BPI's first-of-its-kind innovation programme for London, East and South East music business SMEs launches at Abbey Road Studios

30 September 2024 - Press release

 

28 innovative businesses with growth potential and an active interest in the music industry took to the iconic Abbey Road Studios to mark the launch of the inaugural 12-week business support programme

  

Grow Music, the first-of-its-kind innovation programme for the music industry launched in partnership by the BPI, the trade association for the UK’s record companies and labels and the representative voice of British recorded music, and business growth agency London & Partners,  

last week officially kicked off its pioneering 12-week business support programme for exciting London, East and South East-based music-related SMEs who have a product, service or idea that could scale and add value to the music industry.

The 14th and 15th of September saw the programme’s launch weekend take place at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, with Studio Three playing host to two days of workshops, breakout sessions and keynotes from the Grow Music team and across the industry.

The programme’s cohort is made up of 28 exciting businesses from across London, the East and South East of England. All participants have a minimum of two employees, a turnover or investment of over £50k, actionable plans for growth and an active interest in the music industry.

The cohort includes:  Area Noir, A Step FWD, BandShare, BeatBlocks, Castrooms, Certi.fi Music, CWorks, Eckofide, Ellevate Studios, Everyone’s A Singer, Gigmate, Happaning, Hawkr Live, Hootenanny, Human Native AI, Music Video Marketplace, Neuron Wellness t/a Holidity, New Norm, Repped, RT60, Saarey, Setmixer, TenWest, Tickets for Good, Un:hurd, Viktrs, Volumetric Video

Grow Music is part of Grow London Early Stage, London & Partners’ business support programme for early-stage growth companies active in high growth sectors that support sustainable and inclusive growth in London. The programme is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. 

Designed by Anthony David King, in partnership with Abbey Road Red, the BPI, Measure of Music, UK Black Tech and Angel Investing School’s Andy Ayim, the business support programme is designed to grow and test SMEs’ business and ideas, offering unparalleled access to the beating heart of the UK recorded and live music industry, and positioning London as a hub of music technology, innovation and growth.

Modules include making fruitful connections, routes to investment and understanding the music industry alongside in-person mentoring, networking and pitch events. 

Over the course of the programme, participants will be supported by a host of mentors, made up of founders, industry specialists, investors, recruiters and more across the worlds of music and technology, including the likes of Audible Magic, Meta, and Universal Music Group.

 

BPI’s Director of Insight & Innovation Leon Neville said:"We’re incredibly excited to have launched Grow Music’s inaugural business support programme, which will play a key role in bringing together the UK’s world-leading music industry and some of its most innovative new companies. 

We’ve been extremely impressed by the calibre of applicants, participants and mentors, and look forward to seeing the cohort go from strength to strength over the course of the programme.” 

Louise Conolly-Smith, Head of Creative at London & Partners said:“London is one of the most creative cities on the planet and an exciting global centre for music technology. London is also a thriving business ecosystem with all the ingredients a company needs to develop and scale. That's why we’re really proud of the Grow Music programme and its plans to support the next generation of music innovation.” 

Alongside the 12-week business support programme, Grow Music will deliver a bespoke five-week Angel Investing School to develop and educate high-net-worth individuals from underrepresented backgrounds on the opportunities of investing at the intersection of music and technology.  BPI and partners will also launch a brand new, white-labelled Investor Hub, granting early-stage companies access to both the music industry and investors who are expressly interested in the sector. 

 

Grow Music was launched out of BPI’s new Insight & Innovation department. Acting as 'A&R for technology for the music industry’, BPI Insight & Innovation works with a wide range of global start-ups and scale-ups who are interested in testing, piloting and bringing their ideas to the UK music industry.