- Friday 2 October
The live music Industry is undergoing a significant structural shift. Across the global cultural landscape, ownership of concerts, venues, and festivals is increasingly concentrated, as financial actors and large-scale organizations absorb independent initiatives. What was once a diverse and decentralized ecosystem is evolving into a more monopolized and commercialized system, shaped by scale, efficiency, and return on investment.
In this keynote, journalist and author Shawn Reynaldo will explore the broader dynamics of monopolization in the live industry. The keynote explores how the rising monopolization impacts artistic freedom, cultural diversity, labor conditions, and the sustainability of independent music scenes. Drawing on decades of close engagement with electronic and independent music cultures, Shawn Reynaldo asks what is at stake as live music is increasingly treated not as a cultural practice, but as a financial asset, and what this transformation means for the future of live culture as we know it.
Shawn Reynaldo is a Barcelona-based writer, editor, and author specializing in electronic music and the culture and industry surrounding it. A veteran music journalist, he has contributed to publications including Pitchfork, NPR, Resident Advisor, DJ Mag, and Bandcamp Daily. He is the author of the First Floor newsletter as well as the book First Floor Vol. 1: Reflections on Electronic Music Culture (Velocity Press, 2023) and is widely recognized for his critical examination of structural and economic issues within music culture.
Participants
Shawn Reynaldo, USA
Language: English