Beyond The Music keynote speaker announced 03 Oct 2024
LISA NANDY MP, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT TO PRESENT ‘THE TONY WILSON KEYNOTE’ AT BEYOND THE MUSIC ON FRIDAY 11TH OCTOBER
UNIQUE GLOBAL CO-OPERATIVE MUSIC CONFERENCE & NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE 9TH - 12TH OCTOBER IN MANCHESTER CITY CENTRE
DELEGATE & FESTIVAL TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Today, BEYOND THE MUSIC announces Lisa Nandy MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport will present ‘The Tony Wilson Keynote’ at Aviva Studios on Friday 11th October; part of the second edition of Beyond The Music’s global, co-operative music conference and new music festival taking place 9th - 12th October 2024 in Manchester City Centre.
Delegate, festival and day split festival tickets for Beyond The Music 2024 are available here.
Led by its NO ARTISTS. NO MUSIC ethos, the music lineup for Beyond The Music 2024 strives to showcase a genre-spanning range of grassroots artists on a global platform. Its by-night music programme will follow upon 3 days of vital music industry conversation between some of the most important voices in music, tech and content at Aviva Studios; offering brand new artists from Manchester and beyond the chance to perform in front of some of the industry’s most powerful players.
Spanning twelve summits, four keynotes, ten networking sessions, talks, and exclusive announcements, Beyond The Music’s 2024 delegate programme welcomes some of the most influential voices in music, tech and content to uncover solutions on some of the most pressing challenges in the music and content sector today. This year asking ‘Is It Time For The Music Industry’s Great Reset?’
Speakers for the 2024 edition of Beyond The Music include: Lisa Nandy MP (Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport), Andy Burnham (Mayor of Greater Manchester), Aitch (Artist), Dotty (Apple Music), Tony Harlow (Warner Music UK), Grace Blakeley (Economist / Author), Sam Jackson (BBC Radio 3), Matt Wilkinson (Apple), Dan Chalmers (YouTube), Jen Smith (CIISA), Tom Gray (The Ivors Academy / Gomez), Nick Raphael (NWS), Tom Vek (Artist), Zelda Perkins (Can’t Buy My Silence), Erinch Sahan (Doughnut Economics Action Lab), Laura Harper (Lewis Silkin), Gemma Vaughan (AO Arena), Futurecut (Songwriters/Producers), Dr. Jo Twist MBE (BPI), Annabella Coldrick (MMF), Andy Edwards (UK Music), Jon Collins (LIVE), Richard Jacques (Composer), Sophie Jones (BPI), Dotty (Apple Music), Sam Duckworth (Get Cape, Wear Cape Fly / MVT), Karen Gabay (BBC broadcaster / filmmaker), Ben Wynter (AIM), Atlanta Cobb (MIM), Kara Mukerjee (Warner / Restore The Music), Sarah Wilson (Tunecore), Dr Diljeet Bhachu (Musicians’ Union), Ni Maxine (Artist), Grace Meadows (Help Musicians), Roxy Erikson (Music Climate Pact), Elijah (DJ / Writer), Abbas Lightwalla (IFPI), Gregor Pryor (Reed Smith), Nick Fellingham (Condense), Laurence Oxenbury (PPL), Nickie Owen (Universal), Sarah Williams (IMPEL), and many more.
Wednesday 9th October’s opening night programme will welcome BRIT award-winning, multi-platinum-selling artist Aitch as a Keynote speaker, joined in conversation by Dotty, host of 'The Dotty Show' on Apple Music 1 & Lead Cultural Curator, Black Music for Apple Music UK - reserve your space HERE , followed by an exclusive premiere & accompanying Q&A of ‘The Truth’, a lost tape film directed by multi-award winning director Teddy Nygh - seats are limited due to high demand, reserve your seat HERE.
Staying true to their mantra of providing tangible and real-time solutions, Beyond The Music 2024 comes with a plethora of networking and learning opportunities. Planned across the weekend are networking events hosted by the likes of PRS, PPL, BPI, MMF, Musicians Union Universal Publishing and Gameopolis. AIM’s Regions and Nations Roundtable which will look into the current musical landscape in Manchester. The session will facilitate candid conversations between independent artists, music entrepreneurs, and music stakeholders by addressing regional challenges and providing a space to connect.
In addition, ticket holders are invited to book into a number of interactive sessions including an exploration of technological music innovations with Music Tech UK and the valuable opportunity for music tech innovators to meet investors and extend their network with Abbey Road Red andBPI Innovation during their speed networking session.
For more information on 2024’s conference and music lineup, and to register for networking events, interactive sessions and talks please visit: www.beyondthemusic.co.uk
Praise for Beyond The Music 2023:
“There is hope and we felt it in Manchester…at what felt like the beginning of something incredibly special” - Clash
“It’s good to know that there are people actually doing something and having these conversations at that industry level” - Natalie Jamieson with Jo Whiley on BBC Radio 2
“...it could be the spark that sets the scene alight. Manchester is already a centre of creativity, but the extra push could see it become the centre of the musical universe” - Hunger Magazine
“...a great success, an exciting debut of what we hope is a long-standing event” - Mancunion
“Not just a fresh new music festival but a conference focusing on the future of the music industry” - DORK
“A triumphant festival debut. The festival’s aim to confront and discuss the ever-evolving challenges faced by and within the music industry is one that is necessary and hugely important” - Vocal Girls
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THE HEADLINES
BRIT Awards 2026: Nominations and reactions (see News)
Music Venue Trust annual report highlights ongoing issues, and optimism (see News)
Do Spotify’s AI Playlists change how algorithmic discovery actually works? (see Features)
A&R 2026: We lost "R" (see Opinion)
Do most artists peak with their first album? (see Analysis)
Court battle over unpaid royalties could have implications for the industry in the streaming era (see News)
Luminate released its 2025 year-end music report (see Reports)
Impala sets out crucial questions on UMG/Downtown, AI, sovereignty and more for EU & music sector (see Comment)
Spotify’s new co-CEOs highlight what’s ahead for the company (see Digital)
Music publishers sued by X in growing licensing battle (see News)
Call on EU to clamp down on unauthorised ticket reselling (see News)
Lucian Grainge outlines UMG's 2026 plans in staff memo (see News)
Skye Newman wins Radio 1's Sound of 2026 (see News)
