Registration now open for fifth annual Music Industry Summit

The fifth annual OHIO Music Industry Summit (MIS) registration is open and is expected to deliver another great lineup this year. The MIS is a two-day conference with artists, industry leaders, and everyone in between that come to provide engaging programming for attendees. Open to the public, the summit also provides an opportunity for those who want to network with other people involved in the music and film industry. Students aiming to break into any production-based industries after college can gain firsthand knowledge from the experts.

We spoke with Josh Antonuccio, director of the School of Media Arts and Studies, and co-founder and director of the summit about this year’s lineup, what he is excited about, and his favorite moments from past events.

“Topics in the past have ranged from the live event industry, music production, Web3, artist management, and music supervision- where we have been privileged to welcome many notable supervisors including Nora Felder (Stranger Things), Jen Malone (Euphoria, Atlanta), and Chris Douridas (Dreamworks),” Antonuccio said.  “The aim when planning each year is to give students ample opportunity to not only learn from an array of industry professionals and artists, but to be able to network.”

The MIS is special from a faculty standpoint as well. When asked about his own experiences and favorite aspects, Antonuccio provided a wide range, saying most of his favorite parts revolved around the students; to see so much student and attendee engagement.

“Seeing a diverse group of people from so many different industries together is something special that our university has been able to offer," Antonuccio added.

Organizers are introducing a new offering at this year’s summit: attendees can sign up for a roundtable discussion with industry professionals during the lunch hours of the event. This is a special opportunity that will be available on a limited RSVP basis and will allow students and attendees to ask their own questions and have conversations with the people involved in the event. More details about these sessions will be announced in March.

Registration is free and open to the public, and with the option to attend virtually. Antonuccio said the event draws attendees from far beyond the OHIO community.

“People from places as far as Detroit have driven in to come to this event,” he said. “The online feature came into fruition in 2021 and we had so much engagement that we knew that we needed to continue to make it an option. That year alone there were attendees from 48 states and over 40 countries streaming the event.”

Antonuccio noted that the visiting artists and industry leaders bring experience that’s extremely valuable to attendees. Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast gave the keynote at the 2022 summit.

“Not only did her career not have a linear path, but she had to endure a lot of uncertainty and parts of confusion in her life to get her to where she is today – eventually being able to become a bestselling author,” Antonuccio said. “She struggled for over a decade, trying to get into the music industry, before it happened for her. These are the kinds of stories that are so valuable; students need to know that this industry is not a straight shot to success. While it can feel daunting, stores like Michelle’s show what it takes to get into the industry they are passionate about.”

This year’s lineup announcements have only just started. They include an artist keynote and closing concert from breakout artist mxmtoon, Tariq Cherif, co-founder/ co-CEO of Rolling Loud music festival, Maggie Phillips, the music supervisor for many hit shows and movies including The Handmaid’s Tale and Moonlight, and Lydia Loveless, a well-known singer-songwriter based in Columbus who will be hosting a song writing workshop. The full lineup will be released in March.

To keep up-to-date on lineup announcements and registration opportunities, follow the MIS on Instagram and Twitter. Watch sessions from past events on YouTube and the event’s website.

Registration for the event is open now. The dedicated OHIO Music Industry Summit mobile app, where participants can build out their profile and connect with fellow attendees, speakers and sponsors, and learn about the sessions and more will launch on March 1.

The MIS will be held April 5-6, 2023, in Baker University Center.