Interview: Dmitri Vietze, Founder/CEO of Music Tectonics and Rock Paper Scissors
NxtNow Music had the opportunity to connect with Dmitri Vietze, the CEO of PR agency Rock Paper Scissors and the Founder of Music Tectonics, for an exclusive interview to discuss the upcoming Music Tectonics Conference, the emerging music technologies that excite him, how he stays motivated in an ever-changing music/tech world, and much more.
Dmitri will serve as the Director of the upcoming conference, which takes place on October 22nd-24th in Santa Monica, CA. This conference spotlights the innovation taking place at the intersection of music and technology and will feature speakers such as Mark Mulligan of MIDiA Research (keynote), Darryl Ballantyne of LyricFind, Bruce Hamilton of Everybody Ventures, and Joe Tau of Sony Ventures. It will also include the UMG Startup Bootcamp, Music Tech Carnival, Music Tectonics Creator Fair, and Swimming with Narwhals startup competition.
Tickets for the Music Tectonics Conference can be purchased at musictectonics.com/conference
How would you say that the Music Tectonics Conference bridges the gap between the music industry and the tech world?
We invite the entire ecosystem to Music Tectonics: startup founders and their teams, investors, record labels, publishers, streaming services, social media platforms, and all the other stakeholders in music.
This year we are adding a Creator Fair to bring in more musical instrument and software makers and artists and creators. We have people from technical roles, sales functions, legal counsel, venture capital, and marketing. Just the fact that we bring this diverse a group from music and tech is pretty unique and lays the foundation for bridge building. We also program topics that help tech people understand the nuances of the music industry and vice versa.
There is more in common between music and technology than some people realize. We just happened to have built a community where all feel welcome to build friendships and get business done.
As the founder of Music Tectonics and CEO of PR agency Rock Paper Scissors, what initially inspired you to develop both, and what keeps you motivated as you push forward?
I am just a curious person. I grew up playing music, but I was more of a rhythm and timbre person than a melody and lyrics one. I liked learning how sound was made and the relationship between sound and culture. So I approach tech from that anthropological perspective.
RPS started by publicizing artists from all corners of the world because I learned so much about how culture and sound are interconnected. And then we applied the same storytelling technique to innovation happening in the music industry.
Music Tectonics was a natural next step— I could see that the intersection of music and tech needed a community hub for greater interconnection to thrive. In terms of ongoing motivation, I speak with startup founders and innovators every day. It’s a lot of fun listening to what they are up to and how they are solving new challenges.
What are some emerging music technologies that excite you and how do you see them impacting the music landscape overall?
The most exciting thing is the diversity of innovations taking place. You have the edgy exciting things going on with music creator tools leading to a new generation of artists who are creating new types of music and new music scenes. And there are new music forms emerging as a result of AI tools as well. If you look at the fandom side, there are new ways fans can engage with music; sometimes with the artist and sometimes simply with other fans. Downloads and streaming were exciting innovations, but now those are just the foundation for a lot of new types of digital engagement.
One area that I am excited to see continue to emerge are digital third spaces. Everyone who has grown up with Roblox, Fortnite, or Minecraft is not simply going to grow up and switch to Facebook or even TikTok. They are going to expect their future social media networks to have a sense of presence with a customizable avatar where you can experience things that can’t exist in the real world. Making and experiencing music will be super fun in those spaces.
Can you give me a specific example of how Rock Paper Scissors uses music technology to achieve successful campaigns for your clients?
Our team is a mix of musicians, journalists, podcasters, and journalists. So having those perspectives mean we understand what our PR clients are trying to provide to artists and the music industry. We have a mantra: “try the free samples,” which means we want our publicists to use the products and services of our clients. This gives us a better understanding and allows us to say “Not only am I the publicist for this client, I wrote a song using their product.” More often than not, we actually have someone on the team who already has used music-making client tools before they have hired us!
What made music futurist and research analyst Mark Mulligan of MIDiA Research the perfect keynote speaker for this year’s conference?
Anyone who’s ever seen Mark present will know that the way he teases out music industry trends from MIDiA’s data to build up a picture of the future is mind-blowing. Mark and his colleagues at MIDiA Research have been involved with Music Tectonics in-person and online since the first conference in 2019. They crystallize those big ideas into infographics and stories that stick with you and set the tone for the conversations at the Conference. We’re excited to welcome Mark back to an in-person event in Santa Monica for the first time since 2019!
What makes this year’s edition different from the last five, and what do you look forward to the most for October 22nd-24th?
Every year the energy at the Music Tectonics Conference just gets better. This year we’re excited to announce the all-new Music Tectonics’ Creator Fair. The Fair will be held side-by-side with the Music Tectonics Conference at the Annenberg Beach House, the stunning ocean-side space in Santa Monica on October 23rd. The Creator Fair aims to provide industry executives and artists/creators with the opportunity to host conversations about the new music industry, particularly the convergence of the creator tool industry and the traditional recorded/streaming industry.
Tell us about the Swimming with Narwhals startup competition, and how interested startups can prepare themselves to apply for the conference.
Our annual Swimming with Narwhals startup competition spotlights innovative music tech startups, within less than 5 years of operating, and the ways their companies are changing the way the music industry operates. Everyone who applies and attends the conference gets a warm welcome into the community as a Narwhal—it’s a great opportunity to connect with potential investors, advisors, partners, and clients.
Narwhal competition winners, selected by a jury and an audience vote, receive a feature in a press release about the competition, a founder interview on the Music Tectonics’ Podcast, and a free badge for the 2025 Music Tectonics’ Conference.
Previous winners, such as Jaquelle Amankonah Horton, CEO and Founder of Fave, have found the competition to be an amplifying experience for their companies. Applications for the 2024 Music Tectonics’ Swimming with Narwhals startup competition open on July 10.