SPEAKERS 2024

Strategic Partner Manager

Ariel has been working as YouTube’s Strategic Partner Manager for Artist Development in the UK for the past 3 years. He works with over 100 artist teams, helping to equip and empower them with the knowledge to maximise their growth on YouTube, and unlocking opportunities that help artists take their careers to the next level. In total he has spent over 10 years working directly with artists and their teams helping them to grow their online audiences at companies such as RCA Records (Sony Music), AWAL, and now YouTube. Helping to achieve success with campaigns for artists such as Raye, Artemas, Unknown T, Little Simz, Nao, Shygirl and more. He is also a dog owner, and a trekkie, he dislikes camping, and is the founder and former co-director of Twisted Hearts Records.

DJ/Presentador

Fee Mak is a London-based Radio/TV Presenter and Host, known for hosting BBC 1Xtra’s Sunday Breakfast show. She’s hosted major live events like the Earls Court Film Festival, BBC’s MOBO red carpet, and in-game events for the London Lions. A lifelong arts enthusiast, she trained at The Royal Ballet School and performed in Billy Elliot on London’s West End. Fee has also showcased her art in a London exhibition. Her broadcast career includes interviews with stars like Akon, Beenie Man, Tion Wayne, Kojo Anim, and actresses Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton on platforms like BBC 1Xtra, KISS TV, and 4Music.

Músico, productor y compositor (McFly, Nothing But Thieves)

Julian is a seasoned songwriter and producer specializing in pop and rock. He co-wrote and produced McFly’s #1 album Motion in the Ocean, featuring hits like “Stargirl,” and Matt Willis's debut album, Don’t Let it Go to Waste. With Jim Irvin, he contributed seven songs to Nothing But Thieves' debut album, including the #1 U.S. Alternative single "Trip Switch," and six songs to their second album, Broken Machine, which charted at #2 in the UK. For their third album, Moral Panic (2020), he co-wrote five tracks, including “Impossible” and “Real Love Song.” Julian’s credits include tracks for Lissie, Simple Plan, Lower Than Atlantis, Gavin DeGraw, and Michelle Branch, and recent work with artists like Anne Marie, The Amazons, and You Me At Six.

Presentadora de radio

Danni Diston is a passionate and lively BBC Radio 1 presenter known for her enthusiastic personality and love of fresh, innovative music. Starting out on her university’s radio station alongside co-host Sam MacGregor, Danni quickly demonstrated her talent, winning awards like “Best Entertainment Show” with Sam. The duo’s appeal led them to their BBC Radio 1 debut in 2020 as part of the Christmas Takeover Scheme, where they captivated audiences with their natural chemistry and upbeat style. Since then, Danni has become a fixture across the BBC Radio network, earning recognition as one of Radio 1’s most in-demand cover presenters. Now hosting the Weekend Breakfast show from Cardiff with Sam, Danni’s vibrant energy and passion for connecting with listeners make her a beloved voice in UK radio.

Presentadora de radio

Sam MacGregor is a talented BBC Radio 1 presenter with a knack for delivering entertaining and engaging shows. He started his journey in radio at his university station, where he won accolades such as “Best Male Radio Presenter” at the Student Radio Awards in 2019. His chemistry with co-presenter Danni Diston quickly caught attention, leading the pair to become a staple on BBC Radio 1. Since their debut through the BBC’s Christmas Takeover Scheme in 2020, Sam has showcased his vibrant personality and sharp wit across multiple shows, solidifying himself as a versatile voice on the airwaves. Now, as the co-host of Radio 1’s Weekend Breakfast show broadcasting from Cardiff, Sam brings the perfect blend of energy and humor to kickstart listeners’ weekends.

DJ/Presentador

Nels is the host of Radio 1's Future Alternative shining a light on the very best in brand new Alternative and underground music from across the globe. With 10 years presenting experience - Nels has become one of the most trusted names in new music and one of the go to voices in the scene. In 2020 - Nels covered Daniel P Carter on the Radio 1 Rock Show as a part of Radio 1's Christmas Takeover before being given his new slot as the presenter of Future Alternative. He's interviewed some of the biggest names in alternative music including Enter Shikari, Kid Brunswick and Beartooth. He has also previously worked with Radio X hosting their overnight weekend show, is a stream host for Scruff of the Neck TV Live on Twitch, which has seen him travel up and down the country for festival coverage including appearances at The Great Escape and Y Not Festival. As well as Radio and TV - Nels is passionate about hosting live events, having hosted In the Round Festival at the Roundhouse and a brand new live music night for the alternative scene Upgrade LDN.

Gerente sénior de marketing

Felix is a Sr. Manager of Marketing & Curation at Audiomack. At Audiomack, he oversees global curation and partnerships for Audiomack Electronic, as well as marketing and brand partnerships across Europe and the UK. Some of his notable work includes partnerships with Daily Paper, GRM Daily, Soulection, and DJ Edu, as well as producing the flagship UK Content Series "Patterned" which premiered with Headie One.

DJ y presentador de radio

Shell Zenner presents and curates a weekly show on Amazing Radio and presents weekend breakfast on XS Manchester as well as regularly presenting on BBC Radio Manchester. Shell has also been part an integral part of the team over at BBC Introducing for the last five years, working with the Lancashire, West Yorkshire and Manchester teams.

Programme Officer

Adding her expert insights to the Industry Backed: How to Get Music Funding & Support panel is Youth Music's Programme Officer Phoebe Cross. Catch Phoebe on the Ditto X Main Stage at 10:30am.

Presenter / DJ

Abbie McCarthy is an award-winning presenter, DJ, and music tastemaker in the UK, known for her work with BBC Introducing where she champions new talent. With a warm and fun style, she’s popular among listeners and was honored in the Roll of Honour at Music Week’s Women In Music Awards 2018 and won Silver for Best Music Presenter at the ARIAs 2020. Abbie reports from top festivals and hosts stages at Reading, Glastonbury, and Trafalgar Square. She also hosts Fresh This Month on E4 Extra & The Box Network, showcasing new global artists. Abbie founded Good Karma Club, a gig night spotlighting emerging acts like Sam Fender and Mae Muller, and is also a passionate sports and environmental advocate, hosting for Chelsea TV, BBC Sport, and Billie Eilish’s Overheated event on climate action.

Founder / CEO

“A beacon for those aspiring to make their mark in music.” - Business Insider, 2024 Atlanta Cobb, a 26x Multi-Platinum Artist Manager and 2x award-winning Music Business Educator, has over 13 years of industry experience. She has achieved success at Columbia and Island Records and within Artist Management, contributing to the career growth of 2x BRIT Award-Winning artists. Atlanta has played a pivotal role in the creation of 5x UK Top-10 singles, 5x Gold, and 16x Platinum hits, as well as generating over 1.5 billion streams. In 2022, she launched Music Industry Mentor, which has coached thousands of independent musicians, producers, and music entrepreneurs worldwide. Atlanta is also a sought-after speaker with a 100,000+ strong online following. Follow the journey via @musicindustrymentor across Instagram, TikTok and Youtube!

Audio Engineer

Charlie Thomas began as an intern at Pink Floyd’s Britannia Row Studios, quickly advancing to chief engineer and studio manager, working with top artists like Pink Floyd, One Direction, and London Grammar. Since Brit Row closed in 2016, he’s freelanced at renowned studios, including Abbey Road and The Village Studios in LA. Now based at Konk in North London, he collaborates with artists like Calum Scott and James TW. Charlie also teaches audio engineering, covering equipment like mixing consoles and microphones.

Director de Relaciones

Gavin tiene más de 35 años de experiencia como ejecutivo sénior en las industrias de la música, los eventos en vivo y el entretenimiento. Gavin ha trabajado con una variedad de artistas y compañías de renombre mundial, desde la dirección de artistas, giras y escenarios, la promoción, el desarrollo, los eventos en directo y la producción de películas en directo hasta ser director general de uno de los mayores sellos independientes de música y cine del Reino Unido. Gavin también ha realizado numerosas giras por todo el mundo, con una amplia gama de artistas y equipos bajo su responsabilidad. También ha sido director de escena en lugares destacados como el Millennium Dome y el Wembley Arena. Actualmente, Gavin forma parte del equipo directivo de Amplead y Gigseekr y dirige DAM Good Artists, Mentor for Help Musicians e Ivor's Academy, es vicepresidente del South Coast Events Forum y forma parte de dos juntas directivas: la Asociación de Festivales Independientes y Vison 2025 (Sostenibilidad para festivales al aire libre).

Presentador/DJ

Podcaster, drummer and host, Ollie brings over 13 years experience at the BBC to this year’s The Feeback Sessions. Having appeared regularly on BBC Music Introducing, BBC Radio One, 6 Music, 1Xtra, and the renowned BBC World Service, Ollie departed the BBC in 2021 to create the immersive “The Heavy Hooks Show,” a weekly rock & metal podcast which finds itself in the top 10% of most globally shared podcasts.

Presenter

Jodie is the person in the know when it comes to new music. Some of her first ever tips to make it big included Arlo Parks, Griff, Lauran Hibberd & DYLAN. ​ Jodie is the cover presenter for BBC Introducing Sussex & Surrey, giving first plays to artists including PELA, Matt Taylor and Cassa Jackson. She is also the host (and often curator) of the Ned's New Music Monday as well as 'Soho Rising.' ​ She's hosted and curated a number of live events, including her own night 'Discover Monthly,' which is a showcase of the best new artists - who often subsequently appear on radio playlists.

Senior Manager, Music & Talent, UK

Jaqueline Lockinger is Vevo's Manager of Programming & Editorial, UK & DE. Born and raised in Germany, Jaqueline moved to the UK 13 years ago and started working at Vevo as a coordinator. She has been leading Vevo's cultural campaigns for years, as well as promoting and running point on all original content. Additionally, Jaqueline curates and programs all of Vevo's playlists, is the programming manager for Germany, and works on editorial features such as Footnotes and artist curated programming blocks. Prior to Vevo, Jaqueline worked as a research assistant at Park Village.

Founder

Josh Robinson is an experienced music marketer with a proven track record of working with some of the biggest names in the industry. He has made content and worked on social media growth with artists such as Arctic Monkeys, Noel Gallagher, Sam Fender, Loyle Carner, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Kasabian, Miles Kane, The Kooks, Two Door Cinema Club, Gerry Cinnamon, Blossoms, Tom Grennan, Craig David, The Vaccines, Miles Kane, Jason Derulo, Mae Muller, Sundara Karma, Don Broco, Tom Odell, and many more.

Managing Director

Managing Director of Ditto Publishing & Neighbouring Rights Tom Weller will be joining the Music Royalties: Understand Your Rights & Unlock New Revenue stage at this year's event.

NextGen Community Producer

Talia's role is to shape the support Youth Music provides to the young people who engage with the organization. She is responsible for developing and delivering the NextGen Community events program, identifying progression opportunities, and representing the voice of the Youth Music community to industry partners. Outside the Youth Music office, Talia runs FEMMESTIVAL, an all-female concert and music festival series, which was originally made possible thanks to Round 5 of the NextGen Fund.

Director global de eventos

Mike Murphy is Ditto's Global Head of Events and has led and ran events and partnerships over the past 8 years including Ditto X events globally including the UK's biggest Music Conference at the prostegious O2 London over the into its 4th year. Mike also has a wealth of industry experience spanning 20 years, managing and leasing globally and regional artist campaign artists throughout different stages of their careers supporting the build and growth of Ditto Music label services with a passion for Alternative, Rock and Indie Music.

Head of Label Services UK

Callum Hay is Head of Ditto Music Label Services within the UK and will be appearing on Ditto's panel on How to Run a DIY Campaign.

Artist Relationships for Black Music

Kenny Barber is Artist Relationships for Black Music at PRS and will be on the panel for Ditto Music Publishing Presents: Unlocking New Revenue Streams.

Artist

Natalie Shay is a multi-award-winning musician and songwriter, known for her electrifying live performances and catchy anthems. A BRIT School graduate from North London, Natalie's relatable lyrics explore themes of love, friendship, and self-discovery, resonating with twenty-somethings. Her music has earned praise from major outlets like Billboard, CLASH, and Wonderland, making her a rising star. Natalie has performed live on national TV, including three appearances on CBBC’s Saturday Mashup! Her tracks have been featured on Love Island and enjoy strong support from BBC Radio 1's Future Pop and BBC Introducing. She's collaborated on dance tracks with top artists, amassing over 10 million streams. Selling out iconic London venues like Omeara, she’s also played major UK festivals, including BST Hyde Park, Latitude, and Reading, as well as SXSW in Texas. This summer, she opened for Shania Twain at BST Hyde Park. Her latest EP, CHAMPAGNE, is out now.

TV & Radio Presenter

Daisy Maskell has quickly been established as one of the most exciting and sought-after broadcasters and producers in the UK, making Forbes’ 30 Under 30 most Influential People In Media for 2024. In 2018, Daisy landed a co-hosting role on “Trending Live”, the daily flagship show on 4Music, the UK’s leading music TV channel and soon moved onto hosting the Breakfast Show on KISS FM the following year. In 2020, Daisy merged her passion for music with make-up and launched a global ambassador campaign with cosmetics brand MORPHE, becoming the first UK face. She has collaborated with a number of household names since and has been featured in outlets including VOGUE, The Times, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, and more. Daisy returned to TV in 2021, debuting the authored BBC documentary, “Daisy Maskell – Insomnia and Me”. The critically acclaimed film was nominated for a National Television Award and trended on iPlayer for months following release. Daisy has gone on to produce and present several films for the BBC and Channel 4, from documentary “In Too Deep – Selling My Virginity”, in which Daisy listed her virginity on an online marketplace to expose the underground world of virginity auctions; to “The Truth About Spiking” which saw Daisy participate in a groundbreaking experiment where she was spiked on camera, to lift the lid on under-reported cases; and as a result contributed to a change in the law this year. Daisy’s passion for storytelling and production has landed her in the directors chair too, co-directing music promos as an additional creative outlet and we are excited to share more on her new ventures in the coming year. Through a combination of her role as Producer, Journalist, Director and Collaborator, Daisy has proven her undeniable ability to connect and relate with audiences young and old in an unprecedented way.

Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

John is head of equality, diversity & inclusion at the Musicians’ Union. He is a passionate advocate for diversity and social justice and works with underrepresented and marginalised musicians to provide advice, advocacy, and support. A recognised voice on ED&I in music, John is committed to creating a more equitable music industry for all musicians and is also a member of the UK Music Diversity Taskforce.

Artist

Born in the U.K, Sam grew up in the Caribbean & Jersey. As a result, his songwriting influences span everything from Cuban Mambo & Flamenco to Pop. Early support slots included Sir Tom Jones & his first festival spot was at Bestival. Travelling to Australia Sam studied flamenco guitar & was subsequently accepted to study at the Royal Northern College of Music. Unfortunately he had to return home to Jersey after contracting a life-threatening illness.During his long, two year recovery he started uploading bedroom demos & short films to Instagram. His original blend of indie folk & alt pop tinged with other influences helped him gain support slots for Gabrielle Aplin & shows with Newton Faulkner. Sam has since performed live for BBC Introducing & Sofar Sounds, sold out his first headline show, self promoted his own UK mini- tour, & performed at Notting Hill Arts Club, The Troubadour, Ronnie Scott’s, Camden Assembly and even at the O2 arena amongst others. Date Her Out Now

Senior Manager, Music & Talent, UK

Jodeci Rampasard is a Senior Manager of Music & Talent in Vevo's UK office. She's also a presenter at Reprezent Radio, hosting their Saturday breakfast show. At Vevo, Jodeci has been an integral part of booking artists like Rema, Ella Mai, FLO, Cat Burns, Ayra Starr and Kojey Radical. Prior to Vevo, Jodeci has worked for companies such as MTV and Link Up TV, working across campaigns for Nike, JD and BBC Radio 1.

Managing Director

Jamie Searls is the Managing Director at Tileyard Education. Jamie works closely with music management teams, record labels, publishing companies, and institutions worldwide. He bridges the gap between industry and education by collating and sharing real-world music briefs with the talented roster of Tileyard's student and alumni producers and songwriters. Jamie also manages and coordinates songwriting camps on-site, online, and internationally. As of November 2024, Tileyard Education has facilitated over 350 single-song agreements for their roster of writers and producers. This includes eight exclusive albums with companies such as BMG, Felt Music, West One Music Group, Cavendish, and Glow. Jamie has also overseen releases with labels like Armada and Enhanced, as well as international releases in South Korea and China, all achieved by students who have studied at Tileyard Education.

Talent Manager / Founder

Tracey Kasongo is a London-based talent manager and founder of 20 Twenty MGMT, representing a dynamic roster that includes multi-genre artist ShaSimone, singer-songwriter Tom Dunne, and acclaimed photographer Remy Bourdeau. Prior to launching her own management company, Tracey worked with Closer Artists and The Flight Club, gaining valuable industry experience.