Music Matters Productions

Atlanta has always been a city known for its culture and Music Matters Productions (a division of M2EventsGroup) has been at the center of that culture for over a decade. With the perfect combination of creative vision, a hardworking team of industry experts, and a high-end inventory of gear to make things happen, Music Matters Productions has grown from a small-shop operation serving the Atlanta-area, to creating unforgettable experiences for audiences and clients worldwide.

Music Matters Productions launched in 2012 when founder Aaron Soriero shifted focus, turning full attention to becoming a rental and production house. “From the beginning we were going to be that one stop shop, the one phone call for our clients to handle everything for their events” says Soriero, ‘Creative design, Project Management; Audio, Video, Lighting gear; Stages, Staffing, equipment sales, touring. The entire spectrum for venues and events.’

Quickly, the Atlanta festival market took notice and Music Matters was awarded full production for Live Nation’s Shaky Knees Music Festival. The package included three stages, site lighting, and sponsorship activation. “I didn’t even own the gear at the time,” he laughs. “So, I immediately went out and bought everything we needed. That was our flagship event with Live Nation in 2017.” Music Matters is now the company of record for Atlanta’s Sweetwater 420 Fest, Atlanta Jazz Festival, ONE MusicFest, Sea.Hear.Now Festival in New Jersey and many more.

Music Matters reach is far beyond the festival and concert scene.  The strong relationship with their flagship client Live Nation, and as the vendor of record for multiple high-end gear brands, has opened the door for permanent installations at venues across the country. Recently, the team added two mobile stages to the inventory (Stageline SL320 & SL260). The stages have seen festivals and music events, but also events like graduations, orchestra performances, dance exhibitions, and keynote addresses.

Poised for a record year in 2020, everything changed when the world came to a screeching halt. Soriero knew that the company would come out at the other end of the full-stop, but with no solid timeline of a return to normalcy, there had to be a pivot.

While watching American Idol one night, Extended Reality, XR, became a point of inspiration for the next move.  Soriero realized he had all of the hardware to create XR sitting idle on the shelves of the shop. ‘There is such a need right now to produce really high quality content. We have all of the tools and technology to make it happen, so we decided to beef up our skillset,’ explains Soriero, ‘Overall, the industry has been shifting and is moving full steam ahead from concerts to content.’

MM-XR was created as a means to help clients navigate the uncertainty of the industry and reach audiences like never before. Harnessed with the limitless potential of XR technology powered by Unreal Engine, MM-XR is the perfect combination of spectacular visuals, high-end sound and audio visual equipment and high-tech solutions. Clients have used the space for live stream events and concerts, virtual meetings, product shoots, and music video production. The Music Matters team created and launched the first live streamed improv comedy show where fans could interact with the talent.

Through the perseverance and hard work of the Music Matters team throughout the pandemic, the company is set for a year of great expansion. Events are scheduled and the XR Studio is playing host to shoots weekly. The company will be opening offices in Nashville and a warehouse in Salt Lake City to better serve their vast array of clients.