Matt Winn

SXSW isn’t dead. The hype era is.

@ZekeST80s Congrats bro 🥂

🙏🏿

Reserve some of your conversations and wisdoms for those with the ability to actually comprehend and listen.

Ray Daniels, LaRussell and Russ all push the same oversimplified version of independence.

Slowly warming up to LA 😭

Price isn’t the problem. Being replaceable is. Trust me, artists don’t stick around because you’re cheap, they stick because you understand them in a way nobody else does. The engineers who win aren’t just mixing, they’re shaping records, performances and direction. That’s what creates demand. If you build that, you won’t need to chase famous or race to the bottom on pricing.

@Ian_Schwartzman 🫱🏾‍🫲🏻

I’m a dope mix engineer but nobody “famous” wants to let me mix their record 😔. But I know if I can get just ONE, they’ll keep coming

Moments from our Future of Indie SXSW showcase made it into Rolling Stone’s recap.

you know you shouldn’t answer that call but you do anyway @Alexirishh “2 AM” out now iras.lnk.to/2am

@VinceValholla Where is all the money going 😅 We need inspector gadget on the case

A pipeline used to mean gatekeepers, cosigns and waiting your turn. That system created one hit runs and a lot of broken careers in Dallas. Artists don’t need OGs or gatekeepers anymore. They need systems and development. Today’s infrastructure is distribution, content, audience, ownership. That’s the gap. That’s the work.

@durandbernarr AlcoholHarmony’s cover of Me and Mr. Jones + the Lighthouse cover that was going crazy on MySpace.

What was your introduction to Durand Bernarr?

It’s been really important to me to lean into the live side of what I do this album. In a world where it’s harder to hear what’s real and what isn’t, I wanted to give you something tangible. We’ve added the 3 live audios to a deluxe version of Trying Times. Luckily that’s available for you to download now. jamesblake.lnk.to/TryingTimesDel…

@ItsMikeTee I’m particular loving the subject matter and gospel undertones.

James Blake doesn’t get enough credit for having such a consistently good discography Loved the spacey, synth heavy atmosphere of this record One of the greatest to ever do it

Not an Austin singer sending a stunt double to perform for her at SX like she’s MF Doom 😂😂😂😂😭😭😭

Yall don’t actually miss SXSW. Yall miss when it felt bigger, louder and more exciting. When brands, media and major-backed “indie” acts flooded it, it felt like a big party and everything was happening at once. In 2026, it’s closer to what it’s always been—a discovery platform. If you were there for the hype, you’ll think it’s dead. If you’re building, it still works.

SXSW isn’t dead. The hype era is.

@crazy4culture @offtaylorgray It’s usually artist, A&R and producer aligning. But the real issue isn’t who decides, it’s that nobody wants to be wrong. Too many opinions = safe hooks.

@itsmsaw @offtaylorgray I see, so who has the final say on what lyrics/cadence sounds best? I’d assume the producer.

All these artists with writing camps featuring dozens of writers and nobody can write a memorable hook? It don’t make sense.

@crazy4culture @offtaylorgray Let’s start here: Writers aren’t the final decision makers in those rooms.

@offtaylorgray This always puzzled me, like do great writers sometimes have off seasons or is it more of a talent as well. I need Kandi to do a masterclass lol

Contrary to popular, I am gatekeeper of opportunities. I am, however, an architect of standards.

Is it what it used to be? No. But it’s still what it’s always have been.