Winter Music Conference (WMC), the world’s longest-running electronic music conference, has announced the Second Wave of Programming for its 36th edition, taking place Tuesday, March 24 – Thursday, March 26, 2026, at the Kimpton EPIC Hotel in Downtown Miami.
Building on the momentum of its First Wave of Programming announcement — which introduced WMC’s two-track Industry and Creator format, the A&R Pop-Up Lounge in partnership with Label Radar, and the reveal of its three-day Beatport Live pool party series — WMC’s Second Wave of Programming expands the 2026 lineup with additional artist speakers, industry leaders, new panels, workshops, and full label showcase details for the official poolside programming.
Winter Music Conference and Beatport Live have announced the full label showcase programming for WMC 2026’s official three-day pool party series, taking place March 24–26, 2026 at the Kimpton EPIC Hotel, the Official Miami Music Week Hotel.
Hosted poolside on the iconic EPIC pool deck overlooking Biscayne Bay, and produced in partnership with L-Acoustics, AlphaTheta, and FEVER, the Beatport Live series serves as a centerpiece of WMC 2026’s programming — bringing together forward-thinking labels, globally recognized artists, and emerging talent for three days of curated events that reflect the diversity and evolution of today’s electronic music landscape.
Each day of the series is anchored by a distinct label showcase, highlighting the vision and sound of influential imprints across house and techno culture.Tuesday, March 24 – Beatport Live x WMC Present Mood Child (Official Opening Party): The series opens Tuesday with Mood Child, the imprint helmed by Sirus Hood and Manda Moor. The showcase features DJ Sneak, Manda Moor,Sirus Hood,Jean Pierre, and Ms. Mada, spotlighting a mix of underground staples and next-generation talent shaping the global house scene.
Wednesday, March 25 – Beatport Live x WMC Present Rekids (20-Year Celebration): Wednesday’s program celebrates 20 years of Rekids, the influential independent label founded by Radio Slave. The anniversary showcase features Danny Tenaglia, Radio Slave b2b DJ Minx, Doc Martin b2b Tal Fussman, and Anja Schneider b2b William Kiss — bringing together pioneering figures and contemporary leaders across house and techno.
Thursday, March 26 – Beatport Live x WMC Present Hot Creations x Three Six Zero Recordings: The series concludes Thursday with a collaborative showcase from global house institution Hot Creations — led by Jamie Jones and Lee Foss — in partnership with Three Six Zero Recordings. Full lineup details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Across all three days, the Beatport Live pool party series highlights curated label programming that pairs breakthrough artists with respected names who continue to shape the international electronic music community. Pool party access is included with the WMC Pro Badge, with limited individual tickets available via DICE.
WMC x Beatport Live Events Powered by L-Acoustics Featuring: L-Acoustics DJ – The First Spatial Audio System Built for DJs
L-Acoustics DJ transforms traditional stereo DJ setups into fully immersive spatial audio experiences using proprietary machine learning based source separation. The system separates tracks into individual parts—drums, bass, vocals, and other elements—in real time, giving DJs complete creative control over spatialization.
DJs choose their approach: select a mood preset and let the system handle spatial movement or take full control to position each element throughout the venue. Unlike other stem separators, the multi-channel stems route directly into a spatial mix engine, creating three-dimensional sound that moves around and above the audience. It seamlessly integrates with any DJ setup—analog or digital and with no change to the DJ’s workflow.
Experience L-Acoustics DJ live at WMC 2026 with dedicated pool deck shows and demos.
Educational Programming: Panels and Workshops Shaping the Future of Dance Music
As the electronic music industry’s most influential gathering, Winter Music Conference curates programming that brings together the world’s leading artists, executives, creators, and innovators to explore the future of global dance culture.
For 2026, WMC introduces a two-track format – WMC // INDUSTRY and WMC // CREATORS – designed to serve the full spectrum of the music ecosystem. From label leaders and platform founders to breakthrough producers and creative technologists, attendees will connect through a mix of panels, keynotes, and hands-on workshops tailored to inspire, inform, and accelerate careers.
WMC 2026 Second Wave of Programming Adds New Speakers and Panel Topics Across Music, Tech, and Culture
WMC 2026 expands its speaker roster with a new wave of artist voices and industry leaders, who will appear as panelists and moderators across sessions exploring music, technology, business, and culture.
A host of renowned artists are set to take the stage at WMC 2026, including Sara Landry, Radio Slave, DJ Minx, Junior Sanchez, Arielle Free, Lizzy Jane, OOKAY, Alleycvt, Sippy, Sandflower Dyson, Eli from Soulclap, and more TBA.
These acclaimed artists will be joined by influential leaders from across the industry, including Adam Rapchik (Head of Music & Expo Partnerships, StubHub), Cameron Cox (Senior Manager Artist & Label Relations, SoundCloud), Camille Guitteau (Co-Founder & Director, Bye Bye Plastic Foundation), David Rishty (President, Palm Tree Records), David Waxman (President, Ultra Records), Dean Wilson (Founder & CEO, The Circuit Group), Deron Delgado (Label Manager, Dirtybird), Fabian Schekkerman (Head of Development, Dirty Workz), Fabrice Sergent (Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Bandsintown), Frederick Pranger (Senior A&R Manager, Spinnin’ Records), Jessica Wilson (mau5trap / The Circuit Group), Kristen Cusmano (SoundOn at TikTok), Madeleine Smith (Senior Director, ESG, Warner Music Group), Max Weinberg (VP of Marketing, Interscope), Robb McDaniels (CEO, Beatport), Sonya Okon (Head of Digital & Streaming, Helix Records), Steven Braines (Co-founder, HE.SHE.THEY.), Toby Andrews (Label Manager, Experts Only), Tom Pandzic (Founder & Director, Balance Music), Vivian Hunter (Director of Sustainability, Ultra Music Festival), and more.
These newly announced participants join previously confirmed speakers from the First Wave of Programming, including representatives from AFEM, AlphaTheta, Beatport, BUDDY, Create Music Group, Discogs, djay pro, Djaayz, Free Your Mind, L-Acoustics, Prodigy Artists, Submix, The Circuit Group, Vinyl Me Please, and We Group.
Together, these speakers will engage in forward-looking discussions examining the forces shaping today’s electronic music landscape, with sessions exploring AI’s impact on creativity and copyright, sustainability in club culture, spatial audio innovation, fan ownership and monetization, cross-genre and cross-cultural collaboration, and the evolving global touring ecosystem.
Newly Added Panel Sessions Include:
- Beatport Presents: DJs Are The Original Influencers
- Beatport Presents: Sara Landry in conversation with Robb McDaniels
- L-Acoustics Presents: Beyond the Booth — DJs as Spatial Composers
- Artificial Music, Real Consequences: The Ethics of AI in Electronic Music
- Sustaining the Scene: Promoting Environmental Responsibility in Dance Music
- AlphaTheta Presents: State of the Art — Technology, Performance & The Modern DJ
- Crossing Continents: K-Pop Meets Electronic Music
- L-Acoustics Presents: Reinventing the Club Experience Through Sound Design
These additional panels build upon previously announced sessions such as:
- Create Music Group Presents: From Founding to Exit
- Fixing the Fragmented Fan: How Artists Can Finally Own Their Audience
- Low End Theory: The Evolution and Future of Bass Music
- The Pop-Up Shop: Creating Revenue, Building Brand, and Empowering Fans
- Let’s Get Physical: The Unexpected Return of Physical Media
- AFEM Presents: Clout Doesn’t Last – Community Does
- The Artist as a Startup: Disrupt, Breakthrough, and Grow
- Beatport Presents: DJs Are The Ultimate Influencers
More speakers, panels, and keynote sessions to be announced through March.
Second Wave of Workshop Sessions Delivers Hands-On Skill Building for Producers, DJs, and Creators
WMC 2026’s workshops offer smaller-format, skills-based sessions focused on applied learning across music production, technology, and career development.
Led by respected educators, artists, and industry tastemakers, each session offers real-world tools and live demonstrations delegates can apply immediately – from upgrading studio workflows and exploring new gear to launching a live show or scoring project.
The Second Wave introduces two additional workshop sessions designed to expand WMC’s practical learning track:
- SoundOn powered by TikTok: Workshop
- Zen and the Art of DJing: Balancing Craft and Creativity – featuring artists Sydney Blu, Junior Sanchez, and Doc Martin
These sessions join previously announced workshops, including:
- Event Masters: Building a Career in Event Production
- From Studio to Screen: Careers in Film, Television & Commercial Scoring
- EDM Tips Presents: Using AI Without Losing Your Sound
- AlphaTheta Presents: CDJ-3000x & RMX-Ignite Demo + Artist Workflow
Label Radar x WMC A&R Pop-Up Lounge Debuts With Bevy of Tastemaking Imprints
Winter Music Conference has confirmed the full label roster for its brand-new A&R Pop-Up Lounge — a curated space where artists and label teams can connect directly, in person.
Presented in partnership with Label Radar, the Lounge will feature respected dance music imprints like Balance Music, Brobot Records w/ Junior Sanchez, Create Music Group (mau5trap, Monstercat, !K7, and Cr2 Records), Dirtybird, Dirty Workz, Experts Only, Spinnin’ Records and Ultra Records
WMC badge holders will have the opportunity to connect directly with label representatives through scheduled time slots, including USB demo handoffs and curated introductions designed to foster real-world discovery and career-building opportunities.
WMC Networking Session: SoundOn at TikTok Presents – Indie Label and Industry Mixer
New for 2026, Winter Music Conference introduces the SoundOn at TikTok Presents – Indie Label and Industry Mixer, a focused, relationship-driven networking session designed to connect emerging talent directly with key players across the independent music ecosystem.
Hosted in a structured tabletop format, the mixer brings together independent label executives, digital distribution professionals, WMC brand partners, and conference attendees for transparent, real-time conversations. Participants will have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with company and label representatives, share demos, and discuss creative direction, release strategy, and long-term career development in an approachable, collaborative setting.
Designed to prioritize meaningful dialogue over formal pitching, the Indie Label and Industry Mixer offers a practical space for artists and industry professionals to build authentic, long-term relationships within the electronic music community.
Brand & Industry Partners
WMC and the Official Miami Music Week Hotel welcome their second wave of 2026 brand partners, each activating with custom experiences, demo zones, workshops, and branded integrations.
SECOND WAVE OF PREMIER & HOSPITALITY PARTNERS: adidas, Amaze (WMC’s Official Merch Partner), Beatport, L-Acoustics, AlphaTheta, FEVER, Pommery Champagne, Bored Vodka, more TBA
Amaze.co will be on-site with a dedicated WMC Merch Store featuring limited-edition merch for WMC and our partners. The official WMC Merch Store online is now open at The official WMC merch store is now live at WMC x Amaze.co.
Gear & Industry Exhibitor Partners
The WMC Gear Exhibition Room returns as a hands-on technology playground for DJs, producers, and creators. Delegates will have the opportunity to explore the latest gear from top industry brands through interactive demonstrations.
Exhibitor Partners Include: AlphaTheta, Austrian Audio, DJaayz, DPA Microphones, IK Multimedia, Telepathic Instruments, Union Audio, with more TBA.
WMC 2026 Badges & Discounted Hotel Rooms
For 2026, WMC will offer two badge tiers – WMC Access and WMC Pro.
The WMC Access badge provides delegates with admittance to all Winter Music Conference programming, including keynotes, panels, exhibitor spaces, and workshops. Conference programming starts on Wednesday (March 25) and runs through Thursday (March 26), with early badge pickup on Tuesday (March 24) at the registration desk on the 14th Floor. The Access badge does not include admittance to any of the pool parties or sanctioned events.
The WMC Pro badge provides delegates with admittance to all Winter Music Conference programming, including keynotes, panels, exhibitor spaces, and workshops. This badge also covers pool parties at the Kimpton EPIC Hotel, taking place Tuesday through Thursday (1 pm – 10 pm) featuring top-tier DJs and label partners. Additionally, the Pro badge grants entry to sanctioned events during Miami Music Week, with select parties to be announced as they are secured.
All WMC Pro badge holders will also receive complimentary access to the new Event Masters Event Production Course – a comprehensive online training program designed to teach the fundamentals of producing live events, festivals, and large-scale experiences.
Note: Entry to sanctioned events is not guaranteed and is typically limited to the first one to two hours after doors open.
Tier 1 badges are sold out, with Tier 2 badges currently available at https://wintermusicconference.com/badges/
Wake Up At The Home of Winter Music Conference
Discounted room rates are currently available at the Kimpton EPIC Hotel, the Official Miami Music Week Hotel and host venue for WMC 2026. Preferred rates are available for conference dates, with pricing scheduled to increase after February 23.
STAY CONNECTED WITH WINTER MUSIC CONFERENCE 2026
Sign up for the WMC email newsletter athttps://wintermusicconference.com/subscribe/ for updates.
WMC 2026: SECOND WAVE OF PROGRAMMING – SPEAKER ROSTER (A – Z)
Artist Speakers & Workshop Leaders
Alleycvt
Arielle Free
DJ Minx
Doc Martin
Eli from Soulclap
Junior Sanchez
Lizzy Jane
OOKAY
Radio Slave
Sandflower Dyson
Sara Landry
Sippy
Sydney Blu
Industry Leaders
- Abdallah El Bacha (AFTR DARK, Partner, Strategy & Client Growth)
- Adam Rapchik (StubHub, Head of Festival and Expo Partnerships)
- Alejandro Bustamante-Martinez (Brobot Records, Partner & A&R)
- Alyssa Vera (AFEM, Director of Membership, North America)
- Andrew Emil (Viva Acid, Co-Founder, Chicago House DJ / Producer / Musician, inMusic Brands, Software Marketing Manager)
- Aaron Day (Amaze, CEO, Chairman of the Board & Founder),
- Cameron Cox (SoundCloud, Senior Manager Artist & Label Relations)
- Camille Guitteau (Bye Bye Plastic Foundation, Co-Founder & Director)
- Chris Galvin (Submix, Co-Founder & CEO)
- Claire Wright (BUDDY, CEO & Founder)
- David Rishty (Palm Tree Records, President)
- David Waxman (Ultra Records, President)
- Dean Wilson (The Circuit Group / Seven20, Founder & CEO)
- Deron Delgado (Dirtybird, Label Manager)
- Eric Nguyen (Create Music Group, Senior Vice President of Mergers & Acquisitions)
- Fabian Schekkerman (Head of Development, Dirty Workz)
- Fabrice Sergent (Bandsintown, Co-Founder & Managing Partner)
- Frederick Pranger (Spinnin’ Records, Senior A&R Manager)
- Holly Espinosa (SoundOn at TikTok)
- Jack David (Experts Only, Head of Marketing & International)
- James Sutcliffe (The Circuit Group, Global Chief Operating Officer)
- Jeff Stempeck (SoundOn at TikTok)
- Jessica Wilson (mau5trap / The Circuit Group)
- Joshua Love (Reed Smith Law, Partner, Entertainment & Media Industry Group)
- Kristen Cusmano (SoundOn at TikTok)
- Kurosh Nasseri (AFEM / Nasseri Music Business Solutions (USA), Co-Founder & Co-Chair / Lawyer)
- Laura D. Smith (Film Producer)
- Lloyd Starr (Discogs, COO)
- Madeleine Smith (Warner Music Group, Sr. Director ESG)
- Marco Cobussen (Spinnin’ Records, Senior A&R Manager)
- Martin Gutierrez (SoStereo, Creative Director)
- Max Weinberg (Interscope, VP of Marketing)
- Megan Venzin (Resin Agency, Founder)
- Michelle Leshem (Disco + Design / Supermarket Creative, Co-Founder & Creative Director)
- Nick Alt (Vinyl Me, Please, CEO)
- Nick Morgan (We Group, CEO)
- Pablo G. Velez (Velez & Cipriano PLLC, Partner)
- Raphael Aflalo (Djaayz, CEO)
- Robb McDaniels (Beatport, CEO)
- Romain Pouillon (djay pro, Chief Strategy Officer / DJ / Producer)
- Sanne Ansen (Dirty Workz, A&R Management)
- Seth Combs (Emerald Ecovations, CMO)
- Sherlo Esajas (BumaStemra, Head of Government Affairs)
- Shilpa Sadagopan (SoundOn at TikTok)
- Sonya Okon (Helix Records, Head of Digital & Streaming)
- Steven Braines (HE.SHE.THEY., Co-Founder)
- Sunita Dhaliwal (The Everyday Agency, Founder)
- Thomas Garcia (Create Music Group, A&R and Business Development Executive)
- Toby Andrews (Experts Only, Label Manager)
- Tom Pandzic (Balance Music, Founder & Director)
- Travis Kirschbaum (Beatport, Director of Industry Partnerships)
- Vivian Hunter (Ultra Music Festival, Director of Sustainability)
- Will Darling (EDM Tips, Founder)
- Will Runzel (Prodigy Artists, CEO and Co-Founder)
- Zach Jaffe (Create Music Group, Senior Program Manager, M&A Integration)
