Week will include programming from Symphonic on International Market Spotlight on LATAM, exploring options for labels to grow in the market and The Modern Label Playbook, focused on smarter data usage. An interactive program will be presented by SonicOrigin, Spotify will host an Artist Masterclass, and Chartmetric will present on how to leverage data usage, specific to the indie music sector.
The premier independent music industry conference will once again feature a robust slate of programming spanning global markets, including a special focus on the APAC market. Diverse discussions on artist development, beyond traditional releases, strategic catalog management, and forward-thinking marketing sessions on fan lifecycle, radio strategy, micro-genres, UGC, and visual storytelling. Along with discussions on smart business growth and best tactics to support a long-term vision.
INDE WEEK 2026 PROGRAMMING:
SPECIAL PROGRAMMING:
IndieVest – IndieVest is an initiative designed to bridge the gap between the independent music community and the investment world. The program creates a dedicated space for conversations around financing, revenue analysis and new business opportunities. It also features a pitch competition, Elevating Indies: Music Innovation Showcase.
Elevating Indies: Music Innovation Showcase – This is your chance to showcase your innovation to industry leaders, investors, and fellow creators at Indie Week 2026. We’re looking for groundbreaking projects that push the boundaries of the independent music ecosystem – whether it’s a new business model, technology solution, or creative strategy. Selected participants will present their ideas live, gaining valuable exposure, expert feedback, and the opportunity to connect with potential partners and supporters.
Record Swap – Record Swap is a dedicated networking and discovery session at Indie Week where attendees bring, exchange and explore music from across the independent sector.
Continued Legal Education (CLE) curated by Perkins Coie – Curated by Perkins Coie LLP, A2IM is proud to present another full-day Continuing Legal Education at Indie Week 2026 bringing together leading practitioners and industry experts for timely discussions on music litigation cases, privacy considerations for music services and distributors, AI music licensing, and a special Ethics panel focused on women in music, diversity, and representation. The program will also feature in-depth sessions on catalog transactions and strategic enforcement – exploring the lifecycle of music catalog deals and the evolving role of litigation in protecting rights in today’s digital and AI-driven marketplace.
Hot Litigation Cases in the Music Industry 2.0
Ethics, Equity & Representation: Women, Diversity, and Professional Responsibility in the Music Industry
Privacy Considerations for Music Services and Distributors
Music Licensing in the Age of AI
Inside the Deal: Selling, Leveraging, or Scaling a Music Catalog
What’s It Take to Litigate? Enforcement, Leverage, and the Cost of Protecting Rights
PROGRAMMING:
International Market Spotlight: LATAM presented by Symphonic – Latin America continues to be one of the fastest-growing and most culturally influential music markets in the world – but growth in the region looks very different from the U.S. or Europe. This market overview panel offers a practical look at how the LATAM music ecosystem actually works today, from streaming dynamics and audience behavior to local partnerships, monetization realities, and regional nuances across key markets. Learn what indie labels need to know before entering or expanding in LATAM, including market fragmentation, language considerations, release strategies, rights and revenue flows, and common pitfalls for non-local companies.
The Modern Label Playbook: Data, Discovery & Demand in 2026 presented by Symphonic – The next era of label growth isn’t about releasing more music – it’s about building smarter systems. In 2026, the strongest labels will blend data discipline, real audience insights, DSP strategy, fan discovery, and multi-vertical marketing to drive sustainable demand. This panel brings together leaders across DSP relations, artist marketing, brand partnerships, and tour/media strategy to break down how modern labels can operate like scalable enterprises. We’ll explore what today’s performance signals really mean, how to architect a repeatable growth engine, and the tactics that will shape catalog, A&R, and marketing decisions over the next decade.
SonicOrigin Challenge – SonicOrigin’s interactive listening room will let attendees test whether they can detect audio watermarking in real time, exploring how this technology can be adopted across the independent music sector to track and protect recordings in the age of AI.
Spotify for Artist Masterclass – At Spotify, we’ve been developing tools to help artists and their teams build hype for new music and connect with new fans across the release cycle – from pre-release to release day and beyond – right on the platform where music is streamed. Join the Spotify music team to learn how to best leverage our products – like Countdown Pages, Clips, Music Videos, Marquee, Showcase, and more – across all phases of an artist’s journey.
Indie Music: A Data-Driven Global Snapshot Presented by Chartmetric – Leveraging Chartmetric’s comprehensive data, this presentation explores the current state of the global indie music landscape. We will consolidate key metrics surrounding A2IM-represented music entities to showcase the collective impact and unified power of the independent sector.
A2IM’s Annual General Meeting – Join Ian Harrison, CEO of A2IM, and the A2IM Team as they wrap up Indie Week 2025 with the Annual General Meeting. Meet the newly elected board of directors, and featured speakers: Nabil Ayers (Beggars Group, A2IM Board), Noemi Planas (WIN), Charlie Lexton (Merlin), and Josh Hurvitz (NVG, LLC).
International Market Spotlight: APAC – The Asia-Pacific region represents a massive opportunity for independent music companies – but success requires a market-specific approach. From Japan and South Korea to India and Southeast Asia, each territory has distinct consumer behavior, platform ecosystems, revenue models, and partnership structures. This market spotlight explores where indie labels should realistically focus their efforts, what entry strategies work in different territories, and how to prioritize markets based on genre, audience, and business goals.
Artist Development Beyond Music Releases – More artists are expanding beyond albums and tours to build careers in film and television scoring – bringing their unique creative voices into visual storytelling. This panel explores how recording artists are making the transition into composing and scoring for film, and what that shift means for modern artist development. Panelists will discuss creative pathways, collaboration models, and the business considerations behind moving into film composition, including rights, compensation, representation, and the role of labels and managers in supporting these opportunities.
Catalog as Strategy: Managing, Protecting & Scaling Long-Term Music Assets – As catalogs become more valuable – and more complex – independent labels are being forced to treat them less like passive libraries and more like core business infrastructure. This panel focuses on how to manage catalog strategically over time, from rights clarity and data hygiene to release planning, global exploitation, and risk management. Panelists will discuss how thoughtful catalog management supports sustainable growth, strengthens negotiating power with partners, and creates flexibility for future opportunities – whether that’s expansion, partnerships, or acquisition.
Building the Fan Lifecycle – As the music industry shifts from short-term attention to long-term relationships, label teams play a critical role in building and sustaining artist fan communities. This panel explores how labels are designing engagement strategies that go beyond releases and campaigns to create lasting connections between artists and their audiences. Experts will discuss how label teams use data, community platforms, content ecosystems, direct-to-fan strategies, and live experiences to deepen fan relationships over time.
Micro Genres, Macro Opportunities – The global music landscape is becoming more fragmented, highly focused genre scenes with deeply engaged fan communities are creating powerful opportunities for independent labels. From hyper-specific sounds to culturally rooted movements, these spaces offer strong identity, loyal audiences, and new pathways for growth. This session explores how indie labels can strategically collaborate around genre-driven communities – through cross-label partnerships, targeted marketing, community-led releases, and shared infrastructure – to expand reach and unlock new revenue streams.
From Spins to Strategy: Making Radio Work for Indies – Radio remains a powerful discovery and promotion channel – but for independent labels, knowing when and how to invest can make all the difference. This session explores how indie teams approach radio strategy today, from evaluating opportunities and allocating budgets to measuring impact and return on investment. Experts will discuss what’s working across formats and markets, what’s losing effectiveness, and how labels can make informed decisions about timing, spend, and campaign scale.
UGC & the Influencer Landscape: What’s Actually Working Now – User-generated content (UGC) and creator partnerships have become core drivers of music discovery, fan engagement, and release strategy. But with constant platform shifts and rising costs, independent labels must make smarter decisions about when to invest, how much to spend, and which partners actually deliver results. This session explores how teams are strategically leveraging creators, influencer campaigns, and fan-driven content across platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to build sustained visibility. Learn how to identify the right creator partnerships, determine timing within a release cycle, navigate budget constraints, structure campaigns, and measure impact.
Beyond the Music Video: Creating a Visual Legacy – Visual storytelling has become a core part of how artists introduce themselves, build recognition and grow lasting fandoms. This panel breaks down how labels and teams approach visual identity with clear budgets, performance goals, and return expectations. Panelists will share real benchmarks around spend (from $5K short-form campaigns to $250K+ flagship videos), how to determine the right level of investment, when visual campaigns deliver meaningful ROI, and how to build a consistent visual strategy that strengthens artist identity while supporting long-term business outcomes.
CFO Roundtable: Hard Lessons from Running an Independent Label – In this off-the-record CFO roundtable, senior finance leaders share the hard lessons learned from managing cash flow, structuring deals, forecasting growth, and navigating risk in an unpredictable market. From costly mistakes to smarter systems, this session delivers real-world insights for building financially resilient independent labels.
Durability Over Hype: Long-Term Thinking for Independent Companies – In an industry built around short-term wins and constant change, long-term survival has become one of the hardest challenges for independent music companies. This executive-level panel focuses on how indie labels and music businesses build durability over years, not release cycles. Rather than chasing trends, the conversation centers on repeatable decision-making, sustainable growth, and preserving independence while adapting to shifting markets. Designed for founders and senior executives, this session offers practical insights into building an indie business that lasts.
Metadata to Money: Solving the Metadata Gap – Inaccurate or incomplete metadata is one of the biggest – and most preventable – causes of lost revenue. Missing credits, incorrect identifiers, and inconsistent data across platforms can lead to uncollected royalties, delayed payments, rights disputes, and missed opportunities across the board. The conversation will provide practical solutions on best practices for metadata creation and management, quality control process, and tools that ensure accurate registration, tracking and reporting.
Owning Your Data: Navigating Distribution, Control, and Catalog Transitions – As the music industry consolidates, independent labels face growing challenges around data ownership, catalog management, and platform dependence. Relying solely on distributor-provided systems can lead to data lock-in and operational risk – especially if your partner is acquired or changes direction. This panel will unpack why controlling your own data is essential for long-term stability and flexibility, and explore the practical realities of catalog redistribution when changing distributors.
The New DNA of High-Performing Music Teams – The best music companies today are built on hybrid thinking: analytical meets creative, strategic meets relational, operational meets visionary. This panel breaks down the attributes of teams that consistently outperform – including role design, communication styles, talent composition, and leadership structures. Panelists will explore how organizations can mirror the audiences they serve and avoid “echo chamber” decision-making that limits innovation. Ideal for leaders optimizing team structure for future growth.
Right People, Right Time: Strategic Hiring for Music Companies – Hiring the right people at the right time can define a company’s trajectory. For independent labels and music companies, building an efficient team isn’t just about filling roles – it’s about aligning talent with vision, culture, and long-term growth. Panelists will share practical insights on when to expand your team, how to identify the right candidate beyond the resume, and how to build human-centered hiring practices that foster performance, trust, and retention.
