The Country Radio Seminar in Nashville is planning for its Digital Music Summit. The CRs session will explore the intersection of traditional radio, streaming platforms, and digital engagement strategies for country music. It aims to equip broadcasters, labels, artists, and tech professionals with insights on leveraging data, trends, and collaborations to drive audience growth and revenue.
For CRS 2026, scheduled for March 18-20, 2026, at the Omni Nashville Hotel, the Digital Music Summit is making a strong return with an expanded agenda. Led by content director Brittani Johnson (The Core Entertainment), the summit emphasizes bridging radio airplay data with digital service provider (DSP) metrics to better understand listener behavior and optimize promotion. The planning team includes digital and streaming experts: Sarah DeMarco (Amazon), Jared Meyer (Q Prime South), Ed Rivadavia (mtheory), and Bryan Webb (Apple).
This lineup ensures sessions blend practical tools from major platforms with forward-thinking strategies.
The summit's agenda is still evolving, as the full CRS 2026 program is being shaped by the broader Agenda Committee through in-person planning sessions held in July 2025. However, recently announced highlights reveal a focus on global expansion, genre-blending, and data-driven decision-making. Here's what's been revealed so far:
Pack Your Bags: Country’s Gone Global
This session dives into the rapid international growth of country music, offering actionable advice for artists, radio programmers, and marketers on navigating emerging global markets. Topics may include localized streaming strategies, cross-border tours, and adapting content for diverse audiences.
Embracing The Change: Country Is Cross Pollinating And That’s Okay
A discussion on how collaborations across genres (e.g., country with hip-hop or pop) are reshaping discovery and fan loyalty. Expect insights on audience engagement, playlist curation, and using radio-DSP synergies to amplify hybrid tracks.Additional sessions are expected to cover:Integrating radio metrics with DSP data for holistic campaign analysis.
The summit typically features panels, interactive workshops, and Q&A with executives, building on prior years' emphasis on streaming royalties, algorithm optimization, and mobile-first listening.