Welcome to You Had to Be There, the podcast that dives deep into the world of the music industry. I’m your host, Julia Gomberg. This week, I had the pleasure of chatting with Alany Rodriguez, festival and conference programmer for SXSW’s music initiatives. In her role, Alany helps bring to life everything from Keynote & Featured Speakers, artist demo listening sessions, and music conference content. She’s also a professional member of the Recording Academy and currently serves on the National Music Education & Professional Development Committee.

It’s clear that Alany truly loves what she does — and what stood out to me most is how she views the music industry as more than just business. For her, it’s about curating unforgettable experiences and creating moments that fans and artists carry w ...