Photo Credit: Ohio University
Ohio University’s eighth annual Music Industry Summit kicks off next month, featuring keynote artists Blood Orange, Lucius, and The Crane Wives.
The Ohio University Music Industry Summit (MIS) will return for its eighth consecutive year, featuring a diverse group of prominent artists and music industry professionals. This year’s event is scheduled for April 14-16, 2026, in Athens, OH, on Ohio University’s main campus. A virtual-only option will be available to anyone free of charge, with programming livestreams.
MIS is the premier music industry conference in the Midwest and promises to offer something for everyone, from seasoned industry professionals to high school students, and everyone in between. Keynote artists for the conference include harmony-heavy folk-rock band The Crane Wives; singer, songwriter, producer, and composer Blood Orange (Dev Hynes); and Grammy-nominated indie-pop band Lucius.
“I am very excited to have these artists share their experiences both in the overall music industry as well as more specifically the current touring environment,” said Drew Holzapfel, Executive Director of the OHIO Performing Arts and Concert Series. “With distinctive artistry and bold creative vision, they inspire fellow musicians, industry figures, and fans around the world, and we’re eager for our community to engage with their performances and perspectives firsthand.”
Tuesday programming will include a ROAR Records in-store performance by Jake Ewald of Slaughter Beach, Dog, and an exclusive panel with the creative design team behind the band Twenty-One Pilots.
Additional events on Tuesday, April 14, include the VisCom Focus gallery opening of “Twenty-One Pilots: Seeing the Story,” a visual retrospective of the photography, videos, and design capturing the world of the chart-topping band, and the MIS Happy Hour, sponsored by Jackie O’s. The Crane Wives will appear for a special performance at Templeton-Blackburn Memorial Auditorium, which is a separately ticketed event.
To close out the first day, Thomas Golubić, music supervisor for Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Pluribus, The Walking Dead, and many others, will be conducting and performing a live score in a joint event with the Athens International Film and Video Festival.
Day two of the Summit will feature a live performance by Space Kid in Baker University Center Theater at 6 PM, along with music industry professionals and artists discussing a variety of topics throughout Wednesday’s programming. The Official Music Industry Summit Party, presented by Qobuz featuring a DJ set by J Rawls, will take place at the Athens Armory/BlueDot Coworking after Wednesday’s programming. The Official Music Industry Summit Party is free and open to Summit registrants and the public.
At the conclusion of the day’s programming on Thursday, April 16, StewMac, an Athens-based company specializing in the production of luthier tools, guitar parts, and supplies, will open the doors to their historical building for the MIS Happy Hour and Jam Session. This is also a free event. Following the happy hour, Lucius will perform the Closing Night Concert at Templeton-Blackburn Memorial Auditorium with their full band. This is a separately ticketed event.
The Official MIS After Party presented by Ohio University’s Women in the Music Industry will be held at The Union Bar following the concert and feature area bands.
Throughout the Summit on Wednesday and Thursday, Dolby will offer an Immersive Audio Studio Experience, featuring exclusive listening sessions in state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos playback on a premium Adam Audio 7.1.4 speaker system. Hosted by Focusrite and Dolby, this space offers a rare opportunity to experience the depth and dimensionality of immersive audio in a calibrated listening environment.
Attendees can listen to curated selections that demonstrate the creative possibilities of Dolby Atmos, from cinematic soundscapes to cutting-edge music productions. Focusrite and Dolby will also be hosting exclusive learning sessions with industry experts, covering the technical foundations of immersive audio, implementing creative workflows, and the practical applications of modern immersive audio production.
“Each year our team puts a lot of thought and effort into making sure every Summit feels like a step forward, and I genuinely believe this year’s program is our best lineup to date,” said Josh Antonuccio, director of the conference. “Our artist keynotes each represent a completely unique path through and within this industry, and our diversity and range of industry leaders offer invaluable insight and understanding of how to navigate the music industry.
Along with our main stage interviews and panels, our menu of mentoring sessions, breakout workshops, and networking events makes this year’s programming an exceptional offering. It becomes clear why students and professionals alike keep coming back to Athens for this every year.”
The OHIO Music Industry Summit has become the largest music industry conference in the Midwest and was named one of the “7 Essential Music Conferences” by Soundfly, along with conferences like South by Southwest and Canadian Music Week. Over 4,000 people attended in-person and online events across last year’s programming. MIS will continue to be free for students and educators at any institution, as well as Ohio University alumni.
