Guests and Host

Guest: John Mlynczak, President and CEO of NAMM | View Website | Visit NAMM

Host: Host: Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine Podcasts and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast & Music Evolves Podcast | On ITSPmagazine: https://www.itspmagazine.com/sean-martin

Host: Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine Podcasts and Host of Redefining Society and Technology Podcast | On ITSPmagazine: https://www.itspmagazine.com/marco-ciappelli

Show Notes

As the music industry prepares for The NAMM Show 2026, the conversation moves well beyond gear announcements or product cycles. This episode of Music Evolves: Sonic Frontiers explores how music, technology, and human connection intersect at a moment where creativity, commerce, and culture are tightly interwoven.

John Mlynczak, President and CEO of NAMM, frames the upcoming show within a broader historical arc. NAMM marks its 125th year as an organization, offering a rare opportunity to examine why music endures while many industries fade. His perspective highlights resilience as a defining trait of music makers and the businesses that support them, shaped by shifting genres, global trade pressures, and accelerating technological change.

The discussion places artificial intelligence in context rather than at the center. AI is acknowledged as one of many tools influencing music creation and production, but not the defining force. The episode emphasizes that innovation in music technology often builds on familiar foundations, while differentiation increasingly comes from artists, creators, and the stories they bring to the instruments they use.

Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli explore how authenticity now drives connection between brands, artists, and audiences. Product differentiation is no longer just about features or specifications. Artist collaborations, personal branding, and direct engagement through social platforms shape trust and influence purchasing decisions. Music products are experienced through people first, technology second.

Education also emerges as a critical theme. The NAMM Show 2026 expands learning opportunities with hundreds of sessions, new multi-hour summits, and programming designed around distinct communities, from educators to retailers to professional audio engineers. Data-driven insights now guide how these experiences are designed, enabling more personalized and meaningful participation.

Underlying the conversation is a shared belief that music remains fundamentally human. Technology may change workflows, distribution, and scale, but emotion, expression, and community remain the constants. The episode positions The NAMM Show not just as a trade event, but as a living snapshot of where music culture and the business of music are heading next.

The NAMM Show 2026 is taking place from January 20-24, 2026 | Anaheim Convention Center • Southern California — Coverage provided by ITSPmagazine — Follow our coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/cybersecurity-technology-society-events/the-namm-show-2026

Resources

NAMM Organization: https://www.namm.org/

The NAMM Show 2026: https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/attend

Catch more stories from NAMM Show 2026 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/cybersecurity-technology-society-events/the-namm-show-2026

Music Evolves: Sonic Frontiers Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7290890771828719616/

Want to share an Event Briefing as part of our event coverage? Learn More 👉 https://www.studioc60.com/performance#briefing

Want Sean and Marco to be part of your event or conference? Let Us Know 👉 https://www.studioc60.com/performance#ideas

KEYWORDS: sean martin, marco ciappelli, john mlynczak, the namm show, the namm show 2026, namm 2026, music industry, music technology, music education, artist collaborations, event coverage, on location, conference

More From Sean Martin on ITSPmagazine

More from Music Evolves: https://www.seanmartin.com/music-evolves-podcast

Music Evolves on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllTRJ5du7hFDXjiugu-uNPtW

On Location with Sean and Marco: https://www.itspmagazine.com/on-location

ITSPmagazine YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@itspmagazine

Be sure to share and subscribe!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.