ARIA Innovator

About ARIA Innovator

ARIA Innovator is ARIA’s new initiative to inspire and cultivate innovation and entrepreneurship within the Australian music industry. With rapid technological advances and shifting global music consumption, ARIA Innovator provides industry professionals with access to cutting-edge insights, tools, and strategies that drive growth and success in the changing world.

Through its programs, ARIA Innovator will empower artists, managers, and labels to develop innovative business models and marketing strategies that enhance discoverability and deepen audience engagement in both domestic and international markets.

We are excited to announce that our first initiative, made possible through support from Sound NSW funding via Create NSW will be the inaugural ARIA Innovator conference and Accelerate Strategy Workshop held on Gadigal Country in NSW.

ARIA Innovator Conference

The ARIA Innovator Conference will bring global knowledge to Australian shores, and uncover what’s next for music, entertainment and media at large. It is designed to give our industry a competitive edge in centralising leading research, insights and opinion from various industries across one day of exceptional programming.

Learning Outcomes

  • Global Audience Expansion
  • Cultural Influence & Engagement
  • Data-Driven Marketing
  • Entrepreneurial Innovation
  • AI-Powered Innovation

“The conference will be a game-changer for artists and professionals seeking inspiration and practical skills to turn bold ideas into market-leading breakthrough”. Annabelle Herd

Day One: Tuesday, 25 March 2025

When : 9am to 1pm followed by a one hour networking mixer
Where: State Library of New South Whales Auditorium | 1 Shakespeare Place, Sydney

Featured sessions include:

Panos Panay, President, The Recording Academy - Keynote: Music people are natural entrepreneurs 
Gabi Lopes, Senior VP Global Insights, Universal Music Group – New ways of marketing 
Dr Nici Sweaney – Data Scientist, AI Expert & Founder of AIHerWay -  AI The Right Way

More speakers to be announced.

CLICK HERE to register your interest in attending. Please note this conference has been pitched at mid-level industry and above. Places will be limited to appropriate audiences for the content. Space is strictly limited. 

Innovator Accelerate Workshop

This half-day strategy workshop is limited to 30 NSW based mid-senior level industry professionals to put into practice their learnings from the Innovator Conference. Participants will be selected on the potential of their ‘big idea’ and provided with guidance and strategic tools to develop a plan to turn their big idea into a successful reality. Run by business strategy expert Megan Brownlow and working collaboratively with industry peers, participants will leave the workshop with an individual Strategic Action Plan and a date for a one-on-one check-in session following the workshop. Places limited to 30*

*Got a big idea you wanna make happen? Workshop it with ARIA Accelerate. Applications are now open for ARIA Innovator’s Accelerate Workshop. Apply Now

Day Two: Wed, 26 March 2025

When: 10am-2pm
Where: State Library of New South Whales Macquarie Room | 1 Shakespeare Place, Sydney

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