The US live market is probably the most competitive, with fierce pressures - competing with corporate giants, securing funding and managing high costs. Independent players must innovate, build strong local networks, and constantly present captivating programs to survive in this industry. What’s it like to navigate this? What are the biggest issues? And for European artists wanting in on this massive market, strategic partnerships and the understanding of regional audiences is essential. How possible is it to get there? And what’s a good starting point to attract venues, promoters, and festivals to start building an audience? Nate Dorough, Pyramid Scheme / School Night, Michigan, US Lio Kanine, New Colosssus Festival, New York City, US Berkli Johnson, SXSW, Austin, US Chair, Sam Sumpter, Bands do BK, New York City, US

Viva Sounds 2024 – How Is My Live Market Doing? The live market is undeniably tricky for indie promoters, venues, and agents, as most of us know: rising costs, inflation, post-COVID behavioural shifts in ticket sales, not to mention competing with bigger players about the gig-money of the public. But - the thrill of booking the perfect show, the joy of pulling off a show against all odds, and the magic of sharing unforgettable moments with friends keeps being raw fuel to the independent players. How do they keep that spark alive, stay adaptable and find new ways to get their audience's attention while keeping the scene thriving despite the gloom and doom? Carlo Emme, Plan B, Malmö, SE Rachel Ann Lewis, Ravnedalen Live!, Kristiansand, NO Jonas Goncalves, Ya Ya Yeah Booking, Nazaré, PT Chair; Jose Carlos Santon, Devil’s Mouth, Lisbon, PT

This year’s keynote interview welcomes the legendary Simon Williams. Simon will share his journey from writing for NME during its heyday to founding, and still running, the influential Fierce Panda label. Hear about the highs and the lows, the career-defining successes, the challenges of running a label mixed with personal insights from his book; Pandamonium! How to Not Run a Record Label. The book openly covers his experiences in the music industry, not shying away his own struggle with mental health. Do not miss this sit down with one of the industry's most impactful figures, who still goes to more shows in a month than most people do in a year. Simon Williams, Fierce Panda, London, UK Chair, John Kennedy, Radio X, London, UK

Independent PR agents work tirelessly to craft compelling stories for new bands, balancing the need to charge artists and/or labels while delivering tangible results in an ever-shrinking media landscape. With fewer music magazines, blogs and radio stations giving space to smaller acts, the struggle to get meaningful coverage is greater than ever, while the need for bands to get exposure is more necessary than ever. This panel will focus on the creative ways indie PR agents needs to use to keep their artists in the spotlight and explore how PR strategies differ across genres and markets. Pierre Hellqvist, Ebba Lindqvist PR, Göteborg, SE Jessica Otten, Hold Tight PR / Future Cult PR, NL Ina Neumayr, Popup Records, Hamburg, DE Chair; Ellinor Andersson bass player, Ljungskile, SE

Independent festivals are essential for new music discovery, booking bands/artists a bit out there and bringing communities together in a way big, commercial festivals can't. They create unique, intimate experiences, offer a platform for emerging talent, and throw unforgettable parties. From the inside, it’s about witnessing an audience thrilled by a band they’d never heard before, seeing your team proud from what you’ve pulled off together and knowing bands will benefit from new opportunities. Yet, with slim margins and financial risks, can festivals grow and stay true to their roots amidst hot bands, cold sponsorships, tricky agents, and unpredictable audiences? Sebastian Vera, Mallorca Live, Palma, ES Minke Weeda, Left of the dial, Rotterdam, NL David Lohdi, Nürnberg Pop Festival, Nürnberg, DE Chair; Sam Sumpter, Bands do BK, New York City, US

Anekdote offers a no-code platform to build your own iOS and Android app for communities. Own your data, engage followers, share unique content, send push notifications, and sell directly to maximize revenue. Take control of your content! Per Vikström, Anekdote * Presented by Anekdote

This year's "Lay of the Land" panel will explore both the now and the future through the lens from three different perspectives - label, distributor and festival. Have things stabilised over the last few years? Are things getting worse, or better, or both? What’s the new things to consider? NFT’s still hot? Is TikTok over? Is streaming a rigged game? What about dynamic prices on tickets? This discussion might even fiddle with the tensions between corporate power and independent vision, so expect views and opinions regarding dsp's, major labels and the ever evolving festival market. Torny Gottberg, Denmark Music Group, Gothenburg, SE Rikke Andersen, Spot Festival, Århus, DK Philipp Schulte, Century Media, Berlin, DE Chair; Katja Vaukhonen, Backbone Management, Helsinki, FI

Step into the story, the rise and fall of two of Sweden's most iconic festivals: Peace & Love in Borlänge and Arvikafestivalen in Arvika. Once hosting legendary acts like Bob Dylan, Rihanna, Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails, they were giants in the music scene. In this talk, we’ll explore the crucial decisions, the financial missteps, and the changing cultural landscapes that led to their downfall—and what could have been done to save them. The insights from the inside and a look at how festivals now can avoid a similar fate. Eric Lindholm, MarketHype, formerly of Arvikafestivalen Patric Hammar, Borlänge municipality, formerly of Peace and Love Festival Chair: Eddie Wheeler, Eddie Wheeler, Gothenburg, SE * Presented by VG Live

We still love festivals and the festivals are still the place to be, for both audience and artists alike. Three different ones talk about challenges, opportunities and the future. ------------------------------------- Lubna Shaheen, Ziro Festival, IN Uldis Paberzis, Summer Sound, LV Berkli Johnson, SXSW Music Festival, US Chair: Henke Brannerydh, Rockpodden, SE

LET’S TALK MERCH! Sustainability, making money to fuel your tour, merch cuts, artwork, drinks, fans, fanbases, customers - let's dive into it. ------------------------------------- Dan Tobin - Eyesore Merch, UK Sari H Wilholm - Republic 66/Live Brands Factory, SE Runa Strindin - Midgardsblot, NO Chair: José Carlos Santon, The Devil’s Mouth, PT

The Gems talk us through being 3/4 of Thundermother and supporting Scorpions to getting kicked out of the band and start all over again. ------------------------------------- With: The Gems

Can artists, agents, promoters and venues all be happy together? And at the same time keep the audience coming back? Let's look at things from the agents standpoint. ------------------------------------- Lenny Falk Renholt, Kultivation, SE Jess Kinn, One Fiinix, UK Victor Schvarcz, komet Agency, SE Chair: Ellinor Andersson, Electric Hydra, SE

What's needed to make cities work as a community, creating scenes, careers and successes for both companies and artists. We will get down with Wichita, Manchester and Gothenburg to find some common ground. ------------------------------------- Jeff Thompson - Un-Convention, UK Jessie Hartke - Midtopia, US Tomas Lindberg - At the Gates, SE Chair: Yohanna Eek, Yoha Sounds, SE

Three perspectives on where we are as an industry after the pandemic and into a world on fire. ------------------------------------- Paco Barba, Hipnosis, Pitchfork Music Festival, MX Robyn Stewart, Women in Music Canada, BreakOut West, CA Fredrik Andersson, Welfare Sounds & Records, SE Chair: John Kennedy, Radio X, UK

Day two opens with a chat with music journalist legend David Fricke, who will share his tips and tricks on how to get the most out of a festival experience. Time to up your game by learning from the master.

What would future cooperation between municipalities and local promoters look like? Viktor Andersson, Babel, SE Jenny Persson, Head of Culture, Trollhättan, SE Harriett Andersson, KB West, SE David Dagemark, Event manager, Kungsbacka Municipality, SE Chair: Gustav Nyqvist, VG Live

Can city, region and state officials support the creative sector to grow free and remain creative? ------------------------------------- Sofia Lubian, Head of department, cultural administration, Gothenburg, SE Alex Bergström, Chairman of the cultural committee in the region Västra Götaland, SE Jakob Eknor, Music advisor at the Swedish arts council, SE Chair: Johan Lindqvist, Göteborgs-Posten, SE

Career spanning interview with founder Simon Raymonde from the iconic label. ------------------------------------- Chair: Anika Mottershaw, Bella Union, UK

A talk about where the DSP's are headed, why old-model record deals still play a big role in the world of streaming and what’s different if running your own label. ------------------------------------- Daniel Johansson - Musikindustrin, SE Lilia Ohls - Tapete Records, DE Oskar Humlebo - Moto Boy, SE Chair: John Kennedy, Radio X, UK

The Chairman of Göteborg & Co will open things in style. He is the former Minister for Commerce and Industry, Minister of Culture and Education and held the position of Consul General of Sweden in New York City from 2016 to 2018. At all times - a champion of music and it's both an honour and really, really cool to have Leif Pagrotsky open up our event.