Deconstructing All About Music 2024
Deep Dive 02 | AAM's latest album review
Conference programming is tough business.
If you’ve ever wondered about the challenges of steering a dynamic, people-driven event towards success, its a complex orchestration that can often feel as daunting as landing a space shuttle on earth. Multiple points of failure, no single point of success.
I’ve known my fair share of conference and festival organizing back from my college days; I can attest that the stakes only skyrocket in the professional arena. Doing it with an audience full of big egos and digital megaphones, that is the music and entertainment industry, is no small feat.
Now in its 8th edition, AAM brought together the big names and even bigger ideas, all under one roof once again. As we delve into this year's conference, akin to a seasoned critic at an album launch, let’s explore the tracks that made this event buzz.
1. The Album Art | AAM’s Creator Foray
With each year, the conference program unfolds like a fresh album drop and we’re excited to see the track list. This year’s lineup boasted a mix of high-profile keynotes and panels that promised to dissect the intricacies of the indie music business.
There were a lot of ‘Future of'…’ and AI of course; is it really an industry conference if these didn’t pop up?
Mixing and matching the word cloud easily captures some of the commonly accepted maxims of the music industry - 1) we live in a visual world; 2) music is now content; 3) all tech is now AI; 4) immersive, immersive, immersive; 5) learn from global; 6) going live is both on stage and on platforms - tells you that AAM’24 has got it all covered.
AAM has also decidedly entered its ‘creator’ era. Going by the various panels I attended, ‘Creators’ have officially taken over ‘Artists’ as the fulcrum of this conference.
2. B-side Tracks | Workshops is where the real action was
Away from the larger-than-life conversations and high-level panel discussions, these workshops were intimate, filled with passionate folks eager to dig deeper into specialized topics.
The workshop sessions proved to be hidden gems of the conference, where the real magic of learning and exchange happened. Many previous AAM speakers put on a masterclass.
Frankly, it felt like if you really wanted to learn as an attendee, this is where you had to be. The energy here was different - more personal, more intense, as if everyone in the room was on the verge of a breakthrough.
Next time, leave the fanfare for the ballrooms, and learning for the workshops.
3. Play it Again | The power of moderators
The power of a great moderator to transform a panel discussion cannot be overstated. This year, several moderators managed to not just conduct, but elevate the sessions they led.
Highlighted are some of the moderators whose panels I enjoyed attending. Their adept handling of complex topics, mixed with their unique personalities, ensured that the discussion was fun and engaging, the insights highlighted and revisited, making these discussions memorable and worthy of a replay.
The art of steering conversations - live, on stage, in front of an audience demanding to be impressed - is an underappreciated skill. Moderators are the unsung heroes of the album.
4. Volume Down | Phase out manels
Not every track can be a hit, right?
While the 'manels'—all-male panels—did not detract from the credibility of the male panelists, whose insights are undeniably valuable, their presence felt like a step back to a less inclusive era. It’s essential to recognize that in today's diverse industry landscape, such configurations seem increasingly out of place.
Finding high-quality speakers is undoubtedly challenging, but the responsibility for ensuring diversity does not lie solely with the organizers. Even though as a leading industry conference, now in its 8th edition, it's reasonable to expect a concerted effort to present a balanced roster of voices.
This responsibility also extends to the speakers themselves, particularly men. Those who find themselves on an all-male panel should seize the opportunity to advocate for and recommend women whose insights and expertise would enrich the discussion.
5. Volume Up | Nerd curated spaces
On a brighter note, the conference brilliantly amplified the contributions of its most nerdiest minds. The nerd-curated spaces were a testament to the depth of knowledge and passion within the indie music community.
Their insight and genuine enthusiasm provided a high-fidelity experience that was both enlightening and refreshing.
Whether its building culture-forward businesses, diving into what makes a grassroots ecosystem come alive, or shining light on how culture is evolving; I’m all for more of this stuff at AAM.
6. Backstage Pass | Unscheduled magic
The impromptu performances? Absolute highlights. These weren’t just fillers between talks but real, raw showcases of talent, reminding us all why we love this industry.
I was lucky enough to catch a few of these performances - Justh’s candor on his panel was only matched with his heartfelt singing of Chor using just a mic; Sheykhar Ravijani and Shilpa Rao’s new release live performed at the end of their panel; and even Gurbaxx dropping his new desi amapiano track at the day 3 showcase. (Big shoutout to the two courageous audience performers who sang their compositions completely out of the blue during the Q&A of Tarsame’s conversation with Vinit Thakkar).
Plus, don’t we all love live performances? It brought a personal touch to the bustle of the conference schedule, and added a layer of authenticity and excitement, reminding everyone of the spontaneous magic that music can create.
7. Missing Tracks | Themes I kept waiting to catch
Now for the original reason why I wanted to write this piece.
AAM’24 hit many high notes, but there were a few missed beats - key discussions that, in my view, should become important part of the industry conversation.
In today's rapidly evolving music landscape, dominated by streaming services and algorithmic recommendations - essential conversations about the influence of technology on music culture, the erosion of cultural diversity in the streaming world, and the relegation of music art to mere content, among others - were sadly absent.
Each of these topics is not only ripe for discussion but critical for understanding and navigating the future of the industry from a culture-first lens. These "missing tracks" represent important themes where AAM can led the charge in driving the industry forward.
AAM On Repeat
Every year, the All About Music conference has been bringing together a melody of ideas and innovations that shed light on the indie music scene in India. This year’s lineup was no exception, featuring a ensemble of discussions that pushed our collective thinking.
But even the best-curated playlists can miss a beat or two. Important themes and dialogues didn’t take the stage this time - areas ripe for exploration that hold the potential to deepen our engagement with music and its evolving landscape.
Let’s view these missed tracks not as oversights but as open invitations. They are calls to tune into deeper, perhaps more challenging frequencies where the future of music and culture intersect.
AAM is just getting started on demystifying the creator economy in India. Expect this to be an exciting platform to learn about where the creator class is heading; and how we might all support the ecosystem for the artists who enrich our lives with their craft.
PS: You see many creators creating content on the conference floor; but here is someone who has created a data product with a catchy reel to boot. Haven’t checked the credibility of the database but kudos to the ingenuity of putting this together!
Do leave a comment below if this resonated.
Thanks for reading,
Rohit