Empowering our Creative Community to Thrive in the Evolving Music Industry. 

DC Music Summit is a 501(c)3 Nonprofit

What is the DC Music Summit?

Accelerating the careers of music industry creatives and professionals in the DMV!

DC Music Summit is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that supports local musicians and the DC music industry by fostering inclusion, community engagement, professional development, and networking. Its annual full day event is an exchange hub of education, inspiration, solutions in support of the health and growth of the DC Music industry.

What does DCMS offer?

Cutting-edge, savvy, and mindful solutions for the DC Music Industry.

​The DC Music Summit' is a resource for local musicians, other members of the DC music industry. Our objective is to educate and organize musical entrepreneurs, administrative and technical professionals, and the larger community. Our annual summit is a festival of resources and inspiration, featuring in-depth workshops and panels focused on skill- development for musicians as entrepreneurs, addressing key challenges, and offering community an opportunity to strengthen connections and spark creative solutions.

Join Our Community

Our volunteer team and supporters make DCMS what it is, a community organization. Volunteers are a tremendous resource for charitable nonprofits like DCMS. Without volunteers, DCMS would not be able to conduct many of its programs, raise funds, or serve the DC music industry. Interested in lending your skills to help us with our annual summit and other activities? Connect and engage with us! Email us at volunteer@dcmusicsummit.org and tell us a little about yourself!

Community Partnerships: The Kennedy Center’s forthcoming season introduces a diverse spectrum of partnerships, each underscored by Social Impact's five pillars of Community Empowerment, Artist Empowerment, Impact Performance, Cultural Leadership, and Activation at the REACH, which is now celebrating its 5th year. Community Partnerships represent a year-long collaboration between the Center and multiple community-based organizations in alignment with these pillars. This association with the Kennedy Center will facilitate artist workshops, panel discussions, performances, and film screenings at the REACH, including dance, theater, jazz, comedy, international programs, and hip-hop culture and contemporary music, and provide opportunities to interface with established Social Impact programs like Millennium Stage, Office Hours, Local Theater Residencies, and Dance Sanctuaries. Check DC Music Summit’s inclusion here:  DC Music Summit

DCMS is a proud Community Partner with the Kennedy Center

The DC Music Summit’s project “You Gotta Leave DC to Get Love” will engage with the Kennedy Center’s Social Impact program to confront and challenge a common perception in Washington, D.C.—that local artists must leave the city to find success. This collaboration will continue the DCMS project focusing on capturing the voices and stories of those creating inclusive spaces and opportunities for D.C.-based musicians. Through interviews with artists and industry professionals, DCMS will highlight challenges caused by limited resources, gentrification, and systemic discrimination and celebrate community-led solutions that foster resilience and sustainable careers.

This collaboration aligns perfectly with the Kennedy Center’s Social Impact program, which uses the arts to drive social change and support underrepresented communities. Together, DCMS and the Kennedy Center aim to shift the narrative around D.C. music and advocate for building sustainable infrastructure that reflects the city’s rich diversity. Documenting the voices of those shaping the local music industry will help preserve D.C.’s unique cultural heritage and inspire policymakers, community leaders, and residents to support a thriving music economy that provides equitable opportunities for artists to succeed without needing to leave their hometown.