In 2026, MMB continues its mission to educate artists and music professionals, facilitate access to essential industry knowledge, and provide practical, hands-on learning experiences.
On September 4, 2026, three focused, one-day accelerators will take place at The Youth (Christian Tell 22, Bucharest), designed for small groups and built around real projects and applied work. Participation in the accelerators is available exclusively to MMB ticket holders. Applications are now open. Apply by July 16.
Release Ready – A Music Marketing Accelerator is a one-day intensive designed for independent artists and music professionals who want clarity, structure, and direction in how they market their music and releases.
This is not a motivational workshop and not a generic marketing presentation. It is a hands-on working session built around the participants’ own projects, focused on real decisions, practical frameworks, and immediate application.
The accelerator is organized by MMB and led by Corina Vîlcu, music marketing and strategy specialist with over 17 years of experience across radio, labels, and artist promotion.
Corina Vîlcu is a music marketing and strategy specialist with over 17 years of experience across radio, record labels, and artist promotion. She is the founder of Magheru 9 Media, a boutique agency focused on artist positioning, release strategy, and music promotion. Corina works hands-on with both emerging and established artists, helping them build clear positioning, effective release strategies, and sustainable digital presence in an increasingly complex industry.
The Music Business Fundamentals Accelerator is a practical, one-day intensive designed to help independent artists understand how money and rights really work in the music industry. Hosted by MMB and led by entertainment lawyer Ana Mirea, this small-group accelerator (maximum 10 participants) focuses on the essential business knowledge every artist needs in order to make informed decisions and avoid costly mistakes.
Participants will gain clarity on the difference between master and publishing rights, how royalties are generated and collected, and which organizations are responsible for different types of income (such as UCMR, CREDIDAM, UPFR, and others). The session also covers the most common types of contracts artists encounter, explained in clear, non-legal language, with a focus on what to look for, what to negotiate, and when to be cautious.
The day combines structured explanations, real-life examples, and applied discussions, helping participants connect legal and business concepts to their own projects and real situations.
Ana Mirea is a lawyer specializing in intellectual property, with a consolidated practice in the media, entertainment and advertising industries, her professional evolution being appreciated as “a notable track record“ (Legal 500, 2022). Her activity reflects a balanced combination of experience gained in top international law firms, in-house legal counsel roles in reference companies and positions with strategic impact in the public sector.
With a solid background in litigation, arbitration and international corporate and commercial law, Ana has provided legal assistance to a diverse range of clients, from multinational corporations to innovative start-ups in the technological and creative fields. As in-house counsel for some of the most important companies in the creative industry in Romania, she has been directly involved in the management and capitalization of intellectual property portfolios, as well as in the legal structuring of complex projects with a cross-border dimension.
Her work in the public sector has played a decisive role, with Ana serving as advisor to the Minister of Culture and founding the Romanian Office for Film and Cultural Investments. In these positions, she coordinated the process of reshaping the institutional and legislative framework for the national state aid scheme for the cinematographic industry, significantly contributing to the development of a competitive mechanism for attracting investments in the audiovisual field.
Currently, Ana is pursuing an MBA program in Creative and Cultural Industries at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, deepening the strategic and business dimension of projects in the creative industries.
Silvana Ene is the Head of Catalogue at Global Records. She joined the company in 2017 as an Assistant Manager and subsequently advanced to the role of Traffic Manager within the talent division, Global Talent United. She later transitioned into her current position as Head of Catalogue — a role that seamlessly blends her analytical precision and passion for data with her creative instincts and deep connection to music.
With a strong academic foundation in both mathematics and social sciences, Silvana holds a BA and an MA in Political Science from the University of Bucharest. Her early professional experience was rooted in education and public policy, before making a decisive career shift in 2013 toward advertising and the creative industries. That transition ultimately led her to Global Records, where she has built and consolidated her career within the music industry.
The Booking Lab is a practical, one-day intensive designed to help independent artists and music professionals understand how live bookings really work and how to secure more and better concert opportunities. Hosted by MMB and led by Cristi Ochiu, this small-group accelerator (maximum 10 participants) focuses on building the skills, materials, and strategies needed to approach promoters, venues, and festivals professionally and effectively.
Participants will learn how the booking ecosystem functions, how to position their project for live performance opportunities, and how to communicate with industry professionals in a way that leads to real results.
The day combines clear frameworks, case studies from the local and regional live music market, and hands-on exercises applied directly to each participant’s project.
Cristi Ochiu is a visionary entrepreneur and one of the most experienced professionals in Romania’s entertainment and sports industry. With a career spanning over two decades, he has built his professional path driven by his passion for people, music, and performance, successfully combining artistic instinct with business strategy.
In 2014, he founded Forward Agency, which today brings together four active divisions and a portfolio of over 80 artists and 25 professional athletes. Under his leadership, the agency has reached a turnover of over €9 million and strengthened its market position through strategic acquisitions such as Epicenter Hub, Teddy Bear, and Cuib Records.
Cristi has played a key role in the development of the Romanian music industry, from co-founding Music Expert Company, the first 360° service label for artists, to projects like 8th Note Copyrights, a boutique music publishing company founded together with Manuel Riva. At the same time, he expanded into sports through Forward Sports Agency, representing players from top leagues and facilitating international transfers.
Actively involved in the entrepreneurial community, Cristi is a member of Romanian Business Leaders and a graduate of top executive programs such as BusinessDrive, Antreprenoria, and Scale-Up. The values that define his journey are authenticity, long-term vision, and partnerships built on trust.
His motto, “I don’t manage careers. I grow legends.” captures the essence of the philosophy through which he inspires people, builds brands, and develops sustainable ecosystems.
