2023 ECMA Music & Industry Conference: Connect. Mentor. Inspire.

The ECMA Music & Industry Conference is back! The 2023 Conference “Connect. Mentor. Inspire.” is the premiere destination for all Atlantic Canadian artists and industry professionals. It is a place for artists and members to connect with international guest delegates and educators, offer mentorship and be mentored by peers and industry experts, and ultimately elevate their careers.

In 2023, the conference will shine a spotlight on success stories from Atlantic Canadian musicians, songwriters and industry leaders. We will continue to offer mentorship and business development opportunities across all genres and roles including topics such as sync licensing, publishing, songwriting, and touring. Mentorship programs for managers, breakout artists, emerging and established artists as well as industry professionals across a variety of roles and genres will continue to be a foundational element. Networking and business development is another key pillar of the program and as such artists and industry will continue to be able to connect and do business.

The popular ECMA ‘Music in Motion’ Film, Television and Digital Media Program will shine a spotlight on the fifth edition of the ‘SYNC Summit’ offering an array of high level interactive sessions to engage with high-quality film and television music supervisors, publishers, and digital content and branding strategists to offer new career development opportunities for our members. We are proud to offer a series of engaging Francophone conference sessions and activities to spotlight our Acadian members.

The theme of the 2023 Music & Industry Conference is "Connect. Mentor. Inspire.”

Connect: This year we are welcoming back our Connect with the Experts program in an exciting new format. Meet with industry associations, funders, presenters and other experts in the members’ lounge on Friday and Saturday to make new connections and expand your network.

Mentor: This year we are excited to announce the Black Artist Mentorship Program being led by Katrina Lopes. Artists selected to participate in this program will benefit from professional coaching and mentorship to help elevate their ECMA experience. We are also excited to have Music Managers Forum Canada back on board to present our Music Managers Mentorship Program, to expand the networks and professional development opportunities for our East Coast managers.

Inspire: This year we will celebrate the successes across our industry through inspiring panels that offer both reflection on past success and expanding the mind into new ways of how we do things like touring, audio recording and connecting with audiences. Our keynote address this year will feature a conversation with Neon Dreams diving into how they have evolved, what has propelled them forward and how they continue to expand audiences across the globe.

Lots of sessions are yet to be announced, but we are happy to say that our first few sessions are up and available for registration:

• Music Managers Mentorship: This matchmaking mentorship and networking opportunity is aimed at assisting emerging artist representatives and managers in gaining valuable information, skills, expertise and resources from experienced artist managers.

• Music Supervision Crash Course: This crash course will take participants through the basics of music supervision and bring you into the minds of a Music Supervisor.

The 21st edition of the ECMA Export Buyers Program will proudly welcome a diverse network of over 100 music industry delegates from the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe including booking agents, talent buyers, festivals, event and venue programmers, promoters, presenters, music supervisors, sync agents, digital experts and media from the music industry around the world. Stay tuned for full details coming in March!

For more information and to stay up to date on the 2023 Music & Industry Conference, click here.

The East Coast Music Association would also like to acknowledge the financial support from the Province of Nova Scotia and the Halifax Regional Municipality and the City of Dartmouth, TD, FACTOR, MUSICACTION and the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Canada Music Fund) and of Canada's private radio broadcasters.