Music industry leaders and executives from the UK and Europe will be head to Liverpool for the Sound City+ Conference on May 2.
The event will feature discussions, workshops, masterclasses and networking opportunities, and sits alongside a festival programme taking over Liverpool’s live music venues.
This year sees the Sound City+ Conference team up with the BPI, which will take its In Tune With Tomorrow Summit to Liverpool, extending the reach of the event beyond London for the first time.
Forming a core strand of the Sound City+ Conference, BPI’s In Tune With Tomorrow Summit will present a full day of future-facing content on how the music industry can support creative and industry talent and champion human-led creativity.
During In Tune With Tomorrow at Sound City+, BPI CEO Dr Jo Twist OBE will deliver a keynote address setting out the BPI’s goals, focusing on how the industry can foster an environment where education, human artistry, and investment in music can thrive.
In addition, Isabel Garvey, chief operating officer of Warner Music UK, will participate in a fireside chat, exploring what success means in the modern music industry.
Vanessa Bosåen, president of Virgin Music UK, will also join BPI’s sessions, leading and shaping key conversations during the day.
As part of its In Tune With Tomorrow Summit, the BPI will also present a series of panels themed around the artist journey – looking at education and grassroots development; A&R, marketing and PR, and the live industry; and how artists can have their creative talents recognised at a global level.
A range of guest speakers from across the industry are already confirmed for the strand, including Emma Stakes (head of creative & community, Tileyard North), Geoff Meall (agent, Wasserman), Kate Hendry (head of label operations, Absolute Label Services), Jo Hart (managing director, Hart Media), Mark Adams (founder and CEO, Blinding Talent), Sarah Brown (head of label management, Proper Distribution), with more to be announced in the coming weeks.
The North West and its surrounding regions have a huge wealth of creative and industry talent that fuels the UK’s thriving record industry
Dr Jo Twist
Dr Jo Twist OBE, chief executive, BPI, said: “Following its launch last year, the BPI is delighted to bring its In Tune With Tomorrow summit to the Sound City+ Conference. The North West and its surrounding regions have a huge wealth of creative and industry talent that fuels the UK’s thriving record industry, so it makes perfect sense that our second edition of In Tune With Tomorrow should take place in Liverpool.
“With our brilliant industry-wide guest speakers, the BPI’s day of content will highlight and explore the breadth of creative pathways into the music industry, and the essential role that record companies play in developing artist careers and supporting human artistry. It remains essential that our industry nurtures diverse talent from all parts of the UK, as we look to play our full part in realising the nation’s creative potential at a global level.
“We look forward to being in Liverpool to enjoy its vibrant music culture and thriving industry ecosystem, and to meet as many of the delegates as possible.”
Industry speakers so far confirmed at Sound City+ include:
Dr Jo Twist OBE– Chief Executive, BPI
Isabel Garvey – Chief Operating Officer, Warner Music UK
Vanessa Bosåen – President, Virgin Music UK
Gee Davy – Chief Executive, AIM
Joe Frankland – Chief Executive, PRS Foundation
Ammo Talwar MBE – Chief Executive, Punch Records
Stephanie Haughton-Campbell – Chief Operating Officer, UK Music
Karen Emanuel – Chief Executive, Key Production Group
James Gaster – Managing Director, Mahogany Music
Fiona McAuley – Senior Director of Digital Marketing UK & EU, BMG
Ruth Barlow – Director of Live Licensing, Beggars Group
Sumit Bothra – Founder, SB3 Management
In addition to BPI’s participation, BBC Introducing in Merseyside’s Dave Monks will be presenting a panel exploring the work the platform does to support emerging grassroots artists.
Kelly Betts, editor of BBC Introducing, said: “BBC Introducing is thrilled to collaborate with Liverpool Sound City. The insightful content at the conference and the on point festival programming is a perfect fit for BBC Introducing and we’re looking forward to being a part of this year’s event through our own conference sessions and showcase during the festival.”
Digital distributor and artist development platform TuneCore will again host TuneCore House as part of Sound City, with a range of talks, workshops and performances.
Sarah Wilson, head of UK and Ireland for TuneCore, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Liverpool Sound City for the fourth consecutive year. Its position as a platform for new music, emerging artists and current and future industry leaders is unrivalled in the UK. With artist development at the heart of what we do at TuneCore, we feel aligned with the Sound City team in our mission and philosophy. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to TuneCore House again, encouraging artists and managers to come by, network, learn and take every opportunity to grow in this thrilling future-facing business.”
PPL and PRS For Music will be returning to Sound City+ to continue their long standing partnership with the conference, hosting an artist-facing session exploring career development and how revenue flows through the music business back to artists.
This year’s conference will cover topics ranging from artist development, industry diversity, navigating global music markets, the superfan opportunity and sustainability in the live sector, with many more names and topics still to be announced.
Becky Ayres, managing director of Sound City, said: “It’s very exciting to have BPI joining us for the Sound City+ Conference reinforcing Liverpool’s important role as a key city at the heart of the UK’s thriving music industry. We’re bringing some of the industry’s heaviest hitters to Sound City, giving us a superb opportunity to showcase the North West to some of the most influential and exciting music companies in the UK. With BBC Introducing and TuneCore joining the line-up, this year’s conference will be a huge opportunity for local and national industry to connect, collaborate and discuss, and will be a brilliant prelude to the festival weekend.”
FOLLOW 
