The Waves Music Conference is part of the festival and offers keynotes, panels, and workshops on October 3rd and 4th 2013. The specialist programme, which is meant to be the basis and inspiration for a long-term, pan-European cooperation, addresses current issues in the music industry as well as the key subject of Eastern and Western European exchange.

International industry meeting as an opportunity for local musicians
During the Waves Music Conference, Vienna becomes the meeting point of international disseminators of the music business such as festival and concert organisers, labels and publishing houses, as well as managers and media people. Internationalisation is a key issue for many local artists and their business environment. The conference offers the opportunity to establish important, long-lasting contacts to all those who have not yet been present at international festivals and conferences.

Focal points and innovations 2013

New location – more space for networking
This year the conference is held at the Urania, one of the most attractive and historic lecture buildings. Several rooms of different sizes enable a more extensive programme. Besides
sufficient space for panels, delegates have enough room for getting acquainted with each other, discussions, and networking. The conference programme 2013 includes longer breaks, which offers larger time margins for discussions.

Broad topical scope
Apart from the main focus “Cooperation between East and West”, the conference programme addresses exciting future topics of the music industry (e.g. cross-border licensing, how will new music be approached in the future?), current social issues (e.g. well-intentioned censorship, the income situation of musicians, women in the Eastern Europe music world), economic issues (e.g. the situation of record stores, music management in small markets), approaches the direct-to-fan-phenomenon heavy metal, presents innovations and new technologies, introduces international festivals and a lot more. Numerous information panels and workshops round off the programme.

Guest countries Slovenia and Belgium
Once again, the conference programme focuses on the two guest countries of the festival. Besides information on the Slovenian and Belgian music markets and the music scenes of the two countries, the conference programme introduces and discusses how to access these music markets and what their peculiarities are. Numerous delegates from the guest countries are included as speakers and discussion partners throughout the whole conference programme.

Feedback sessions for Waves acts from AT / BE / SI
Waves acts from the focus countries and from Austria selected by an expert jury will get constructive feedback from renowned music professionals. This gives these bands the opportunity to gain the conference audience for their performances in the evening programme. There will also be a feedback session dedicated to the websites of select bands and labels.