This year, all signs point to this being the golden age of music. Here’s why
Second week of January. Year of the Horse. Back in the saddle.
As I point my GPS toward a familiar constellation of pursuits, here’s a topline look at what I’m watching and where I think the music business is headed in 2026. These aren’t predictions, they’re signals.
Conferences → The Real Intelligence Layer
The conference circuit matters more than ever; not for panels, but for proximity.
The real answers aren’t in trend reports or podcast recaps. Everyone is working their book.
The cheat code? Show up. Use your eyes. Talk to people.
I’m hot on the conference circuit right now. CES already delivered. So did Wurman’s Shoulders. I expect similar reverberations from SXSW, Pollstar, TED, and Cannes in the first half.
Fitness → Health Is the New Status
Health is the new wealth — and I’m fully obsessed.
The products. The science. The storytelling. The tie-ins.
Longevity was the word of last year. GLP-1 was the conversation.
Data trackers like the Oura Ring are quietly becoming cultural infrastructure.
This isn’t a niche anymore. Look at Jelly Roll, Lil Jon, and managers like Daouda Leonard.
Wellness is crossing fully into culture.
Finance → Liquidity Changes Everything
This year could be defined by IPO energy.
SpaceX. Strava. Discord. Anthropic. TikTok (maybe).
If even a few hit, expect a domino effect.
When liquidity opens up, risk appetite follows. New ideas will be funded and culture marketing will play a key role.
New Artists → Still the Lifeblood
New music is oxygen.
New artists shape the zeitgeist before charts ever do.
Who’s next?
2026 is still loading… and that’s the exciting part.
Stars
A$AP Rocky, Beyoncé, BTS, Charli XCX…and I’m only on “C” from the A-to-Z of new music dropping in the next few months. How will it change the conversation in culture?
Tours
Ariana, Rosalia, Lily Allen, Cardi B, Olivia Dean, Kehlani, Bruno Mars, and even Modest Mouse. There is something for everyone this year. Who are you anticipating?
Festivals
The festival is always an impactful way to cover a lot of ground. The festival and surrounding events make events like Coachella and Stagecoach must-sees in 2026. Micro festivals like EEEEEATSCON have me excited, too.
Creation → A Golden Era
We are in a golden age of music creation.
Tools, tutorials, technology; it’s never been easier to make music and get it out there.
AI music is too fun not to play with and continues to cross over into the mainstream in every which way. The disruptive and tech savvy creators are using it like a collaborator, not a shortcut.
Gadgets → Culture You Can Hold
Coming off CES, a lot of fun is entering the ecosystem. Try this lollipop that plays new music.
Not all of it will last, but the ones that merge utility and delight will.
Physical still matters. There is a reason vinyl sales are up for the 19th consecutive year.
Ticketing → Still Broken (But Cracking)
Ticketing needs disruption.
Ticketmaster remains wildly unpopular, and for good reason.
One quiet shift I’m watching: receipts and proof of presence are coming back in the form of Apple Wallet stubs. Attendance is identity. Were you there? And there? And there? Show and tell.
Web3 → Principles Still Matter
New year. New plays.
I still believe in the principles: ownership, portability, transparency, collectables, and a digital ledger.
We just need better products and fewer slogans.
Gaming → The Center of Entertainment
Gaming isn’t adjacent to culture, it is culture.
Music is inside games. Games are inside music. Economies scale wildly inside both. This only accelerates.
Superfans → Not All Fans Are Equal
Kevin Kelly’s “1,000 True Fans” still holds, but now it scales. Currently superfans are defined as the top 20% of music listeners. 2025 laid the groundwork. 2026 is about operationalizing superfan service at scale, without burning out artists and their fans.
My Hopes for 2026
I would love for the rest of the marketing world to realize how undervalued music is as a marketing commodity.
This music industry is a magical, messy, wonderful space.
I would love the collective consciousness to realize that the goal isn’t to siphon value, it’s to create it.
There’s so much blue sky left. Let’s grow the pie together and make the music business less opaque so more people can actually enjoy and benefit from this dynamic, culture-shaping industry. All signs point to this being the golden age of music. Press play. Tune in. Share those tracks with each other and connect through the art. Let’s all go experience shows together.
This is only half the story… Part II drops next week.
High fives, hand shakes, and hugs all 2026.