He will feature alongside Sonic Youth singer Thurston Moore and Rick Parry, the former chief executive of The Premier League, in content sessions covering style, music and football. Parry will be interviewed on stage by British novelist Kevin Sampson.
Cale and Moore will be discussing their careers to date, what influenced them, their relationships with other artists and a look to the future.
The festival, now in its seventh year, takes place on 1-2 May in the Hilton Hotel and Liverpool One. More than 45,000 attendees are expected.
David Pichilingi, chief executive of Sound City, said: "We promised a step change this year and we have delivered. John and Thurston are two of the biggest global names in music – not just for the records they’ve made but the artists and sub-cultures they’ve inspired.
"These guys literally changed the world, what people listen to, what they think, how they dress."
The conference will also see sports correspondent and author James Corbett discussing the football industry.
Sessions and debates will include the importance and business of style in British pop culture; zero to hero - the rise of the blogger; and what the music industry can learn from the international football business.
Pichilingi said: "Our remit is to create a new type of music industry conference that offers big name keynotes and content designed to inspire, motivate and bring together new thinking. We want people to leave Sound City awestruck and full of a burning ambition to leave their mark on the industry."
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