All About Music 2025 Concludes With Panels, Workshops, And Networking

How AI, virtual concerts and regional festivals are shaping the future of music

Verus Ferreira Updated: Friday, August 22, 2025, 09:50 PM IST

The final day at All About Music saw attendees in large numbers moving
around the conference area attending panel discussions, workshops, masterclasses and if they weren’t in any of the massive halls, they were networking with other attendees, many of whom from across the country and the world.

Opening the day’s proceedings was Paul Pacifico, CEO of the Music Commission, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Pacifico, who gave a glimpse of
the music scene back in Saudi, mentioned that live shows were banned
in 2017 but a change was taking place in 2024. “The country marked the
beginning of a creative renaissance. Earlier music shows were attended
only by males. We witnessed a jazz festival and later hip-hop star Eminem performed last year.”

Keeping with the theme of ‘Moments in Momentum’, Samit Garg, MD and Co-Founder of E Factor Experiences, spoke about the growth and future of live experiences. Citing examples through videos of ABBA Voyage, he recounted his visit to London when he went to watch this production. “When I was watching the show, I thought I was watching the band live, it was only after it ended that I realized it was an ABBA virtual concert. They had recreated the whole band. I thought to myself, why can’t we have something like this in India, maybe a Kishore Kumar voyage?” He then went on to showcase a virtual concert of Kishore Kumar that left the audience baffled seeing a realistic Kishore Kumar come alive…. Virtually.

In a Fireside Chat, Beyond the Mix, Immersive Audio, AI and Creator Rights, singer Ankur Tewari speaking on the thread perception of AI, he said that AI does solve the job of a musician by saving his time, but we need to protect it too, as it can be good and bad. Sawanand Kirkire said that while AI cannot be copied, no one really owns it is there for anyone to use after someone uses it.

In the Panel discussion – The Cultural Renaissance of North East India, Shyamkanuu Mahanta, he said that North East festivals can attract a lot of people, when we introduce ourselves as part of India. Through visuals he showed the work the North East region has done to take their music to the Far East, while not only taking the music but also the food and culture of the region. The Rongali festival brings together three things – hip hop, ghazals and rock music and its one of the biggest festivals.

Songwriter Natasha Lalwani in her presentation Art of Songwriting, stressed the need for keeping the lyrics simple, be your own A &R person, believe in what you are making and above all try to build your own relationships.

Other interesting panel discussions were The Sound of South Cinema, Why do we need Music Industries Education? and Pitch Your Music to Filmmakers, among many others.

The regular Connect Corner, a platform for record labels, artists, artist managers, brands, and other IPs, was an out and out hit with the place swarming with attendees to network and build relationships for the future. Free Press Journal as Media Partner was at the Connect Corner for the second time represented by its Consulting Editor Shruti Pandit who briefed attendees on one of Mumbai’s longest surviving tabloids.

The three days saw a tabled attendance of around 3000, who visited the conference seeking to not only know more about music, but also to learn how it functions and take home a wealth of knowledge.

Can’t wait for All About Music 2026.

The Free Press Journal was a media partner for this mega event.

Published on: Friday, August 22, 2025, 09:50 PM IST

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