SXSW Music 2013 will feature hundreds of the music industry's most influential and notable figures, discussing the most important issues in the business. This is your chance to meet some of our esteemed panelists!
Here's a quick interview with 2013 Music panelist Alex White, CEO of Next Big Sound, three-time attendee of South by Southwest. Be sure to check out his panels, Man v Machine: Data Science and the Future of A&R and Big Data: The New Oil or the New Snake Oil? this March!
Number of times you've attended SXSW:
Three
What are you most looking forward to at SXSW:
Breakfast tacos, coffee, meeting, coffee, meetings, coffee, bbq, great live music, and Lone Star.
What's the best thing you've heard (or overheard) at SXSW:
"This is a drinking conference with a panel problem"
Briefly, what is your panel about, and why should we go to your panel?
My panel is about the role of data and computers in the talent discovery process. The way that artists are identified, marketing and become famous is evolving dramatically, right before our eyes. The speed and accuracy of identifying hit artists and songs is accelerating every day and the opportunities and challenges this presents will be discussed.
What's the most important issue in music today?
Understanding how sustainable careers for artists are established, where the ever-changing breakdown in revenue comes from, and how the industry built to support artists best prospers.
What was your first job in the music industry?
I worked at a recording studio in Ithaca, NY under a great sound engineer named Tim Reppert.
Any tips for first-time attendees?
Wear a backpack and don't overplan your schedule. Get the main things done you need to accomplish each day but make sure to leave time for serendipity. That's the magic of SXSW.
