2025
This series of engaging and occasionally thought provoking panels contends with the most pressing issues facing the music industry today. This year, it will cover everything from taxes for musicians, to border navigation, streaming royalties, the music venue crisis, and the rise of Latin music collectives in Montreal.
- Getting Toute Les Grants Workshop with Corey Gulkin Co-presented by English Language Arts Network (ELAN)
- Identifying and Resisting Tokenism with James Goddard, Elle Barbara, Mulu Tesfu, and Melissa Vincent Co-presented by Women in Music and The Walrus
- Making Live Events Work Co-presented by Pan M 360 and STRUK Productions
- The Rise of Music Collectives in Latin Music Co-presented by ISLAS
- Ribbon Skirt Artist Talk led by Anishinaabe musician Tashiina Buswa Co-presented by RANGE
- Embodied Resistance: Dance as Communication and Survival Co-presented by David Suzuki Foundation
- Who’s Getting What? Campaigns for New Artist Royalties in the Streaming Era Co-presented by ACTRA-RACS
- Navigating Borders While Trans Co-presented by Queercorps and CKUT 90.3FM
- The Future of Montreal Nightlife Co-presented by ARCMTL
- In Conversation with Tamer Nafar
- What's Next For Radio? Co-presented by CKUT 90.3FM and CJLO
- Taxes for Musicians
- Workshop on Visas and Touring Abroad with Dani Oliva, Esq. and Thanya Iyer
2024
This year, we are thrilled to present some of our most ambitious programming yet. With panels on everything from the state of live music venues to DIY scenes across the country, artist talks, and practical workshops, Symposium has it all.
- Do I Need a Lawyer? Free Legal Clinic for Musicians
- Making Royalties Work For You: Publishing and the Importance of Works Registration Co-presented by Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency
- Navigating Sobriety in the Arts
- Lessons from DIY Scenes
- Leçons tirées des scènes DIY
- Lectures POP Reads: Co-presented by ARCMTL
- The Housing Crisis & the Arts Co-presented by The Walrus
- The Sound of Organizing: Union Organizing in the Arts
- Creators and the New Music Media Landscape
- In Conversation with Peter Jesperson: Euphoric Recall Book Launch
- The Music-Military Industrial Complex Co-presented by New Feeling
- Artists for Palestine
- What’s Canadian music, anyway? - Live Taping of The Bridge (CBC) Co-presented by Radio Canada
- In Conversation With Mannie Fresh
- Pathwaves Futures World-Building Workshop: Technology, Literacy, and Creativity Co-presented by The Pathways Digital Literacy Initiative
- Maroc x Quebec: Collaborations and Inspirations
- Collective sonic memory: Archival Practices for the Independent Music Community
- The State of Live Music Venues Co-presented by Ottawa Music Industry Coalition (OMIC)
- Music Video Showcase Co-presented by PRISM and Film POP
- The Future of Canadian Latin Music: Rising Latinx Artists and Music Entrepreneurs Co-presented by ISLAS Productions
- Roundtable on the State of Montreal Nightlife Co-presented by ARCMTL
- Women in Leadership at Music Companies Co-presented by Redeye and Women in Music Montreal
2023
Every year, POP Symposium brings people together to discuss the most pressing issues facing the music industry. With the major challenges of the last few years, we need to come together both as a community and an industry to chart exciting new collective futures.
- Music Royalties 101: Turn Your Passion Into a Paycheck! Co-presented by Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency
- Do Androids Dream of Electronic Music? Artificial Intelligence and the Music Industry
- Participants: Fannie Crépin (House of Supercool), Jonathan Sterne (McGill University), Jocelyn Maclure (McGill University), Paul Tao (I Am Sound)
- Sampling as Storytelling: a History Across Genres Co-presented by Loop Sessions
- Participants: Peggy Hogan, Bliberation, Mags, Mario Reyes
- Influencing the Influencers: Social Media Music Marketing
- Participants: David Schellenberg (Signal Noise Marketing), Nick Younes (Secret City Records), Kelley Linn (True Panther), Dorothée Parent-Roy (House of Supercool)
- Lights! Camera! Action? The Future of the Music Video Co-presented by Prism
- Participants: Neil Haverty (Prism), Brittney Canda (Producer, Director), Simon (Six Media) et invité·es
- POP Music Video Showcase Co-presented by Prism and Film POP
- Planes, Trains, and Tourvans: Live Music’s Travel Environmental Impact Co-presented by Music Declares Emergency
- Language & Reconciliation Co-presented by David Suzuki Foundation
- Participants: Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer, Severen Suzuki
- Bahamadia & Shabazz Palaces: Hip-Hop Legends in Conversation Co-presented by The Walrus
- Participants: Bahamadia, Ishmael Butler, Dalton Higgins
- Bonnie Prince Billy In Conversation
- Participants: Bonnie Prince Billy, Cedric Noel
- Building Bridges: Solidarity of Musicians & Music Journalists Co-presented by New Feeling Coop
- Participants: Rosie Long Decter, Luke Ottenhof, Rusell Louder, Melissa Vincent, Nantali Indongo
- The Team behind the Booth: Making the most of Soundcheck
- The Tuba Thieves Artist Talk Co-presented by Film POP
- Participants: Alison O'Daniel, Sami Zenderoudi
- Living off Live Music: The Economic Realities of Touring Co-presented by Lawnya Vawnya and CIMA
- Participants: Michael Bardier (Heavy Trip), Thanya Iyer (Artist), Sergio Da Silva (Turbo Haus) et invité·e
- The Changing Grant Landscape for Music Companies Co-presented by CIMA
- Participants: Peggy Hogan (Outside / Next Door Records), Sebastian Cowan (Arbutus Records) et invité·es
2022
This year’s POP Symposium presents an inspiring suite of hands-on workshops and panel discussions aimed at empowering the next generation of artists to build sustainable careers.
- Gigging outside the box: Making your own stages with Thanya Iyer
- Granting Access: How the grant landscape is changing & what you need to know with Rachel Weldon
- How to connect with your audience in live performance
- Releasing in 2022: What you need to know with Tess Roby, Sarah Armiento (Hot Tramp Records)
- Chasing Syncs: Demystifying TV and Film Syncing with Jeff Waye and Isabelle Banos
- The rise of the social media first artist with Star Amerasu, Melissa Vincent, Maryze, David Schellenberg (Constellation) and Austin Archer
- Love it or Block it: The Social Media Roasting Panel with Star Amerasu, Austin Archer, Melissa Vincent and Eve Parker Finley
- Discussion Panels: Conversations on Diaspora, Career Sustainability, Mapping Montreal’s Diverse Black Music Scenes, CALLIARI: Language and Belonging, Green Touring & Live Performance, Sustainable Merch, The Artist’s Role In the Climate Crisis, Artists & Indigenous Land Struggles: Marlene Hale & Stefan Christoff in Conversation, Music Labels & Sustainability, XR, AR, and Music, Blockchain & Beats: New Horizons in Tech and Art, Geo-coding & Radio Storytelling: Mapping Montreal Music, Mental Health, Wellness & the Music Industry
2021
For this 20th anniversary festival edition, POP Symposium is looking into the future!
Taking a leap forward off of the heels of the pandemic, this year’s panel discussions and roundtables envision new possibil- ities for a recovering music industry and explore the many ways that creating art and music can generate knowledge, and work to revolutionize our world.
- ARCMTL: Montreal soul and rnb legend Skipper Dean in conversation with Andy Williams
- Kind of a Big Deal – Publicity for Independent Artists
- Roaring 20s – Music 100 years ago
- Cakes da Killa in Conversation with Aiza
- Writing Genealogy and History through Artmaking
- Everything TV
- Music-making as Racial Solidarity
- Discussion Panel with: Anahita Norouzi and CODE BLANC,
- Discussion Panels: Redefining Emergence, Going Viral, Concert Promotion in Montreal, Then & Now, Labour Lobbying in Music, Art and Anti-Gentrification Movements
- Lotus Collective presents Building Community in Artistic Industries
2020
- NVA x POP Montreal Legend Series: Suzanne Ciani
- Creating in Times of Uncertainty with Lido Pimienta
- Oreo (Rah Eleh) in conversation with Peggy Hogan
- Cooking Beats with Shash’U
- Spirituality and Activism moderated by Aerin Fogel of Venus Fests on the impact that spiritual work can have on oneself and one’s community and the impact of such practices on activist work
- The role of sports and entertainment in civil rights with a mini-documentary on the history of the Dynasty Sports Institute basketball academy in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC, produced in partnership with R&B / Funk group Fredy V & The Foundation
2019
- Artist talk with Laurie Anderson
- Moor Mother in conversation with TiKA Cooking Beats with Foxtrott
- Black Beyond the Box with James Spooner, co-founder of Afropunk, on the experience of Black people in alternative music scenes not normally associated with Black identity
- Meeting in the Margins, an intimate series of networking sessions between grant funders from across Canada and musicians from historically marginalized communities
- Free do it yourself music repair clinic
2018
- Leanne Betasamosake Simpson in conversation with Moe Clark
- SOPHIE in conversation with Julie Matson, co-presented by Art POP
- Intersessions DJ workshop with Chippy Nonstop
- Artist talk with Jace Clayton
- Artist talk with Lena Platonos
- Roundtables on gentrification and artistic communities, mental health and burnout among musicians, the streaming economy, emerging technologies in the music industry and more.
2017
• Royal Trux in conversation with Malcom Fraser
• Lady Miss Kier (Deee-Lite) in conversation with Michael Venus, co-presented by Never Apart
• William Basinski in conversation with Erin Gee
•Juana Molina in conversation with Vic Galloway
• Artist talk with Moor Mother
• Beat-making master class with Lunice
• Panel discussion “Celebrating and Supporting Indigenous Resurgence, Past and Future”
• Panel discussion “Accountability, Industry and Community: Improving Music Scenes from the Inside Out”
• Panel discussion “Gentrification, the Venue Crisis and Sustainability of Music Communities”
In 2017, POP Symposium also launched a new quarterly workshop series called Lil’ Biz: affordable, full-day sessions hosted at Espace POP on a year-round basis. Each workshop consists of 4-5 presentations by community experts speaking on a variety of practical topics related to career development for emerging and independent artists. Topics have included PR, grants, taxes, SEO, publishing/copyright, touring.
2016
• John Cale
• Wally Badarou
• Rough Trade Records
• Susan Rogers
• Hennesy Youngman
• Producing Change with Foxtrott, Meryem Saci and APigeon
• Groundbreakers LIVE with Joe Namy and Sundus Abdul Hadi at the CCA
• DAIS creates with Sol Guy and Gavin Sheppard
• Combat Jack Show LIVE at Artgang
• Cookin’ Beats with High Klassified
2015
• “We Are the Medium” conversation between B+ and Coleman of the collective Mochilla
• A conversation with Jean Grae
• The first edition of POP Arcade presented by Miscellaneum Studios, Heroes Never Lose and Multijoueur
• A conversation with Andy Kim
2014
• Recording workshop with Steve Albini
• Talk on quality of music recording with Jonathan Sterne and George Massenburg
• Artist talk with Phil Collins and Damon & Naomi
• A conversation with Danny Goldberg
Special events: • A cooking workshop with Steve Albini
2013
• Artist’s Talk with Dan Graham
• A conversation between Glen O’Brien and Andrew “Noz” Nosnitsky, in collaboration with the SBC Gallery.
• A conversation with Tony Visconti
• A conversation with King Yellowman discussing How to Write a Love Letta
2012
• A conversation between David Byrne and Win Butler
• Artists’ talk with Cory Arcangel, Howie Chen and Alan Licht
• A conversation between Venus X and Bear Witness
• A conversation between Jeannette Lee and Vivien Goldman
• A panel discussion with Vincent Morisset, Damian Taylor, Melissa Weigel (Moment Factory) and Navid Navab
2011
• A conversation with Seymour Stein
• A conversation with The Raincoats
• A conversation between Tim Hecker and Grimes
• Art Spiegelman’s What the %&! Happened toComics?, in collaboration with the SBC Gallery.