U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Spotify’s Marian Lee Dicus and Jeremy Erlich and VP’s Pat Chin will be keynotes at A2IM’s Indie Week, which will be taking place virtually from June 14 through June 17. Indie Week will feature four days of keynotes, workshops, panels, and international networking opportunities.
According to the announcement, the speakers “are poised to offer perspectives on the organization’s three key pillars — advocacy, education, and community — in discussions that span across the key role that streaming plays for artists, the struggles faced by creatives over the past year due to the pandemic, diversity in independent music, and how support from legislators is essential in empowering and protecting independents.”
Congressman Jeffrieshas been the U.S. Representative for New York’s 8th Congressional district since 2013. He is a co-author of the Music Modernization Act, a groundbreaking piece of copyright and royalty legislation that was signed into law in 2019.
As vice presidents & co-heads of music, DicusandErlichlead a global team aimed at creating opportunities for artists at all stages of their careers to connect with fans on Spotify, while providing users with editorial and programming experiences that allow them to discover and re-discover music.
Chin, a 60-year veteran and female trailblazer in the music industry, was the first woman to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the A2IM Libera Awards (in 2015). As the co-founder of VP Records, over the years she has worked with the music of artists such as Bob Marley & the Wailers, Elephant Man, Estelle, Junior Reid, Raging Fyah, and more. In January, Chin publishedthe autobiography “My Reggae Music Journey.”
Featuring keynotes, panels, exclusive networking sessions, and more, A2IM Indie Week has historically drawn an attendance of over 1,200 participants from more than 30 countries. A2IM Indie Week 2020 was slated to take place in New York City, but in response to COVID-19 lockdowns, A2IM took Indie Week 2020 online, blazing trails as the first major music conference to go fully virtual. With more than 60 interactive panels, presentations, and happy hours that were gender-balanced and diverse, the virtual version of the conference drew wide acclaim, retaining the high-powered content for which Indie Week has become known. A2IM Indie Week 2021 will be even bigger and more robust. In addition to the sponsored and curated panel presentations, A2IM has created innovative and seamless ways for attendees to network and connect in the virtual environment.
On its final day, A2IM Indie Week 2021 will culminate with the 10th Anniversary A2IM Libera Awards.
Presented by SoundExchange, A2IM Indie Week 2021 is sponsored by Bandcamp, Ingrooves, Merlin, Musiio, Qobuz, Songtrust, Spotify, and Vydia.
For more information, visit:https://a2imindieweek.org/.
