Powering the Next Wave of Artists: Play MPE at NXNE 2025
Play MPE proudly stepped into the spotlight as an official sponsor of NXNE 2025, one of Canada’s most iconic discovery music festivals since 1995. With Toronto vibrating with music from every corner, we joined the city-wide celebration of creativity, connection, and raw talent.
Our team had the opportunity to meet hundreds of emerging and established artists, label reps, managers, and media professionals. From showcasing our digital music promotion tools to swapping stories with performers, every interaction reminded us why we’re passionate about supporting artists’ journeys from studio to spotlight.
Industry Secrets from Our Live Panel: “Radio Killed the Radio Star”
Play MPE’s very own Alen Vitasovic, led a stellar radio panel alongside radio giants Siobhan Woodrow (Music Director, Sirius XM), Michael Religa (Music Director, Indie88), and David Tysowksi (Radio Promoter, Canvas Media).
The panel dove into how artists can navigate an ever-evolving media landscape, and ensuring they account for all media channels. The conversation sparked honest, actionable insights around digital servicing, timing, and radio-ready tracks.
A few key takeaways from the panel:
Data matters: Servicing tools like Play MPE give artists a leg up by hosting all needed metadata and promotional information in one place. “Having all that information […] easily obtainable is just key for me” – Michael Religa of Indie 88.
Don’t rush to radio: Getting on the radio can be an exciting breakthrough, but it’s important to hone your craft first. Music Directors need high-quality tracks that are mixed and mastered for an optimal listening experience.
NXNE’s 30th Birthday Celebration
This year marked a major milestone—NXNE’s 30th birthday—and the city came out in full force to celebrate. Dundas Square was packed shoulder to shoulder for a massive free concert with some of the biggest names in the industry. The lineup included heavy-hitters like Roy Woods, 4KORNERS, Khalid and Alicia Moffet. From the lights, to the background dancers, killer live arrangements and impeccable sound, the birthday bash certainly did not disappoint.
New Friends and Familiar Faces
We loved hearing from artists already using Play MPE to reach tastemakers and programmers across North America and beyond. Including finalists from our very own Caster Emerge Contest!
We’re always stoked to share our story with new faces and excite artists about untapped potential reaching industry folks. Attendees of the festival were sent home with exclusive Play MPE x NXNE merch and details about our Summer Promotion! Whether you’re indie or signed, we’re here to help your music find the ears it deserves.
Take a peek of the festival through our lens here and follow along for more highlights to come!
