Imogen Heap and SoundCloud Bring “Sound Advice” to Web Summit Lisbon

At Web Summit Lisbon 2025, one of the most thought-provoking moments came from Imogen Heap — artist, technologist, and long-time advocate for creative independence — in a special live edition of SoundCloud’s “Sound Advice.”

The session explored how musicians can navigate the shifting landscape of streaming, rights, and AI-driven creativity — a conversation that echoed deeply with Output101’s mission: understanding how technology shapes the future of sound.

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Empowerment Over Exploitation

Heap has built a career redefining what it means to be an independent artist in the digital age. From her Mi.Mu glovesthat turn gesture into music, to her Mycelia for Music project promoting fair pay and blockchain transparency, she’s always been ahead of the curve.

At Web Summit, she urged artists to reclaim ownership of their data and revenue. The future, she argued, belongs to creators who understand their rights — and to platforms that give them visibility and control.

SoundCloud’s representatives reinforced this message, highlighting new tools aimed at supporting musicians through direct fan engagement and clearer monetization paths.

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Tech That Serves Creativity

While AI and automation were hot topics throughout the summit, Heap’s take was refreshingly human.
Technology, she said, should extend artistic expression — not replace it.

Whether through generative tools or interactive performances, she sees innovation as an amplifier of emotion and imagination. “Let the tech do the heavy lifting,” she implied, “so artists can stay focused on being artists.”

It’s a sentiment that resonates strongly within the Output101 community, where experimentation and creative autonomy are core values.

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Building Fairer Systems

Beneath the discussion lay a harder truth: the music industry’s digital infrastructure is still broken.
Royalties are delayed, metadata is incomplete, and artists often don’t know who owes them money.

Heap’s vision — one built on transparency, blockchain tagging, and smart contracts — offers a glimpse of a fairer system. And with SoundCloud positioning itself as a more open, community-driven ecosystem, the conversation pointed toward a more equitable future for music creators.

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The Future Sounds Human

As the session wrapped, one message lingered: the most important innovation in music isn’t technological — it’s human.
In a world of algorithms and AI, what truly connects us is authenticity, collaboration, and creative freedom.

For Output101, “Sound Advice” was more than a talk — it was a reminder that the future of music will be written by those who dare to blend art and technology with intention and heart.