Top-tier executives and influential leaders from across the music business will be heading to Liverpool for the one-day Sound City+ Conference on Friday 2 May, cementing the city’s growing reputation as a crucial hub for the UK music industry.
The gathering reflects what Sound City says is its vision of Liverpool as “the new heart of the music business”, bringing together diverse voices from major labels, the independent sector and innovative music companies.
The latest wave of confirmed speakers includes some of the industry’s key figures, with Warner Music UK Chief Operating Officer Isabel Garvey and Virgin Music UK President Vanessa Bosåen participating in key sessions as part of the BPI’s ‘In Tune With Tomorrow Summit’, which comes to Liverpool for the first time.
Dr Jo Twist, Chief Executive of BPI, who will deliver a keynote address at the event, says, “The BPI is delighted to bring its In Tune With Tomorrow summit to the Sound City+ Conference”, explaining that it “makes perfect sense” for the second edition of In Tune With Tomorrow to take place in Liverpool, adding that “the North West and its surrounding regions have a huge wealth of creative and industry talent that fuels the UK’s thriving record industry”.
The BPI’s In Tune With Tomorrow Summit will form a central component of the day, extending the reach of the BPI event beyond London for the first time. Through themed panels on the artist journey - from education and grassroots development to A&R, marketing and global recognition - the summit will explore how the music industry can foster an environment where education, human artistry and investment in music can thrive, with a particular focus on nurturing diverse talent from all parts of the UK.
Alongside two of the UK’s most powerful female label executives, the conference has attracted prominent female leaders from across the business, including Gee Davy (Chief Executive, AIM), Stephanie Haughton-Campbell (Chief Operating Officer, UK Music), Ruth Barlow (Director Of Live Licensing, Beggars Group), Karen Emanuel (Chief Executive, Key Production Group), and Fiona McAuley (Senior Director Of Digital Marketing UK & EU, BMG).
“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”, says Becky Ayres, Managing Director of Sound City. “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”.
The extensive speaker line-up also features Ammo Talwar (CEO, Punch Records), James Gaster (Managing Director, Mahogany Music), Joe Frankland (Chief Executive, PRS Foundation), and Sumit Bothra (Founder, SB3 Management), with over 30 speakers now confirmed across a diverse range of music business sectors.
BBC Introducing will also join as a conference partner, with BBC Introducing In Merseyside’s Dave Monks presenting a panel on supporting grassroots artists. Kelly Betts, Editor of BBC Introducing, said: “The insightful content at the conference and the on point festival programming is a perfect fit for BBC Introducing”.
Digital distributor TuneCore returns for its fourth consecutive year as a partner, hosting TuneCore House with a variety of industry talks, workshops and artist performances, while PPL and PRS for Music will continue their longstanding partnership with artist-focused sessions on career development and revenue streams.
Sound City remains the UK’s lead festival for Keychange, the global movement working toward gender equality in music, with the partnership underscoring the conference’s ongoing commitment to equal representation of women and diverse genders across all its events and initiatives.
With conference topics ranging from artist development and industry diversity to navigating global music markets and sustainability in the live sector, Sound City+ celebrates Liverpool’s long-established importance in the UK’s music ecosystem, making the city a destination for meaningful exchange between local talent and national industry figures.
The Sound City+ Conference takes place on Friday 2 May, ahead of the Sound City Festival running Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 May across venues in Liverpool city centre, featuring headliners The Royston Club and Dylan John Thomas alongside emerging talents such as STONE, Nieve Ella and Rianne Downey.
