As part of our Horizon Future Leaders series of interviews, we are connecting with the music industryās next generation of leaders to gather candid advice and insights into their career journeys.
Beth is a music consultant specialising in streaming strategy, partnerships and digital data, and has quickly become a trusted voice for artists and teams navigating an increasingly complex industry.
Through her work with The Team Around You, pitching to streaming services, closing deals for Chartmetric and lecturing at music business schools, she sits at the intersection of music, tech and strategy, with a sharp understanding of how it all connects.
What makes Beth stand out is her clarity. Sheās candid about the realities of the music industry today: traditional routes still dominated by gatekeepers, underpaid entry-level roles and systems that havenāt evolved fast enough. But alongside that, she sees real opportunity, especially in the growing number of founders, creatives and teams building new models and solutions from the ground up.
Her approach is rooted in both insight and intention. Alongside her consulting work, sheās studying psychology, with plans to integrate it into how she supports artists and teams. She understands that success in todayās industry isnāt just about data or strategy, itās about people, behaviour and sustainability in an environment that moves fast and often demands more than it gives.
Bethās career path reflects a willingness to adapt and move when something doesnāt feel right. She didnāt stay in roles that didnāt align with her ambitions, instead, she leaned into curiosity, backed herself in uncertain moments, and consistently said āI can do thatā, even when it felt like a stretch.
Her advice for anyone trying to break in is direct: donāt wait for permission. Build experience, show up in rooms before you feel ready, and stay aware of what you actually need to grow. And importantly, donāt lose sight of your values. The industry might be exciting, but itās still a business, and if a job stops feeling right, there are always other opportunities where you can thrive without compromising who you are.
Read the full Q&A with Beth below š
Whatās your current role in the music industry?
Iām a music consultant specialising in streaming strategy and partnerships, digital and data, with a little business development sprinkled on top š
What does your general day to day look like?
Honestly? Really different every day, which is exactly how I like it. Sessions with artists through The Team Around You, pitching records to DSPs, getting deals over the line for Chartmetric, lecturing at music business schools, travelling for conferences, or doing all of the above from somewhere that isnāt gloomy London. Oh, and studying psychology on the side, hoping to bring that into the mix too.
What steps did you take early in your career to gain experience and build skills to get you where you are now?
I always did more than my job title said I should.
Spoke up in meetings, built relationships, listened a lot, read everything. What I was actually building the whole time was an understanding of how the industry works; how to pitch, how to read a room, how to make relationships last and also where I believed I could add value. Sometimes a role is NOT what you thought it would be.
Donāt stay. Learn, move and let your curiosity lead you.
What opportunities did you explore early on that were particularly valuable?
I made my CV sing at every stage with hands-on experience and showed up as myself wherever I could, in rooms I wasnāt sure I deserved to be in yet, on LinkedIn, saying yes when it felt scary.
And the industry can make you feel like every opportunity might be your last, like you should be grateful just to be there. But I kept saying āI can do thatā and it always worked out. Every single time. That taught me more than anything else.
Has the opportunity landscape changed since then?
Within traditional routes? No - gatekeepers, egos, non-liveable wages for entry level jobs, corporations hollowing out roles. That hasnāt changed, itās gotten worse. But outside of that itās genuinely exciting. You can build something that changes the industry now. Thatās why I love working with founders, they see a problem and build a solution. That energy is so infectious.
Are there any specific internships, projects, or initiatives that you would recommend to newcomers looking to pursue a similar role?
Ask yourself: what do I actually need to succeed right now? Education, experience, community, mental health support, funding? It all exists, but knowing what you need is the real skill.
And if you can't find itā¦ build it. Some of the most exciting things happening right now started because someone couldnāt find what they were looking for.
Specifically though, Iād check out community networks like Small Green Shoots, Young Music Boss, Christine Osazuwaās job roundups on LinkedIn, shesaid.so, The Team Around You, CMU, MMF, The Helping Musicians Podcast.
What advice do you have for building and leveraging a professional network in the music industry?
Show up digitally and physically. Go to the gig, the showcase, the networking thing, get on LinkedIn. Keep in contact with people and not just when you need something. Be genuinely nice, conscious of peopleās capacity and be absolutely great at what you do.
How has the evolving digital landscape impacted your role, and where do you focus to stay ahead?
I will always exist as a fan of music first, and thatās how I stay ahead. Fans are what makes the industry move. I keep up with whatās new but I think about it in context of music, fans and the world. Will it last? Will it have an impact? Who does it serve? Whoās resistant to it and why?
The evolving digital landscape has also meant being really honest with myself about whether the industry is still aligning with my values, walking away and saying no more than people would probably expect. It's conflicting right?
Like you can work in streaming for years and then hit a point where you canāt keep being part of certain things, artists not being paid fairly, disparity between signed and unsigned, unethical practices, corporations funding things you fundamentally disagree with.
Stay informed and make sure thereās actual intention behind what you do.
What trends or changes do you see on the horizon for the music industry, and how can early career professionals prepare for them?
The industry is constantly asking artists to move at its speed but look at how artists are reclaiming power!! Artists building outside of traditional infrastructure are only growing; owning their data, building audiences online and offline, making real money through physical, merch and shows.
The same way you wouldnāt make a big purchase without thinking it through, thatās how artists should approach any contract or team they work with. Be a valuable partner for them, stay curious and keep artists and music at the centre of everything you do.
Whatās one piece of advice you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?
This industry is fun, full of once-in-a-lifetime experiences and real success.
Itās also just another business and itās not saving lives. Music can, but the business of it should never feel more important than whatās actually going on in the world and it should never make you feel unhappy, unworthy, unsupported or unsafe.
If it does, thereās a whole network of people and companies and roles out there where you can show up as yourself, be happy and fulfilled. Never compromise.