The community has voted and the PanelPicker sessions are here. Get a first look at some of the top trending themes that deal with how artists and the music industry must continue to evolve in a rapidly changing world. What will success look like in the new music economy? Will artists need to constantly reinvent new ways to brand and market themselves? What does the future of live music look like, and so much more.
Take a look here to catch a quick teaser of some of the music sessions coming your way during the SXSW Music Festival & Conference. These conversations are meant to engage, inform and inspire you, so keep checking the SXSW® schedule for all the latest updates.
PanelPicker® Music Sessions Highlights
The Future of Music Is Participatory
The future of live music is interactive, immersive, and powered by real-time technology. This panel explores how concerts are evolving across physical and digital spaces through XR platforms, Unreal Engine, virtual performance, and production design. Leaders from Meta, Silent Partners Studio, and Wave will share how they are transforming concerts into multi-sensory experiences, blending creativity and technology to shape the next generation of live performance.
Speakers include: 310babii - Platinum-recording artist/rapper, Gaurav Sharma - Founder & CEO at Hook Music, Jordy Freed - Head of Brand, Biz Development at Sony Music, and Dani Deahl - Head of Comms & Creator Insights at Bandlab
The Playbook: Viral Hits to Loyal Fandoms
In an industry historically shaped by hierarchy and fear-based leadership, a new generation of executives is proving that true influence comes from empowerment, inclusion, and collective accountability. This high-level panel brings together senior leaders from across the music industry to explore how shifting from “I” to “we,” is not only transforming workplace culture - it’s building stronger creative output. Through real stories, we’ll examine how valuing every voice - whether front-facing or behind the scenes - is essential to creating the future of our industry.
Speakers include: Sarah Landy - Senior VP, Americas at FUGA,Soy Kim - Head of North America for Music & Podcasts Content Strategy at YouTube, Charles W. Hamilton - Head of Business & Legal Affairs at Giant Music, and Jeanette Perez - President at Kobalt Music
Launching New & Legacy Talent In a Disrupted Industry
The rules of the music industry have changed. Whether you're developing a first-time artist or repositioning a legacy act, success now demands a blend of creative instinct, digital fluency, and cultural timing. This panel convenes a powerhouse group of professionals across talent representation, production, and management to explore what it really takes to break an artist in 2025. From grassroots buzz to global hits, we’ll unpack how new talent is developed, how legacy artists pivot in the digital age, and how the industry navigates an ever-shifting landscape of platforms and fandom.
Speakers include: Alexis Lesko - Music Agent at UTA, Mike G - Music Agent & Partner at UTA, Brian Kennedy - Music Producer, Songwriter & Artist, Rike Tischendorf - General Manager at P Music Group
And be sure to check out the latest sessions per track to start planning your schedule!
