Output Belfast returns this February 2019. The conferencing and showcasing event celebrating Northern Ireland’s artists and music industry is back for its fifth year.

Across Belfast’s Metropolitan Arts Centre and Oh Yeah Centre, around 75 national and international music industry speakers will present seminars, panels, workshops and Q and A’s that cover key tracks and trends in the 2019 music industry.

Announcing the details of this year’s event, Councillor Donal Lyons, Chair of Belfast City Council’s City Growth and Regeneration Committee, commented:

“Since its inception in 2015, ‘Output Belfast’ has been an invaluable event for those working, or seeking to work, in the local music industry, and the wider creative sector, by providing them with invaluable insights into every aspect of the business, from tips on writing to how to get the results in front of the right people.”

The conference will close with a Q and A entitled “The boat that rocked - Public Service Broadcasting and the White Star Liner EP". First performed as a part of BBC 6 Music’s Titanic slipway concert, this Q and A will unpack the full story of Public Service Broadcasting’s extraordinary suite of music on The Titanic - the White Star Liner EP. With archive, clips and movies the band’s J Willgoose will unpack how they approached the commission, what the music was meant to say, and the processes involved in creating and then performing the repertoire based around the globally iconic ship’s fateful voyage alongside Hot Press’s Commissioning Editor Roisin O’Dwyer.

A discussion on the music used in the Irish hit comedies Derry Girls and Young Offenders will also take place. Other key events include a session on co-writing radio hits featuring co-writers for One Direction and Ella Eyre, and AVA Festival will launch their emerging talent programme.

Various sessions throughout the day will focus on social media advertising, lessons in podcasting, pitching your band to live agents and much more.

In the evening there will once again be a raft of free showcasing, featuring the most exciting new Northern Ireland artists, taking place across Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter. Confirmed hosts include Champion Sound, Jawdropper PR, The Live Room Belfast, Chordblossom, The Thin Air, Nialler9, Midnight Mango, Girls Rock School NI, PRS For Music and IMRO.

The conference will take place from 10am to 5pm on Thursday 21 February and is completely free to attend. Sign-up is open on www.outputbelfast.com.