On Wednesday, January 21, the day before exhibits open for the 2026 NAMM Show, TEC Tracks will host its annual Studio Summit, an all-day educational event focused on the changes taking place inside the recording studio—from the variety of new production workflows to the day-today operations and business decisions of running a studio today.
Led by a bevy of top industry pros who speak from experience, these sessions are designed to give attendees actionable ideas that they can take hope and put into use in real-world situations.
All sessions will take place in the Hilton California B ballroom.
10:00 am: TODAY’S RECORDING STUDIO: DOES SIZE MATTER?
This vibrant discussion with some of the most renowned and experienced recording studio operators of the past 50 years will teach the “do’s and don’t’s” of running a successful recording studio, while also giving attendees a glimpse of what the future holds for studios—large, small and everything in between. The panel will be moderated by music industry CPA Alan Friedman.
Panelists: Jeff Greenberg, (Studio Owner, The Village Recorders, Los Angeles), Troy Germano (Studio Owner, The Hit Factory, New York), Alex Brown (Universal Music Group V.P. of Studio Operations of Abbey Road Studios in London, Capitol Studios in LA and East Iris Studios in Nashville), Kevin Churko (Studio Owner & Engineer, The Hideout, Las Vegas), Zoe Thrall (Former Studio Manager, The Hit Factory & The Power Station, New York), Joel Jaffe (Studio Owner & Engineer, Studio D Recording, Sausalito, CA).
12:30 pm: THE FUTURE OF RECORDING STUDIO DESIGN
This discussion by top Nashville studio designers Steven Durr and Alexandra Gabriel of Steven Durr Designs will focus on how to effectively integrate emerging technologies without compromising creativity. They’ll explore proven design principles that enable an artist’s boundless exploration within a tech-enabled environment.
1:30 pm: IS “AI” THE NEW DIRTY WORD IN RECORDING MUSIC?
With decades of combined expertise behind the console, our panelists will share firsthand perspectives on how AI tools are transforming workflow efficiency, sound design, mixing, mastering and creative collaboration. They will also candidly examine the challenges and potential dangers posed by this rapidly evolving technology—including artistic authenticity, copyright, misappropriation of personality, job displacement and the preservation of human creativity at the heart of music-making. The panel will be moderated by music industry CPA Alan Friedman.
Panelists: Marc Daniel Nelson (producer/engineer), Kane Churko (producer/engineer), Pat Thrall (producer/engineer/musician), Hoskins (producer/engineer) and Ron Bienstock (music entertainment and I.P. attorney)
2:30: COMPATIBILITY CHAOS: COPING WITH KEEPING CURRENT
Mix columnist, music technologist, recording artist, author and educator Craig Anderton explores what it means—and takes—to stay up-to-date in today’s music industry. Sometimes in a session one must juggle operating systems, plug-in standards, signal levels, sample rates, storage options, software updates and delivery formats—all while making it look easy and keeping the client happy. Anderton will discuss how to maintain both your sanity and effectiveness while also facing the need to make machines play nice.
3:30 pm: STUDIO SONGWRITING CAMPS
Songwriting camps and recording workshops generate additional revenue streams for studios and can serve as effective marketing tools. The president of Artist Max, Bridge Gardiner, who has curated numerous such events at recording studios, will lead a panel of songwriters to discuss best practices in event curation, budgeting, marketing strategies, event-day procedures and post-event processes, including the legal aspects of song ownership and content utilization. Bridge’s panel will include recording industry icons Warren Huart, Ken Caillat and Rafa Sardina.
4:30 pm: LEGAL ISSUES AND LANDSCAPE FOR STUDIO PRODUCERS AND RECORDING ENGINEERS
This session will focus on current and topical legal issues affecting the recording industry and how best for Producers and Engineers to navigate them. Come join famed entertainment attorney Michael Saltz and learn about the current AI and copyright chaos trends—including the very recent Suno-Warner Music Group settlement and fair use rulings; Sample clearance nightmares; Producer royalty allocations; and Contract traps in the streaming era.