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Merck Mercuriadis to Deliver Keynote at Music Tectonics Conference 2026
Merck Mercuriadis, founder and former CEO of catalog investment group Hipgnosis, will deliver the keynote at the Music Tectonics conference 2026 in Santa Monica, California. The announcement, made on 29 July, highlights Mercuriadis's influence in establishing music as a recognised asset class, and organisers say his address will focus on collaboration across the industry to boost value for all stakeholders, from label executives to artists.
Mercuriadis will speak on 28 October, during the conference running from 27–29 October. He is best known for founding Hipgnosis, which included a public catalogue fund, a privately held fund backed by Blackstone, and an investment management arm; the business was renamed Recognition Music Group in 2024 after Blackstone bought the public fund, with Mercuriadis stepping down as the investment manager's CEO around the same time. He has since launched a new venture, Hipgnosis Artist Partnerships, and used his conference statement to point to streaming's growth from 30 million to over 800 million paid subscribers as evidence of a coming "significant value shift" for artists, songwriters, producers and managers. The event will also feature panels on topics including AI's impact on licensing, royalties and revenue growth in the music industry.
In short
- Merck Mercuriadis to keynote Music Tectonics conference on 28 October 2026
- Event runs 27–29 October in Santa Monica, California
- Talk follows his Hipgnosis exit and new Artist Partnerships venture
Explained simply
Merck Mercuriadis founded Hipgnosis, a company that treats music catalogues and songwriting rights as financial investments. This was significant because it established music ownership as a mainstream investment asset, attracting large amounts of capital into the music industry.
Hipgnosis grew substantially before restructuring in 2024 when the investment firm Blackstone expanded its stake. Mercuriadis stepped down as chief executive but has remained involved in music investment through a new venture called Hipgnosis Artist Partnerships.
The Music Tectonics conference brings together music industry leaders to discuss how business and technology are transforming the sector. Key topics include streaming's growth and what changing music consumption means for artists, songwriters and the economics of the industry overall.
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