New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The
Music Business Association (Music Biz) has announced the preliminary agenda for its
Music Biz 2017 convention May 15-18, 2017, at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel in Nashville. The event will be headlined by a keynote presentation from Troy Carter, a 20-year entertainment industry veteran who launched the career of
Lady Gaga and has managed a roster of superstar artists that includes
Music Biz 2015 Breakthrough Artist of the Year Meghan Trainor, John Legend, Charlie Puth, Lindsey Stirling, and many more. Carter now serves as Global Head of Creator Services at Spotify.
"We are thrilled to announce Troy as one of our
Music Biz 2017 keynote speakers," said
James Donio, President of
Music Biz. "Throughout his two decades in the entertainment industry, Troy has been at the forefront of the digital transition, investing in now-massive startups such as Spotify, Dropbox and Uber, and creating the Smashd.co digital platform, while also steering major artists on paths that embrace all forms of consumption and marketing techniques. We look forward to hearing what he has to say about the future of the music business, and know his keynote will inspire our attendees to be passionate about the future potential of delivering great music and experiences to fans worldwide."
After beginning his career in the 1990s at
Will Smith and
James Lassiter's Overbrook Entertainment, Carter joined Bad Boy Entertainment in 1995 before forming his own boutique talent management company, Erving Wonder, in 1999. After the company was acquired by the Sanctuary Group in 2004, he launched Atom Factory in 2010, which built some of the world's largest social media audiences on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. In 2011, he sought to unite and focus the potential of those networks by co-founding Backplane, a Silicon Valley start-up that unites people around affinities, interests, and movements. The following year, Carter incorporated A IDEA, a product development and branding agency, as well as AF Square, an angel fund and technology consultancy. Today, Carter feeds his passion for culture and technology through his Cross Culture fund, which counts more than 80 investments in early stage startups, including Spotify, Dropbox, Uber, Warby Parker, and Lyft. In 2015, Carter launched Smashd.co, a digital platform to inspire Millennials, entrepreneurs, and tech enthusiasts by amplifying the art of hustle.
Bringing together key representatives from the music commerce, content and creative sectors - including retailers and services, labels, artists, managers, startups, and more -
Music Biz 2017 gives attendees a place to meet with trading partners, network with new companies, and learn about new trends and products impacting the music business. This year's event will cover topics including Touring, Live Streaming, Vinyl, Messaging, International, D2F, Crowdfunding, Tweens & Tech, e-Commerce, Playlisting, A&R, Social Media, Licensing, Publishing, Hi-Res, VR, Management, and Professional Development. Returning favorite sessions will include the Metadata Summit,
Brand & Strategic Partnership Summit, and Entertainment & Technology Law Conference, as well as an encore for Music's Leading Ladies Speak Out and various special interest programs and breakout sessions.
In addition, the convention will also include a variety of Live
Music Showcases, including the second annual
Industry Jam, in which music business execs join big-name musicians onstage for an evening of live music.
Music Biz will also present the Presidential Award for Outstanding Executive Achievement to Mike Dungan, Chairman and CEO of Universal
Music Group Nashville, and the Independent
Spirit Award to Terry Currier, Owner of the iconic Portland, OR-based record store
Music Millennium. For a full list of currently confirmed programming, visit https://musicbiz2017.sched.org.
Registration for
Music Biz 2017 is open now with early bird discounts in effect until early 2017. For more information or to register for the event, visit www.musicbiz2017.com.
