Drowned in Sound

Kelly Lee Owens: Record Shops, Raves, and Rebuilding Music From the Ground Up

Fresh from touring stadiums with Depeche Mode, DiS meets electronic music pioneer to discuss her past, the present, and the future of music.
This is part of Drowned in Sound’s 25th anniversary series in which Sean Adams continues the anniversary series by sits down with some of our favourite acts of the past quarter century. Kelly Lee Owens is very much one of those artists, who has featured in DiS year end lists and awards and playlists since releasing her debut EP.
The episode starts on the education that comes from working in record shops and becomes a wide-ranging conversation about how music communities form, fracture, and sometimes regenerate. Moving across North Wales to London basements, from pressing white labels by hand to playing for 75,000 people with Depeche Mode, Kelly Lee Owens traces a path through all corners of music: the shops, venues, teachers, collectives, community centres, and accidental mentors that shaped her, her music, and her career.
Sean and Kelly chat about their working class roots, the discipline of DJing as storytelling, and the economics of grassroots music. Kelly Lee Owens reflects on why she now deliberately plays shows in places artists rarely go, why she sees music as a form of healing as much as entertainment and why community matters more than scale.
If there’s a thread running through it all…it’s this: music isn’t a product or a pipeline. It’s a relationship. And like any relationship, it needs time, space, and care to survive.
Visit https://drownedinsound.org/playlists/ to discover new music in rich Hi-Res lossless quality and start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz at https://qobuz.com/dis.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
02:00 - Record shops as education and community
05:05 - Obsession, discovery, and how taste is formed
10:00 - The early 2010s shift: risk, hedonism, and electronic culture
13:05 - DIY culture, SoundCloud, and pressing your own records
15:00 - Human curation vs automation and playlists
22:10 - Playing huge rooms: Depeche Mode, confidence, and scale
26:05 - Returning to small places: community shows and access
29:00 - Grassroots collapse, class, and structural inequality
32:10 - What £500 million could fix in music culture
42:05 - Music as healing, frequency, and emotional space
48:25 - The future: rebuilding value, community, and care
50:15 - Outro
Continue the Conversation: 
Head to the Drowned in Sound community to chat about the topics in this episode.
Subscribe:
Get weekly essays, interviews, and insights from the Drowned in Sound newsletter - exploring music, culture, and resistance.
Links & Resources:
Music Venue Trust — protecting grassroots venueshttps://www.musicvenuetrust.com
David Byrne — How Music Workshttps://davidbyrne.com/books/how-music-works
Fabric London — venue history and cultural importancehttps://www.fabriclondon.com
Piccadilly Records (Manchester)https://www.piccadillyrecords.com
Pure Groove Records (London)https://puregroove.co.uk
Kelly Lee Owenshttps://kellyleeowens.com
Stop Making Sense — Talking Headshttps://www.talkingheadsofficial.com
Cocteau Twinshttps://cocteautwins.com
The Knife — Silent Shouthttps://theknife.net
Warehouse Project (Manchester)https://www.thewarehouseproject.com
Neuadd Ogwen / Bethesda community venuehttps://neuaddogwen.com

Our 2026 predictions: New Acts, Big comebacks, Gig ticket laws, and more

So what will 2026 sound like?
In this episode, Drowned in Sound founder Sean Adams and journalist Emma Wilkes look into their crystal balls (and the release schedules). 
Tips on which artists should break through and the corporate barriers they’ll need to navigate.
Beyond tipping season, we explore the strange absence of shared musical moments, the growing anxiety around AI-generated music, the slow unravelling of trust in big tech platforms, and whether changes to ticketing, touring, and grassroots funding might start to rebalance power (and money) back towards scenes.
There are also predictions - some cautious, some hopeful, some deliberately ridiculous. This episode tries to map the forces underneath the surface…the things that will shape what we hear, how we find it, and what it means to care about music in the first place.
The Drowned in Sound podcast is presented in partnership with Qobuz, the pioneering high-quality music streaming and download platform for music enthusiasts and audiophiles. Each week we curate playlists on Qobuz, featuring our favourite records, artists, and the themes we explore on the show.
Visit https://drownedinsound.org/playlists/ to discover new music in rich Hi-Res lossless quality and start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz at https://qobuz.com/dis.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction: What will music be like in 2026?02:30 - New bands, tipping season, and who breaks through next06:50 - Scenes, genres, and the collapse of old categories12:00 - Cities as culture: Leeds, Liverpool, Brighton, Beirut16:40 - Resilience, mental health, and sustaining music ecosystems20:40 - Grassroots levies, touring economics, and venue survival26:00 - Ticketing, regulation, and the slow response to abuse28:20 - AI, platforms, and the erosion of trust30:30 - Predictions: returns, collaborations, and surprise records35:20 - Tech futures, headphones, and augmented concerts38:50 - Hope, uncertainty, and what comes next
Continue the Conversation: 
Head to the Drowned in Sound community to chat about the topics in this episode.
Subscribe:
Get weekly essays, interviews, and insights from the Drowned in Sound newsletter - exploring music, culture, and resistance.
Links & Resources:
FanFair Alliance - ticketing transparency and anti-touting campaigning
Music Venue Trust - grassroots venue support and levy campaigning
UK Government - ticket resale reform & consultation
Action Fraud -  advice on ticket scams and resale fraud 
Subvert - artist / label-owned music platform
Bandcamp - direct-to-fan model and editorial writing
The Jump - Shirley Manson's podcast
Vespertine - Björk's podcast

Flying Rivers, Slipknot Swifts & Musical Frogs: Take This Podcast For A Walk In Nature

Season 5, Episode 1: What if swifts sound like Slipknot? What are flying rivers? And how do you give water a voice? This New Year special takes you backstage at EarthSonic Live, where over 3,000 people gathered at Manchester Museum to explore how music and nature sounds can help us reconnect with the planet and drive real climate action.
Recorded across a single extraordinary day in November 2025, this episode captures conversations with conservationists protecting endangered species, climate activists working with Brian Eno and Billie Eilish, and Brazilian artists who travelled from Belém where the performed at COP30.
From sampling frogs in the museum's Vivarium with Japanese composer Hinako Omori to learning about the UK's temperate rainforests (yes, really!), EarthSonic Live had it all.
In the first episode of 2026, you'll hear from RSPB conservationists Annabel Rushton and Roshni Parmar-Hill about why swifts are disappearing and what red squirrels tell us about biodiversity loss. Climate activist Tori Tsui shares how music became central to her campaigning. Hannah Overton from Warp Records explains more about the event.
And we meet four members of FLOW, female artists from three continents to reflect on their journey to Belém for COP30, where they turned droughts, floods, and flying rivers into hip-hop, spoken word, and song.
The Drowned in Sound podcast is presented in partnership with Qobuz, the pioneering high-quality music streaming and download platform for music enthusiasts and audiophiles. Each week we curate playlists on Qobuz, featuring our favourite records, artists, and the themes we explore on the show.
Visit drownedinsound.org/playlists to discover new music in rich Hi-Res lossless quality and start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz at qobuz.com/dis.
Continue the Conversation: Join the discussion on the Drowned in Sound forums and share your thoughts on music, nature, and climate action.
Subscribe: Get the Drowned in Sound newsletter for weekly insights into music, culture, and building a fairer industry.
Links & Resources:
Tori Tsui - Climate activist and author of "It's Not Just You: How to Navigate Eco-Anxiety and the Climate Crisis"
EarthSonic Live - Event details and future dates
Takkuuk - Inside Bicep's Arctic Masterpiece (DiS article)
Full Tori Tsui Interview - Climate justice and music with Brian Eno & Billie Eilish
RSPB - Conservation and volunteering opportunities
Wildhoarse Water - RSPB nature reserve in the Lake District with UK temperate rainforest
In Place of War - Arts organization for social change
Manchester Museum Vivarium - Home to the frogs sampled during workshops
Sohini Alam - British-Bangladeshi composer and vocalist
Keila - Brazilian singer from Gang do Eletro, FLOW artist
Bebé Salvego - Brazilian jazz vocalist, FLOW artist
Jaloo - Brazilian gender-fluid artist and producer, FLOW artist
Hinako Omori - Japanese artist and composer
Wellcome Trust - Event partner
Arts Council England - Event partner
Ableton - Event partner and workshop provider
About the Host:
Sean Adams is the founder of Drowned in Sound, an independent music publication championing underground and independent artists since 2000. Through the DiS podcast, newsletter, and community, Sean explores how to build a fairer, more sustainable music industry while supporting the artists and fans who make it meaningful.
This episode was completely self-produced by Sean Adams, recorded on location at Manchester Museum. Thanks to Shure for providing the mics to record this special episode.

Can music still cut through in 2026? DiS meets a leading researcher

What does it actually mean to be a musician in an economy built for creators and why does it feel like the workload keeps growing while the rewards shrink?
In this episode of the Drowned in Sound Podcast, Sean Adams is joined by Hanna Kahlert from MIDiA Research, whose work sits at the intersection of music, platforms, and the wider creator economy. Drawing on recent research into artists’ working lives, they explore why musicians increasingly face the same pressures as YouTubers and streamers without a lot of the same tools, protections, or paths to sustainability.
They talk about the time sink of constant content creation, the distortion of success metrics, and how discovery has become both easier and more exhausting than ever. This includes: “lean back” listening,  “lean through” fandom whilst the conversation reframes what engagement really looks like and why likes, views, and viral moments so often fail to translate into income or longevity.
As streaming platforms push endless discovery and passive consumption, the duo ask hard questions about value, ownership, and what gets lost when music is treated as content and not an integral part of culture.
The Drowned in Sound podcast is presented in partnership with Qobuz, the pioneering high-quality music streaming and download platform for music enthusiasts and audiophiles. Each week we curate playlists on Qobuz, featuring our favourite records, artists, and the themes we explore on the show.
Visit https://drownedinsound.org/playlists/ to discover new music in rich Hi-Res lossless quality and start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz at https://qobuz.com/dis.
Chapters
00:00 - Why musicians are being reframed as “creators”
05:20 - The problem with monetisation, takedowns, and copyright
12:10 - Lean back, lean in, and what “lean through” really means
20:00 - Discovery, algorithms, and the illusion of reach
28:00 - Are superfans real - and what actually makes a fan?
36:10 - Scenes, culture, and what’s been lost in platformisation
44:30 - AI, ownership, and the coming copyright reckoning
52:30 - The “dark forest” internet and the return of small spaces
59:30 - What the next 25 years of music might look like
Continue the Conversation: 
Head to the Drowned in Sound community to chat about the topics in this episode.
Subscribe:
Get weekly essays, interviews, and insights from the Drowned in Sound newsletter - exploring music, culture, and resistance.
Links & Resources:
Cross Platform Success Using Social Platforms to Build Audience and Fandom
MIDiA Research
Hanna Kahlert – MIDiA Research
Spotify Loud & Clear Report
Music Publishers Begin Spotify Podcast Takedowns (Variety)

Spotify Boycotts, Solidarity, and Jet2 Rage: Our Top 3 Moments of 2025

What were the big music news stories of the year? In part 1 we charted the pressures building across music’s foundations and now Part 2 turns to the systems that decide who gets paid, who gets heard, and who gets left behind.
Drowned in Sound’s founder Sean Adams and music journalist Emma Wilkes count down stories #3, #2 and #1 -  from the strange feeling that there wasn’t really a song of the summer at all, to solidarity protest movements filled with eloquent musicians, and the growing wave of artists turning their backs on Spotify.
They examine how streaming payouts continue to shrink for artists, even as platforms post record profits public conversations around alternatives, and ethics (war tech?! ICE ads?! Joe Rogan?!) turned into artist boycotts. 
The biggest music stories share one consistent theme: who holds the power, and who gets to challenge it?
The Drowned in Sound podcast is presented in partnership with Qobuz, the pioneering high-quality music streaming and download platform for music enthusiasts and audiophiles. Each week we curate playlists on Qobuz, featuring our favourite records, artists, and the themes we explore on the show.
Visit https://drownedinsound.org/playlists/ to discover new music in rich Hi-Res lossless quality and start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz at https://qobuz.com/dis.
 
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
02:00 - Story #3: Was there a ‘song of the summer?
01:10 - Rage, memes, and culture reflecting the moment
03:42 - Sofia Isella and the power of feminine rage
06:20 - Nova Twins, activism, and grassroots credibility
08:32 - Mannequin Pussy and what rock should stand for
09:29 - Story #2 begins: protest movements in music
11:02 - Boycotts, divestment, and corporate accountability
13:02 - Solidarity, Ireland, Palestine, and shared histories
16:12 - Culture as a battleground
29:26 - Story #1 begins: the Spotify exodus
32:13 - Streaming power, ethics, and alternatives
36:16 - Hope, resistance, and building something better
42:22 - Outro
Continue the Conversation:
Head to the Drowned in Sound community to chat about the topics in this episode.
Subscribe:
Get weekly essays, interviews, and insights from the Drowned in Sound newsletter - exploring music, culture, and resistance.
Links & Resources:
Switched On Pop - Why the Song of the Summer Is Disappearing
No Music for Genocide – Artist Boycott Campaign
NME – Paramore & Hayley Williams Join No Music for Genocide
Resident Advisor Podcast – Sama’ Abdulhadi
Together for Palestine – Yara Eid Concert
Spotify Loud & Clear Report
Music Publishers Begin Spotify Podcast Takedowns (Variety)
Spotify Payola Lawsuit Explained (Music Business Worldwide)
Cut Off the Spigot – Streaming Economics Campaign
Mozilla Foundation – The Post-Naive Internet Era

The Stories of 2025 - Part 1: Megagigs, Grassroots, and AI slop

What were the biggest stories in music this year?  No, not the releases or the hype cycles but the forces reshaping how music is made, played, toured, and valued.
In Part 1 of Drowned in Sound’s Stories of the Year, Sean Adams and Emma Wilkes count down stories #5 and #4, starting with a contradiction that defined 2025: record-breaking mega-gigs and billion-pound industry headlines on one side, and a grassroots ecosystem under existential pressure on the other.
They talk through the “mega gig” (stadium shows, park festivals, corporate-backed cultural events) and also ask what their success is hiding. Taylor Swift-level touring power continues to drive economic growth but artists at every other level are cancelling tours. What is the purpose of growth if the foundations are cracking?
From there, the conversation turns to AI. A now present-day force that is reshaping music. This is the year artificial intelligence stopped being theoretical and started demanding political, legal, and cultural responses.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of the countdown.
The Drowned in Sound podcast is presented in partnership with Qobuz, the pioneering high-quality music streaming and download platform for music enthusiasts and audiophiles. Each week we curate playlists on Qobuz, featuring our favourite records, artists, and the themes we explore on the show.
Visit https://drownedinsound.org/playlists/ to discover new music in rich Hi-Res lossless quality and start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz at https://qobuz.com/dis.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:15 - Story #5 begins: mega gigs vs grassroots
02:10 - What defines a “mega gig” now?
04:11 - £8bn industry headlines vs lived reality
06:26 - Taylor Swift, scale, and monopoly economics
07:18 - Employment figures and the invisible labour of music
08:43 - Grassroots venues as cultural homes
09:32 - Inequality, wealth concentration, and responsibility
13:22 - How the industry decides who gets tipped
16:01 - Why discovery systems feel broken
19:30 - Story #4 begins: artificial intelligence enters music
23:19 - Consent, transparency, and “human-made” music
28:30 - Power, control, and social isolation
35:30 - Outro
Continue the Conversation:
Head to the Drowned in Sound community to chat about the topics in this episode.
Subscribe:
Get weekly essays, interviews, and insights from the Drowned in Sound newsletter - exploring music, culture, and resistance.
Links & Resources:
UK Music – This Is Music Report (Industry Growth Context)
Competition & Markets Authority – Secondary Ticketing Investigations
BBC – Ticket Scams and Secondary Resale Issues
Fan-Led Review of Music – UK Parliament
Music Fans Voice – Fan Campaigning for Fair Ticketing
Independent Venue Community
Music Venue Trust
Youth Music – Rescue the Roots Campaign
AI-Generated Music Appearing on Artist Profiles 
Oneohtrix Point Never is searching for soul in the slop (Dazed)
UK Music on AI Training Data and Copyright

Albums of the Year: Emma Wilkes & Sean Adams Pick Their Standouts

It’s that time again: lists, arguments, consensus (or lack of it). So.. how do we choose an ultimate “Album of the Year’?
In this episode, Emma Wilkes joins Sean Adams to talk through their favourite albums of 2025. No this is not the definitive list, not the ‘right’ list, just the stuff that has stuck, been obsessed over, demanded repeat listens, or just briefly rearranged their internal wiring.
They also talk openly about the collapse of monoculture, the impossibility of ‘keeping up’, and why criticism still matters amongst the fractured scenes, algorithmic bubbles, and overwhelming volume of new music to choose from.
This is not so much a ranked list and more as two very online music obsessives trying to map a year that refuses to be summarised.
The Drowned in Sound podcast is presented in partnership with Qobuz, the pioneering high-quality music streaming and download platform for music enthusiasts and audiophiles. Each week we curate playlists on Qobuz, featuring our favourite records, artists, and the themes we explore on the show.
Visit https://drownedinsound.org/playlists/ to discover new music in rich Hi-Res lossless quality and start your 30-day free trial of Qobuz at https://qobuz.com/dis.
Chapters
00:00 – Hayley Williams and the case for a bold AOTY
01:00 – Emma’s pick: The Callous Daoboys and joyful heaviness
04:00 – Grassroots venues, noise scenes, and Atlanta’s rise
06:30 – Introducing Emma Wilkes: rock, metal & Kerrang!
09:00 – Why heavy music needs catharsis, humour, and chaos
12:00 – Hardcore’s new era and the crossover wave
14:00 – The collapse of monoculture in 2025
16:00 – Discovery fatigue and the algorithm problem
18:30 – Model/Actriz, grief albums, and theatrical noise
22:00 – Heartworms and the art of gothic storytelling
24:00 – Ska, cowbells, and unexpected nostalgia
27:00 – Honourable mentions: Lambrini Girls, Wolf Alice, Nova Twins
30:00 – Hayley Williams’ political arc and southern identity
32:00 – Easter eggs, vocal shifts, and how fans decode albums
34:00 – Allyship, perspective, and storytelling in pop
35:00 – Production notes: Efterklang, Daniel James & sonic detail
37:00 – Why music criticism still matters
39:00 – Emma’s Top 10: heavy, emotional, ambitious
42:00 – Sean’s curveballs: Postcards, DARKSIDE & more
45:00 – So… who really made Album of the Year?
Albums mentioned:
Hayley Williams - Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party
The Callous Daoboys - I Don't Want to See You in Heaven
Backxwash - Only Dust Remains
Kathryn Joseph - We Were Made Prey
FKA twigs - Eusexua Afterglow
Ethel Cain - Perverts
Model/Actriz - Pirouette
Alan Sparhawk - With Trampled by Turtles
Heartworms - Glutton for Punishment
Die Spitz ‧ Something to Consume
Little Simz - Lotus
Lily Allen - West End Girl
The Mynabirds - It's Okay To Go Back If You Keep Moving Forward
Wolf Alice - The Clearing
Turnstile - Never Enough
Addison Rae - Addison
Sharon Van Etten - Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
Marissa Nadler - New Radiations
Nova Twins - Parasites & Butterflies
Anna von Hausswolff - Iconoclasts
Sudan Archives - The BPM
Horsegirl - Phonetics On and On
JADE - THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY!
Dave - The Boy Who Played the Harp
Garbage - Let All That We Imagine Be the Light
Scowl - Are We All Angels
Postcards - Ripe
DARKSIDE - Nothing
Jools - Violent Delights
Witch Fever - Fevereaten
Deafheaven - Lonely People with Power
Lambrini Girls - Who Let The Dogs Out
Sprints - All That Is Over
Pinkshift - Earthkeeper
Creeper - Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death
Melody’s Echo Chamber - Unclouded 
HEALTH - CONFLICT DLC
Continue the Conversation:
Head to the Drowned in Sound community to chat about the topics in this episode.
Subscribe:Get weekly essays, interviews, and insights from the Drowned in Sound newsletter - exploring music, culture, and resistance.

How Music Fans Can Save The Planet - Tori Tsui on Billie Eilish, Brian Eno & Fossil Fuel Treaty

82% of music fans want to stop climate breakdown but only 3% know what to do. Climate activist Tori Tsui reveals how Billie Eilish, Brian Eno, and Massive Attack are building the infrastructure to turn that care into action.
Recorded backstage at EarthSonic Live in Manchester, this conversation bridges the gap between wanting to help the planet and knowing how.
Drowned in Sound founder Sean Adams meets Tori Tsui, the climate justice activist, author of "It's Not Just You," and senior advisor to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. Tori works with Brian Eno's EarthPercent and Billie Eilish's Overheated climate conferences.
IN THIS EPISODE:• How Tori got Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to sign the Fossil Fuel Treaty before introducing Massive Attack• What streaming platforms are hiding about their energy use• Why 94% of some carbon credits are phantom scams with no climate benefit• How green touring saves artists money• The Chris Martin/Coldplay connection• What music fans can actually do (beyond guilt)
Organizations mentioned include:• Fossil Fuel Treaty: https://fossilfueltreaty.org • EarthPercent (Brian Eno): https://earthpercent.org • Billie's Overheated: https://www.imoverheated.com • Green touring: https://www.soliphilia.co.uk/
Read Tori's book "It's Not Just You" https://www.toritsui.com/ Follow Tori: Instagram @tori_tsui_
ABOUT DROWNED IN SOUND:Independent music journalism exploring how music catalyzes systemic change.Newsletter: https://drownedinsound.org 
Recorded at EarthSonic Live, Manchester Museum, November 2024.
#ClimateChange #MusicIndustry #BillieEilish #BrianEno #MassiveAttack #ClimateActivism #Podcast

UK Caps Ticket Resale at Face Value: What Took So Long?

The UK Government have announced a landmark decision: ticket resale above face value is to be made illegal, backed by strict limits on service fees and new enforcement powers. After decades of music fans being fleeced by industrial-scale touting, could this be the turning point?
In this special episode, the FanFair Alliance’s Adam Webb (a central figure in the long-running campaign against exploitative secondary ticketing) joins Sean Adams to unpack the announcement, its implications, and what it means for fans, artists, venues, and the future of the live industry.
Webb lays out how the crisis unfolded, with resale platforms enabling huge mark-ups that now cost fans an estimated £112 million a year. They trace the steady pressure that’s been building for years: Trading Standards investigations, CMA interventions, tabloid exposés, Ed Sheeran’s court cases, and sustained evidence-gathering by managers, artists, unions, and campaigners.
Together, Adam and Sean explore the possibilities opened up by this week’s announcement and ask the simple question: what happens when fairness is restored? And will these reforms be delivered quickly enough to stop another cycle of exploitation?
Chapters:
00:00 – The scale of the problem: how industrialised touting took hold05:10 – Viagogo, StubHub, and the ecosystem that lets abuse thrive10:45 – The £112 million question: super-touts, bots, and business models16:20 – Ed Sheeran, prosecutions, and the moment artists pushed back22:40 – Why enforcement has failed — and what must change29:15 – Politics, lobbying, and the slow road to reform36:00 – Fans, consent, and the ethics of the live economy41:30 – What a fair ticketing future could look like
Continue the Conversation:
Head to the Drowned in Sound community to chat about the topics in this episode.
Subscribe:Get weekly essays, interviews, and insights from the Drowned in Sound newsletter - exploring music, culture, and resistance.
Links & Resources
Fan-Led Review of Music: Parliamentary Inquiry into Ticketing Reformhttps://committees.parliament.uk/work/9161/fanled-review-of-music/
Music Fans Voice: Campaigning for Fair Ticketing and Fan Rightshttps://musicfansvoice.uk/
Which? – Stop Fleecing Fans: Ending Rip-Off Ticket Resalehttps://www.which.co.uk/campaigns/stop-fleecing-fans
Robert Smith: 7,000 Cure Tickets Cancelled on Secondary Siteshttps://accessaa.co.uk/robert-smith-says-7000-the-cure-tickets-have-been-cancelled-on-secondary-resale-websites/
FanFair Alliance: Guide to Buying Tickets Safelyhttps://fanfairalliance.org/resources/
CMA Investigation: Enforcement Action on Secondary Ticketinghttps://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/secondary-ticketing
STAR: The UK’s Ticketing Standards and Consumer Protection Bodyhttps://www.star.org.uk/
Ed Sheeran’s Legal Battle Against Ticket Touts (BBC)https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-47620979
Your Consumer Protection Rights (Gov.uk)https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights
Adam Webb – Updates and Advocacy on Ticketing Reformhttps://twitter.com/webboideas

What crisis?! UK Music’s CEO on our £8 billion industry

How can the UK music industry be both in crisis and booming? In 2024, the sector was worth a record £8 billion to the UK economy but at the same time, grassroots venues are closing, artists are struggling to tour, and AI threatens to steal musicians’ work for the profit of broligarchs.
In this week’s episode, Sean Adams speaks with Tom Kiehl, CEO of UK Music, about the findings in the organisation’s brand new annual report This Is Music 2025. Together they unpack the contradictions of a sector growing on paper but straining at its foundations from slowing post-pandemic growth and the fight for fair AI regulation, to the obstacles making it harder for new artists breaking through.
With reflections on Brexit’s lasting damage, AI’s issues with consent, and a new £1 grassroots levy, it’s a revealing look at an industry at a crossroads.
Chapters 00:00 – The £8 Billion Paradox: Growth vs Crisis 03:30 – Who UK Music Represents and What It Does 07:30 – File-Sharing to AI: The Evolution of Rights Battles 13:30 – “Pro-Innovation” or Anti-Artist? AI and Copyright in 2025 18:30 – Levies, Inequality, and the Grassroots Squeeze 24:30 – Breaking Artists in a Post-Pandemic Landscape 29:30 – Rehearsal Spaces, Mentorship, and Missing Infrastructure 35:30 – Why Britain Needs a Music Export Office 41:30 – Ticketing Chaos, Regulation, and the Fan Experience 47:30 – What Fans Can Do: From Campaigns to Collective Power 52:30 – The Future of British Music: Soft Power and Survival
Continue the Conversation:
Head to the Drowned in Sound community to chat about the topics in this episode.
Subscribe:
Get weekly essays, interviews, and insights from the Drowned in Sound newsletter - exploring music, culture, and resistance.
Links & Resources:
Read UK Music’s This Is Music 2025 Report
UK Music Official Website
UK Music on Instagram
Drowned in Sound Newsletter