The BPI, the representative body for the UK’s recorded music sector, is returning to Liverpool’s Sound City+ conference for the second-year running, bringing its acclaimed In Tune With Tomorrow event back to the city on Fri 1 May 2026.
This year sees the BPI double down on its commitment to the event with a programme of keynotes, panels and networking designed to bring together senior figures from across the UK’s recorded music sector with local and regional practitioners, ahead of the weekend’s Sound City music festival.
Today’s first wave announcement of speakers taking part in the conference includes representatives from more than 20 British and international music companies, with more confirmations to follow in coming weeks:
Audoo / Beatport / Believe / Better Noise / Big Machine Label Group / Blackstar / BPI / ClicknClear / Generator / Hoopr / HQ Recording Ltd / Keychange / LAB Records / LabelRadar / Modern Sky UK / Music Industry Mentor / Partisan Records / PPL / PRS For Music / Scruff of the Neck / SESAC / TuneCore / Wasserman
The In Tune With Tomorrow programme, curated by the BPI, examines how the industry can nurture creative talent and support long-term career development and pathways into the music ecosystem. The full programme will be published at www.soundcity.uk.com/conference.
Dr Jo Twist OBE, BPI Chief Executive, says: “Brilliant music talent can be found all over the UK but nowhere has a stronger musical heritage than Liverpool. So, we are delighted that, for the second-year running, the BPI will be bringing its In Tune with Tomorrow conference to the heart of one of the UK’s great music cities.
“Liverpool has long been a catapult for some of our greatest songwriters, performers, and industry talent. As part of the BPI’s ongoing commitment to nurturing music connections across the UK, our return to Sound City Plus helps to galvanise these networks and supports pathways into the music ecosystem from the UK’s nations and regions.
“Following last year’s successful event, we are proud the BPI will again curate a line-up of expert speakers drawn from the breadth of its member companies and the wider music industry. With a speaker line-up that will include senior label executives and leaders in the independent sector, Sound City+ is a key date in the calendar and we’re looking forward to more memorable moments and fascinating insights as this year’s conversations unfold.”
New partners for 2026 include Leeds Conservatoire, the Scottish Alternative Music Awards (SAMA) and Off Axis, the not-for-profit gig swap network enabling artists to tour the UK and Ireland independently while retaining 100% of ticket profits.
Sound City+ remains the lead UK event for Keychange, reflecting the conference’s commitment to gender balance across the music industry. The 2026 programme maintains 50/50 gender representation, mirroring the festival stages.
SESAC, the US-based performing rights organisation, also returns to Liverpool, presenting a live showcase at The Shipping Forecast, commemorating the late John Sweeney, SESAC’s UK-based VP, international, who passed away last June.
Liverpool has produced more UK No.1 albums than any other city in recent years and continues to develop both creative and industry talent. More than 600 participants in Sound City’s training and development programmes have gone on to roles at Spotify, Reading & Leeds Festival, Nintendo, BBC and Universal Music.
For nearly two decades, Sound City+ has brought together artists, industry professionals and music businesses from across the music ecosystem. The 2026 conference builds on this, offering practical insights into how the modern music industry works and how sustainable careers can be built within it.
Sound City’s managing director, Becky Ayres, said: “We’re incredibly proud to welcome the BPI’s ‘In Tune With Tomorrow’ back to Sound City+ for a second year. Bringing together senior figures from across the recorded music sector with artists and industry talent from Liverpool and beyond is exactly what Sound City+ is about: inspiring audiences to believe in their ideas and projects and creating meaningful connections and practical pathways into the music industry.
Liverpool has always been a city where music and opportunity collide, and Sound City+ provides the space for those conversations to turn into real-world impact. The return of ‘In Tune With Tomorrow’, alongside such a diverse and forward-thinking speaker line-up, underlines the conference’s role as a vital meeting point for shaping music in the UK and globally.”
Sound City+ 2026 is made possible through the support of the BPI alongside PRS, PPL, PRSF, AIM and UK Music. The festival, conference and talent development programme is funded by Arts Council England thanks to National Lottery players, with additional support from CAPLL. Principal Creative Education Partners are SAE Institute and The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP).
