OUTPUT BELFAST: MUSIC'S BOUNDARY-BREAKING CONFERENCE RETURNS
IRELAND'S LARGEST MUSIC CONFERENCE UNVEILS POWERHOUSE LINEUP
THURSDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER 2025
On Thursday 25th September 2025, the Cathedral Quarter will transform into the capital of music industry innovation as Output, Ireland’s largest one-day music conference, returns to the city with its largest and most ambitious edition yet - completely free of charge.
Unapologetically forward-thinking, this one-of-a-kind conference convenes leading figures to equip Northern Ireland’s music community with an essential, valuable creative toolkit. Output is committed to creating a diverse programme of panels led by industry experts, creating growth and world-class networking opportunities for emerging and established talents.
INDUSTRY TITANS TAKE THE STAGE
This year's opening keynote features an unprecedented convergence of music industry powerhouses:
- Crispin Hunt (Chairman - PRS for Music) - The voice reshaping how creators receive their composition royalties.
- Tom Gray - Mercury Prize-winning musician, music-rights activist and Chair of the Ivors Academy.
- Naomi Pohl (General Secretary - Musicians' Union) - The fearless advocate championing artists' rights in an AI-disrupted landscape.
Quotes from Keynote Speakers
Tom Gray Quote: “I’m thrilled to be coming to Belfast cos I bloody love the place. The city breathes with music and activism - just like me. Music is under threat and there’s a lot to talk about.”
Crispin Hunt Quote: “It’s a real privilege to join Output Belfast, now firmly established as a key date in the music industry calendar it is an event that celebrates bold ideas and empowers creative minds. Northern Ireland has always been a hub of musical brilliance, I look forward to thought-provoking discussions and connecting with the talented songwriters, composers, and music publishers in this vibrant city.”
FULL PROGRAMME
This extraordinary Opening Keynote kicks off a day featuring 28 cutting-edge sessions spanning every corner of the industry - from artist development to styling your band, sustainable careers to global market expansion:
1. CMU Presents - Get Played, Get Paid: How Music Streaming Really Works
2. The State of The Live Industry in the UK and EU
3. Playing A (Peaky) Blinder - Meet The Film and High-End TV Music Supervisors
4. MPG Presents - Building A Career As A Music Producer, Mixer or Mastering Engineer
5. Owning The Social Media Game
6. Fix up Look Sharp - How to Style Your Band
7. A Picture Is Worth A Million Streams - Making Photography Work For Your Music, Band and Shows
8. MPAI Presents: Publishers role in Co-Writing: The Perfect Matchmaker
9. Mastering YouTube - Make Your Content Stand Out On The World's Biggest Music Discovery Platform
10. PRS For Music Presents - Level up - Inside The World Of Composing Music For Video Games
11. Meet The Author - Unapologetic Expression: The Inside Story of the UK Jazz Explosion - André Marmot In Conversation with Dana Masters
12. Radio Ga Ga - Pitching new music to national radio
13. Power Up - How PRS Foundation Is Supporting Black Music Creators And Industry Professionals And How You Can Get Involved
14. Screen Composers Guild of Ireland presents - Child's Play - Writing Music And Songs For Children's Television And Media
15. The DIY Toolkit - Touring, Releasing & Creating On A Budget
Closing the conference will be an in-conversation event with one of the UK’s most pre-eminent film composers David Arnold. David’s work can be heard across 5 of the James Bond films including the iconic first outing for Daniel Craig - “Casino Royale” (for which he wrote the theme tune - “You Know My Name” with Chris Cornell) music for the Benedict Cumberbatch fronted “Sherlock” series (with composer Michael Price) the “2 Fast 2 Furious” soundtrack from the global Fast and Furious franchise, and most recently the Amazon series “Good Omens”.
Away from the film world, David Arnold maintains a career as a successful record producer and songwriter, having worked with a wide range of contemporary artists including Iggy Pop, Bjork, Lethal Bizzle, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Don Black and Pulp.He also was Musical Director for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In the world of film music David Arnold is an iconoclastic presence, winning Grammy, Emmy and Ivors Awards for his canon of work, and we are delighted to welcome him to Output Belfast alongside Ivor Novello award-winning composer and musician Hannah Peel.
Output Belfast closing Keynote takes place 4-5pm Thursday 25 September at The Mac Belfast
Head to outputbelfast.com for the full programme and schedule.
WHY OUTPUT MATTERS NOW
Attention spans are shrinking. Industry gatekeepers are multiplying. Breaking through feels almost impossible.
The pain of missed opportunities and industry exploitation halts here. Output provides the modern toolkit for solutions, connections, and roadmaps that traditional conferences gatekeep behind expensive tickets and exclusive access.
About Output Belfast
Output Belfast is Ireland's largest annual one-day music conference and showcase, presented by Belfast City Council / Belfast City of Music and programmed by Score Draw Music. The conference features over 25 workshops, masterclasses, panels and talks across all aspects of the music industry, designed to equip Northern Ireland's music community with creative and business skills essential for success in today's competitive landscape.
Through partnerships with industry leaders including PRS for Music, Belfast City Council and more, Output facilitates growth in Northern Ireland's music industry while creating networking opportunities for both emerging and established talent from all sectors.
EVENING SHOWCASE
On the evening of 25th September, Output will once again transform the Cathedral Quarter into a multi-venue festival, showcasing the freshest Irish talent.
Hosts Include [A-Z]
Blue Pool
Chordblossom
Faction Records
Fooligan
Girls with guts
IMRO
NuMuze
Old Crows
Output
PRS
Rock Revival
Rumour Mill
Scratch My Progress
SHINE
Soul Trane
Table It
The Thin Air
Under The Drum
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