Music Data & Insights Summit full schedule announced. Over 60% of tickets already sold!
The Victorian Music Development Office (VMDO) has announced new speakers and sessions for the 2026 Music Data and Insights Summit. The summit focuses on how data and evidence are helping the industry respond to a rapidly shifting music landscape, aligning research, data and industry practice more closely.
Delivered with support from Music Australia, the summit program also includes the second edition of The Bass Line, offering updated data and industry insights to inform decision-making and future priorities across the sector.
Previously announced sessions include Music Ally’s Marlen Hüllbrock delivering Marketing to Gen Alpha in the Age of Social Media Bans, offering global insight into how Gen Alpha is responding to new social media restrictions, alongside practical strategies for reaching under-16s as traditional platforms shift. Monday will also include new Australian research from the Australian Research Council Linkage project Community Music Radio: Building the Music-Media Ecosystem, led by Associate Professor Shane Homan (Monash University) and Professor Susan Forde (Griffith University), revealing the extent to which community broadcasters create economic value while supporting emerging and First Nations artists.
A keynote from APRA AMCOS CEO Dean Ormston will address the growing strategic importance of data across the music ecosystem, while Matthew Rogers (GYRO.Group) will present new insights drawn from GYRO.Group’s comprehensive dataset, revealing how independent artists are building audiences and releasing new music.
This year’s program also includes Kate Ben-Tovim (Turning World), who will present her Churchill Fellowship on examining music’s role in cultural diplomacy and national influence.
The summit will also present the Supporting First Nations Led Music Business report, led by Kaleena Smith (MusicNSW), emphasizing the importance of culturally led programs shaped by First Nations artists, businesses and communities.
UK-based Chris Carey (FFWD Group) will deliver a series of short provocations across the two days, tackling issues such as short-term commercial pressures and long-term artist development.
As Australia’s youth music economy continues to evolve, artists, marketers and industry leaders are adapting to changing audience behaviours and an increasingly fragmented digital environment. A featured panel, The Social Media Ban: Disruption or Reset?, will discuss shifts in music discovery and audience behaviour among young people. It will bring together leading voices, including Marlen Hüllbrock (Music Ally), Rose Riddell (Laneway Festival), Mardi Caught (The Annex) and artist Ixaras.
The full program is available via the link above.
VMDO Music Data and Insights Summit
18 – 19 May 2026
Collingwood Yards
35 Johnston Street, Collingwood
Naarm, Melbourne
We recommend taking public transport when attending MDIS. Collingwood Yards is situated close to Smith St, which is served by the 86 tram, and is also a short walk from Victoria Park train station.
$75 for 2-day entry
$50 limited concession 2-day tickets
$45 one-day tickets
Limited Mob Tix by request (contact info@vmdo.com.au)
Lunch, morning and afternoon tea provided
The Music Data and Insights Summit is delivered by the VMDO and supported by Music Australia and the Music Industry Research Collective (MIRC). The CY Venue at Collingwood Yards is an accessible space and the summit welcomes everyone.
The Victorian Music Development Office (VMDO) is a Victorian Government-funded initiative delivered via Music Victoria. For more information, visit vmdo.com.au