From the impact of AI on music-making to the ways fans connect across music, sport, and gaming, All That Matters 2026 brought the business of entertainment into focus over six days in Singapore.
Organised by BRANDED, the event ran from 2 to 7 October, combining Music Matters Live performances across the city with a three-day conference at Hilton Singapore Orchard. Its 21st edition unfolded under the theme "Where Culture Is Currency", with discussions examining how artists, creators, platforms, and brands reach audiences and build sustainable businesses.
For music fans, that exchange took place onstage too. Music Matters Live featured 44 artists from 15 countries, with performances at CQ @ Clarke Quay and other venues throughout the six nights.
Photographer: Dawn Chua (@echoroar)
The Music Is Universal showcase, presented by Universal Music, brought together Southeast Asian acts including Malaysia’s DOLLA, Vietnam’s LYHAN, Indonesia’s MARBLES, Thailand’s VVV, and the Philippines’ XONARA.
Other programmes included Sounds Australia, MadeIN Japan presented by EXILE TRIBE, and MadeIN Philippines presented by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). The debut MadeIN Nagaland showcase, presented by the Government of Nagaland and TaFMA, also introduced artists to new audiences and industry professionals. The festival concluded with the all-female Girls’ Night Out showcase and closing party on 7 October.
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Across the conference, conversations turned to the changing relationship between artists and their audiences. Sessions such as Beyond the Game: The New Era of Fandom explored how fan communities move between music, sport, gaming, and entertainment, and what those shared interests mean for brands and rights-holders.
Music’s relationship with technology was another focus. The Human-First AI Revolution in Music and All That Matters to YouTube examined how AI and digital platforms are influencing content creation, discovery, audience engagement, and the long-term sustainability of creative careers.
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The programme also addressed the international growth of Asian music and J-pop, alongside the evolution of touring and live entertainment across the region. Participating organisations included Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, SoundCloud, YouTube, HYBE America, and Microsoft Xbox.
“Creators and communities are actively reshaping how the world discovers and experiences culture,” said Gautam Anand, Vice President, YouTube APAC. “Today, entertainment seamlessly bridges the mobile screen and the living room, deepening fan relationships across formats and borders.”
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Taking place ahead of the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix weekend, the conference also explored how major sporting events have become meeting points for music, tourism, and entertainment. Adam Firth, Executive Director of Singapore GP, opened the second day with a discussion of Asia’s growing role as a destination for global live entertainment.
The final day’s Marketing Matters programme shifted attention to how businesses assess their involvement in culture. Sessions examined the returns on sponsorships and cultural partnerships, while the closing discussion, Fame + Fandom = Fortune for the New Power Players, considered how creators and influencers are building businesses around their audiences.
For Jasper Donat, CEO and Co-Founder of BRANDED, the event’s expansion from its beginnings as Music Matters in 2006 reflects how closely these industries now overlap.
“What stood out was that it is becoming more and more crucial for these industries to collaborate and work together,” he said. “Whether it was the changing economics of fandom, AI’s impact on creativity or how brands can build a meaningful place in culture, there was so much to learn from one another.”
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