Founded in 2017, All About Music has, over the past decade, grown into one of India’s key meeting points for the music ecosystem, bringing together artists, labels, publishers, managers, promoters, platforms, brands, technology companies, entrepreneurs and other industry professionals.

The 10th edition arrived at an important moment for the Indian music industry, as technology, independent music, regional sounds, global audiences and evolving creator economies continue to reshape how music is made, distributed, discovered and monetised.

Over nine editions, AAM has hosted influential voices from across the Indian and global music ecosystem, including Arijit Singh, A.R. Rahman, Shreya Ghoshal, Scooter Braun, Lyor Cohen, Javed Akhtar and Sunidhi Chauhan. The conference has also become a space for talent discovery, knowledge-sharing, partnerships and conversations around the issues shaping the future of music.

Chandni Soni, Business Head, All About Music, said:

“Over the years, we’ve seen All About Music become more than a conference. It has become a space where people find opportunities, build careers, meet collaborators and create connections that continue long after the three days are over. That’s what makes AAM special: you never really know where one conversation can take you.”

For its 10th edition, AAM expanded its programming with new formats designed to create more opportunities for discovery, learning and connection.

Music X, a new home for live performances and artist discovery, ran across all three days, bringing live music into the heart of the conference. The expanded on-ground experience also included a Grand Showcase area, new networking and business-matching formats, dedicated conversations around AI and music technology, and increased international participation.

Connect Corner returned with an expanded format, while Backstage Access was introduced to give attendees direct access to professionals working across the live music ecosystem, including sound, production, touring, bookings, venues and artist management.

The conference also introduced new discovery and pitch opportunities, creating direct pathways between emerging talent and industry decision-makers.

Alaap Gosher, CEO & Co-Founder, TM Ventures, added:

“All About Music has grown alongside the Indian music industry, and this edition made that evolution impossible to miss. The conversations have moved from what the industry is to what it could become, across technology, ownership, global markets, live entertainment, artist development and new business models. All About Music X was a milestone, but more importantly, it was a starting point for the next decade.”

The new Pitch to Investors format delivered an early standout: Nathan Menezes, Founder of Vero, walked away with ₹25 lakh in funding after pitching to a room of investors that included Vinod Janardhan, Managing Director of Team Rustic. The investment was backed by Pratik Gandhi on behalf of Ideabaaz.

Across three days of programming, ten headline conversations brought together artists, entrepreneurs, technology leaders, global music professionals and cultural voices to examine where the industry is headed.

1. Badshah in Conversation with Siddhartha Roy

Day One closed with rapper, entrepreneur and label owner Badshah in conversation with Siddhartha Roy.

The wide-ranging conversation explored artistry, individuality and the business behind building a career in music. Badshah also announced his forthcoming album Gentle Monster, his most ambitious project yet, featuring collaborations including Shreya Ghoshal.

He spoke about the responsibility of the music industry to protect the individuality of artists rather than smooth out what makes them distinctive.

“The job of the whole industry should be protecting the eccentricity of the artist.”

He also pointed to the rise of hyper-local artists such as Bad Bunny and Diljit Dosanjh as examples of how specificity can be a strength when building a global audience.

2. Usha Uthup in Conversation with Hrishikesh Kannan

The 10th edition concluded with the legendary Usha Uthup, who joined Fever FM and HT Smartcast’s Hrishikesh Kannan for a conversation tracing her five-decade career across languages, genres and generations.

The session moved from conversation to performance, with Uthup performing renditions of “Skyfall” and a Bollywood medley to a standing audience.

3. From Bedroom to Ibiza: Building India's DJ Talent Pipeline

Alex Tripi and Nello Greco of Pete Tong DJ Academy, alongside Pete Tong and Garry Blackburn of Anglo Management, discussed the opportunity to build a stronger pipeline of Indian electronic music talent onto the global stage.

Tripi highlighted a significant gap in the international electronic music ecosystem, noting that of approximately 1,000 electronic music producers based in Ibiza, only one is of Indian origin.

The session explored how education, artist development and access could help bridge that gap.

4. Jasleen Royal, Ask Me Anything with Sunny M.R.

Singer-songwriter Jasleen Royal took questions directly from the audience in an open AMA moderated by composer, producer and sound engineer Sunny M.R.

The conversation explored her creative journey, music-making process and experiences of building a career in an evolving Indian music ecosystem.

5. Beyond the Beat: Music Meets Podcasting

Entrepreneur and podcaster Raj Shamani joined YouTube’s Steve McLendon and music entrepreneur Tarsame Mittal for a conversation moderated by YouTube’s Monica James.

The session explored the growing intersection of music and podcasting, and how changing content formats are creating new opportunities for artists, creators and businesses.

6. Zakir Khan, Surprise Conversation

Comedian, producer and storyteller Zakir Khan made a surprise appearance on the AAM stage, adding an unexpected moment to the programming.

His appearance followed conversations that highlighted the people who often remain unseen but are critical to bringing music and live experiences to audiences.

7. Karan Kanchan, Chaar Diwaari and Arpit Bala, Ask Me Anything with Roshan Abbas

Day Three saw Karan Kanchan, Chaar Diwaari and Arpit Bala take the stage for an AMA moderated by Kommune co-founder Roshan Abbas.

The conversation touched on collaboration, creative identity, staying grounded and the responsibility that comes with having a public voice.

Karan Kanchan revealed that he had ghost-produced over 500 songs in a year as a way of experimenting across genres, while Chaar Diwaari spoke about reaching out directly to potential collaborators.

On virality and audience expectations, the conversation came back to a simple idea: artists are not owed a click, a like or a number.

8. Glenn McDonald, The Future of Music Discovery

Algorithm designer and former Spotify data scientist Glenn McDonald, creator of the genre-mapping project Every Noise at Once, joined Ralph Simon of Mobilium Global for a fireside conversation on the future of music discovery.

The discussion explored algorithms, playlisting, genre classification and how technology could influence the way listeners discover music over the next decade.

9. Giorgio Tuinfort, The Mind Behind the Music

Dutch producer and songwriter Giorgio Tuinfort took the audience behind his creative process in a solo session exploring the craft of music production.

A two-time Grammy Award winner whose career includes collaborations with some of the world's biggest artists, Tuinfort spoke about his approach to creating music and the thinking that happens behind the tracks audiences eventually hear.

10. Shilpa Rao, Behind the Song and Ask Me Anything

Playback singer Shilpa Rao featured across two formats during the conference.

In Behind the Song, she joined music entrepreneur Tarsame Mittal for a conversation about her musical journey, while her AMA with Spotify’s Padmanabhan NS offered audiences another opportunity to engage directly with her career and creative process.

The conversations traced her journey from early work including Tose Naina and Khuda Jaane to more recent hits such as Chaleya and Besharam Rang.

The programming extended well beyond the ten headline conversations.

AAM X featured Luminate’s data-led perspective on India’s streaming market, alongside a first-of-its-kind public presentation focused on mental health in the music industry by Kripi Malviya and Meghna Balani.

A dedicated publishing and licensing masterclass brought together perspectives from IPRS, Sony Music Publishing and The MLC, while conversations across the three days examined AI, music discovery, campus touring, the revival of vinyl and the evolving business of music rights.

The conference also saw a reunion conversation with the Colonial Cousins, who reflected on their early journey before taking the stage for live performances of “Krishna” and “Sa Ni Dha Pa”.

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Raja Kumari spoke about her journey from hip-hop to devotional music, describing the growing intersection of Sanskrit and ancient texts with contemporary production as “bhajan clubbing”.

Several conversations across AAM X highlighted the scale and pace of change within the Indian music ecosystem.

YouTube Music’s Paul Smith, MD-APAC, shared that artist payouts to Indian creators on YouTube crossed ₹21,000 crore between 2022 and 2024.

In a conversation around copyright and music rights, lawyer Priyanka Khimani highlighted the importance of understanding ownership from the moment music is created, noting that lyrics saved in a phone’s notes app can already constitute copyrightable work without requiring registration.

Meghana Bhogle, Conference Director, All About Music, said:

“The biggest success of All About Music X was seeing the conference move beyond being a place to listen and become a place to participate. From the main stage to Music X, Access X, masterclasses, pitches and networking, we wanted people to leave with something tangible: a new idea, a new connection, a new opportunity or simply a clearer sense of where they fit. That is the kind of room we want to keep building.”

Ten editions into its journey, All About Music has evolved alongside the Indian music industry itself.

What began in 2017 as a space for people to better understand the business of music has grown into a multi-format platform connecting artists, businesses, technology, culture and audiences.

The 10th edition reflected an industry that is increasingly global, digitally native and artist-led, while still grappling with many of the fundamental questions around rights, revenue, discovery, access and sustainable careers.

As AAM enters its next chapter, the focus remains on creating spaces where the industry can meet, question, learn, collaborate and build what comes next.