About Sound Roots

Sound Roots helps the independent music sector to thrive and grow, we have a specialism in the folk, roots and acoustic music genres.  We are the Arts Council of England’s leading organisation for providing career pathways into the folk, roots and acoustic music commercial industries.  We build audiences, we advise on policy, we support talent from diverse backgrounds, and we create pathways to a more diverse workforce.

We are a PRS Foundation Talent Development Network Partner supported by PPL, a Greater Manchester Combined Authority Cultural Partner and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.

Established in 2012 as English Folk Expo, we became a company in 2015 and registered as a charity in 2020. 

‘The primary free pathway for people building careers in the music industry’ - Music Industry Pro

Over the next 3 years we will reach 30,000 audiences annually, resourcing more than 200 global music industry professionals, and working directly with over 150 freelancers and musicians.

We are proud members of the Greater Manchester Music Commission, Manchester Music City Steering Group and Rochdale Borough Culture Network.

Our annual music showcase, English Folk Expo, is the country’s biggest conference of the folk music scene, connecting 200 industry specialists from 20+ countries who bring an estimated £10m market value.

Manchester Folk Festival is a global music event that generates 3,000 audiences and £1.3m visitor spend. Beyond the festival, we present folk music concerts across Greater Manchester throughout the year.

Our Artist Mentoring Programme and online learning platforms have supported hundreds of people to build sustainable music careers.

We devised and commission the UK Official Folk Albums Chart which is published each month.

We are a registered charity (#1192064) based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

Our Team

Board of Trustees

What We Do

A potted history of Sound Roots

In 2010, Playpen Management & Agency and the English Folk Dance & Song Society recognised a need for an annual music industry showcase event for folk, roots and acoustic music. Inspired by the Showcase Scotland model, Arts Council England Project Grant funding was secured to run the first English Folk Expo in Bury, Greater Manchester in 2012.

For a showcase to work, a public festival needed to run alongside the industry event. The Met in Bury agreed to create and produce Homegrown, a festival of English folk, roots and acoustic music to host the new music industry showcase. English Folk Expo ran in Bury from 2012 to 2016 inclusive, growing from 30 delegates to more than 120 in just five years. During this time, the event transitioned from being produced by Playpen to constituting itself legally as a Company Limited by Guarantee. It continued to receive Arts Council England Project Grant funding.

By 2017, the event had reached a scale that could no longer be accommodated in Bury and following a tender process, relocated to Manchester with the creation of the Manchester Folk Festival, produced by So It Is Ltd and based at HOME. The following year, English Folk Expo joined Arts Council England’s National Portfolio and employed its first permanent members of staff, founder Terry O’Brien and new Chief Executive Tom Besford.

Becoming an NPO provided the capacity and space to consider the wider needs of the sector, and as a result English Folk Expo began to create additional programmes and projects including artist mentoring, industry training, online learning and networking, concert promotion, new commissions and even the UK Official Folk Albums Chart. During this time, Manchester Folk Festival moved from being independently run to joining English Folk Expo’s portfolio of programmes, and the company successfully applied for charitable status.

By 2023, the charity had been readmitted to the next round of National Portfolio Organisations and was in receipt of core funding from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Manchester Folk Festival relocated to the Northern Quarter where it presents more than 60 artists including 4 international partnerships, and for the first time, English Folk Expo reached its maximum delegate capacity of 200.

Given the complexity of the charity, the sheer volume of new programmes beyond the annual showcase, and the increasingly prominent role within Greater Manchester’s wider music strategy, English Folk Expo renamed itself Sound Roots.

In 2024, following a lengthy bidding process, WOMEX (Worldwide Music Expo) returned to the UK after a decade for its 30th edition in Manchester. Having led the bid from its earliest stages in partnership with Brighter Sound and Manchester City Council, Sound Roots were awarded the contract to deliver the event.

Some of the projects and initiatives we’re involved with include…

  • Greater Manchester Music Commission

    We play an active role in this commission which was set up by Mayor Andy Burnham in 2021. Find out more.

  • Rochdale Borough Culture Network

    We are an ‘Anchor’ organisation as part of Rochdale’s network for arts and culture.

  • Manchester Music City

    We are a member of the Steering Group for this new venture, supporting the music industry in Greater Manchester. Find out more.

  • European Music Business Task Force

    We were a member of the 1st Task Force, publishing a report on music business start ups across Europe. Find out more.

  • Global Music Match

    As a founding partner of Global Music Match, we remain on the Steering Group and look forward to future iterations. Find out more.