Day 1 – September 15, 2025
Opening Notes: Welcome to Jazz-Con 2025
📅 Monday, September 15, 2025 | 🕒 8:00 am - 8:05am [5 minutes]
Kick off two days of global connection, creativity, and conversation with a special welcome from the Executive Director of Jazz-Con. In this brief opening message, we’ll set the tone for the conference, highlight what’s ahead, and reflect on why this moment matters for the future of jazz.
Whether you’re tuning in from across the street or across the world—welcome to Jazz-Con 2025!
🗓️ Language: English
🎷 Focus: Community | Inspiration | Opening Remarks
The Real Business of Jazz
📅 Monday, September 15, 2025 | 🕒 8:05am - 9:00am [55 minutes]
“Things Ain’t What They Used to Be” — and this panel breaks down exactly why.
An esteemed lineup of jazz industry veterans and innovators come together to discuss where the business of jazz is today, and how it has evolved over the last 25 years. From shifting revenue models and label dynamics to streaming, touring, and artist independence, this conversation gets real about what’s changed, what’s working, and what needs to be rebuilt.
🎙️ Featuring: [To Be Announced]
🗓️ Language: English
🎷 Focus: Industry Trends | Revenue Models | Artist Sustainability
Global Reach: Modern Tech & Jazz Music Discovery
📅 Monday, September 15, 2025 | 🕒 9:00am - 10:00am [60 minutes]
From album drops in the metaverse to avatar-hosted concert events, today’s technology is opening doors for global music discovery like never before. In this panel, music tech leaders explore how immersive virtual worlds, fan engagement tools, and evolving platforms are reshaping how artists grow their audiences—and what the future holds.
🎙️ Featuring: [To Be Announced]
🗓️ Language: English
🌍 Focus: Global focus | Music + Tech crossover
Break
📅 Monday, September 15, 2025 | 🕒 10:00am - 10:15am [15 minutes]
Take a moment to recharge, reflect, and stretch your legs. Whether you're grabbing a coffee, catching up on notes, or connecting with fellow attendees in the chat, this short break is your chance to pause before we dive back into the next round of insights and inspiration.
🗓️ Language: Open
🎷 Focus: Refresh | Reflect | Connect
So, You Have the Music, Now What?
📅 Monday, September 15, 2025 | 🕒 10:15am - 11:00am [45 minutes]
You've recorded the music—now it’s time to be heard. This practical panel explores the initial release and post-release journey: from digital distribution and playlist pitching to direct-to-fan strategies and building momentum online. Get the real-world insights you need to take your music from the studio to the spotlight.
🎙️ Featuring: [To Be Announced]
🗓️ Language: English
🎯 Focus: Independent artists | Marketing | Discovery
In the Key of Influence: The Jazz-Con 2025 Keynote
📅 Monday, September 15, 2025 | 🕒 11:00am - 12:00pm [60 minutes]
Get ready for a high-note moment at Jazz-Con 2025. This special keynote session will feature a prominent voice from the world of art & culture—an artist, actor, innovator, or business industry leader whose love and appreciation for jazz helps to better their lifestyle.
Whether diving into artistry, economics, global collaboration, or cultural impact, this keynote will offer insight, inspiration, and a fresh perspective on why jazz music is a vital part of the international cultural landscape.
🎷 Stay tuned: Speaker to be announced soon!
🗓️ Language: English
🌍 Focus: Innovation | Leadership | Inspiration
Break
📅 Monday, September 15, 2025 | 🕒 12:00pm - 12:15pm [15 minutes]
Take a moment to recharge, reflect, and stretch your legs. Whether you're grabbing a coffee, catching up on notes, or connecting with fellow attendees in the chat, this short break is your chance to pause before we dive back into the next round of insights and inspiration.
🗓️ Language: Open
🎷 Focus: Refresh | Reflect | Connect
Gotta Go! On The Road!
📅 Monday, September 15, 2025 | 🕒 12:15pm - 1:00pm [45 minutes]
Touring can be one of the most rewarding—and daunting—parts of a musician’s career. This panel brings together seasoned tour managers and booking pros to share real-world advice on how independent artists can build and promote their own tours, find the right venues, and market to new fans in every city.
🎙️ Featuring: [To Be Announced]
🗓️ Language: English
🎸 Focus: Touring | DIY | Artist Development
Global Clave: The Spanish-Speaking Jazz Connection
📅 Monday, September 15, 2025 | 🕒 1:00pm - 2:00pm [60 minutes]
From Mexico City to Madrid, Latin music boasts vibrant jazz scenes full of creativity and opportunity. This panel features artists and industry leaders from across the region discussing how careers are built in these territories—and how international musicians can find their way into these exciting markets.
🎙️ Featuring: [To Be Announced]
🗓️ Language: Spanish (English translation available)
🌍 Focus: International focus | Career development
Break
📅 Monday, September 15, 2025 | 🕒 2:00pm - 2:15pm [15 minutes]
Take a moment to recharge, reflect, and stretch your legs. Whether you're grabbing a coffee, catching up on notes, or connecting with fellow attendees in the chat, this short break is your chance to pause before we dive back into the next round of insights and inspiration.
🗓️ Language: Open
🎷 Focus: Refresh | Reflect | Connect
Liner Notes & Lost Credits: Fixing Metadata in Jazz
📅 Monday, September 15, 2025 | 🕒 2:15pm - 3:15pm [60 minutes]
In jazz, every note matters—so why is so much data about the music getting lost? From mislabeled credits to missing composer info, poor metadata is holding back jazz artists from being properly discovered, streamed, and paid. This panel tackles the overlooked but essential role of metadata in the digital music economy, with a special focus on how jazz can learn from metadata practices in classical and other niche genres.
🎙️ Featuring: [To Be Announced]
🗓️ Language: English
🗂️ Focus: Metadata | Strategy | Cross-genre Insight
Playlisting Here, Playlisting There, Playlisting, Playlisting Everywhere! (The Power, Politics, and Future of Music Playlisting in the Streaming Age)
📅 Monday, September 15, 2025 | 🕒 3:15pm - 4:00pm [45 minutes]
From discovery to domination, playlists are shaping the modern music experience in profound and sometimes controversial ways. This dynamic panel dives deep into the playlisting universe—from algorithm-driven lists and tastemaker curators to the ethics of pay-for-placement and the challenges faced by emerging artists.
With streaming now, the primary way many listeners engage with music, playlist inclusion can make—or break—a track’s reach. But who controls this powerful tool, and how transparent is the process? Our panelists explore the delicate balance between data and artistry, automation and human taste, equity and access.
🎙️ Featuring: [To Be Announced]
🗓️ Language: English
🗂️ Focus: Music Discovery | Streaming | Digital Strategy
Groove & Growth: The New Frontier of Music Investment
📅 Monday, September 15, 2025 | 🕒 4:00pm - 4:45 pm [45 minutes]
Jazz has always been an artform—and increasingly, it’s an asset. As music catalogs fetch record-breaking valuations and tech-driven platforms reshape royalty flow, investing in music is no longer just for labels and insiders. This panel unpacks the financial side of jazz and the broader music industry, exploring how artists, investors, and rights managers are navigating today’s booming music investment landscape.
🎙️ Featuring: [To Be Announced]
🗓️ Language: English
📈 Focus: Finance | Rights | ROI
Set Break: From Day One to What’s Next
📅 Monday, September 15, 2025 | 🕒 4:45pm - 5:00pm [15 minutes]
Before we sign off for the day, join us for a quick and casual wrap-up session featuring some familiar faces from JAZZ-CON. We’ll reflect on the key moments, surprise highlights, and standout insights from Day One—and give you a sneak peek at what’s in store for Day Two.
From major takeaways to upcoming can't-miss sessions, this wrap-up sets the stage for another day of learning, connection, and discovery in the world of jazz.
Please Note: All panel times, dates, session topics, and speakers are subject to change without notice. While we strive to maintain the published schedule, Jazz-Con reserves the right to make adjustments as needed to enhance the overall event experience.
Please Also Note: All panel times are represented in United States (EDT - time zone).
Day 2 – September 16, 2025
Landing the Gig: Breaking into the Japanese Jazz Scene
📅 Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | 🕒 8:00am - 9:00am [60 minutes]
Japan remains one of the most passionate jazz markets in the world. In this candid discussion, local jazz musicians and industry insiders share what it takes to break into the Japanese market, and how to build a successful jazz career in Japan, —from live venues and fan culture to media support and touring opportunities.
🎙️ Featuring: [To Be Announced]
🗓️ Language: Japanese (English translation available)
🌍 Focus: Regional focus | Artist career insights
Money on the Table: Claiming Your Music Royalties
📅 Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | 🕒 9:00am - 10:00am [60 minutes]
Your music is valuable—make sure you're collecting everything you’re owed. This panel breaks down the often-confusing world of rights collection, including mechanicals (MLC), performance royalties (ASCAP, BMI), neighboring rights, and more. Learn all the revenue possibilities and how to set them up the right way.
🎙️ Featuring: [To Be Announced]
🗓️ Language: English
💡 Focus: Admin | Publishing | Royalties
Break
📅 Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | 🕒 10:00am - 10:15am
Take a moment to recharge, reflect, and stretch your legs. Whether you're grabbing a coffee, catching up on notes, or connecting with fellow attendees in the chat, this short break is your chance to pause before we dive back into the next round of insights and inspiration.
🗓️ Language: Open
🎷 Focus: Refresh | Reflect | Connect
What Makes the Cut: Jazz Festival Programmers Share the Playbook
📅 Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | 🕒 10:15am - 11:00am [45 minutes]
Jazz festivals are vital to artist visibility and career development—but programming them comes with its own set of challenges. Festival producers from around the world talk about curating diverse lineups, booking international talent, and supporting local communities through jazz.
🎙️ Featuring: [To Be Announced]
🗓️ Language: English
🎷 Focus: Festivals | Event Production | Programming
Leading the Changes: The Jazz Forward Award Presentation
📅 Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | 🕒 11:15am - 12:00pm [45 minutes]
Jazz has always been about pushing boundaries—and those who lead the changes shape the future of the music we love. Presented in collaboration with AllAboutJazz.com and JazzNearYou.com, the JazzForward Award honors individuals making outstanding contributions to the evolution and sustainability of jazz around the world.
Join us for this inspiring mid-day celebration as we recognize innovators, visionaries, and culture-shapers who are breaking new ground in performance, education, technology, advocacy, and community-building. Through their dedication, these honorees are not only preserving jazz traditions—they’re expanding the music’s reach and relevance for generations to come.
Whether you're an artist, educator, or fan, this moment of reflection and recognition reminds us why we gather: to honor the past, elevate the present, and champion the future of jazz.
🎙️ Featuring: [To Be Announced]
🗓️ Language: English
🎖️ Focus: Innovation | Recognition | Global Community
Break
📅 Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | 🕒 12:00pm - 12:15pm
Take a moment to recharge, reflect, and stretch your legs. Whether you're grabbing a coffee, catching up on notes, or connecting with fellow attendees in the chat, this short break is your chance to pause before we dive back into the next round of insights and inspiration.
🗓️ Language: Open
🎷 Focus: Refresh | Reflect | Connect
Behind the Changes: AI in the Key of Innovation
📅 Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | 🕒 12:15pm - 1:00pm [45 minutes]
From playlist curation to rights management and fraud detection, AI is changing the music industry in ways most artists never see. This panel explores the unseen tech that’s helping shape everything from A&R to royalty collection—and what artists need to know to participate in this evolution.
🎙️ Featuring: [To Be Announced]
🗓️ Language: English
💻 Focus: AI | Innovation | Back-End Music Tech
From the Page to the Stage: Covering Jazz Across Borders
📅 Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | 🕒 1:00pm - 2:00pm [60 minutes]
What’s it like covering jazz around the world? Editors and publishers from leading jazz publications discuss their local scenes, editorial challenges and opportunities for artist to gain further coverage. They discuss the current role of media in documenting and supporting the music. A unique global check-in from those who write for the record.
🎙️ Featuring: [To Be Announced]
🗓️ Language: English
📚 Focus: Media | Journalism | Global Scene
Break
📅 Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | 🕒 2:00pm - 2:15pm [15 minutes]
Take a moment to recharge, reflect, and stretch your legs. Whether you're grabbing a coffee, catching up on notes, or connecting with fellow attendees in the chat, this short break is your chance to pause before we dive back into the next round of insights and inspiration.
🗓️ Language: Open
🎷 Focus: Refresh | Reflect | Connect
Spin or Skip? What Jazz Radio Really Thinks!
📅 Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | 🕒 2:15pm - 3:15pm [60 minutes]
In this one-of-a-kind listening session jazz radio legends, from around the world, give live feedback on music submissions from artists. Expect honest, constructive, and sometimes surprising takes on what makes a track radio-ready—or not.
🎙️ Featuring: [To Be Announced]
🗓️ Language: English
🎧 Focus: Feedback | Radio | Artist Insight
Break
📅 Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | 🕒 3:15pm - 3:45pm [30 minutes]
Take a moment to recharge, reflect, and stretch your legs. Whether you're grabbing a coffee, catching up on notes, or connecting with fellow attendees in the chat, this short break is your chance to pause before we dive back into the next round of insights and inspiration.
🗓️ Language: Open
🎷 Focus: Refresh | Reflect | Connect
From Sideman to CEO: Jazz in the Age of Artist Empowerment
📅 Monday, September 16, 2025 | 🕒 3:45pm - 4:30pm [45 minutes]
From fan-driven economies and emerging revenue streams to new business models and technologies, this panel brings together forward-thinking voices shaping what’s to come. Come hear from the innovators building the road ahead.
🎙️ Featuring: [To Be Announced]
🗓️ Language: English
⚡ Focus: Innovation | Strategy | Industry Trends
Trading Fours: Final Reflections from JAZZ-CON
📅 Tuesday, September 16, 2025 | 🕒 4:30pm - 5:00pm [30 Minutes]
Like a great jazz solo passed between players, we close out Jazz-Con 2025 by trading fours—offering quick, meaningful reflections from voices across the event. In this collaborative wrap-up, speakers, panelists, and attendees come together one last time to share insights, ah-ha moments, and ideas sparked during two powerful days of conversation.
This session isn’t just a recap—it’s a look ahead. Join us as we spotlight the themes that resonated most, elevate the questions that remain, and lay the groundwork for the next steps in building a stronger, more sustainable jazz economy for all.
Whether you came for community, strategy, discovery, or all of the above—this final chorus is your chance to reflect, respond, and keep the rhythm going.
🗓️ Language: English
🤝 Focus: Reflection | Community | Forward Momentum
Please Note: All panel times, dates, session topics, and speakers are subject to change without notice. While we strive to maintain the published schedule, Jazz-Con reserves the right to make adjustments as needed to enhance the overall event experience.
Please Also Note: All panel times are represented in United States (EDT - time zone).
