Using Music to Make the World a Better Place

Moderated by Doug Herzog, a panel of music industry leaders including Global Citizen founder Hugh Evans and Woodstock co-creator Michael Lang examined music's historical and modern capacity to drive political change. The discussion highlighted specific successes where artistic advocacy secured over $35 billion in aid commitments and forced corporate pledges, while also addressing the financial precarity of songwriters in the streaming era. Participants concluded that future social impact requires a strategic synergy between pop culture and public policy, urging artists to leverage their platforms for direct political engagement rather than relying solely on lyrical messaging.