Winter Music Conference

The legendary EDM gathering that started it all, Winter Music Conference (known to fans as WMC) is back for a packed 3 days of festivities in Greater Miami & Miami Beach. Geared toward electronic music heads and industry pros, this year’s conference programming includes the long-running pool party series along with plenty of panels, workshops, speakers, gear demos and a pop-up lounge to round it all out. Take a look at our in-depth guide below and start mapping out your schedule of meets, beats and everything in between.

What is Winter Music Conference?

Winter Music Conference is an annual conference and music festival in Miami centered around the electronic dance music industry. It’s the longest-running conference of its kind, attracting DJs, producers, technicians, record label executives and others for a mix of educational programming, networking opportunities and, of course, epic day-to-night dance parties.

When is Winter Music Conference?

A springtime cornerstone of the industry since 1985, Winter Music Conference takes place annually in March over several days. In 2026, WMC is scheduled from Tuesday, March 24 through Thursday, March 26. It anchors what has been dubbed Miami Music Week, a barrage of warehouse raves, pool parties and after-hours events throughout the destination that culminates with Ultra Music Festival.

Where is Winter Music Conference?

This year, the conference will take up residence at the Kimpton EPIC Hotel in Downtown Miami, which has been designated the conference’s new home and “official Miami Music Week hotel.”

How to Buy Tickets for Winter Music Conference

To gain WMC access, you will need to purchase a badge. For the 2026 Winter Music Conference, there are three badges available for purchase:

• The Winter Music Conference: Access Badge (tier 2 pricing is currently $348) includes all WMC programming, but excludes the on-site pool parties and access to any WMC-sanctioned off-site events.
• The Winter Music Conference: Pro Badge (tier 2 pricing is currently $482) includes all WMC programming, all on-site pool parties and all WMC-sanctioned off-site events – entry to sanctioned events is limited and not guaranteed.
• The Winter Music Conference: Social Badge ($214) offers limited access to on-site pool parties, networking mixers and WMC-sanctioned events.

While you cannot purchase tickets to select panels, workshops, sessions, et cetera, you can purchase individual pool party tickets if you do not want to partake in the full conference program or invest in a WMC badge (more on this directly below).

Beatport Live Pool Parties

WMC pool parties have become a quintessential part of both the conference and the broader Miami Music Week. In 2026, Beatport Live is curating 3 top-tier music label parties. You can access the pool parties with either the WMC Pro Badge or the WMC Social Badge, or you can purchase individual pool party tickets starting at $46.69.

On Tuesday, March 24, Mood Child, founded by Manda Moor and Sirus Hood and named Beatport’s “2025 Hype Label of the Year,” will take to the decks along with DJ Sneak, Jean Pierre and Ms. Mada.

On Wednesday, March 25, the underground comes to the surface with Rekids, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary with Matt Edwards aka Radio Slave at the helm, joined by Danny Tenaglia, DK Minx, Doc Martin, Tal Fussman, Anja Schneider and William Kiss.

On Thursday, March 26, Hot Creations from Jamie Jones and Lee Foss heats things up in partnership with Three Six Zero Recordings. It’s a slew of back-to-back action as Hot Creations x TSZR throws down a warm, melodic house bash with support from Skream b2b L.P. Rhythm, Sidney Charles b2b Fleur Shore, Elliot Schooling and Liam Palmer b2b Goosey, plus a standalone set from Airrica.

Panels, Workshops and Speakers

This year’s WMC lineup features over 25 panels and workshops with more than 75 speakers and follows a 2-track format: one geared toward industry players and the other for creators.

Aimed at informing, educating and stimulating career growth, the panels focus on themes surrounding tech, culture and business, while the workshops include smaller, close-knit sessions to promote skill-building. As for speakers, expect some of the most influential global EDM artists and label reps in attendance, leading exclusive and thought-provoking conversations.

The program is stacked, but here are a few of our picks to bookmark:

Artificial Music, Real Consequences: Ethics and Adaptation in the New Streaming Era

Chris Galvin (Submix), Kurosh Nasseri (AFEM/Nasseri Music Business Solutions), Sherlo Esaja (BumaStemra) and Joshua Love (Reed Smith) discuss the impact of AI-generated music and deepfake performances, along with legal considerations, creative strategies and practical safeguards.

Beatport Presents: Sara Landry in conversation with Robb Daniels

The famed DJ, producer and record label head also known as the “High Priestess of Hard Dance” talks tech, techno, the state of EDM and more with the Beatport CEO.

Sustaining the Scene: Environmental Responsibility in Dance Music

Seth Combs (Emerald Ecovations), Vivian Hunter (Ultra Music Festival), Eli Goldstein (DJs for Climate Action), Madeleine Smith (Warner Music Group) and Camille Guitteau (Bye Bye Plastic Foundation) discuss the industry response to smarter, greener and more responsible production.

Workshop with SoundOn Powered by TikTok

The SoundOn at TikTok team teaches attendees about the all-in-one platform for artists and labels, and how to utilize it to their advantage by matching their music with video creators around the globe.

Check out the full lineup of panels and workshops and browse the comprehensive list of speakers.

Gear Demos

The Gear Exhibition Room offers an immersive, one-of-a-kind tech playground where everyone from DJs to producers to content creators and more can get hands-on time with the latest and greatest electronic music equipment.

Brands that will be showcasing on-site include L-Acoustics, AlphaTheta, djay Pro, Austrian Audio, DPA Microphones, IK Multimedia, Moises AI, Telepathic Instruments and Union Audio.

The A&R Pop-Up Lounge

A brand-new activation for 2026 in partnership with LabelRadar, the A&R Pop-Up Lounge serves as an exclusive space for intimate, one-on-one artist and label meet-and-greet sessions, where artists can hand off their USB demos and connect directly with decision-makers.

Expect record label reps from Balance Music, Brobot Records, Create Music Group, Dirtybird, Dirty Workz, Experts Only, Spinnin’ Records and Ultra Records in the lounge.

By: Tracy Block | March 12, 2026