WASHINGTON — Top musicians, lawmakers and technologists will gather in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 17 and 18 for the Future of Music Policy Summit, an annual event that brings together an unusual mix of people for cutting edge discussions on issues at the intersection of music, technology and policy.

This year’s edition will include more than a dozen panel discussions on some of the most pressing issues facing the music industry such as webcasting rates, copyright reform, international licensing models, the recent radio payola settlement, and network neutrality. The Summit will be held in Betts Theatre at George Washington University.

This is FMC’s seventh annual Policy Summit. Over the years, the conferences have grown into “must attend” events because FMC has striven to bring together all sides of an issue for a balanced and dynamic debate. It has also offered the chance for technologists and policymakers to interact with artists.

Past speakers and panelists include musician David Byrne, rapper Chuck D., Sen. Russ Feingold, Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser, producer Hank Shocklee, and FCC Commissioner Michael Copps.

As The Washington Post described it, the FMC Policy Summit has become “a kind of Geneva where all sides in any number of contentious music industry fights can get together and play nice for a few days.” Even more importantly, the Policy Summits offer policymakers “a rare opportunity to hear musicians articulate their concerns in person instead of relying on competing lobbying groups that claim to espouse their interests” (Washington Post, May 6, 2004).

“The music industry is undergoing some of the most dramatic and rapid changes it has seen in its history,” said FMC Executive Director Jenny Toomey. “The Policy Summit will offer a great opportunity to grapple with the issues driving the change and get a handle on how both technology and policy are influencing the music industry of the future.”