The workshop provides a brief overview of the Austrian music scene, its unique characteristics, its key players, and what matters most if you want to run a successful music business in this country—whether as an artist, a label, or in the fields of management, booking, or publishing.
The workshop will start at 14.00 (doors:13.30), will be conducted in English and is divided into three sessions:
In Session 1 (2:15–3:15 p.m.), the basics of Austrian copyright law will be explained, including the work of relevant collecting societies.
In Session 2 (3:30–4:30 p.m.), Emily Stats and Stefan Penz will examine the work of labels, distributors, and publishers. In addition, the session will cover how live agents, booking agencies, tour management, and event organizers operate and collaborate with one another.
In Session 3 (4:45–5:45 p.m.), Marie Hummer (Rain/Label) and Flora Strigl (Waves Festival) will present their work in a panel discussion. Following this, there will be an opportunity to talk with the experts.
The workshop is aimed at young professionals in the YPP (Young Professional Program) of this year’s Waves Festival and all musicians interested in the Austrian music business; it will be held in English.
Speakers:
Marie Hummer (Rain)
Emily Staats (matches music)
Flora Strigl (Waves Festival)
Stefan Penz (Govinda Artist Service)
Dominik Beyer (mica – music austria)
Markus Deisenberger (mica – music austria)
Nuri Nurbachsch (mica – music austria)
Marie Hummer founded the music label RAIN in 2021 and expanded its scope of activities to include management services in 2022. At the same time, she studied European Ethnology as well as Cultural and Social Anthropology at the University of Vienna, where she wrote her master’s thesis on “Self-empowerment Mechanisms Among Rappers with an Immigrant Background.” Since 2026, Marie Hummer has been a member of the advisory board of the Austrian collecting society LSG and a board member of the indie label association VTMÖ.
Emily Staats brings a deep passion for strategic communication and artist development, as well as years of experience in the music industry, having managed countless releases and marketing campaigns where she has seen it all—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Today, as an artist consultant at the amp., she offers artists strategy, structure, and creative support to help them build a focused career in today’s music industry without compromising their integrity.
Flora Strigl is a project manager at Waves Vienna and the Vienna Club Commission. Her work ranges from artist support and the program for young professionals to coordinating volunteers (@wavesvienna) as well as international networking projects such as the “Club Culture Matchmaking” initiative and the current redesign of the VCC Radar, which maps Vienna’s club and event scene.
Stefan Penz has been active in the music scene since 1994 and has worked as a booker for national and international bands since 2002. Some of the artists he has worked with include Steve Lukather, Simon Phillips, Tito & Tarantula, Jono McCleery, Deichkind, and many more. Since 2013, he has managed the psych-space-rock trio Mother’s Cake. Stefan Penz is a member of IMUC, the German branch of the IMMF, and a member of EMMA.
Dominik Beyer stammt aus Bayern und kam ursprünglich nach Wien, um Jazzpiano zu studieren. Seitdem ist er mit verschiedenen Bands (Johann Sebastian Bass, Fijuka, Robb, Olympique) vor allem im stilistischen Umfeld von Radio FM4 unterwegs. Er verbrachte eine intensive Zeit als Clubbetreiber, nun arbeitet er hauptsächlich mit seiner Frau Ankathie Koi als Produzent, Arrangeur und Musiker. Seit 2022 arbeitet er nebenberuflich in der Redaktion wie auch im Beratungsteam von mica – music austria.
Markus Deisenberger is a journalist and a lawyer specialized in copyright law. He works at mica – music austria as a career counselor and editor. In addition, he is the artistic director of the Jazz & the City Sounds music festival in Salzburg, works as a freelance journalist, and writes books.
Nuri Nurbachsch has been pursuing his career since 1999 in the diverse world of music. In 2024, he founded his management and publishing agency, Am Leben, after stepping down from his role as Head of A&R at Sony Music. Prior to that, he was responsible for marketing the catalog from the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, France, and other parts of Europe at Warner Music. In addition, he serves as a consultant for mica – music austria, gives lectures on topics related to the music industry, is a founding member of two DJ collectives, and has organized live concerts, to name just a few examples. There is one common thread running through this brief excerpt from his résumé: music.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Register at: https://secure.dialog-mail.de/pf/510/WN8K7