Offaly music students host panel discussion on 'making a hit'
LOETB Birr music students host free discussion featuring industry leaders
The LOETB Birr Music Industry and Event Management students are hosting a completely free panel discussion titled “What Makes a Hit in 2026”, featuring industry leaders from RAAP, IMRO, Symphonic, and Dublin South FM.
The event takes place on Thursday, May 7th, from 3pm. The panel aims to help artists explore how to get their music heard and begin earning royalties.
Panelists include Keith Johnson, Marketing Manager at IMRO; Aaron Casey, International Operations Manager at RAAP; Gui Morais, Manager, A&R, and Business Development (Europe & UK) at Symphonic; and Marian Shanley, Irish composer, producer, and host of The Power of Dreams on Dublin South FM, where she also serves as a Director of the station.
Speaking about the event, Gui Morais of Symphonic said: “From a distribution perspective, what I always tell artists is that a ‘hit’ today is less about one big moment and more about consistency and connection. It’s about building momentum across releases, understanding your audience, and using every tool available - from DSPs to social platforms - to grow something that lasts.”
Adding an artist’s perspective, Marian Shanley of Dublin South FM said: “A hit is proven by data, but created through connection.”
Meanwhile, Aaron Casey of RAAP added: “‘Hits’ are generally tracks that have supporting data indicating how well they have performed across charts, streaming services, radio play, and social platforms within a specific timeframe. With over 106,000 tracks being released daily, achieving a hit can be difficult in such a crowded marketplace. For early-stage creators and artists, it may be best to focus on producing their strongest work and building a team to launch and develop their career, rather than measuring the value of their creative output purely against commercial metrics.”
Discussing the event, LOETB Birr students shared their excitement. Jack Concannon said: “It’s a great opportunity to learn from the greats and ask questions.” Molly Kavanagh added: “I was the Distribution Manager for last year’s single, so I’m really looking forward to hearing Gui’s take on that role.”
Calum Foy commented: “It will be interesting to see how statistics play a role in hit-making,” with Dan Daly adding, “while not forgetting the creativity of music generation,” and Sasha Baranock agreeing: “Yes, music always has to come from the soul.”
Speaking about the event, class teacher John McFadden said: “It’s a great event not only for the students, but also for artists and those interested in working in the sector. It’s not often you get this close to industry professionals.”
Enda Kennedy, Centre Manager, added: “It is great to see how much the students have achieved in less than two years: a single that reached No. 14 in the Top 20 Homegrown Charts, a radio takeover with Dublin South FM, getting an Outstanding Contribution Award and now this industry-level event. They are really applying the skills they are learning.”