2026 pROGRAMMING
DAY 1 — FIELD DAY
Concord Music Hall
2047 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
November 20, 2026
12:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Catering Included | Cash Bar
An immersive marketplace experience built for working artists. Spend the day getting hands-on with activations designed to sharpen your sound, build your brand, and put real opportunities in front of you.
AutoTune Vocal Lab
Get hands-on with the tools defining modern vocal production. Drop in to "Fix My Vocal" sessions with AutoTune's team, a live demo station across the full product lineup, and short workshops designed to level up how you treat vocals on every track
Demo Drop | Sponsored by IK Multimedia
Have your tracks heard by top A&Rs, legendary artists, and music industry insiders, and get the direct feedback you need to know if your music is ready to sign. Multiple industry leaders will be available throughout the day. First come, first served.
Collab Lab | Presented by BPM Supreme x Final Final
Get hands-on with new software built to make producer collaboration seamless and test it out in real time with other artists in the room. Tracks will be started on site, feedback will be collected throughout the day, and a winning track will be selected by the end of the event.
Headshots | By CV Creative
Walk in and walk out with professional photos ready for your EPK, press kit, and socials. These focused mini sessions are designed to refresh your visual assets in one appointment. $65 package paid directly to the photographer on site.
Multicam Experience | Sponsored by Crossfader
Submit your mix for a chance to win a 15-minute multicam set recorded live on the Concord Music Hall stage. Six winners will be selected, each receiving their full set, a Crossfader course bundle, and a marketing package from EDM Identity. Submission window opens September 2026 via Crossfader's platform.
Office Hours
Sit down with industry insiders for focused one-on-one sessions built around the questions you actually need answered.
Artist Money Clinic | With GM Wealth Partners
Get real answers about the financial side of your music career. From setting your rates to understanding what to set aside for taxes, this is the session that turns what you earn into what you keep.
Get Booked
Sit down with a booking industry insider and get a real roadmap for landing your next gig. Whether you are trying to break into your local market or start touring regionally, this session gives you a specific plan to start getting booked.
Brand Lab | with Zack Miskie, Taylrd Media
Your music has a vision. This session helps ensure your visuals, identity, and overall brand communicate your message clearly. Work one-on-one with a branding expert to identify what is working, what is missing, and what to fix.
Find Your Story | With John Cameron, EDM Identity
Everyone in music is passionate. The ones who stand out know how to tell their story. John will sit down with you one-on-one to help you identify the angle that makes your project impossible to ignore and leave you with a clear answer to the question "So What?"
The Fitting Room | With Camille Ries, CR Studio
Shop directly from independent designers, then work with an on-site stylist to start building a look that matches your sound. Your music has a vibe. Your image should too.
BandLab + CMN Community Meetup
In partnership with BandLab, Chicago Music Nexus will co-host a community-driven event bringing together artists, producers, DJs, and music industry professionals ahead of CMN. Designed to spark meaningful connections and collaboration, the meetup reflects a shared commitment to empowering the next generation of independent creators.
GreenRoom
Drop your name and what you're looking for, then watch the room's network come to life. GreenRoom maps who's in the room to help you maximize your day of networking. Grab your sticker, place it on your lanyard, and spot others on the floor with similar goals. The next morning a personalized email lands in your inbox with the people worth knowing and the opportunities matched to your goals.
More Activations Coming
Additional activations will be announced as we continue to build out the Field Day experience. Check back for updates.
DAY 2 — CONFERENCE DAY
The Joinery
2533 West Homer Street, Chicago, IL 60647
November 21, 2026 | 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Catering Included | Open Bar
2047 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
November 20, 2026
12:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Catering Included | Cash Bar
An immersive marketplace experience built for working artists. Spend the day getting hands-on with activations designed to sharpen your sound, build your brand, and put real opportunities in front of you.
Back at the venue where it all started. A full day of panels and workshops led by the agents, A&Rs, managers, and artists who are actively shaping the industry.
Panelists
Laidback Luke - DJ/Producer, Multi-Chart Topping Recording Artist
Bijou - DJ/Producer, Label Boss - DND Records
Linney - DJ/Producer, Singer/Songwriter
Goshfather - DJ/Producer
Lorne Padman- Grammy Nominated Producer, Artist Manager/Truestep Productions
Mike Weiss - DJ, President - Nervous Records
Rach Brosman- Artist Manager, Founder - Support Women DJs
Alex Hilburn- Managing Partner - Surge Social
Terry Hunter - Grammy Nominated Artist, DJ/Producer
Paul Campbell - Nû Management
Carissa Szlosek - Label manager, Groovers only, Danca, Louder Than Silence
+MORE TBA!
Borrowed Strategies: House vs Bass
What if the secret to your next breakthrough is sitting in a genre you've never fully explored?
House artists have groove, restraint, and a decades-deep blueprint for keeping a crowd moving for hours. Bass artists have intensity, sound design, and a fanbase that goes absolutely feral for a drop. This panel breaks down exactly what each side can steal from the other and why the artists winning in 2026 are not the ones staying in a lane. They are the ones who understand multiple lanes.
Key Topics:
The core differences in house vs. bass culture, energy, and crowd expectations
Why genre purism is fading and what's replacing it
What house artists can learn from bass music's sound design and intensity
What bass artists can learn from house music's groove, restraint, and longevity
How to test genre crossover in your sets without losing the crowd
Building sets that create emotional range, not just peak moments
Marketing to multiple audiences without confusing your brand
Collaborations across genres: what works and what doesn't
How festivals and promoters are programming genre crossover in 2026
How to Get Your Music Signed
Every artist wants a label release. Most don’t understand what labels are actually looking for.
This panel breaks down the real process of getting signed, from what makes a track stand out in a crowded inbox to how A&Rs evaluate artists beyond a single record. We'll talk about timing, branding, relationships, and why "just sending a demo" isn't a strategy.
Key Topics:
What A&Rs actually listen for in the first 30 seconds of a demo
The biggest mistakes artists make when submitting music
Why branding, consistency, and identity matter as much as the track itself
How to choose the right label instead of chasing the biggest one
Building relationships with labels before you ever send a demo
When to go independent vs. when a label makes sense
What happens after you get signed (marketing, rollout, expectations)
How to stand out in a world where every artist has access to distribution
Leveraging early releases to build long-term momentum
Social Media Secrets for Creators
We're bringing this popular panel back with an all-new lineup because the conversation is far from over.
The rules have changed. Independent artists are building cult followings and sustaining real careers without label backing, major budgets, or viral moments. Just sharp strategy and a deep understanding of their audience. Meanwhile, a new wave of companies is completely rewriting how events and artists activate fans, from ambassador networks that turn everyday fans into street-level hype machines to fan CRM platforms that convert a social post into a sold-out show.
This panel brings together the people actually doing it to break down what's working right now.
Key Topics:
How independent artists are building cult followings and personal brands that last
Turning followers into a mobilized fanbase that shows up, online and at the door
The new infrastructure behind fan activation and how smart teams are using it
Converting social engagement into ticket sales and real revenue
Storytelling that keeps fans emotionally invested in your journey
Platform-specific tactics that actually move the needle in 2026
Monetizing your influence without compromising what makes you, you.
How I DJ with Laidback Luke
Get inside the mind of one of dance music's most iconic performers as he breaks down his approach to DJing from the technical to the creative.
Songwriting Workshop | With Linney
With over 125+ million streams, collaborations spanning Kaskade, Steve Aoki, Subtronics, Crankdat, Nicky Romero, Layton Giordani & multiple EDMAs, including 2025 Breakout Female Vocalist and 2026 House [Act of God] & Dubstep/Bass-Heavy Song of the Year [Friends], Linney opens up her songwriting process in an intimate workshop for artists and producers looking to write songs that truly connect.