SoundCloud Launches ‘SoundCloud Next Wav’ Experiential Event Series at A3C Festival and Conference in Atlanta on October 22

Kick-Off Keynote with Industry Execs Troy Carter, Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood, Eliah Seton and Platinum Selling Rapper/Producer & Author, Russ 

All-ATL Live Music Showcase Headlined by BKTHERULA and Featuring Baby Santana, Metro Marrs, Leeto, LanceDaYungin, DJ Sets with Genesis, OHSO, Champagne Trap, and Special Guest Appearances

Free for all A3C Ticket Holders and Artists & Fans with Confirmed RSVP

‘SoundCloud Next Wav’ By Day RSVP 

‘SoundCloud Next Wav’ By Night RSVP

October 12, 2021, New York, NY -- SoundCloud announced today the launch of ‘SoundCloud Next Wav’, a new experiential event series with workshops, artist-focused activities and creative exhibitions by day, and by night, an all-Atlanta live music showcase with the city's hottest rising talent. Debuting at the A3C Festival and Conference in Atlanta on October 22, 2021, this one-day-only activation is for local artists and fan communities, and features some of the biggest names and rising stars in music. 

“The artist and fan communities on SoundCloud are leading what’s now and next in music culture and our ‘SoundCloud Next Wav’ experience brings the community together in a live activation to foster creativity, connectivity, and artist career growth,” said Erika Leone, Vice President, Brand Marketing at SoundCloud. Adding, “Thousands of artists and fans turned out for SoundCloud’s first A3C event and we are excited to return to Atlanta, which, like SoundCloud, is synonymous with thriving global music scenes and breaking tomorrow’s hottest stars.”  

Hosted at The Wxllxm on Friday, October 22nd from 12pm-on, ‘SoundCloud Next Wav’ kicks off with a keynote discussion on the future of artist empowerment in the new fan economy with SoundCloud President, Eliah Seton, and Chief Content & Marketing Officer, Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood plus Troy Carter, Founder and CEO of Q&A, and platinum selling rapper/ producer & author, Russ. Following this, the line-up features in-depth conversations hosted by SoundCloud’s music team on what it takes for artists to break out, engage fans and succeed in music today. 

The ‘SoundCloud Next Wav’ experience in Atlanta will bring artists and fans closer together through networking, career building and new music discovery including: breakout sessions with music execs; professional photo studio hosted by famed photographer Cam Kirk; custom built studio for creators to showcase their freestyle skills; pass the aux session to get your music heard throughout the experience; and, merch giveaways. 

The experience will also feature art installations from Atlanta’s own star illustrator, FRKO and artist Paper Frank created in real time. Additionally, FRKO is creating a comic book inspired walk-through exhibition illustrating the real-world power of the artist to fan relationship through SoundCloud’s game-changing, fan-powered royalties model, featuring Philly artist and cofounder of Million Watts, Dot Cromwell.  

‘SoundCloud Next Wav’ is capped by a live music showcase with performances from hometown artists on the rise BKTHERULA, Baby Santana, Metro Marrs, Leeto and LanceDaYungin and DJ sets by Genesis, OHSO and Champagne Trap. Baby Santana, BKTHERULA, Metro Marrs, Leeto and LanceDaYungin are all featured artists on SoundCloud’s top playlist, ‘The Lookout’, surfacing the most exciting emerging hip-hop talent and hit weekly series, ‘The Lookout by SoundCloud’, available on SiriusXM’s Hip-Hop Nation.   

In addition to ‘SoundCloud Next Wav’, SoundCloud music and creator services teams will host two sessions, Community is the New Currency and Fan-powered innovations:How SoundCloud's helping artists build their careers on their own terms during the A3C Conference & Festival program on Friday October 22nd and Saturday October 23rd.

‘SoundCloud Next Wav’ (By Day)

Location: The Wxllms, 874 Joseph E Lowery Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30318

1.00pm - 2.00pm: The Fan Economy 

Four music industry powerhouses, including SoundCloud’s new President, Eliah Seton and Chief Marketing and Content Officer, Lauren Wirtzer Seawood plus Troy Carter, Founder and CEO of Q&A, and rapper, songwriter and producer, Russ, share their views on what independent artists need to succeed in music streaming today and the power of fans to help build their success.

Panelists:

Russ, Producer and Rapper

Troy Carter, Founder and CEO of Q&A

Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood, Chief Content & Marketing Officer, SoundCloud

Eliah Seton, President, SoundCloud

2.00pm - 3.30pm: SoundCloud in conversation - Breaking out in music today

There are a multitude of ways for artists to break and grow in the music industry today. Join two roundtable conversations to learn how artists can break through in 2021 and beyond.

Panelists:

Drea Jackson, Manager, Artist Relations, SoundCloud

Caiaffa, Interim Head of Music, SoundCloud 

Barry Johnson, Co-Founder & President of SinceThe80's

Zekiel (Zeke) Nicholson, Co-Founder of SinceThe80's

Surmon (Mon) Neal, Artist Relations - SinceThe80s

Followed by a second conversation, featuring panelists: 

Erika Montes, Head of Artist Relations, SoundCloud

Yazid Britt, Senior Manager, A&R, SoundCloud

Tunde Balogun, President, Love Renaissance (LVRN) 

Junia Abaidoo, Operations & Touring,  Love Renaissance (LVRN) 

Carlon Ramong, Creative Director,  Love Renaissance (LVRN) 

Justice Baiden, Head of A&R,  Love Renaissance (LVRN) 

Sean Famoso, Head of Marketing and Brand Partnerships, Love Renaissance (LVRN)

3.30pm - 5.30pm: Interactive programming  

Meet the Squad: Network and come meet the SoundCloud team, get feedback and advice on how to elevate your career with us.

Next Wav Sessions: Come shoot your shot in our custom booth, spit bars from pre-selected beats and get valuable feedback.

Pass The Aux: Got some new music you want us all to hear? We’ll be playing music in the space all throughout the afternoon from emerging ATL artists, creators will be asked to submit prior to the activation

Collective Gallery Assets Creation Station: Creators can add to their EPK’s and get headshots with renowned photographer Cam Kirk and his Collective Gallery. 

‘SoundCloud Next Wav’ (By Night)

8.00pm - 1.00am*: SoundCloud Next Wav Music Showcase

Catch performances from some of the hottest homegrown Atlanta talent, including headliner BKTHERULA, the young pop rap artist who’s latest EP drops the same day, and featuring breakout star Baby Santana, who’s setting out on his first tour with collaborator Lil Tecca later this year, Metro Marrs, the singer, songwriter and rapper known for his mixtape ‘Popular Loner,’ artist LanceDaYungin, who’s recent debut track, ‘Slide,’ quickly made him one of the buzziest new artists in the Atlanta area, and Leeto, the DMV music-scene favorite and frontrunner of rap’s next generation. All are featured artists on SoundCloud’s top playlist, ‘The Lookout’, surfacing the most exciting emerging hip-hop talent and hit weekly series, ‘The Lookout by SoundCloud’, available exclusively on SiriusXM’s Hip-Hop Nation. 

In addition, hear DJ sets throughout the night from the Trinidadian born and inspired Genesis, the global-minded eclectic sounds of OHSO and the rising trap and hip-hop-inspired mixes by Champagne Trap.

About SoundCloud

SoundCloud is a next-generation music entertainment company, powered by an ecosystem of artists, listeners, and curators on the pulse of what's new, now and next in culture. Founded in 2007, SoundCloud is an artist-first platform empowering artists to build and grow their careers by providing them with the most progressive tools, services, and resources. With over 275 million tracks from 30 million creators heard in 190 countries, the future of music is SoundCloud.