Cutting Edge Music Business Conference

Cutting Edge Music Business Conference The 34th Annual Cutting Edge CE Conference (Cutting Edge Music Business Conference and Roots Music Ga

The Cutting Edge will focus on hot topics and business trends in today’s music industry. Cutting Edge offers a diverse selection of panel topics for both the novice and the seasoned professional. Cutting Edge’s Roots Music Gathering is “still committed to the Roots” and will host oral histories, lecture demonstrations, and panel discussions on roots music. Cutting Edge’s Entertainment Law Seminar

has received high marks. Again, this year at the Cutting Edge will host the Film, Interactive and Media Workshop. Independent filmmakers, actors and the film community will be able to get valuable information the film business on acquiring literary rights, financing films and distribution. Additionally, musicians seeking to get their music in films will be able to learn more about the film process. The Cutting Edge’s panels are highly informative, with experienced speakers. The Music Business Institute (MBI) is a New Orleans non-profit Corporation established in 1991. The MBI mission is to educate musicians and music professionals and thereby assist them in having a successful career in the music “industry” while holding to music as an expression of their cultural identity.

Don't miss the Cutting Edge CE conference's 2026 Film Meetup, co-sponsored by the Louisiana Produces Film Meetup, during...
08/23/2026

Don't miss the Cutting Edge CE conference's 2026 Film Meetup, co-sponsored by the Louisiana Produces Film Meetup, during the Creators House at The Broadside, 600 N. Broad St, Saturday, August 29, with filmmaker Wayne Douglas Morgan and WLAE TV's General Manager, Jim Dotson; Ashley Davis, Director/Producer; Yasmine The Sun Queen, Singer, Creative Consultant; Promesse Lafeuille, Award winning, Filmmaker/Director

Don't miss the Cutting Edge CE conference's 2026 Film Meetup, co-sponsored by the Louisiana Produces Film Meetup, during...
08/21/2026

Don't miss the Cutting Edge CE conference's 2026 Film Meetup, co-sponsored by the Louisiana Produces Film Meetup, during the Creators House at The Broadside, 600 N. Broad St, Saturday, August 29, with filmmaker Wayne Douglas Morgan and WLAE TV's General Manager, Jim Dotson.

The Cutting Edge CE Conference's 2026 Roots Music Gathering will feature an "Oral History Brunch" on Sunday, August 30, ...
08/21/2026

The Cutting Edge CE Conference's 2026 Roots Music Gathering will feature an "Oral History Brunch" on Sunday, August 30, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at The Broadside. Attendees will be served light bites during the event. This year's interviewees include Stephanie Jordan, Jimmy Ford, Henry Turner, Jr., and Colin Wolfe. The interviews will be conducted by David Kunian, Eric Cager, and Richard "Rick" Fors. Admission to the event is free.

·34thCUTTING EDGE ENTERTAINMENT LAW SEMINARSCHEDULE:"AI The New Superhighway: From Live to Streaming"August 27 – 29, 202...
08/18/2026

·
34th
CUTTING EDGE ENTERTAINMENT LAW SEMINAR
SCHEDULE:
"AI The New Superhighway: From Live to Streaming"
August 27 – 29, 2026
InterContinental Hotel, New Orleans
A 3-Day Cutting Edge Entertainment Law Track
Theme: This comprehensive seminar traces the legal lifecycle of entertainment assets in the age of Artificial Intelligence. We begin with the foundational "Rules of the Road" (Professionalism, Entities, Trademarks), travel through the "Heavy Transport" sectors (Film, Books), speed through the "Fast Lane" of Digital Music and Contracts, and conclude with "Traffic Control" (Ethics, Management, and Future Licensing)—all while examining how AI is reshaping the infrastructure of the industry.
This course is approved for a total of 15.75 hour(s) of credit, including 1.00 hour(s) of ethics, 1.00 hour(s) of professionalism, and 1.00 hour(s) of law office practice by the MCLE Committee of the Louisiana State Bar Association.
DAY 2: FRIDAY – THE AUTOMATED FAST LANE
Focus: Music Contracts, Publishing, Ethics, and the Generative Revolution.

4:15 PM – 5:45 PM
The AI Frontier: Deepfakes, Data Rights, and Generative Media Credit:
Legal/ CLE 1.25 cr. hr.
Description: The most consequential stretch of the superhighway: the direct collision of intellectual property rights and generative technology. This session covers the latest statutory and common-law developments.
› Generative AI Training Sets: Negotiating and drafting licensing rights for large language model (LLM) and image-generation datasets.
› Rights of Publicity: The NO FAKES Act and practical strategies for protecting clients against non-consensual digital replicas.
Bifurcated Copyright: Registration strategies for works with mixed human and AI authorship.
Speakers:
• Wallace Collins, Esq., New York, NY
• Gregg R. Zegarelli, Esq., Zegarelli Technology & Entrepreneurial Ventures Law Firm, Pittsburgh, PA
• Stephen J. Easley, Esq., Law Office of Stephen J. Easley, Esq.
• Scott Keniley, Esq., Keniley Kumar, Atlanta, GA

34thCUTTING EDGE ENTERTAINMENT LAW SEMINARSCHEDULE:"AI The New Superhighway: From Live to Streaming"August 27 – 29, 2026...
08/18/2026

34th

CUTTING EDGE ENTERTAINMENT LAW SEMINAR

SCHEDULE:

"AI The New Superhighway: From Live to Streaming"

August 27 – 29, 2026

InterContinental Hotel, New Orleans

A 3-Day Cutting Edge Entertainment Law Track

Theme: This comprehensive seminar traces the legal lifecycle of entertainment assets in the age of Artificial Intelligence. We begin with the foundational "Rules of the Road" (Professionalism, Entities, Trademarks), travel through the "Heavy Transport" sectors (Film, Books), speed through the "Fast Lane" of Digital Music and Contracts, and conclude with "Traffic Control" (Ethics, Management, and Future Licensing)—all while examining how AI is reshaping the infrastructure of the industry.

This course is approved for a total of 15.75 hour(s) of credit, including 1.00 hour(s) of ethics, 1.00 hour(s) of professionalism, and 1.00 hour(s) of law office practice by the MCLE Committee of the Louisiana State Bar Association.

DAY 2: FRIDAY – THE AUTOMATED FAST LANE

Focus: Music Contracts, Publishing, Ethics, and the Generative Revolution.

2:45 PM – 4:00 PM
Title: Writing Original Songs and Scores for Film, Television and Video Games: The Contractual Landscape
Legal/ CLE 1.25 cr. hr.
Description: Whether it’s a Best Song Oscar or Emmy Award, a Best Original Score Golden Globe or Game Award or a new song or score for a documentary or low budget independent film, writing original compositions for audio- visual media can encompass multiple types of contractual arrangements depending on the type of product, the distribution platforms involved and the stature of the individuals and entities involved.

This panel will discuss the most important provisions in original song and underscore feature film, episodic television series and video game contracts including similarities and dissimilarities depending on the type of production. Areas covered include songwriter and composer fees, writer-for-hire provisions, “package” deals, copyright ownership, administration, termination rights, songwriter, composer and music publisher “back end” royalties, cue sheets, milestones, production music and much more.
Speakers:
• Jeff Brabec, Esq., Senior Vice President Legal and Business Affairs, BMG Board member The MLC, co-author "Music, Money, and Success," Adjunct Professor USC
• Todd Brabec Esq., former ASCAP Executive Vice President, co-author "Music, Money and Success," Adjunct Professor USC
• Kevin Mills, Esq., Kaye & Mills, Los Angeles, CA

34thCUTTING EDGE ENTERTAINMENT LAW SEMINARSCHEDULE:"AI The New Superhighway: From Live to Streaming"August 27 – 29, 2026...
08/18/2026

34th

CUTTING EDGE ENTERTAINMENT LAW SEMINAR

SCHEDULE:

"AI The New Superhighway: From Live to Streaming"

August 27 – 29, 2026

InterContinental Hotel, New Orleans

A 3-Day Cutting Edge Entertainment Law Track

Theme: This comprehensive seminar traces the legal lifecycle of entertainment assets in the age of Artificial Intelligence. We begin with the foundational "Rules of the Road" (Professionalism, Entities, Trademarks), travel through the "Heavy Transport" sectors (Film, Books), speed through the "Fast Lane" of Digital Music and Contracts, and conclude with "Traffic Control" (Ethics, Management, and Future Licensing)—all while examining how AI is reshaping the infrastructure of the industry.

This course is approved for a total of 15.75 hour(s) of credit, including 1.00 hour(s) of ethics, 1.00 hour(s) of professionalism, and 1.00 hour(s) of law office practice by the MCLE Committee of the Louisiana State Bar Association.

DAY 2: FRIDAY – THE AUTOMATED FAST LANE

Focus: Music Contracts, Publishing, Ethics, and the Generative Revolution.

1:45 – 2:30

Keynote: Conversation

Interviewees:

Vinny Kumar, Esq., President, EMPIRE Publishing, San Fransico/Atlanta

Al Mclean, EVP, Global Creative, EMPIRE Publishing, EMPIRE

Interviewer:

Scott Keniley, Esq., Keniley Kumar, Atlanta, GA

34thCUTTING EDGE ENTERTAINMENT LAW SEMINARSCHEDULE:"AI The New Superhighway: From Live to Streaming"August 27 – 29, 2026...
08/18/2026

34th
CUTTING EDGE ENTERTAINMENT LAW SEMINAR
SCHEDULE:
"AI The New Superhighway: From Live to Streaming"
August 27 – 29, 2026
InterContinental Hotel, New Orleans
A 3-Day Cutting Edge Entertainment Law Track
Theme: This comprehensive seminar traces the legal lifecycle of entertainment assets in the age of Artificial Intelligence. We begin with the foundational "Rules of the Road" (Professionalism, Entities, Trademarks), travel through the "Heavy Transport" sectors (Film, Books), speed through the "Fast Lane" of Digital Music and Contracts, and conclude with "Traffic Control" (Ethics, Management, and Future Licensing)—all while examining how AI is reshaping the infrastructure of the industry.
This course is approved for a total of 15.75 hour(s) of credit, including 1.00 hour(s) of ethics, 1.00 hour(s) of professionalism, and 1.00 hour(s) of law office practice by the MCLE Committee of the Louisiana State Bar Association.
DAY 2: FRIDAY – THE AUTOMATED FAST LANE
Focus: Music Contracts, Publishing, Ethics, and the Generative Revolution.

12:15 – 1:30 PM
Title: Litigation on the Superhighway: Copyrights vs. The Algorithm
Credit: Legal/ CLE 1.25 cr. hr.
Description: When the cars crash: A review of current litigation defining the boundaries of AI.
• The Beat Economy: Infringement claims when AI "scrapes" beats and samples.
• Case Law Roundup: Drake v. UMG (Deepfakes), NYT v. OpenAI (Training Data), and Nealy (Damages).
• Infringement Defenses: Is "training" a Fair Use? The current state of the argument.
Speakers:
• Tim Kapple, Esq., Well & Kapple LLP, New Orleans/Chicago (Moderator)
• Brian Caplan, Esq., Reitler Kailas & Rosenblatt, LLP
• Stan Soocher, Esq., Editor-in-Chief, Entertainment Law & Finance, Professor Emeritus, College of Arts & Media, University of Colorado Denver
• Tate Henshaw, Arc Business Management
• Polina Ivko, Esq., Adwar Ivko, New York, NY

34thCUTTING EDGE ENTERTAINMENT LAW SEMINARSCHEDULE:"AI The New Superhighway: From Live to Streaming"August 27 – 29, 2026...
08/18/2026

34th

CUTTING EDGE ENTERTAINMENT LAW SEMINAR

SCHEDULE:

"AI The New Superhighway: From Live to Streaming"

August 27 – 29, 2026

InterContinental Hotel, New Orleans

A 3-Day Cutting Edge Entertainment Law Track

Theme: This comprehensive seminar traces the legal lifecycle of entertainment assets in the age of Artificial Intelligence. We begin with the foundational "Rules of the Road" (Professionalism, Entities, Trademarks), travel through the "Heavy Transport" sectors (Film, Books), speed through the "Fast Lane" of Digital Music and Contracts, and conclude with "Traffic Control" (Ethics, Management, and Future Licensing)—all while examining how AI is reshaping the infrastructure of the industry.

This course is approved for a total of 15.75 hour(s) of credit, including 1.00 hour(s) of ethics, 1.00 hour(s) of professionalism, and 1.00 hour(s) of law office practice by the MCLE Committee of the Louisiana State Bar Association.

DAY 2: FRIDAY – THE AUTOMATED FAST LANE

Focus: Music Contracts, Publishing, Ethics, and the Generative Revolution.

10:15 AM – 11:30 AM

Title: Under the Hood: The "No Training" Clause & Music Contracts Credit:

Legal/ CLE 1.25 cr. hr.

Description: A technical deep-dive into the agreements that power the music industry, comprehensively updated for the AI age. Non-lawyers will gain an essential understanding of how deals are actually structured.

› The 360 Deal Evolution: Capturing — or surrendering — revenue streams from digital twins and voice models.

› Essential Clauses: "No AI Training" restrictions, re-record clauses for deepfakes, and defining "human creation."

› Producer Agreements: Who owns the prompt? Work-for-hire doctrine in AI-assisted music production.

Speakers:

Mathew V. Wilson, Esq., Arnell Golden Gregory LLP, Atlanta, GA

Brittney Trigg, Esq., BTRIGGLAW, PLLC, Miami, FL

· Max Hass, Esq. New Orleans, LA

Edgar "Dino" Gankendoff, Esq., Provosty & Gankendoff, LLC, NOLA

34thCUTTING EDGE ENTERTAINMENT LAW SEMINARSCHEDULE:"AI The New Superhighway: From Live to Streaming"August 27 – 29, 2026...
08/18/2026

34th
CUTTING EDGE ENTERTAINMENT LAW SEMINAR
SCHEDULE:
"AI The New Superhighway: From Live to Streaming"
August 27 – 29, 2026
InterContinental Hotel, New Orleans
A 3-Day Cutting Edge Entertainment Law Track
Theme: This comprehensive seminar traces the legal lifecycle of entertainment assets in the age of Artificial Intelligence. We begin with the foundational "Rules of the Road" (Professionalism, Entities, Trademarks), travel through the "Heavy Transport" sectors (Film, Books), speed through the "Fast Lane" of Digital Music and Contracts, and conclude with "Traffic Control" (Ethics, Management, and Future Licensing)—all while examining how AI is reshaping the infrastructure of the industry.
This course is approved for a total of 15.75 hour(s) of credit, including 1.00 hour(s) of ethics, 1.00 hour(s) of professionalism, and 1.00 hour(s) of law office practice by the MCLE Committee of the Louisiana State Bar Association.

DAY 2: FRIDAY – THE AUTOMATED FAST LANE
Focus: Music Contracts, Publishing, Ethics, and the Generative Revolution.
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Title: Ethics: The Black Box – Competence and Bias in Legal Tech
Credit: Legal/ CLE 1.0 cr. hr.
Description: A mandatory review of professional conduct rules for lawyers deploying AI tools — and a frank conversation about the societal implications of algorithmic bias in the entertainment industry.
› Duty of Competence: Understanding the real risks of using generative AI for legal drafting and research.
› Confidentiality: Protecting client secrets when using third-party AI platforms and cloud-based tools.
› Social Justice: Addressing algorithmic bias in artist representation, royalty distribution, and content moderation.
Speakers:
• Judith DeFraites, Esq., New Orleans, LA
• David Dalia, Esq., New Orleans, LA
• Darryl Cohen, Esq., Cohen, Cooper Estep & Allen, Atlanta, GA

34thCUTTING EDGE ENTERTAINMENT LAW SEMINARSCHEDULE:"AI The New Superhighway: From Live to Streaming"August 27 – 29, 2026...
08/18/2026

34th
CUTTING EDGE ENTERTAINMENT LAW SEMINAR
SCHEDULE:
"AI The New Superhighway: From Live to Streaming"
August 27 – 29, 2026
InterContinental Hotel, New Orleans
A 3-Day Cutting Edge Entertainment Law Track
Theme: This comprehensive seminar traces the legal lifecycle of entertainment assets in the age of Artificial Intelligence. We begin with the foundational "Rules of the Road" (Professionalism, Entities, Trademarks), travel through the "Heavy Transport" sectors (Film, Books), speed through the "Fast Lane" of Digital Music and Contracts, and conclude with "Traffic Control" (Ethics, Management, and Future Licensing)—all while examining how AI is reshaping the infrastructure of the industry.
This course is approved for a total of 15.75 hour(s) of credit, including 1.00 hour(s) of ethics, 1.00 hour(s) of professionalism, and 1.00 hour(s) of law office practice by the MCLE Committee of the Louisiana State Bar Association.
DAY 1: THURSDAY – THE INTELLIGENT VEHICLE
Focus: Professional standards, entity formation, branding, and major media assets (Film & Books) in an AI-driven world.

4:15 PM – 5:45 PM
Title: Trademark 3.0: Algorithmic Branding and the Metaverse
Credit: Legal/ CLE/Business 1.5 cr. hr.
Description: Protecting an artist's brand has never been harder — generative AI can replicate it in seconds. This session arms attendees with modern trademark strategies for the digital age.
› Merchandising: Protecting logos and likenesses against infinite AI-generated knockoffs.
› Digital Crossover: Trademark rights in NFTs, virtual worlds, and AI training datasets.
› Dispute Resolution: Strategies for policing brand dilution in a global, automated marketplace.
Speakers:
· Gregg R. Zegarelli, Esq., Technology & Entrepreneurial Ventures Law Group, PC, Pittsburgh, PA (Moderator)
· Peter A. Koziol, Esq., Assouline & Berlowe, Boca Raton, FL
· Charlotte Towne, Esq., Charlotte Towne Law, Miami, FL
· Eugene Radcliff, Esq., Radcliff Law Firm; Zyplear Strategies, LLC Global IP & Business Consultants, Baton Rouge, LA,
· Max Hass, Esq. New Orleans, LA
Polina Ivko, Esq., Adwar Ivko, New York, NY

Address

1524 N Claiborne Avenue
New Orleans, LA
70116

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 10pm
Tuesday 10am - 10pm
Wednesday 10am - 10pm
Thursday 10am - 10pm
Friday 10am - 10pm
Saturday 10am - 10pm
Sunday 10am - 10pm

Telephone

(504) 322-3540

Website

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