We are excited to bring to you our 4th Annual Music Finance Forum. This virtual event will bring together driving forces in the music sector to discuss the digital landscape, live performances, new perspectives on upcoming trends - everything you could possibly want to know about the music industry.

SPEAKING FACULTY:

Merck Mercuriadis
Founder and CEO
Hipgnosis Song Management, Hipgnosis Songs Fund and Hipgnosis Songs Capital

Merck Mercuriadis, a Canadian born music veteran, is the Founder and CEO of the Hipgnosis Songs Fund,  Hipgnosis Song Management and Hipgnosis Songs Capital, a $3 billion market cap FTSE 250 Song Management Company which currently owns over 150 catalogs and over 65,000 songs.  Since its launch in 2017, Mercuriadis has steered Hipgnosis to a leading position in a global market. His credits range from head of A&R at Virgin Records in 1986, to running an international management agency, spearheading chart-topping discs by the likes of Morrissey, Kelly Osbourne, and Iron Maiden, to guiding the careers of Beyoncé, Elton John, Guns’N’Roses, Robert Plant, Macy Gray, Mary J. Blige, Joss Stone, Jane's Addiction, and many others.

In 1986, Mercuriadis co-founded Sanctuary Music (UK). Since departing Sanctuary in 2006, while continuing to personally manage major stars including Nile Rodgers & CHIC, and working with major songwriters like Diane Warren and The Dream. In 2017, Mercuriadis realized Hipgnosis Songs Fund, Ltd., an artist- and songwriter-focused “song management” company aimed at investing in song catalogues with the goal of both protecting the financial interests and empowering the role of music creators in the burgeoning streaming model of the music industry. Mercuriadis made his name challenging the status quo with bold predictions and revolutionary ideas, being a visionary and a disruptor who was driven by a core belief—that the music, and the music creators, held the enduring value of the industry.

For Hipgnosis Song Fund, Hipgnosis Songs Management and Hipgnosis Songs Capital, what was a 350 million valuation in the first quarter of 2019— representing between 3 and 4 percent of the worldwide publishing market—it has now become valued at over $3 billion.  Such momentum continues to endow Hipgnosis with the power to acquire a vast number of significant hit-rich catalogs, adding songs owned by such songwriters as Neil Young, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Justin Timberlake, Nile Rodgers, Leonard Cohen, Kenny Chesney, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie, Richie Sambora, Blondie, Dave Stewart, Chrissie Hynde, Mark Ronson, The Kaiser Chiefs, Rhett Akins, Nelly Furtado and others to the already purchased catalogs of such major players as The Dream and Poo Bear (Jason Boyd).

More recently, Blackstone and Hipgnosis formed a multi-billion dollar partnership.

Jeff Bazoian
Managing Director and Head of Media, Entertainment & Sports
Fifth Third Bank 

Prior to joining Fifth Third Bank as the Head of Media, Entertainment & Sports, Mr. Bazoian spent six years at JP Morgan as a Managing Director in the Entertainment Industries Group in Los Angeles. Mr. Bazoian managed a portfolio of media and entertainment clients focused on independent film and television companies, music, video games and digital media companies. During Mr. Bazoian’s time at JP Morgan he built out a music financing platform positioning JP Morgan as the prominent market leader. Mr. Bazoian joined JP Morgan following 11 years at Rabobank International where from 2010 he was the Head of Capital Markets and from 2013 the CEO of Rabobank Securities USA. He led the bank’s Capital Markets Americas business focused on loan syndication, securitization products, USPP, Euro bonds and European equities as well as developing new markets in Latin America. Mr. Bazoian joined Rabobank International’s Securitization business in 2004 from CIBC World Markets where he was an Executive Director in the investment bank’s New York Asset Securitization Group, focused on originating and transacting middle market loan warehouse facilities and CLOs, wholesale dealer floor plans, trade receivables, equipment leases as well as future flow sports and entertainment transactions. Starting with CIBC in 1996, Mr. Bazoian worked in several of the investment bank’s businesses including Credit Risk Management and Corporate Finance (with a focus on middle market mezzanine debt financing and corporate restructuring).

MrMoE
Founder and NFT Collector
RoyaltyBits

Maurice "MrMoe" Gallegos is a Web3 Creator, Investor, Advisor, and NFT Collector working on various DAO, NFT, and Metaverse projects. Since 2015, he's been a blockchain advocate for the entertainment sector with a focus on education for digital property rights and the impact blockchain technology will have on royalties for intellectual property. Current projects include; Cryptosaurs, an innovating A.I. project with TRON Producer Donald Kushner and a team of award-winning Visual Effect Artists in Hollywood and in partnership with FORJ / Animoca building a story-driven Metaverse experience. TRON is considered the first Metaverse movie. Campus DAO, Web3 infrastructure software platform for brands, NFT/DAO projects and creators, which projects include; Bored n Hungry Restaurant, FoodFightersU, The first web3 restaurant group, and Exotics DAO, which is the world's first private exotic car rental club using NFTs. And Mad Droids, a play-to-earn game powered by augmented reality and geolocation. Maurice is a Grammy Award Winning Technical Engineer and Music Producer and remains focused on helping creators, musicians, and celebrities navigate the world of NFTs and Web3.

Michael Chen
Managing Director and Head of Investments HarbourView Equity Partners

Michael Chen is Managing Director and Head of Investments of HarbourView Equity Partners and a member of the firm’s Investment Committee. Prior to HarbourView, Michael spent over 5 years in Magnetar Capital’s Alternative Credit and Fixed Income group, where he specialized in esoteric private investments in a variety of asset classes including media & entertainment, intellectual property, and aviation. He previously worked as an Investment Banking Associate in the structured finance group at Goldman, Sachs & Co. and began his career as an Analyst in the fixed income structuring group at Nomura Securities. Michael received a B.A. in Economics from Cornell University

Vickie Nauman
Founder and CEO
CrossBorderWorks

Vickie Nauman specializes in the intersection between technology and music, focused on licensing, relationships and music rights; helping grow companies from point A to point B; and global strategic development. She is Founder and CEO of the boutique consulting and advisory firm CrossBorderWorks and has been busy with an ambitious portfolio of forward-thinking companies in gaming, tech, consumer electronics, finance and music since 2014. A digital music pioneer, Nauman worked on licensing and product for one of the first legal digital services MusicNet (RealNetworks JV), led strategic partnerships for connected device company Sonos, started and ran the US business for global music platform 7digital, and did digital music business in Europe and China as a consultant. She built one of the first DMCA-compliant services at taste-making Seattle station KEXP and has an MBA through the London School of Economics, NYU-Stern, and HEC-Paris, in the executive program TRIUM. She is an advisor to companies in M&A, strategic growth, and early stage startups in music/tech. Client base listed on LinkedIn.

Kevin Bhatia, Executive
Music Business Affairs
UTA

Kevin Bhatia leads the Music Business Affairs department at leading global talent, entertainment and sports company United Talent Agency (UTA). In his role, he advises UTA’s music clients and their representation teams on a wide variety of topics, including negotiating live tour deals and securing brand partnerships. Additionally, he helps artists navigate the intersection between music and other verticals such as gaming, Web 3.0 and more.  

He regularly works with superstars such as Bad Bunny and Post Malone. Most notably, he recently worked with UTA’s Music Brand Partnerships division to secure Bad Bunny’s massively successful and groundbreaking partnership with Adidas. He also negotiated the artist’s two record-breaking 2022 tours, the “El Último Tour Del Mundo” arena tour and the subsequent “World’s Hottest Tour” stadium tour.

He is a founding member of Justice Now, UTA Music’s internal task force to help combat systemic racism within the music industry.

Glenn Peoples
Lead Analyst
Billboard

As lead analyst at Billboard, Glenn covers the business side of the music business -- everything from corporate earnings to acquisitions to U.S. and global trends. He founded The Ledger, Billboard's weekly newsletter about the economics of the music business, and recently debuted the Billboard Global Music Index, an index of 20 stocks of music-focused, publicly traded companies. Glenn is also the co-founder of Behind The Setlist, an interview podcast where artists tell the stories behind their songs and concerts.

AGENDA

WELCOMING ADDRESS
10:00am – 10:05am PT

Amy Baker - CEO and Co-Founder, Winston Baker

FIRESIDE CHAT with MERCK MERCURIADIS
10:05am – 11:00am PT

Merck Mercuriadis, Founder and CEO, Hipgnosis Song Management, Hipgnosis Songs Fund and Hipgnosis Songs Capital

Moderator: Jeff Bazoian, Managing Director, Head of Media, Entertainment and Sports, Fifth Third Bank

Global Trends and the State of the Music Industry
11:00am - 12:00pm PT

In this interactive discussion, we will dive into the major global trends taking over the Music Industry. Who are the big players in the space, and who are the new ones to keep an eye on; what exciting market opportunities are appearing over the next year and how to make sure you stay ahead of the game. Our panelists will also discuss the drivers for Funding and Acquisitions and the on-going shift in moving from a Mass-Consumption model to a Mass-Creation model. With social media platforms taking over the way we hear music, what are the ways that we can ensure clarity between music licensing and copyright – is this line being blurred? This conversation will focus on the financial and legal side of this ever-changing music market, as well as how to stay current and aware of new strategies and continue to grow. Join us in this conversation to hear about what to look for as we move from 2022 onwards.

Moderator: Glenn Peoples, Billboard

Panelists:
Vickie Nauman, Founder and CEO, CrossBorderWorks

Michael Chen, Managing Director, Head of Investments, HarbourView Equity

Kevin Bhatia, Executive, Music Business Affairs, UTA

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: Royalties Disrupted
12:00pm – 1:00pm PT

Presented by:
MRMOE, Founder & NFT Collector, RoyaltyBits

- Web3 & NFT Fundamentals
- Digital Property Rights
- Music NFT Use Cases
- Why NFTs are a game changer for Musicians

FORUM CONCLUDES

HOSTED BY:

Amy Baker
Co-Founder and CEo
WINSTON | BAKER

As Co-Founder and CEO of WINSTON | BAKER, Amy Baker oversees the company’s global strategic planning, editorial programming, event production, business development and vendor relationships. Amy co-founded the FILM FINANCE FORUM® SERIES, a series of conferences across the globe dedicated to bringing film and finance executives together.

Prior to establishing Winston Baker, she successfully directed B2B and B2C business development efforts for over 10 years by leveraging innovative sponsorship methods to engage business professionals. At ALM, as Vice President of Business Development, she provided finance executives and marketers with targeted channels for reaching decision-makers within the legal, entertainment, healthcare and tech sectors. In her previous position, Director of Business Development at RPMC, she worked with entertainment, music, and sports companies, creating event marketing programs, travel incentive services, sweepstakes, and media promotions.

Amy received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with honors from New York University and is proud to be a member of the National Board of Advisors for the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida.
Amy is also a Certified COVID-19 Compliance Officer.

For more information please email:

Special Thanks to Our Partners