The BPI, the trade association for the UK’s record companies and labels, and the representative voice of British recorded music, today announces details of its new Insight and Innovation department, a rebrand of the former BPI Innovation Hub and Music and Tech Springboard Programme.
Titled BPI Insight & Innovation, the updated department will take an enhanced focus on future trends, data and analysis within the UK’s recorded music industry. A new designated BPI Insight & Innovation page has launched on the BPI website, detailing all the new schemes and pilot projects alongside the on-demand content of the Insight Session Series.
Structured as one department with two important functions, the BPI Insight strand will continue to provide world-leading research, insights and market data on the recorded music industry. This includes BPI reports around consumption and consumer trends, the annual All About The Music yearbook, the BRIT Certified Awards and BRIT Billion schemes, and the popular Insight Session Series in collaboration with audio partner Bowers & Wilkins.
The BPI Innovation side of the department will formalise the work that BPI has been delivering since 2016 through the Music & Tech Springboard Programme - fostering effective partnerships that funnel tech solutions to the UK’s recorded music industry. BPI Innovation is structured as four key pillars: educating and sharing real industry challenges; scouting for services that add efficiencies; piloting and sandboxing early-stage tech innovations with BPI members; and connecting label, entrepreneur, and investor networks.
BPI Innovation’s community of startups and entrepreneurs will represent a wide range of offers and services for record labels and rightsholders, including AI-powered back-office solutions, experiential opportunities, artist residencies, access to facilities to data providers, SaaS solutions and more. The community will have access to collaboration opportunities with BPI members, idea testing, and mentoring support across B2B, go-to-market and investor strategies.
As part of the departmental update, BPI Insight & Innovation will be launching in-person networking events for startups, labels, and investors later this Spring. These events will allow entrepreneurs, creatives, and investors to network with music rightsholders, and hear more about the challenges faced by the industry and the types of solutions that could add real value.
The BPI Innovation Podcast launches March 2024
A brand-new six-episode fortnightly podcast series hosted on all major streaming platforms, The BPI Innovation Podcast hosts conversations between the technology and record label communities. Founders, investors, and record label executives will discuss what innovation means to them, what best practice looks like, and how people with great ideas can road-test and develop products in the world’s third-largest music market.
Episode one will launch later this Spring, featuring Tanguy Giraud (COO and Labs Program Director, Marathon Artists), and Pat Carr (Founder, Remote Control Marketing & Co-owner, The Vertex).
BPI Insight & Innovation Officially Launches at UK House, SXSW 2024
BPI Insight & Innovation launches officially at SXSW 2024, taking its trailblazing work to a global stage and positioning the UK’s recorded music market as open to business for investment, collaboration and innovation. BPI Insight & Innovation will take over UK House for a two-hour session on the growth opportunities in recorded music, with an introduction to UK innovators developing solutions for recorded music. The session will take place on Monday 11 March, 2-4pm, contact [email protected] to register your interest in attending. SXSW badge holders only.
Dr Jo Twist OBE, BPI Chief Executive said: “We are proud to be one of the first music industry trade bodies in the world to establish a designated innovation department, which sets a clear vision for BPI as a future-facing and trailblazing organisation. The new Insight & Innovation department is a natural progression of the work that BPI has done in this space since 2016, and the soon-to-launch podcast series, networking events and pilot schemes will take it to the next level. I am excited to see our Insight & Innovation team get these projects underway, adding real-value tech solutions and investment into our world-leading music market. It’s an important step for us to help companies of all sizes embrace innovation as part of their future growth and success.”
Sophie Jones, BPI Chief Strategy Officer said: “It’s really important to the BPI that we are thought leaders in music, shaping how the industry can grow in the future while supporting our members with the insights and networking to navigate constant evolution. The new Insight & Innovation department will do just that, building on the team’s already excellent track record. I can’t wait to see this new energy come to life, boosting our insight and innovation work, and supporting our existing work across comms, public affairs, and member services.”
Leon Neville, Director of BPI Insight & Innovation said: “Leading our new department at BPI is a great honour and I’m excited by the warm responses we’ve had so far from our members and wider partners across the UK and Europe. We look forward to a busy year ahead, collaborating with UK and international partners, investors, record labels and of course, entrepreneurs, to tap into the rich opportunities that will come from music and tech partnerships.”
For UK record labels and technology startups interested in learning more about BPI Insight & Innovation, please get in touch with Innovation Manager, Amalie Briden ([email protected])
