MONO reveals its first wave of programming with names including Khris Riddick-Tynes, Valentino Khan, Toby Gad, Linney, Nicolas de Porcel, Devvon Terrell, and more.
60+ award-winning artists, songwriters, producers, engineers, and industry leaders join this year's program, with sessions spanning songwriting, production, music business, sync and licensing, AI in music creation, and gaming.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — August 26, 2026 — MONO (formerly Music Expo), San Francisco’s premier conference for music creators, has just revealed the first wave of speakers and sessions for its 2026 edition. Now entering its second consecutive year at The Midway in San Francisco, MONO will take place November 13-14, 2026, preceded by an invite-only VIP welcome mixer on November 12. The event is presented by Focusrite Group in association with Sound On Sound magazine.
Representatives from companies including Squeak E. Clean, BMG, EMPIRE, Google, BeatLibrary, Liaison Artists, the Recording Academy, The Midway, Halcyon SF, and 1015 Folsom will join the program alongside independent artists, producers, and engineers — with additional speaker affiliations detailed in the full lineup below.
Programming Highlights
Friday, November 13
Keynote: Valentino Khan. An intimate conversation with producer and DJ Valentino Khan on building compelling storytelling on social media as a music creator.
From Release to Career: Building Momentum in Between. DistroKid’s Mike Fink joins artists Adrian Marcel and Mr. Hong, and YouTube Music’s Erica Foss, for a candid discussion on building a sustainable career between releases.
Inside Sync: A Conversation on Music, Creativity & Building a Career in Sync. Producer Jake Warren, whose song “HAUNT U” appeared in American Horror Stories, shares how he built an independent career writing for film, TV, and publishers.
The Art of Noticing: Turning Everyday Moments Into Songs That Connect. Songwriter and artist LINNEY leads a workshop on turning everyday inspiration into resonant songs.
Why Some Songs Hit — and Others Don’t. Acclaimed songwriting coach Jai Josefs breaks down specific steps that hit songwriters use to elevate their songs from ordinary to extraordinary.
Session-Ready: A Five-Minute Vocal Reset for Artists, Producers, and Performers. Whitney Nicole, founder of Songbird Studios, teaches a fast, practical vocal warm-up for singers and producers alike.
Saturday, November 14
Keynote: Toby Gad Live Podcast with Khris Riddick-Tynes. Hitmaking songwriter-producer Toby Gad sits down with Khris Riddick-Tynes for a live podcast conversation.
Live Vocal Tracking & Production Demo. Engineer Karina “Xarina” Flonnoy and vocal producer Tyler Reese demonstrate real-time comping and harmony-stacking techniques in a high-speed vocal session.
Explore SLAB: From Production to Performance. Presented by AlphaTheta, DJ and producer Magie Hue and DJ, producer, educator, and promoter Gera Akate lead a hands-on look at SLAB's capabilities for beatmaking, sampling, remixing, and live performance — showing how it bridges production and DJ performance in one workflow.
Replayability and the Philosophy of Mastering in 2026. Mastering Engineer Nicolas de Porcel, known for his “Million Dollar Snare” approach and Artist & Songwriter Devvon Terrell from HelpMeDevvon explore what makes music built to be replayed billions of times.
Navigating AI in the Music Industry: Rights, Risks, and Opportunities. Presented with California Lawyers for the Arts, attorneys Jessica Fajfar and Justine Levy examine how AI is reshaping copyright, licensing, and rights for music creators.
The Business of Game Audio: A Report From the Trenches. Moderated by Steve Horowitz of the Game Audio Institute, featuring panelists Clay and Chase Bethea, this panel explores career paths and the current state of the game audio industry.
Built to Last – Breaking In and Creating Longevity in the Music Industry. Presented by Neon Owl, featuring Manager and Songwriter Lorne Padman, Nick Garcia from Insomniac Music Group, Elaine Huang from Neon Owl, and Andrew Conde from Thrive Music, this panel explores what it takes to build a lasting career in music — from mindset and habits to meaningful relationships.
Rising Together – The Power of Community & Collectives. Presented by Neon Owl, featuring Elaine Huang, Goshfather, Jon Sax, and B Patt, this session explores the power of community and collectives for artists, talent buyers, promoters, agents, and creatives finding their place in the industry.
The full schedule, including additional sessions, workshops, and mixers, will be available at monomusic.co/schedule.
"For two days, our attendees get direct access to and the chance to learn from some of the most prolific artists, producers, and engineers in the country," said Loïc Maestracci, founder and CEO of MONO. "That kind of access is what inspires the next generation of music creators."
Presenters and Exhibitors
AlphaTheta is presenting MONO's official DJ Stage, and DistroKid is sponsoring the opening keynote on Day One.
MONO 2026 partners and exhibitors include ADAM Audio, AlphaTheta, the Audio Engineering Society, California Lawyers for the Arts, Crescendo Research, DistroKid, Envelop, Focusrite, Game Audio Institute, Gear Space, Granola AI, Neon Owl, Novation, Oberheim, Pioneer DJ, rekordbox, Resin, Sequential, Singstraw, Songbird, Sound on Sound, Steinberg, Studio X, and Women's Audio Mission with new partners still being added.
Find our exhibitors on monomusic.co/exhibitors
Early Bird Tickets
Early bird tickets are on sale now until September 13 from $69 on MONO website and Tixr.
More information can be found on the MONO Music website.
About MONO
Since it started in 2014, MONO has consistently served as an essential gathering for both emerging and established artists, producers, songwriters, engineers, and creative professionals. It is known for its friendly atmosphere, inclusivity, and impact on attendees’ music careers, including collaborations and revenue growth. Formerly known as Music Expo, MONO today expands into year-round live experiences with humans at the center of creativity. Learn more about MONO and when future events will come to your town at monomusic.co.