Americana Music Festival Panels Announced

The Americana Music Festival & Conference has announced its panel schedules for the upcoming week-long event Sept. 18-22 in Nashville. More than 180 panelists will speak during more than 40 educational workshops on all areas of the industry, from booking and licensing to international marketing and fan funding. The keynote address will feature RIAA Chairman/CEO Cary Sherman, and Rosanne Cash, Dr. John, and Delbert McClinton are among the artists who will be interviewed during the conference panels.
Other highlighted panels during the week include:
Music Licensing In Today’s World –Moderator: James G. Zumwalt, Esq., Shackelford Zumwalt & Hayes with panelists Jeffrey Brabec, Esq., BMG Chrysalis; Author Todd Brabec, Esq.; Author Elizabeth Gregory, Esq., The Law Offices of Elizabeth V. Gregory, PLLC; Dennis Lord, SESAC; and Henry W. Root, Esq., Franklin & Sacharow, LLP will discuss the areas and entities requiring new licensing strategies, as well as negotiations and contracts reflecting the emergence of the online/digital world into the traditional world of music licensing.
The International Marketplace – Moderator: Rich Bengloff, American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), with panelists Lori Condon, Acony Records; Jim Selby, Naxos USA; Garry West, Compass Records; Robert Williams, 335 Records; and artist/producer Ed Petterson will take a hard look at the revenue in the international marketplace and how to grow your business outside of the U.S.
Finding the Right Balance – Moderator: Linda Bloss-Baum, Creative Strategies along with panelists Glenn Peoples, Billboard, artist/writer David Lowery, David Macias, Thirty Tigers, Colin Rushing, SoundExchange, and Bart Herbison, National Songwriters Association will address the question of what is fairly compensated and look at the interest from the web, terrestrial radio, label, songwriter and performer camps to put their cards on the table in search of common ground.
Fan Funding From the Inside Out – Moderator: Wayne Leeloy, Foundation Music Group, along with panelists Jack Conte, Patreon; Jay Coyle, Pledge Music; artist Will Kimbrough and act Over The Rhine’s Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist will address new opportunities through fan funding and crowd-sourcing. The panel will take a candid look at the platforms currently in the marketplace and hear some of the best and worst examples of fan-funded campaigns. Representatives from a few of the main platforms will share their best practices, and attendees will get a clear sense of when, why and how to launch their own.
New Orleans: The First Music City – Bob Santelli, The Grammy Museum’s CEO talks with Scott Billington, Rounder Records; Greg Lambousy, The Louisiana State Museum; Ben Sandmel, Journalist, Author, Folklorist, Drummer;  and John Swenson, Journalist, Author about the many facets of New Orleans music and how those forms helped give shape and style to the American music tradition.
For additional panels and events during the Americana Music Festival & Conference, visit americanamusic.org.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Lorie Hollabaugh

Hollabaugh, a staff writer at MusicRow magazine, has over 20 years of music business experience and has written for publications including American Profile, CMA Close Up, Nashville Arts And Entertainment, The Boot and Country Weekly. She has a Broadcast Journalism and Speech Communication degree from Texas Christian University, (go Horned Frogs), and welcomes your feedback or story ideas at lhollabaugh@musicrow.com.

Latest posts by Lorie Hollabaugh (see all)

• LOCASH Launches Music City Power Company With Partners Skip Bishop & Shane Harluk - March 16, 2026
• Gavin Adcock To Kick Off ‘The Day I Hang It Up Tour’ In May - March 16, 2026
• Ethan Garner Inks With RECORDS Nashville In Partnership With RCA Records - March 16, 2026