Hailing from Ipswich, Suffolk, Sophie Jones has accumulated nearly 25 years’ experience leading strategic communications, public policy and regulation for a number of high-profile organisations in media and the creative industries. 

She became BPI’s chief strategy officer in January 2023 after serving at the UK record labels association for nearly three years, during which she acted as the interim chief executive between January and July 2023.  

An inspiring leader, Jones’ strategically-focused public affairs and communications-led work has had a marked impact on the organisation and on the support given to its breadth of members – helping to foster an environment in which they can thrive and the industry grows through digital innovation, increased music consumption and exports. Working alongside the BPI’s CEO Dr Jo Twist OBE, chair YolanDa Brown OBE DL, the executive board and BPI Council, Jones is leading in efforts to ensure policy makers appreciate the importance of the music industry and remain steadfast in their commitment to the UK’s world-leading framework of IP rights on which the success of British music is based. 

Jones’ role as CSO gives the BPI a coordinated focus around its core public-facing and member activities, which includes work on a range of key industry issues, such as the reviews into the economics of music streaming, misogyny in music and the impact of AI on the music industry, while other areas cover music education and skills, global music exports, innovation through music and technology, and IP, copyright and content protection.

She also plays a key role in supporting initiatives to make the industry more accessible for people of all backgrounds – helping to improve representation and to promote equity, diversity and inclusivity and working with partners through CIISA to develop a programme of meaningful change to tackle harassment and bullying where it exists. 

Among her many other achievements, Jones also successfully led a BPI/music industry bid to receive Government approval for a new specialist creative school for 16-19 year-olds in Bradford – due to open with DfE and industry funding in 2026/2027. The college will support the talent pipeline outside of London and the South East, including from socially-disadvantaged communities.  

Throughout her career, she has also held various positions at Channel 4, ITV and ITN,

How do you feel about joining the Music Week Women In Music Roll Of Honour?

“I feel very honoured to be joining such an illustrious group of women on the Roll OF Honour.   Being a woman, imposter syndrome comes naturally, so I’m not actually sure I’m supposed to be here! And being a relative newcomer to the music business I’m acutely aware that I’ve clocked up fewer music miles than many of the other Honourees, which makes receiving this recognition all the more special. I think it speaks to how welcoming and lovely this industry has been to me since I joined in 2020. That’s something I hope everyone in the industry can feel good about.”

How do you look back on your early years getting into the industry?

“In some ways I feel like I’m still in the early years! Though it feels very much like home, I have a wonderful array of friends and colleagues at the BPI, our membership and across the sector. I came into the music industry from TV, where we have a lot in common in terms of championing creativity and – in my role – many similar policy and campaign issues around the impact of tech, diversity and inclusion and so on. So, it wasn’t entirely alien, though the alphabet soup of music industry acronyms and organisations took some getting used to!

"Joining the music industry in spring 2020 was a really strange time as the pandemic took hold and so much of music was shuttered, it wasn’t quite the exciting whirl of gigs and events I’d imagined, but it did give me an unexpected insight into how far spittle travels from a trumpet as we worked up production guidance. It also meant that I didn’t really meet BPI colleagues or others for many, many months. It was testament to how adaptable and friendly people are that I found I’d made lots of really great connections via video calls.”

Did you have a mentor at that stage? 

“I’ve been fortunate to have worked with many brilliant people throughout my career. I’ve had great female role models – from my first boss at ITV, to a female CEO at Channel 4, to the wonderful leaders at the BPI, including YolanDa Brown, Jo Twist and MJ Olaore, and in leadership roles at our label members.  

“But I’ve also learned from brilliant men who have been supportive and encouraging in all my roles who have acted as mentors in an informal capacity. I’ve had formal mentoring and coaching too and believe it’s really important that everyone at whatever role or stage is able to benefit from the insights and allyship of colleagues. I’m really pleased that at the BPI we have run an internal mentorship programme – with structured training - as well as a buddy scheme. I’m looking forward to where we can take those mentoring skills next with our members and across the industry.”

You first encountered the music industry working a temp job in the record section of a department store in the ’90s. To what extent has the importance of physical music diminished since then and what is the BPI doing to protect it?

“That job involved a lot of scouring shelves to match cassettes and cases. I was very much a child of the cassette and Sony Walkman generation and having spent quite so much time spooling tape into faulty cassettes I do wonder at the resurgence of the format. There is nothing quite like the look and feel of the LP though, and it’s no surprise that vinyl is on the up with music fans. We do lots at the BPI to promote the album – through National Album Day with ERA and the Record Club alongside ERA and Official Charts, to Record Store Day as well as the important work our CPU team do to combat physical music piracy.  

“But one of the great things about today’s music market is just how much choice there is for consumers and artists. There’s so much for dedicated fans in the physical space, alongside anyone having access to the whole history of recorded music in their pocket. There may be friction around how the economics work when there is so much choice for such good value, but in general I think it’s a positive thing in terms of music being available and loved by so many.”

To say it’s been a busy period since you joined would be a big understatement. What was it like to serve as interim CEO after Geoff Taylor departed?

“Busy, and endlessly interesting! First, I should say a big thanks to Geoff for supporting me and being a brilliant guide and mentor as I came into the BPI. It was a real honour to step into the CEO shoes – big shoes to fill – and have an insight into some of the broader areas of the BPI’s work, including the BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize. I think it’s sometimes underestimated how much the BPI does; there’s campaigning work that is core to any trade organisation’s mission, championing the industry in the media, political stakeholders, safeguarding music rights – including the work we’re doing now in relation to AI – showcasing British music around the world through its trade missions, events and LA Sync, running the Music Export Growth Scheme, being leaders in data analysis and insights about the industry, our innovation programme to develop partnerships between music and tech, raising funds through The BRITs to support creative education – BRIT School and ELAM – The BRIT Trust and Nordoff and Robbins, driving progress on DEI and climate change, and  tackling an ever-more complex world of content protection through our enforcement and legal work.   

“It’s remarkable what a team of 50 brilliant people do and it was a privilege to lead the team and to be part of the leadership team now as we move the BPI into our next phase.”

How important is it that the BPI sets an example for the music industry it serves in terms of having women in senior leadership positions? Can you shed some light on the dynamics at the top of the company in its new era?

“I am very lucky to work with two awesome women and we work really well together – we get on, we discuss things, we are honest with each other and with the team, and we have a laugh. And as well as YolanDa and Jo, we also have our COO MJ Olaore as part of the exec team – in fact I sometimes feel a bit sorry for our general counsel Kiaron [Whitehead] being the only man in the room! And we have other amazing women who have blazed a trail in the industry, not least the inimitable Maggie Crowe. And lots of newer colleagues in the BPI who I hope will be future leaders in our sector – our head of policy and public affairs Beth Sidwell, innovation manager Amalie Briden, head of diversity Hailey Willington, and others.

“Our record label members are also increasing the number of women in senior roles, including on our BPI Council, Selina Webb, Jessica Carsen, Isabel Garvey, Charlotte Saxe, Sarah Mitchell, Pat Carr, Becky Lees, Dr Stefania Passamonte, and not forgetting our co-opted members Baroness Ayesha Hazarika and Char Grant. That’s vital for giving opportunity and support to the best talent, whoever they are and wherever they’re from.

“I’d add that in my role leading Government relations, women as leaders in public life has also shifted radically: empowering women in music can come from within music, but needs to come from wider societal role modelling too.”

Your role covers the economics of music streaming, misogyny in music, the impact of AI, music education and skills, exports, tech and IP, copyright and content protection. How tough is it to be an expert in all these? 

“It’s certainly not quiet! In terms of expertise I’m blessed to be supported by a team who are the real subject matter experts. But what unites all of those issues – and more – is that they’re about securing the best possible future for the creators and businesses that make up the UK’s music industry. There are, and always have been, challenges about ensuring that creativity is not swallowed up by big tech and that rights are not unfairly exploited or infringed. But we are an industry that cares passionately about creativity, supporting talent to succeed and paving the way for the future. Fundamentally, we’re an industry based on human creativity and passion, on finding and nurturing human talent to succeed. I think we have all the ingredients to make the industry more inclusive, to provide opportunity and high quality jobs well into an AI future and keep seeing British music riding high on the world stage. It’s exciting.” 

What’s your biggest achievement so far?

“Being on the Roll Of Honour is a huge source of pride. I know that it is an acknowledgement that is not given lightly, and also that Honourees sometimes have to ‘earn their spurs’ in the industry over a longer period. So I feel doubly honoured, touched and grateful for this recognition from my peers.”

What advice would you offer young women about enjoying a successful career in music?

“I’d say to any woman looking to enjoy any successful career, be true to yourself and to your personal goals and let yourself be defined by your own expectations. And, though it’s easy to say but harder to apply, don’t ever feel that you have to justify yourself just because you are a woman. It can sometimes feel that we have to work twice as hard to achieve and be recognised, but I am optimistic that is changing, and the more role models we have, the more equitable the world of work will be.”

What’s the best advice you’ve ever had?

“Be good to everyone on the way up, as you never know who you’ll meet on the way down. I like that, in that it’s a reminder never to get too big for your boots or take things for granted, not to pull up the ladder and be excited to let the next generation of talent fly!”

Is there a young woman you'd like to shout out who you think is a rising star in the industry?

“I would like to give a big shout out to Laura Bower at the BPI. I was going to say that Laura is a total unsung hero – but actually we all know just how brilliant she is and how much we depend on her. She has everyone’s wellbeing front of mind, she’s wonderful at bringing teams together and was integral to keeping everyone in touch and motivated during and post the pandemic as we continued to adjust to hybrid working; she’s a quietly brilliant innovator and podcast producer and she is simply lovely. She also works much, much too hard.”

Similarly, is there a young woman artist whose music you're enjoying right now/excited about?

“I was thrilled to see Nia Archives play at Glastonbury and feature as one of the 12 Mercury Prize Albums of the Year 2024. I’ve been following her for a while and love her raw mix of drum and bass, jungle and singing and DJing. With us opening our new specialist creative college in Bradford, West Yorkshire in 2027 and ahead of Bradford City Of Culture 2025, I’m excited to see an artist born in Bradford and raised in Leeds see her career take off. It makes me excited for what she’ll do next and what we can do to make it happen in Bradford! And at the Labour Party Conference we put on a Northern Music Showcase that featured Girlband and OneDa – both brilliantly exciting and feisty!”

Finally, what’s your biggest lesson from 2024 so far? 

“Be ready to adjust and change tack. My job as CSO involves a lot of preparation for the future – but things like sudden, early General Elections go to show you can plan, but you also need a Plan B.”