Tallinn Music Week Conference Tackles AI, Export Success, Industry Evolution and Leadership in Music
Tallinn Music Week conference will address key challenges and opportunities facing music industry today. Taking place at the Nordic Hotel Forum’s conference centre in Tallinn, Estonia, from 4-5 April 2025, the conference encompasses European music ecosystem challenges; creative and technological frontiers from AI to gaming; export success metrics, and industry wellbeing. The event spotlights diverse markets from Ukraine to Taiwan and the Baltics to Canada.
The conference opening on Friday, 4 April will feature a keynote address from the Estonian Minister of Culture, Heidy Purga. The event will feature the ekip (European Cultural and Creative Industries Innovation Policy Platform) Roundtable, sharing insights from discussions that explore the evolving landscape of the music sector in an era dominated by global digital platforms.
Under the main theme of European Music Ecosystem and Global Collaboration, the comprehensive two-day conference programme begins with an opening session titled “Setting the Stage: The World We Operate In,” establishing the contextual framework for the conference. The European Music Ecosystem Presentation will deliver crucial insights into Europe’s competitive advantages, alongside a presentation by Detlef Scwharte, Director of Reeperbahn Festival, and Dr Carsten Winter, Professor of Media and Music Management at Hanover University, reflecting also on discussions from the ekip Roundtable regarding the challenges posed by platformisation. Furthermore, the conference will address the difficulties of navigating political conflicts in the industry, examining whether to boycott, cancel or engage in constructive dialogue.
Attendees can look forward to exploring the far-reaching implications of artificial intelligence in music through engaging sessions, including “AI in Music: Disruptor, Co-creator, or Plagiarist?”. The panel “Masking the Machinery: Can AI Pop Transcend the Uncanny Valley?” with David “Zero” Reiterer of the Austrian group Lucy Dreams will tackle similar topics from a more philosophical angle. The strategic integration of music into games in “The Sound of Play” features Andrii Zaitsev, CEO of Geisha Ninja Samurai, and Irma de Wind, Music Supervisor at De Wind Music
Discussions will also focus on songwriting, with writer and producer Albin Nordqvist exploring the craft of creating K-Pop hits for Asian markets, Federation of Music Conference will host a discussion on music showcase events and effective business models. The viability of indie labels as both a business venture and a passion project will be debated at an expert roundtable and a panel, presented by IMPALA & SOM.
The Keychange Leaders initiative will showcase groundbreaking efforts to advance gender equality, addressing industry leaders ready to lead change in the music industry in the “LeaderSHIFT” session, moderated by the newly appointed Executive Director of Keychange, Tiffany Fukuma. The innovative TechTrack will culminate in an exciting final pitching session. The conference will also address Sustainability and Accessibility alongside Mental Health and Psychological Safety in the music industry, reflecting the sector’s growing focus on wellbeing and inclusive practices. Compelling topics include understanding our planet through sound in the EarthSonic session with Joseph Dean, artistic persona of Natural Symphony, and the celebration of distinctive regional heritage is led by Marko Veisson of acclaimed Estonian folk duo Puuluup.
The workshop “Internationalisation – What’s Behind the Catch-all Term?” featuring Maria Pirkkalainen-Barber, Internationalisation Expert at Arts Promotion Centre Finland, and Virgo Sillamaa, Music policy researcher at EMEE and Erasmus University Rotterdam, will delve into the nuances of global music expansion strategies. “Music Export Metrics: How to Measure Cross-border Success?” will feature insights from Joe Frankland, CEO of PRS Foundation and Keychange Board Member, exploring effective frameworks for evaluating international music performance.
A panel discussion, “Investing in music: For short-term return or long-term impact?” will bring together Risto Salminen, CEO of Teosto, and Jaanus Juss, Founder of Telliskivi Creative City, to examine sustainable investment models in the music industry.
Previously announced TMW conference speakers include European promoter of Rammstein and the founder of MCT Agentur Scumeck Sabottka, Grammy-winning sound engineer Haydn Bendall, Managing Director of ESNS Anna van Nunen, Artistic Director of Wavelength Music Jonathan Bunce, Live Nation promoter for the Baltics Eva Palm and Britt Randma, manager of Music Moves Europe Award-winning Night Tapes.
TMW 2025 Main Topics
- European Music Ecosystem and Global Collaboration
- AI and Music Tech
- Challenges of Platformisation
- Running a Record Label
- Gaming and Sync
- Songwriting for Diverse Markets: K-Pop in Focus
- Live Music Market
- Local Heritage, Global Horizons
- Measuring Export Success
- Showcase Festivals’ Offer to the Music Scene
- Keychange Leaders
- Sustainability and Accessibility
- Mental Health and Psychological Safety
Speedmeetings and Networking:
- Meet the Estonian Companies
- Creative Europe Baltic-Nordic Desks
- Legal Clinic
Markets in the Spotlight:
- Ukraine, Sweden, Finland, Baltics, Poland, Canada, Taiwan and Central Asia
TMW 2025 conference at Nordic Hotel Forum runs from 4-5 April and the showcase festival across the city’s various venues from 3-5 April.
TMW 2025 passes are on sale at the TMW webshop.
PRO Pass for €225 (end price €250) provides access to the TMW conference and DigiPRO platform as well as priority access to the music festival. The TMW PRO programme offers inspiration, practical activities and networking options to about 1,300 international music industry professionals, artists, entrepreneurs and policymakers.
Festival Pass that grants access to all the music festival events is available for €79 (end price €85).