DJ and music producer Jillionaire and Web3 evangelist Tristan Khan will be headlining the XP Music Futures gathering in Riyadh, November 28–30.
Exactly 40 years since the release of the first CDs in October 1982, and more than 20 years since the arrival of the first portable MP3 players, the music industry is on the brink of another technological revolution that will transform the way we produce and consume music.
At the end of November, some of the brightest minds in the music business will be joining the XP Music Futures conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss radical new technologies and their implications on the future of the industry.
“I’ve been focused on the intersection of music and technology since day one.”
Jillionaire
“There has always been a strong intersection between music and technology,” says DJ and producer Jillionaire, a former member of electronic dance music group Major Lazer, who will be speaking at the XP Music Futures event. “Technology has helped simplify the creative process by democratizing the tools needed to create. It has allowed creators to easily amplify their message and expand their audiences.”
Over the course of the last two decades, musicians and their producers have learned to embrace digital technologies that have made it easier than ever before for musicians to create new sounds and reach millions of new listeners.
Now the industry is embracing Web3 innovations, such as blockchains and digital assets, which can help artists monetize their content and increase their control over the music they make.
“The next generation of tools will afford creators increased ownership of their audiences and increased engagement,” Jillionaire says.
“Web3 will result in greater control and value capture accruing to creators,” says Tristan Khan, the CEO of digital merchandising platform Goosebump and an industry visionary who will also be speaking at XP Music Futures. “It will revolutionize the entire music supply chain and enable artists to reach their fans more directly.”
Digital technologies are also transforming the world of live music. The XP Music Futures event will be held on the eve of Soundstorm. Attended by over 700,000 people last year, Soundstorm is the largest dance music festival in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Video streams and internet radio will allow millions more to enjoy the shows across the region and beyond.
For the young and technology-loving population of the MENA region, digital innovations are creating opportunities to create and consume music in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago.
“The music scene in the Middle East is poised for eruption and disruption,” Khan says. “Web3 will lead to paradigm shifts in content and control. My advice to local musicians is to embrace the vanguard.”
It is a message to Middle East performers that Jillionaire wholeheartedly endorses.
“My message to creators everywhere is to just keep going. If you believe in yourself and you believe in your craft, continue to work at it. If you stick to what you’re good at—and keep getting better at it—others will start to take notice.”
Published as branded content in WIRED magazine
