The local music industry is gearing up for the annual Music NL Week this October, and the professional opportunities that could come with it.

The event is happening at various venues in downtown St. John’s from October 1st to the 4th. A lineup, which includes over 40 artists, was dropped earlier this week.

Music NL executive director Tamara Kater says having the opportunity to talk with others in the industry is important, no matter what stage of their career a musician is at.

She says for many young artists it will be their first time getting to experience that atmosphere. She says the artists already know how to perform, and MusicNL week is a chance for them to go to “music business school” and learn about the business aspect of the industry.

For more established artists, Kater believes it is an opportunity for them to “reach beyond where they are right now”

She says some of them may just be touring in Atlantic Canada right now, and the conference could give them the opportunity to go further west, or to perform internationally.