Drexel hosts Music Startup Academy at URBN | The Triangle

Drexel hosts Music Startup Academy at URBN

Drexel University, in partnership with the Music Business Association, will host the first ever Philadelphia Music Startup Academy on Oct. 28 at the Westphal College’s URBN Center Annex. The goal of the Music Startup Academy is to help jump start the career of individuals who have a unique idea pertaining to the music industry and teach them knowledge they need to develop their idea into a business.
Marc Offenbach, a Music Industry Assistant Professor for Westphal College of Media Arts and Design, said that the event is a great opportunity for those looking for a platform to present their idea on.
“Before there was Shazam, […] Pandora and Spotify, these were small ideas that people had,” Offenbach said. “Whatever the next idea whether it’s a mobile ticketing app or whether it’s on the tech side, an engineering app… we have some luminaries in the business.”
There will be a Shark Tank-inspired panel at the event. Three to four individual entrepreneurs or entrepreneurial groups will be selected for the opportunity to pitch their ideas in front of the panel of judges. The judges include a venture capitalist and a senior business developer from Sony Music Industry. After the competitors pitch their ideas, the judges will deliberate and potentially invest in the product. There will also be number of other panels at the event focusing on different subjects relevant in the industry. These include a licensing and rights panel, Medidata panel and a business development panel. All of the panels will feature experienced people from the music business giving insider information that many attendees could benefit from. The Medidata panel will also include Robert Weitzner, an assistant professor in music industry of the College of Media Arts and Design.
Weitzner noted that Drexel University is a great fit to host the Music Startup Academy. “It’s never been a more vibrant time for music consumption. And so the challenge is how you find value in this kind of golden age of music accessibility. And that’s what this Music Startup Academy’s intention is to do. Give folks a framework about business opportunities and how to create them within the environment, to bring all local people from the community who are in the music industry, bring them together.”
Offenbach said another main goal of the academy is to allow Philadelphia residents to meet with local companies and expand their networking circles. One company that will be present at the event includes the Fame House, a Philadelphia visual marketing company.
The Music Startup Academy event, which is open to public, will be held at URBN Annex Oct. 28 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
“[It’s] for others that are interested in thinking about creating businesses that either service or benefit from music also, that’s another reason to attend,” Weitzner said.
The event is free to all Drexel Music Industry majors. For other students the price is $19 and for the public it is $39. For more information about the event visit http://musicbiz.org/upcoming-music-startup-academy-events/