Kogod School of Business at American University will host the 4th annual Artists’ Rights Symposium on November 20, 2024. The symposium will gather leaders in the tech and entertainment industries, along with leaders in policy and government, to address issues related to recording artists' rights within today's entertainment industry and discuss ways in which artists can have more control over their music and royalties. This year marks the first time the symposium will be held in Washington, D.C., the center of the nation's government and where policy issues such as these are debated and enacted.

The Artists’ Rights Symposium, supported by the Artists Rights Institute, was founded by Dr. David Lowery of University of Georgia's Terry School of Business as a way to examine how artists' rights are affected by the rapidly evolving digital music industry and explore the tools available to enforce these rights. In the age of artificial intelligence, these issues continue to gain in significance and impact.

This year's symposium will feature a keynote address by Graham Davies, President and CEO of the Digital Media Association, which represents the world's largest audio streaming companies (including Amazon, Apple, Spotify, and YouTube). The symposium will also include the following panels, all of which focus specifically on the effects AI is having on artists’ rights:

• Show Me The Creator: Transparency requirements for AI technology 
  • Moderated by Linda Bloss-Baum, Director, Business & Entertainment Program at American University’s Kogod School of Business 
  • Panelists:
    • Danielle Coffey, President & CEO, News Media Alliance
    • Dahvi Cohen, Legislative Assistant, U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff
    • Ken Doroshow, Chief Legal Officer, Recording Industry Association of America
• Name, Image & Likeness Rights in the Age of AI: Current initiatives to protect creator rights and attribution 
  • Moderated by John Simson, Director Emeritus, Kogod BAE Program 
  • Panelists:
    • Jeffrey Bennett, General Counsel, SAG-AFTRA
    • Jen Jacobsen, Executive Director, Artist Rights Alliance
    • Jalyce E. Mangum, Attorney-Advisor, U.S. Copyright Office

• Chicken And Egg Sandwich: Bad song metadata, unmatched funds, KYC and what you can do about it

• Moderated by Christian Castle, Director, Artist Rights Institute

• Panelists:
  • Richard James Burgess, President & CEO, American Association of Independent Music
  • Helienne Lindvall, President, European Composer & Songwriter Alliance
  • Abby North, President, North Music Group
  • Anjula Singh, Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer, SoundExchange

• The Trouble With Tickets: The economics and challenges of ticket resellers and legislative solutions

• Moderated by Christian Castle, Director, Artist Rights Institute
• Panelists:
  • Dr. David Lowery, Co-Founder, Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven
  • Kevin Erickson, Director, Future of Music Coalition
  • Stephen Parker, Executive Director, National Independent Venue Association
  • Mala Sharma, President, Georgia Music Partners

The Business and Entertainment (BAE) Program at Kogod School of Business was recently named to Billboard's Top Music Business Schools list for the second year in a row, signifying its status as one of the nation's elite business entertainment programs. The BAE Program offers business-focused courses taught by seasoned industry experts across multiple sectors, and also prioritizes applied learning at entertainment hubs all over the globe. The BAE Program is led by Director Linda Bloss-Baum, an entertainment industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience with companies such as Warner Music Group, Time Warner, and NBC Universal, and SoundExchange. She also currently represents the Songwriters of North America, a creator-led advocacy group fighting for artists’ rights and compensation.

“We are thrilled to bring the Artists’ Rights symposium to American University’s Kogod School of Business this fall. The issues of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry—especially how to fairly compensate and protect creators—have never been more prominent on a national level,” said Bloss-Baum. “Our industry will be forever changed by these issues, and it’s an honor to have these industry and government leaders offer their timely perspectives on critical policy debates happening just a few miles away from our campus in Washington, DC.”  

Register for the 4th annual Artists’ Rights Symposium at Kogod School of Business here.