Sat Bisla has spent much of his career connecting dots that the music industry didn’t yet know existed.
Over the past four decades, the founder of A&R Worldwide has worked across radio, journalism, DJ culture and artist development, building a network that stretches from Los Angeles and London to emerging music hubs across Asia and Africa. Along the way, he has helped champion artists early in their careers while advising executives on how global music markets evolve, often long before those shifts become obvious to the rest of the industry.
Those connections eventually led to the creation of MUSEXPO, the annual conference Bisla founded in 2003 that brings together A&R leaders, managers, publishers, tech companies and artists from around the world. Now entering its 26th edition, the Burbank-based event has built a reputation as one of the industry’s more relationship-driven gatherings, where conversations frequently turn into collaborations, deals and long-term creative partnerships.
The 2026 edition will once again draw a wide cross-section of the global music ecosystem, with speakers spanning label executives, artists, media leaders and technology innovators. Among them is Mo Ghoneim – president of Billboard U.K. and Billboard Canada and founder of ArtsHouse Media Group, the company behind Rolling Stone Canada and the NXNE Festival – who will appear on the conference stage to discuss culture, innovation and the future of the global music business.
The idea for MUSEXPO, however, started far more casually. What began as a small dinner gathering for friends in the industry quickly grew into something much larger. “Honestly, that was another thing that happened purely accidentally and organically,” Bisla recalls. “Within about a year and a half or so, people are flying in from all over the world to attend the dinners.”
The turning point came when BBC Radio 1 executive Alex Jones-Donnelly attended one of those gatherings and encouraged Bisla to turn the concept into something more. “He said, ‘Look, I get more insights and more business done at your dinners than any conference I’ve ever attended. You should do a conference, but keep the spirit of the dinner.’ And that’s how MUSEXPO started.”
More than two decades later, that philosophy still shapes the event’s atmosphere. As Bisla puts it, the goal was never to build another transactional industry summit, but a space where relationships and ideas could grow naturally.
Ahead of MUSEXPO 2026, Billboard UK spoke with Bisla about his career, the evolution of artist discovery, the impact of AI on music and why he believes markets like India are approaching a new global moment.
You’ve worked across radio, DJing, journalism and A&R. How did your journey in the music industry begin?
For me, I was always a music fan and that’s really how it started, by just being a music fan. My first professional entry points into the music were through radio when I was a teenager. I went to the local radio station in Central California and asked all of the DJs to play records by artists I had been listening to in the U.K. Eventually, one of them said, “Why don’t you come by the radio station and play me these artists?”
I did, and he loved the music. I started playing them on his show and he said, “Look, in return, what I’ll do is teach you everything I know about radio if I can play your records.” And that’s really how it started.
You’ve now spent more than four decades in the business. What has kept you passionate about the industry for so long?
I think the one thing that keeps me passionate, motivated and relevant is being a constant student. There’s always something to learn in the music business – new artists, new songwriters, new technologies, new platforms. You never stop learning. I always remind myself that being a constant student is what keeps you going in this business.
Your career has moved through many different roles. Did working in radio shape the way you approach A&R and artist discovery?
Being in radio teaches you a lot of interesting perspectives because you have to serve the audience. It’s not what you like – it’s what the audience likes. And you live and die by the ratings. Even though I was playing a lot of unfamiliar music, my program director told me something that really stuck with me. He said, “If you’re going to play unfamiliar music, make sure it sounds familiar.”
Even to this day I live by that mantra, and it’s worked not only for me but for the audience and the artists.
You’ve helped champion artists early in their careers. Are there moments that stand out when you believed in someone before the industry caught on?
There have been quite a few. Muse was one of them. Coldplay was another. I remember hearing “Yellow” early and thinking, “I think these guys are one of the biggest bands in the world.”
With Adele, I was the first person in the world to do her radio interview and also play her music outside of the U.K., because she didn’t have a deal at the time in the U.K. or the U.S. There have also been artists like Sheppard from Australia, who became Australia’s biggest-selling band in modern times. They had no deal when we started supporting them.
The way artists break today has changed dramatically with social media. How do you view platforms like TikTok and Instagram in the discovery process?
Those platforms are important, and we’ve discovered artists through those platforms. But I also like to see artists live because live is such a big driver of revenue for artists and also for developing and maintaining a fan base. It’s also important to sit down with artists and really understand who they are as people.
You can get a certain psychology from social media, but it’s not until you actually talk to them that you understand who they are at their core. You could be the most talented person in the world, but if you’re not likable and you’re wasting people’s time, most A&R people will step away from that opportunity.
What do you think the industry still gets wrong when it comes to nurturing new talent?
I think there are two mindsets in the music business today. There are those who are in the music business, and there are those who are in the business of music. And there is a difference.
Whether it’s investors or companies that are looking at the transactional side of the business, where it’s all about revenue and not about the art and then some focus on the art, knowing that if the artist is exceptional, the revenue will follow. For me, music is personal. To others, it’s transactional. It’s just a commodity.
You’ve also spent time advising executives and artists across emerging markets. How did that global focus develop?
Back in the late ’90s, I started helping executives, managers, publishers and booking agents better understand global markets. At that time, very few people were really focused on international markets. That allowed me to understand the psychology of different territories and the people who were helping move those markets forward.
I became involved early in China in the late ’90s and early 2000s, and also in South Korea before the K-pop boom happened. We also worked a lot in markets like South Africa and Nigeria about 15 or 20 years ago, and later in India and South Asia.
What drew you to India’s music ecosystem specifically?
I started getting involved in India around 2008. A friend of mine told me that India was going to happen – that it was Bollywood-centric at the time but that things would eventually change. So I started going there and working with people like Vijay Nair and meeting others who were helping build the modern Indian music business.
It’s nice to see what’s happening there now. And I think it’s important for us to give back to the places where our parents and grandparents come from. India is still in my DNA.
What makes MUSEXPO different from other industry conferences?
There are panels and keynotes like other conferences, but the vibe is very different. People are much more relaxed and open to talking with each other. It’s a very calm atmosphere but still high energy. It doesn’t feel transactional, it feels personal.
Artificial intelligence is another major shift happening in music right now. How do you see it affecting the industry?
We’ve gone through many transformations in the music business – from vinyl to CDs, CDs to MP3s, and MP3s to streaming. Every time that happened, people said it was the end of the industry. But I see AI as an opportunity.
I look at AI in two forms: actual intelligence and artificial intelligence. You never want more ketchup than French fries. AI is the ketchup – it adds something extra – but the actual intelligence and human creativity are the French fries.
After such a long career, what still motivates you today?
On a personal level, my proudest moments are being a good father, a good son and a good husband. On a professional level, it’s about making a difference. Whether you make a difference big or small in someone’s life, it’s very fulfilling.
Right now, I’m focusing on helping people navigate the challenges happening around the world and trying to create something positive out of difficult situations. With chaos comes opportunity. And when there’s opportunity, chaos follows.
