2021 Indie-Con

WATCH THE 2021 INDIE-CON AUSTRALIA HIGHLIGHTS HERE

INDIE-CON 2021 WRAP-UP!

Indie-Con took place this year as a completely online event. Building on the success of last year’s conference, it took place over 3 days and saw some heavy hitters in the independent sector discussing a broad range of topics. Unsurprisingly, the current pandemic and its effect on the industry was a key subject, with some highlights from the various panel discussions being:

An inspiring keynote discussion on the disruptive and adaptive nature of the indie sector with Jaddan Comerford (UNIFIED Music Group) and Mardi Caught (The Annex),

The vastly different ways that artists can be developed and how the job of A&R looks post-Covid on the Deconstructing A&R panel with Linda Bosidis (Mushroom Music Publishing), Ollie Wards (TikTok), Mark Jowett (Nettwerk Music Group, CA), Andrew Stone (Chugg Music/City Pop Records), Mari Stuart (PIAS Australia), Rachel Jones-Wiliams (Dirty Hit, Asia Pacific), and Lorrae McKenna (Our Golden Friend).

The exciting new world of NFT’s and their impact on the music industry and society as a whole, on the NFT’s And Indie Labels panel with Annabelle Herd (ARIA, PPCA), Nickolas Faulkner (University of Adelaide), Deena Lynch (Jaguar Jonze), Julian Hewitt (Media Arts Lawyers), Nathan McLay (Future Classic) and Clare Smith (Serenade)

The many different timelines, formats and strategies to release music today on the Journey Of A Release panel with Sweetie Zamora (Remote Control, Pointer Recordings), Anika Ostendorf (Milk! Records, Hachiku), Fanny Lumsden (Red Dirt Road Productions, Country Halls Tour), Mike Warner (Chartmetric, Work Hard Playlist Hard), Sarah Guppy (This Much Talent, Gig Life Pro), Kate Lawrence (UNIFIED Music Group) and Amber Horsburgh (Deep Cuts).

Fresh tech solutions to assist artists and labels to work smarter, on the Tech and How It Can Work With Indies panel with Basil Cook (ABC Music), Matt Elsley (Qsic), Josh Simons (VAMPR), Katrina Balcius (DISCO), Jeff Bacon (Family In Music), Abel Farre (BMAT), Gemma Colbran (dArtbase), and Heather Johnson (Ninety9Lives).

The unveiling of the brand new Sounds Australia Export Stimulus program, to help artists and labels bolster their careers internationally,

And a closing keynote from Anthony Zaccaria (Linktree, Bolster) in conversation with Sosefina Fuamoli (Rolling Stone, Hit Different Podcast).

And much, much more!

The event was well attended, and included 70 speakers, live networking sessions and connection opportunities, making Indie-Con 2021 a highlight in what has been a dark year for many in the independent music industry.

“In yet another year plagued by lockdowns and challenges brought on by the pandemic, it was great to see the Australian Independent music sector come together at Indie-Con to discuss important issues, learn how to use technology to connect and transact in today’s environment, discover new opportunities and ensure copyrights are protected and monetised.” – Maria Amato CEO, AIR

Minister for Innovation and Skills, David Pisoni said: “I applaud the organisers of Indie-Con for overcoming the recent challenges and putting on a successful online event which facilitated innovative conversations and provided a platform for the sharing of ideas that will lead to positive outcomes for the music industry.”