Merck Mercuriadis to Keynote Music Tectonics 2026, Focus on Growing Music Value

At the salt‑kissed Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica, Merck Mercuriadis—renowned artist manager and music‑catalog investor—will deliver the keynote address for Music Tectonics 2026. The three‑day conference runs from October 27 to 29 and has expanded to two beachfront venues, bringing together music executives, artists, managers, investors, publishers and technology founders.

Organized by founder Dmitri Vietze, the event’s theme, “Grow Music, Grow Value,” frames a dialogue on how different sectors can collaborate to enlarge the overall music market. Vietze said the conference is “about rallying everyone from top label execs to publishers to artist managers to artists and founders around a single theme: how we can work together to create a rising tide that lifts all boats.”

Mercuriadis, the founder of Hipgnosis Songs Fund, Hipgnosis Song Management and Hipgnosis Songs Capital, will speak on October 28. He has overseen investments in catalogs that include works by Neil Young, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nile Rodgers, Shakira, Leonard Cohen, Jack Antonoff, Justin Bieber and Justin Timberlake. In 2024 he launched Hipgnosis Artist Partnerships, where he serves as founder and executive chairman.

In his keynote, Mercuriadis is expected to trace the music industry’s transformation over the past decade. He has noted that streaming grew from 30 million to over 800 million paid subscribers worldwide, and that the next decade will bring a “most significant value shift ever” for artists, songwriters, producers and managers.

Other sessions announced for the conference include:

Investors’ focus on music technology and capital allocation in the sector. Activating artists inside major social games and the impact on revenue streams. * The potential for artificial intelligence to expand the industry’s total addressable market through new licensing and royalty models.

The schedule also features a session on technology designed to increase music revenue, a panel where label representatives respond to music‑tech startup pitches, and discussions on how AI can serve artists, labels and publishers.

Early‑bird tickets for Music Tectonics 2026 are available until August 11. Registration and additional conference information can be found on the Music Tectonics website.

Music Tectonics was founded to explore the seismic shifts that keep the music industry unsettled. The conference brings music‑tech innovators across industry boundaries to share insights and facilitate business deals, allowing attendees to schedule meetings and engage in serendipitous encounters in a variety of unexpected venues.

The 2026 conference follows a tradition of gathering stakeholders to discuss the future of music. With a focus on value creation and cross‑sector collaboration, the event is positioned to influence how catalog ownership, streaming, AI and licensing evolve in the coming decade.

As the industry continues to adapt to new consumption models and technological advances, Music Tectonics 2026 aims to provide a platform for dialogue and partnership. The keynote by Mercuriadis and the surrounding sessions are expected to shape conversations about the next wave of value shifts in music.