For the past 10 years the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation has presented the Sync Up conference – a business development initiative for the music industry – during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Now the Foundation is making the conference a year-round program, with a series of monthly presentations on topics of interest to independent artists.

With subjects like “Clearing Samples for Your Record,” “Booking a Tour” and “Band Web Sites: What Makes a Good One?,” the new monthly series of Sync Up events is designed to provide practical information to working artists who are struggling to launch their careers.

The Sync Up workshops will take place on Wednesday evenings, starting at 5:30p at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center (1225 N. Rampart). 

Admission is free, but seating is limited and advance registration is requested. To register now, please see here.

"Doing the Sync Up conference during Jazz Fest has been very successful because it gives us access to leaders from the global entertainment industry who are in town for the festival," said the Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s Executive Director, Don Marshall. "But we also know that it’s a very busy time for our local musicians, who are gigging day and night. Since we have our own venue with the Jazz & Heritage Center, it makes sense to expand the program to include events that take place all year long, and that should be easier for working musicians to attend."

The new monthly Sync Up events will feature a mix of visiting industry professionals and artists, along with local music business leaders who are experts in their fields. In time, the range of discussion topics will expand to include issues of interest to those working in film, digital media and other aspects of the entertainment industry.

You can watch the videos of previous editions on YouTube here.

Sync Up Workshops Schedule

Wednesday, Jan. 17: Clearing Samples for Your Record and Other Copyright Infringement Issues
How to do it. Should you do it? What if somebody samples you? Are you the next Lana Del Rey fighting over authorship of your song?
Presenters: Tim Kappel, entertainment attorney (Big Freedia, Tank and the Bangas, P.J. Morton, Dee-1 and many more) and Loyola University music business professor; Deborah Evans, Della Music Publishing

Wednesday, Feb. 28: Booking a Tour
Where to start. Do’s and don’ts.
Presenters: 
Tavia Osbey, manager, Tank and the Bangas
Mousa Hamdan, manager, Curren$y, Corner Boy P., T.Y. 
Paul Sanchez, performing artist
Lou Hill, band leader, Water Seed

Wednesday, March 21: Band Web Sites
What makes a good one? Which template services are the best? How much should you spend?
Presenters:
Lee Martin, web designer (Foo Fighters, Beck)
Brandon Haynes, web designer, Nola Web Team
Brandon Shelling, web designer at Ochsner Health System

Wednesday, April 11: How Much to Spend on a Music Video
How to afford it. Do’s and don’ts for making a good one
Presenters:
Darcy McKinnon, New Orleans Video Access Center
Jason Foster, FosterBear Films
Steven W. Richardson, Mobile Recording LA
Benjamin Simmons, Breathe Media
Zac Manuel, The Greenhouse Collective

Wednesday, May 16: Social Media Strategies
Social media platforms. What, when  and how often to post. What not to post. Engaging an audience and gaining followers. Generating revenue. Understanding analytics.
Presenters:
Plus Aziz, Marketing Manager, Propeller and Tchoup Industries
Mallory Whitfield, Director of Marketing, Lookfar
Whitney Mitchell, Social Media Director, FSC Interactive
Tania Dall, Director of Communications, Youth Empowerment Project
Cleveland Spears, the Spears Group

Wednesday, June 27: “Your Band As A Business” Interview
Samantha Fish, performing artist