DMRN+20 : Digital Music Research Network One-day Workshop 2025

Tuesday 16th December 2025

🕚 10:00–17:00
📍 King’s College London (in person only)

News

  • Keynote speaker: Julian Parker (Stability AI)
  • Registration:  Open November
  • Submission deadline:  14th November
  • Programme details: TBC
  • Proceedings: TBC
  • Join DMRN on Linkedin.

Keynote Speakers

Dr Julian Parker (Stability AI)
Keynote: “Anatomy of a modern music generation model”.

Abstract: Generation of long-form musical audio using generative AI is one of the major developments of the last few years. In this talk, I walk through the principles behind such a model, how it is constructed, and the many design choices that must be made to ensure production-level quality – illustrated by examples from the Stable Audio model series.

Bio: Julian Parker, born in the UK, holds a B.A. (Hons.) in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge (2005), UK, an M.Sc. in Acoustics & Music Technology from the University of Edinburgh (2008), UK, and a D.Sc. (Tech.) in Audio Signal Processing and Acoustics from Aalto University, Finland (2013). His doctoral work focused on computational modelling of dispersive physical systems in the audio frequency range. He has held leadership positions in industrial research at companies such as Native Instruments, TikTok and Stability AI, focusing on processing and generating of musical sound using both traditional signal processing techniques, machine learning and AI. His current research interests are in generative modelling of musical audio, audio coding, and in the intersection between signal processing and neural network structures.

Invited Panel

Panel Abstract: We are witnessing a fast-changing research landscape with the advent of deep learning and other data-centric methods applied to ever growing list of domains we used to consider the preserve of humans alone. Within this context, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between genuine breakthroughs, over excited reporting, and hyped-up marketing. The aim of this panel is to stimulate discussion on current frontiers in music research with emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches. What are the questions we should be asking and aren’t? How can we facilitate cross-disciplinary research to address those questions? And how might local networks such as DMRN support individuals to navigate these challenges?

Introduction

Welcome! DMRN+20 marks the 20th edition of DMRN. Moreover, this annual gathering has a pre-history under other names, making it an institution that’s more like 25 years old! This year, we celebrate that history and the ever-growing presence of music computing in and around London. As well as the usual offering (top-notch research and friendly social atmosphere), we’ll also consider the past and future of DMRN, and the possible roles for a regionally organised network of this kind in the few (perhaps even 25) years. This event is hosted at KCL in collaboration with – but outside of – C4DM for the first time in many years, and takes the theme “Collaboration, Coordination, and Community”.

Theme: “Collaboration, Coordination, and Community”.

This years’ theme is “Collaboration, Coordination, and Community”. You may like to include a nod to this theme in your submission (this is optional!) and/or in your chats with others at the event. For example, you might like to discuss research communities at both local (e.g., DMRN) and global (e.g., ISMIR) scales. Likewise, you might give thought to the wider music scholarship communities with which we sometime have less interaction than we ought (e.g., ICMPC). And what about the much wider communities of musicians (professional and amateur) in London and beyond? What does successful collaborative, coordinated, and community-oriented work looks like, and what might DMRN’s role be?

The Keynote speakers have been chosen to reflect this theme and perhaps to spark some of those conversations (details TBA).

A brief history of DMRN, London, and KCL

The original proposal that led to what we know as DMRN was called the “Music Processing Network (MuProNet)”. MuProNet was submitted from KCL in May 2001, before Mark Plumbley, Mark Sandler, Mike Davies and others moved to QMUL later in 2001/2. At King’s the proposal also included Tim Crawford (in Music), and the late Costas Iliopoulos (in Computer Science).

DMRN has been hosted (under both names) at QMUL for many years, under the stewardship of the wonderful and world-famous C4DM: probably the largest single-institution centre for MIR research in the world.

The London chapter of music computing is rightly proud of the C4DM, as it is of the many other centres “in town”, each with their own unique flavour. Many of us headed to City St George earlier this year for the Music Encoding conference and to the University of the Arts for Responsible AI events. Then there’s Goldsmiths, Imperial, UCL, as well as several conservatoires and more. And naturally, DMRN attracts proposals and attendance from much further afield.

It’s a topical time for DMNR to come/return to KCL. KCL has recently hired several sound and music computing scholars to faculties across the university. The past year alone has seen Mark Plumbley return to KCL as Head of Informatics, Julie Meyer appointed to Engineering, and Mark Gotham to the Department of Digital Humanities. They (we) join Elaine Chew, Zoran Cvetkovic and other longer-serving KCL academics. In recognition of this recent boon, we have created the cross-KCL Music and Acoustics Research Centre (“MARC”, https://marc.kcl.ac.uk/). It seems fitting, that in 2025, around 25 years after its origin, the (now-called) DMRN returns to KCL.

This is one short history of DMRN among many. We encourage all members of the community to think about the past and future of DMRN. What stories do you have? What has this network achieved? What could it do? What indeed is the role of a regionally organised network in 2025? What should it focus on in 2026 and beyond?

Call for Contributions

You are invited to submit a proposal for a “talk” and/or a “poster” to be presented at this event.

TALKS may range from the latest research, through research overviews or surveys, to opinion pieces or position statements, particularly those likely to be of interest to an interdisciplinary audience. We plan to keep talks to about 15 minutes each, depending on the number of submissions. Short announcements about other items of interest (e.g. future events or other networks) are also welcome.

POSTERS can be on any research topic of interest to the members of the network.

The abstracts of presentations will be collated into a digest and distributed on the day.

* Submission

Please prepare your talk or poster proposal in the form of an abstract (1 page A4, using the template [ Word template, LaTeX ]. Submit it via email to dmrn@lists.eecs.qmul.ac.uk giving the following information about your presentation:

  • Authors
  • Title
  • Preference for talk or poster (or “no preference”)

* Deadlines

  • 14 Nov 2025: Abstract submission deadline 
  • 21 Nov 2025: Notification of acceptance 
  • 15 Dec 2025: Registration deadline 
  • 16 Dec 2025: DMRN+20 Workshop

Registration

We are highly conscious of the cost of living right now, especially for students, and especially in the centre of London.

Partly for this reason, registration will be free. The link will be posted here in due course. Capacity is limited so please only book if you’re coming. In case of issues, priority will be given to speakers (obviously!).

Free registration should save attendees not only money but also administrative hassle (of navigating yet another one-time login to a payment portal to pay and/or the none-too-trivial business of attempting to get it reimbursed). Refreshment options are available (as below) including some that are good for those on the tightest of budgets.

Practicalities

Food

There are many places to eat at KCL and the surrounding area. As mentioned above, we are highly conscious of the cost of living right now, especially for students, and especially in the centre of London. In outlining some of the culinary options, we included notes on various ways to save money.

The main food outlets of KCL’s Strand campus are listed here.

Of these, some main options:

In Bush House:

  • King’s Kitchen is a large dining hall with several hot options. On a budget? Get the highly subsidised jacket potato (c.£1.50) or soup (<£3).
  • Root is a vegan café with a hot option at the top (8th) floor of the historic Bush house. Great views, especially if the terrace is open. On a budget? BYO: there’s nothing especially cheap up here, but it’s totally fine to bring your own.

In the Strand building and connected areas:

  • Chapters is the main café in the Strand building area. On a budget? Get the soup which is subsidised and costs under £3.
  • The Terrafe Café is small but charming and includes a terrace (as you might expect) that overlooks the Thames. On a budget? BYO and/or make use of the microwaves available.

All attendees can use any of these, paying with regular bank card (there’s no secret KCL card or handshake required).

At lunch time we’ll take a quick poll and the KCL regulars will lead small teams to some or all of these outlets. You can also simply hang around at the venue and continue chatting over the posters (in which case, clearly BYO lunch).

Beyond KCL, there are lots of options from grabbing a sandwich as the nearby shops (e.g., there’s a Tesco right there) to the many restaurants on the Strand, and in Covent Garden (a short walk away).

Lanyards

We will not be making lanyards for the occasion. We take the view that single-use lanyards are simply awful. You get this piece of plastic, can’t return it, can’t re-use, and can’t recycle it. Why not bring a lanyard from your own institution, or from a recent conference. Call it a conversation starter! KCL members will be wearing their lanyards (red or multi-colour strap), so we should be easy to identify.

Organising Team and Contact

At KCL (first_name.last_name@kcl.ac.uk):

At C4DM (first_initial.last_name@qmul.ac.uk):

Venue (TBC)

Programme (TBC)

*There will be an opportunity to continue discussions after the Workshop in a nearby Pub/Restaurant for those in London.