The sixth edition of Wallifornia MusicTech packs La Grand Poste
From 5 to 7 July, the sixth edition of the Wallifornia MusicTech Summit took place in the splendid setting of La Grand Poste in Liège (Belgium).
The Summit started on the evening of 5 July with a party on the rooftop of La Grand Poste. Belgian performers Nicolas Michaux and DJ Sonar set the mood.
An excellent opportunity to get to know each other while sipping a cocktail and enjoying an incredible view of Liège and the Meuse River.
The next morning, under the still-heavy eyes of the previous day’s partygoers, Alexandre Saboundjian, CEO of Winamp, launched the proceedings with a talk on monetisation, a crucial question for every artist today. Then the floor was handed over to the artists themselves for a panel dedicated to innovation, featuring Arabian Prince, Sarasara and Tété, masterfully chaired by Sudha Kheterpal.
After this, a diverse range of topical subjects were discussed. The industry and musical creation were considered in relation to gaming, NFTs, AI and the metaverse. Naturally, the challenges posed by climate change, the quest for greater diversity in the music industry and the economic challenges faced by creators were also the subjects of fascinating discussions.
Let’s talk about numbers
The event attracted around 200 guests on average per day. Music tech players (industry experts, VCs, start-ups, artists, engineers, teachers) from 21 countries accepted the invitation. Nineteen panels (on music and NFTs, Web3, metadata, fan engagement), nine keynotes (on music licensing, music in the metaverse, innovation), the AI Song Contest and an accelerator Demo Day – and all in just two days.
What about the attendees? How was their experience?
Ted Cohen, a regular at the Summit, founder and CEO of the production company The Orchard: “What I saw during the discussions is smiles, laughs, passion. The best edition yet of the finest music technology gathering on this planet!”
Adeline Beving, Head of Innovation at Sacem: “Wallifornia is an obvious choice for us because of the great quality of its conferences and its qualified audience. We love working with the Wallifornia team to fulfill our mission.”
Takayuki Suzuki, CEO of the Japanese consulting company ParadeALL:
“I think that the music industry is all about collaboration: releasing, marketing, investing, all of that involves human relationships. And that’s what Wallifornia MusicTech provides.”
Sudha Kheterpal, former Faithless percussionist, start-up founder and pitch coach: “It’s amazing to have a summit like Wallifornia MusicTech, which works as an accelerator to push forward these innovations and this thinking. It’s super exciting, it’s going to propel us into the next stage.”
And, last but not at all least, let’s hear how our cofounder Gérôme Vanherf summarises the event: “Since the beginning of this adventure in 2016, our goal has been to make Wallifornia (10-week accelerator + two-day summit) a kind of cool, relaxed ‘Davos of MusicTech’, where the top of the crop of international start-ups, artists, professionals and investors meet, connect, share and develop the future of their industries together. This sixth edition was way beyond our expectations. I look forward to being here in 2023!”
In conclusion, we must thank all our partners. None of this would be possible without Les Ardentes, AI Song Contest, Kikk, LeanSquare, MusicTech Europe, Théâtre de Liège, Reflektor, Sacem and Winamp.