Nigerian business incubation platform, Instig Labs and technology outfit, S.L.O.T Africa, are collaborating to host Nigeria’s first conference on music and data. The conference brings together experts and stakeholders to explore the intersection of these two fields in advancing the production, promotion and accessibility of music in Africa.
Tagged ‘Music Meets Data,’ the free conference slated for Saturday July 29, 2023 11:00 AM WAT (GMT +1) will be a hybrid event with participants joining both online and physically at The Adrenalina Coworking Space, Yaba, Lagos. The event, which also marks the launch of Instig Labs, will feature keynote speakers, panel discussions, a demo workshop for data visualization, and networking opportunities. In addition, Instig Labs is offering free training courses on select tech skills via its social media handle.
“Music Meets Data will provide a forum for attendees to learn about the need for infrastructure, tech advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for music, share their own research and ideas, and collaborate on new projects,” said Michael Osumo, Program Manager, InstigLabs.
Expected speakers at the event include Keerti Agrawal, former senior data scientist at Spotify and Co-founder, Aagmann AI Labs; Ezinne O, Data Scientist at Mavin; Gilbert Bani(A-Q), recording artist and founder, ConnectHead; Olajumoke Olayiwola, General Secretary of the Sarz Academy; and Lola Oyedele, entertainment property lawyer and Partner, Technolawgical.
Nigeria is currently experiencing a technological revolution that has helped the country’s artists impact the global charts. Artists like Rema, Tems and Ckay have attained global prominence by maximizing digital technology. Specifically, data science is becoming increasingly useful to music promoters in targeting audiences.
According to Gilbert Bani, one of the speakers at the upcoming conference, data application in Nigerian music industry is still at infancy.
“There is a wide gap to be filled in terms of opportunities available to leverage data science and analysis in music business. The conference will provide useful insights for musicians and music industry professionals who are interested in using data and AI to enhance their creative process or to reach a wider audience,” said Bani.
Instig Labs is powered by The Adrenalina, a business incubation outfit and coworking space that helps entrepreneurs grow and succeed by facilitating access to workspace, finance, training and collaborations.
“Instig Labs reflects our commitment to the growth of innovation and enterprise in Africa, and Music Meets Data will be the first in a series of projects designed to facilitate deliberations on the enhancement of various industries with AI and digital transformation, in collaboration with our partners,” said Chukwuerika Achum, founder of The Adrenalina.
According to Susan Tejuosho, founder S.L.O.T (Shining Light On Talent) Africa, “Music Meets Data is the first of its kind in Nigeria. The partnership between InstigLabs and S.L.O.T Africa is a natural fit. Both organizations are committed to innovation and creativity, and we share a similar vision for the future. We believe that AI has the potential to revolutionize any industry, and are excited to work together to bring about this change.”
“In addition to music industry players, the conference will also attract Google dev ops and AI/ML researchers as well as developers who are working on data-driven applications such as music composition, music generation, and music analysis,” Tejosho added.