2026 SONA Songwriter Summit

2026 SONA Songwriter Summit

Join us on October 28, 2026, at the historic Village Studios in Los Angeles for a day of conversation and connection with our songwriting community. We’ll explore the challenges and opportunities shaping songwriting today, from protecting your rights and getting credited to finding new revenue streams and navigating a changing industry. We’ll hear from some of the most influential speakers in our business across the day and we’ll have a reception to close out the day and to honor our 2026 Emerging Songwriter presented by YouTube Songwriters finalists!

See below for full list of speakers and panel descriptions:

Get Your Credits Right: Metadata, Royalties, and Protecting Your Work

Accurate metadata helps connect your work to your name, your rights, and your royalties. Join us for a practical conversation about getting your information right when submitting to collective rights organizations, distributors, DSPs, and other music platforms. We’ll explore how consistent registrations and credits support royalty collection, make your contributions discoverable, and build a track record that can open doors to future opportunities. We’ll also examine how missing or inaccurate information can complicate fraud detection and royalty attribution, and what songwriters can do to help protect their work.

Speakers: Jamie Dominguez (The MLC), Andrew Batey (BeatDapp), Barbara Quinn (BMI), moderated by Jai Yoko (Jai Yoko Ent, SONA Education Co-Chair)

Leveraging Your Work

Once your work is organized, how can you use it to create financial opportunities? Join SONA's Co-chair of Education, Jai Yoko in conversation with Denise Colletta (Managing Director / Head of Music, Entertainment & Sports Banking at City National Bank), multi-platinum songwriter, artist, podcast host and advocate Ross Golan for an inspiring conversation about putting your catalog to work. We’ll explore why a banking relationship matters for songwriters, what banks and catalog companies want to see, and what’s working and what isn’t for songwriters seeking financing or considering a catalog deal.

Amplify Your Voice: Advocacy in Action

Songwriters and creators have never had more opportunities to shape the future of the music industry. Join leaders from SONA, Artist Rights Alliance, Music Artists Coalition, and Fan Alliance for a conversation about effective advocacy, public policy, and grassroots action. Panelists will share how artists can engage with key issues affecting creators' rights, mobilize fans, build coalitions, and make their voices heard on Capitol Hill, on the city and state level, and internationally. Whether you're new to advocacy or already involved, this session will provide practical insights on turning passion into meaningful change.

Speakers: Donald Cohen (Fan Alliance), Jen Jacobsen (Artist Rights Alliance), Ron Gubitz (Music Artist Coalition), Linda Bloss-Baum (SONA), moderated by Roahn Hylton (Songwriter, composer + SONA Board Member)

Global Impact: A Conversation with the Songwriters of KPop Demon Hunters

Join KPop Demon Hunters songwriters Melanie Fontana, Lindgren, and Daniel Rojas for a conversation hosted by songwriter and producer JQue. Beginning with their work on the film, the panel will explore the creative process behind the project and the evolving landscape for songwriters working in K-pop and across the global music industry.

From cross-cultural collaboration to finding opportunities and navigating the business, these writers will share what excites them, what challenges they face, and what they see on the horizon for their careers and the industry in general.

Phono V: What’s at stake for songwriters

Phonorecords V will help determine what songwriters earn for the next five-year royalty period, from 2028 through 2032. The Copyright Royalty Board proceeding sets U.S. mechanical royalty rates and terms, including those for on-demand streaming. Its outcome will shape how much streaming services pay songwriters and publishers, making it a highly consequential process for songwriters’ livelihoods.

With the proceedings now underway, NMPA President and CEO David Israelite will explain how the process works, why it is structured this way, and what happens next, alongside the proposals on the table and the stakes for the songwriting community. Following his presentation, SONA Executive Director Erin McAnally will moderate a conversation about the challenges ahead, the fight for fair compensation, and how songwriters can stay informed and engaged as decisions shaping their future take form.

Behind the Interviews: A Conversation with Daniel Wall

Join us as SONA Executive Director, Erin McAnally interviews the interviewer, Daniel Wall. Daniel  is the creator and host of Behind The Wall, a platform dedicated to spotlighting the people and stories behind music, movies, and media. Through in-depth interviews and storytelling, he explores how beloved songs are created, the often unseen journeys of the people behind them, and what it takes to build a life in a creative field.

His interviews have featured Benny Blanco, Coldplay, Ryan Tedder, EJAE, Ne-Yo, Charlie Puth, Julia Michaels, Amy Allen, Jon Bellion, Bonnie McKee, Justin Tranter, Savan Kotecha, and many others. From sharing original demos to unpacking career breakthroughs, rejection, and self-doubt, Behind The Wall connects the music audiences know with the human stories they rarely get to hear.

With millions of followers across social platforms and more than a billion cumulative views on his short-form content, Daniel brings these conversations to a broad audience of fans and aspiring creatives. His work helps listeners discover the songwriters and producers behind their favorite records and understand their contributions to the music that shapes culture.

At its core, Behind The Wall is about inspiring the next generation of creatives and encouraging underdogs to go for it. By sharing honest stories of how others found their way, Daniel gives the people behind the scenes the recognition they deserve while helping audiences believe in their own creative potential.

SONA Songwriter Summit Keynote:

Our 2026 SONA Songwriter Summit keynote conversation is with Laurent Hubert, CEO of Kobalt and the 2026 SONA Awards Executive of the Year. From his work shaping licensing agreements with AI companies to his broader outlook on the technology, Laurent will discuss its impact on musical works, the opportunities and challenges for songwriters, and how these questions shape his vision for Kobalt and the publishing industry.

We’re delighted to welcome Billboard Senior Correspondent Kristin Robinson back as our keynote moderator for this timely conversation.

Emerging Songwriter Award Nominees Reception

Close out the 2026 SONA Songwriter Summit with a celebration honoring the nominees for the 2026 Emerging Songwriter Award, presented by YouTube Songwriters. Join us downstairs in Studio D immediately following the Summit to connect, unwind, and toast this year’s rising talent.

Special thanks to YouTube Songwriters for making this celebration possible!

SONA Members can access tickets for $10

To access the member code, check your Member Portal or newsletter, or email info@wearesona.com.

Nonmember tickets are $50.

Event Details

Date: October 28, 2026

Check-in: 11:30 A.M.
Programming: 12 - 6:30 P.M. PT

Lunch and beverages provided

Location: The Village Studios, Los Angeles, CA