Episode 400! This week, we thought we'd do something a little different and talk about trade shows and whether or not they're still worth it in 2026.

Fresh from CES 2026, Dmitri shares why trade shows remain valuable for business development and lead generation in the music tech industry. He also discusses innovations at CES from companies like Crosley, Sleevenote, Vrch, and Vobble, along with what the team is looking forward to at NAMM next week.

Whether you're considering NAMM, SXSW, or the Music Tectonics Conference in October for your 2026 strategy, this episode makes the case for why IRL experiences still drive real business results in an increasingly digital world.

The news

• Spotify expands messaging feature with live friend activity and 'Request to Jam'

• Spotify Is Now Sunsetting the 'Basic' Music-Only Subscription Tier — And Further Reducing Songwriter Royalties In the Process

• UMG's latest major AI partnership arrives via tech giant NVIDIA, with promise of 'antidote to generic AI slop'

• Report: 56.9% of new independent songs in China are AI-generated

• Musician Sues Stability AI for Training Despite Opt-Out Requests

The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!

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This week, we're kicking off 2026 with our opening keynote from last year's Music Tectonics conference: "Optimization is Not Enough: Are You Ready for Streaming's Reckoning?"

In this keynote, Tatiana Cirisano from MIDiA Research joins Dmitri to ask a provocative question: Is the music industry so focused on optimizing streaming revenue that it's missing what comes next?

Tatiana argues that streaming has removed so much friction from music that it's accidentally removed fans' emotional connection (especially for Gen Z and Gen Alpha), and that music's real competitor isn't a new format but the attention economy (social video, gaming, etc).

We explore what the industry can learn from gaming's "productized friction," why Asian streaming services built around fandom might show the way forward, and whether platforms should actually make the experience harder, not easier. We also tackle audience questions about user-centric payment models, AI-generated music, and whether scarcity could return to digital music.

If you've wondered whether streaming is coasting on past success, this conversation will challenge how you think about music's future.

The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!

Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.

This week, we're wrapping up 2025 with something special: three rapid-fire interviews from last month's conference with companies that represent some of the most fascinating developments happening at the intersection of music and tech

First, we'll hear from Rachel Francine of SingFit, who's pioneering music as medicine by bringing therapeutic singing programs to senior living communities

Next, we have Matt Sherman from Str3amcore Labs sharing how he's helping IP owners manage their catalogs with blockchain technology, drawing on his family's hundred-year legacy in music (his grandfather wrote "It's a Small World").

Finally, we have John Gearty from PulseJet taking us inside the future of music entertainment, with immersive VR experiences, including a nine-song album with Björk where you can literally walk around inside the music.

These conversations were all recorded at the Shure podcast booth right on the conference floor. Three very different innovations, three conversations that show just how diverse and exciting music technology is right now

The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!

Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.