London, 25 November 2025 – Leaders in the music and technology sectors recently gathered to discuss ways to improve accessibility for individuals living with dementia and older carers. The roundtable event, titled Music Made Easy, was co-hosted by Music for Dementia and the Muses, Mind, Machine (MMM) research centre at the University of Sheffield.
The event, held at the headquarters of children’s audio platform Yoto in London, was the first in a series of industry events organized by Music for Dementia as part of their Music Made Easy campaign. The campaign, launched in September 2025, aims to address accessibility gaps in the music and technology sector.
More than 19 senior representatives from technology manufacturers, accessibility experts, record labels, radio professionals, and dementia sector leaders were in attendance. Among them were Universal Music Group, BPI, BBC, and Yoto, as well as research experts from the University of Sheffield’s BRIDGES for Dementia Network.
The roundtable discussions focused on device accessibility, platform design, the importance of co-designing with individuals living with dementia, and the commercial and cultural benefits of prioritizing older audiences. Participants also explored critical questions such as how to involve individuals living with dementia in the design process from the beginning, how to change licensing restrictions to improve access to music, and how to better communicate existing tools and support. Most importantly, the group discussed how to work together to drive progress.
The roundtable revealed that while some organizations and sectors are making progress, it will take industry-wide collaboration to make a significant impact. To this end, Music for Dementia and the University of Sheffield will be spearheading a new taskforce to improve music accessibility for individuals living with dementia.
Karim Fanous, Director of Innovation and New Digital Business at Global Digital Strategy at Universal Music Group, expressed his support for the initiative, saying, “Music for wellness and health is a vital area in our search for startups and support of entrepreneurial innovation that might add value to music and society. Music for Dementia and the University of Sheffield are initiating an important multi-stakeholder project which we will be honoured to support alongside UMG Health and Wellness.”
Emily Ingram, General Manager of Sollos at UMG Health and Wellness, also added, “Music can be an enjoyable and effective way to improve lives, whether it’s for people living with dementia or those struggling with everyday stress and low mood. Accessibility matters, and UMG’s Sound Therapy project on Apple Music, alongside our in-house Sollos research program, are key components of our ongoing efforts to make these benefits more widely available. Through Sollos and our health and wellness partners, we are starting to see what is possible when music, science, and technology come together. Music for Dementia is driving vital progress, and we are proud to support it.”
Aleksandra Gojkovic, Senior Design Researcher for User Experience and Design at the BBC, also commented, “A big thank you to Music for Dementia and all contributors for sharing their insights, research, and work and for facilitating an open and productive conversation about such an important issue of making music more accessible. At the BBC, universality is at the heart of what we do. Ensuring that everyone can experience and enjoy the power of music is an important part of that mission.”
Hailey Willington, Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at BPI, also highlighted the importance of the roundtable, saying, “Music for Dementia’s roundtable brought together the music ecosystem, from record labels to people with lived experience, to explore the barriers preventing people living with dementia from accessing the music that matters to them. Music should be accessible to all, and by working together, we can redefine what accessible music technology looks like and ensure that it can serve everyone, not just digital natives.”
Howard Gordon, Chair of Meeting Centres England, Co-Chair of Deepness Dementia Media Ltd, and advisor from BRIDGES for Dementia Network, emphasized the need for individuals living with dementia to have a voice in the design process, saying, “In the words of Ronald Coleman ‘true co-production starts with a plain piece of paper.’ People living with dementia should drive co-production of new product designs from the start. They know what’s needed better than anyone. They are rights holders and human beings, and shouldn’t be defined by their diagnosis.”
Recent research by Music for Dementia revealed that only 3 in 10 older family carers are able to stream music with their loved ones, highlighting the scale of the problem. Additionally, research by Age UK found that 6 in 10 internet users aged 65 or over never use the internet to stream music or videos.
Amy Shackleton, Programme Lead for Music for Dementia, expressed her enthusiasm for the progress made at the roundtable, saying, “The generation that created popular music is now increasingly locked out of it. This important roundtable event challenged attendees
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.