New York City’s largest music festival, CMJ Music Marathon, takes place October 18-22 and features five days of events including music performances, one-on-one mentoring sessions, exhibitions, seminars, parties, networking events, exclusive Q&As and more.

Since its inception in 1981, CMJ has been a launch pad for new bands and attracts more than 120,000 music professionals, artists and music enthusiasts. Over the course of the five-day fest, 1,300 artists perform in more than 80 music venues across the city– from the Lower East Side to Williamsburg. Performers range in genre from alternative, rock, electronica, hip-hop, metal, Americana, world, jazz, rap and more.

Will you be there?

You should be. While CMJ can be a costly venture and there are no guarantees that your participation is going to launch your career, as an independent artist it’s important to seize every networking opportunity you can. Conferences and festivals like CMJ bring together some of the biggest names in music and give you a chance to get in front of decision makers. This is your chance to meet influential people in the music industry.

At CMJ, you’ll cross paths with bloggers that may be interested in covering your music, other musicians that you can collaborate or swap shows with, music fans, heads of labels, publicists, managers, booking agents and more. If you get a showcase, you’ll even have the opportunity perform in front of a new audience.

So, if you’re looking to learn new things, network with the right people, and be on top of the music trends, festivals like CMJ are a great resource in a short amount of time. CMJ condenses a lot of action into only five days, allowing you to attend several panels and Q&As during the day, and check out the biggest buzz bands that same night.

When should you attend? If you want to take your career to the next level, the time is now!
Tell us what you think! Have you been to a conference/festival like CMJ? Did it help you make connections? Will you attend this year?
Up next: What keeps you motivated?

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