The Hudson Valley Music Summit returns on Saturday, November 21, 2026, after a seven-year hiatus, bringing music professionals together to discuss changes in artist revenue, rights and technology.
The one-day conference at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center in Chappaqua, New York, will feature more than 30 speakers, panels, networking and live performances.
Speakers and conference history
The announced speakers include:
- Lee Dannay, president of the Recording Academy New York Chapter and vice president of artists and repertoire (A&R) at Thirty Tigers.
- Rebecca Shapiro, president of Shore Fire Media.
- Anna Canoni, president of Woody Guthrie Publications.
- Emily White, Collective Entertainment partner and author.
- Jimmy Fink, New York radio personality.
- Steven Blush, author and filmmaker.
Veteran conference producer and musician David Hoffman produces the Summit. Its 2019 debut attracted more than 200 attendees, but the COVID pandemic interrupted plans for subsequent in-person events.
“Seven years is sort of the right time for a band to have a reunion tour, after all, isn’t it?” Hoffman said.
“In 2019, there was a real sense of regional camaraderie, with a high-caliber group of practitioners offering guidance to each other and the next generation. That’s the spirit we’re looking to recapture in 2026, bringing that community back together to navigate a music business that looks very different than it did seven years ago.”
Labels, touring and music rights
Sessions will explore how relationships between artists and labels are changing, new revenue models and the financial realities of operating a record label heading into 2027.
Touring discussions will address changes in the sector and practical considerations for developing artists preparing to take their music on the road.
The rights and royalties programme will cover artificial intelligence (AI)-driven metadata auditing, digital fingerprinting and tools for tracking payments to artists and songwriters.
Other topics include synchronization (sync) and licensing, artist branding, merchandise, streaming data, direct-to-fan platforms and emerging technology.
A session on artist legacies will consider archive preservation and ways to bring established catalogs to new audiences. The closing Manager’s Roundtable will examine the evolving relationship between artists and managers.
“I think of this rebirth year as a jam session,” Hoffman said. “We’re going to bring the most creative minds together and see what tune emerges. Everyone is navigating the same rapidly changing music industry from a different vantage point, and there’s real value in getting those people in the same room to trade ideas, share what’s working and help each other figure out what comes next.”
Performances and event details
Alex Cano and Dan Zlotnick are scheduled to perform. Further artists have yet to be announced.
The Summit will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 21 at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. Tickets are currently on sale.
