From October 14 to 17, the journey continues in Sofia for the So Alive Music Conference (SAMC) — one of the dynamic professional gatherings for the music industry in the Balkans.

The conference brings together artists, managers, promoters, and entrepreneurs from across the Balkans and beyond, following the same regional approach as Mastering the Music Business (MMB) in Bucharest. Both events strengthen the links between Southeast and Central European markets, supporting the exchange of experience, mobility, and professional cooperation.

Following the Athens Music Week 2025 initiative and MESO’s recent participation in Mastering the Music Business, this step continues the effort to build stronger ties between Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria — two countries that have just entered the Schengen zone, opening new opportunities for touring and creative mobility in the region.

This year, a Greek and Cypriot delegation will join SAMC, participating in discussions, showcases, and networking sessions designed to connect creativity and entrepreneurship.
The delegation includes professionals Andreas Trachonitis, Georges Perot, Lia Mansola, and Lefteris Moumtzis, together with artists Labaf, Elena Leoni, and Alexa Michael.

We will take part in panels, B2B sessions, and the CEE Mixer (October 15 | 14:00 | Kino Kabana), a regional networking format designed to foster direct collaboration between professionals from Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe.

To facilitate participation and strengthen regional exchange, Greek professionals are offered a 50% discount on SAMC passes. This initiative aims to encourage more artists and entrepreneurs from Greece and Cyprus to join the conversation and expand their networks.

We look forward to developing stronger bridges between the Bulgarian and Greek music ecosystems, continuing the dialogue started through Athens Music Week, Mastering the Music Business, and our shared commitment to regional cooperation and creative innovation.

The post Connecting Southeast Europe: From Dialogue to Action at So Alive Music Conference appeared first on Athens Music Week.

After the project’s official launch in Groningen, the discussion now continues in Athens, where the SONIC initiative brings together local stakeholders and cultural partners to explore new pathways for music policy and innovation.
SONIC – Strategic Opportunities for New Innovative Changes in Music Policies is a European initiative on cultural policy and music innovation, co-funded by the INTERREG EUROPE programme.

The meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 7, at Innovathens / Technopolis City of Athens, bringing together key public and private stakeholders shaping Greece’s music and creative ecosystem, including representatives from the Ministry of Culture, Technopolis City of Athens, ACE-IN (Athens University of Economics & Business), EDEM Rights, Orfium, Action Esti, Crates, Fuzz Productions, The Factory Music Group, TMR Entertainment, and MESO Events.

Throughout the session, participants will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing Athens music ecosystem, identify strategic pathways for collaboration, and outline first steps toward the creation of a Music Policy Cluster based approach in Athens.

This informal cluster will serve as a long-term framework, linking research, policy, and entrepreneurship, while connecting local actors to European networks supporting innovation and SME competitiveness in the music sector.

The SONIC Kick-Off follows the recent Music Tech Europe Athens Meet-Up, where MESO and partners — Orfium, Panathēnea, and Technopolis City of Athens — brought together startups, artists, and entrepreneurs to explore bottom-up opportunities for creative and technological innovation.

With SONIC, this momentum now expands from community to policy, laying the groundwork for sustained cooperation between institutions, academia, and creative professionals.

Over the coming months, the project will foster preliminary dialogues among Greek stakeholders, mapping strengths, needs, and synergies to develop a shared vision for the future of the music industry.

As these efforts evolve, SONIC will help shape a coordinated approach that combines bottom-up energy with top-down policy development, ensuring that Greece – and Athens in particular – becomes a reference point for music innovation, education, and cultural entrepreneurship in Europe.

Follow this link for more information about SONIC (Interreg Europe): https://www.interregeurope.eu/sonic

Stay connected — more news and opportunities will follow soon.

The post Bridging Music, Tech and Policy: Athens Hosts the SONIC Interreg Kick-Off appeared first on Athens Music Week.

European music-tech entrepreneurs face unique challenges: diverse markets, limited access to specialised expertise, difficulty to connect with partners and investors who really understand the intersection of music and technology.

Music Tech Europe Academy is a pan-European accelerator designed for innovators, startups, entrepreneurs, and SMEs in music-tech or interested in expanding into this sector. We build bridges between visionary ideas and market success through expert guidance and networking.

You’ll get access to:

📌Flexible and Hybrid Mentorship: reach experts across music, technology, finance, and entrepreneurship
🔗Strategic Connections: meet leaders and peers at key European music-tech events
🔊Pitch Sessions: present your product to investors who specialise in our sector
🌐13-Country Network: join Europe’s most vibrant community of music-tech professionals

Applications are now open.
Deadline: October 12 at 23:59 CEST.

Don’t let your next chance to grow pass you by.

Apply now at https://lnkd.in/db9Ysnr
________________

MTE Academy is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union and is coordinated by Music Innovation Hub (Italy) in partnership with Media Deals (Germany), Technoport SA (Luxembourg), MESO Events (Greece), and Music Tech Hub (MTH) (Spain).

Greek Networking Partners: OrfiumPanathēneaTechnopolis City Of Athens

The post Ready to Grow? Apply to Music Tech Europe Academy appeared first on Athens Music Week.

The journey starts in Groningen with the launch of SONIC, an Interreg initiative on Strategic Opportunities for New Innovation in Cultural Policy in which Technopolis City of Athens is also a partner. Here, cultural operators and policy experts come together to explore how regional music ecosystems can be better supported through forward-looking public policies, cross-border collaboration, and cultural innovation. This conversation is vital for ensuring that local voices and communities have a place in the wider European debate.

A few days later in Berlin, Music Frontiers will bring together visionaries working at the intersection of music, technology, and creativity. Pantelis Vikatos from Orfium and Chris Hocking will join this new initiative organised by MusicTech Germany, one of our Music Tech Europe partners. The discussions will focus on how music and technology are reshaping value chains, creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs, and linking innovation with long-term sustainability. For us, this is also a chance to share perspectives from Greece and the wider region with the European music-tech community.

The month continues in Bucharest, where Athens Music Week deepens its collaboration with Mastering the Music Business and So Alive Music Conference. This partnership, initiated earlier this year in Athens, strengthens ties between the three capitals of Athens, Bucharest, and Sofia. Georges Perot and Chris Bekiris (aka Bhukhurah) will represent Greece in the panel “The New Schengen Route: Opening Doors for Business in the Balkans,” examining how the expansion of Schengen will transform artist mobility, touring, and festival cooperation. Bhukhurah will also perform in the official showcase, bringing the creativity and diversity of the Greek scene to an international stage. As part of this collaboration, Greek professionals attending MMB will benefit from a reduced participation fee, a practical step to encourage exchange and professional networking across borders.

Looking ahead, this momentum extends to the Music Tech Europe Academy, which opens its new call for applications on September 8. The programme offers deep sector expertise, a vibrant European community of innovators, and opportunities for entrepreneurs to present their work in pitch sessions that can lead to new collaborations and deals. It is an important pathway for music-tech projects and professionals ready to grow internationally.

Together, these activities are not isolated moments but connected steps in a broader effort to create a stronger, more resilient, and more connected music ecosystem in Europe. They illustrate how local initiatives can scale through regional partnerships, how creative entrepreneurs can access international networks, and how cultural cooperation can inspire sustainable change.

We warmly thank our partners who make this collective work possible.

For anyone interested in supporting local and regional talent, investing in cultural innovation, or collaborating on future European projects, now is the right moment to join forces.

The post Strengthening music ecosystems across Europe this September appeared first on Athens Music Week.

To Οpen Call που πραγματοποίησε το Music Tech Europe Academy ολοκληρώθηκε επιτυχώς με την κριτική επιτροπή να καταλήγει στις 10 start-ups με τις περισσότερες πιθανότητες εξέλιξης, ικανές να διαμορφώσουν το μέλλον του μουσικοτεχνολογικού οικοσυστήματος. Οι παρακάτω start-ups θα έχουν την ευκαιρία να συμμετέχουν σε ένα 7μηνο πρόγραμμα επιτάχυνσης το οποίο αναπτύχθηκε το 2021 στο πλαίσιο του Music Moves Europe

* Afroplug
* Arenametrix
* Audacia Innovations
* Drumap
* FEST
* IZI
* Meloom
* Mood
* Oratrex
* Your Music Marketing

Το Athens Music Week στηρίζει έμπρακατα το πρόγραμμα επιτάχυνσης και θα φιλοξενήσει στην επόμενη του διοργάνωση το καταληκτικό event του Music Tech Europe Academy προσκαλώντας τις 10 start-ups στην Αθήνα. Πέρα από την συγκεκριμένη εμπειρία στο πλαίσιο του προγράμματος, οι επιλαχθείσες start-ups θα έχουν τη δυνατόητα να συμμετέχουν και  σε εκδηλώσεις του φεστιβάλ με δυνατότητες δικτύωσης, όπως επίσης και να λάβουν μέρος σε πάνελ, εργαστήρια και εκθέσεις που επικεντρώνονται στις βιομηχανίες μουσικής και μουσικής-τεχνολογίας. Αυτή η εκπληκτική εμπειρία θα τους επιτρέψει να έρθουν σε επαφή με διεθνείς επαγγελματίες του κλάδου, να αποκτήσουν πολύτιμες γνώσεις και να παρουσιάσουν τις δικές τους καινοτόμες ιδέες σε ανθρώπους κλειδιά του χώρου.

Το MTE Academy συγχρηματοδοτείται από το πρόγραμμα Creative Europe της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και συντονίζεται από το Music Innovation Hub (Ιταλία), σε συνεργασία με τις Media Deals (Γερμανία), Technoport (Λουξεμβούργο), Meso Events (Ελλάδα) και Barcelona Music Tech Hub (Ισπανία).

The post To Music Tech Europe Academy ανακοίνωσε τις 10 επιλεχθείσες start-up που επιλέχθηκαν από το Open Call appeared first on Athens Music Week.

Live Music Sessions

Sunday, May 23 | 19.00 (CET)

Live streaming: HEMI Facebook & youtube channel

Τα ΗΕΜΙ Music Awards (HMA) περνάνε στο τελικό στάδιο της δεύτερης φάσης του διαγωνισμού με τους 9 φιναλίστ να εμφανίζονται “ζωντανά”, την Κυριακή 23 Μαΐου, στα HMA Live Sessions, από όπου θα αναδειχθούν και οι 3 νικητές!

Κατά τη διάρκεια αυτού του τηλεοπτικού online event, οι διαγωνιζόμενοι θα παρουσιάσουν ένα τραγούδι της επιλογής τους, θα απαντήσουν σε ερωτήσεις και θα δώσουν τη δυνατότητα στο κοινό και τους κριτές να τους γνωρίσουν σε συνθήκες live!

Κατά τους τελευταίους δύο μήνες, οι 9 φιναλίστ –Thom Artway (CZ), I Wear* Experiment (EE), Deaf Radio (GR), Woodstock Barbie (HU), Funk Shui (MK), Dogs in Kavala (RS), Izzy and the Black Trees (PL), Lucia (RO), Koala Voice! (SI) – είχαν πρόσβαση σε εργαστήρια και mentoring συνεδρίες από 11 συνολικά εξειδικευμένους επαγγελματίες οι οποίοι εργάζονται ή έχουν συνεργαστεί με εταιρίες και φεστιβάλ όπως οι Spotify, Songtrust, Google, !Κ7, Sziget, MENT Ljubljana, A38, Ship, Sony/ATV, κ.α. Οι μέντορες μοιράστηκαν με τους συμμετέχοντες τις γνώσεις και τις εμπειρίες τους μέσα από 50 εξατομικευμένες συνεδρίες σε θέματα publishing, content monetization, Merchandising, booking, PR & touring καθώς και σε θέματα sync, playlist. Γνωρίστε όλους τους μέντορες πατώντας εδώ

Τώρα ήρθε η ώρα να δούμε τους 9 φιναλίστ “ζωντανά” στη σκηνή!

Συντονιστείτε την Κυριακή 23 Μαΐου, στις 20.00, στα  ΗΜΑ Live Sessions, στην σελίδα του HEMI Music Hub στο Facebook και στο Youtube και ανακαλύψτε καλλιτέχνες από: Τσεχία, Εσθονία, Ελλάδα, Ουγγαρία, Βόρεια Μακεδονία, Πολωνία, Ρουμανία, Σερβία και Σλοβενία!

Οι 9 φιναλίστ των HMA επιλέχθηκαν μεταξύ των 27 υποψηφίων που συμμετείχαν στην πρώτη φάση της διοργάνωσης από τα 27 μέλη διεθνούς κριτικής επιτροπής, αναγνωρισμένους επαγγελματίες της μουσικής βιομηχανίας, διοργανωτές φεστιβάλ, promoters, export-office managers, managers συναυλιακών χώρων και μουσικούς συντάκτες. Γνωρίστε τους όλους πατώντας εδώ!

Το HEMI Music Awards (HMA) είναι ένα talent program για καλλιτέχνες που θέλουν η μουσική τους να φτάσει σε νέες αγορές και κοινό, που αισθάνονται έτοιμοι να χτίσουν διεθνή καριέρα. Διοργανώνεται από το HEMI (Hub for the Exchange of Music Innovation), μία ευρωπαϊκή πρωτοβουλία που στόχο έχει την παροχή υποστήριξης σε καλλιτέχνες και επαγγελματίες της μουσικής βιομηχανίας που προέρχονται από τις 9 χώρες που συμμετέχουν στο HEMI: Τσεχία, Εσθονία, Ελλάδα, Ουγγαρία, Βόρεια Μακεδονία, Πολωνία, Ρουμανία, Σερβία και Σλοβενία.

The post HEMI Music Awards: Live Music Sessions appeared first on Athens Music Week.