Chris Tams

Director of Membership and International - BPI

Chris Tams is the Director of Independent Member Services at BPI, joining the organization in December 2012.
He oversees BPI’s Membership activities, including events and training to support Independent Labels. Additionally, he manages BPI’s Trade Missions, extending beyond traditional markets such as the USA and Europe to include fast-growing overseas music markets like China, India, and South Korea. They also include running the British Music Embassy at events like SXSW in both the USA and Australia.
Chris also oversees the Department for International Trade’s Music Export Growth Scheme, which assists UK-based acts with international touring.
With a 30-year career in the music industry, Chris started as a radio plugger during the Brit Pop era, transitioned into the early days of the Label services boom, and spent seven years working in the digital music industry during the inception of many major digital services that are now well-known.
A passionate advocate for independent music, Chris leverages his extensive global music knowledge to support BPI’s members and the broader industry in reaching their full potential.

The BPI represents the UK’s record companies and labels and champions British music. Through its policy-led work, it fosters an environment in which its members and their artists can thrive, promoting the rights of hundreds of independent labels and those of world-leading record companies Sony Music UK, Universal Music UK and Warner Music UK, alongside those of the artists, performers and label members of PPL.
The BPI safeguards the success of UK Recorded Music and the rights framework that underpins it, supported by its industry-leading content protection work and its promotion of British music exports through international events and trade missions, such as LA Sync, and the industry/government-funded Music Export Growth Scheme, which it runs to promote independent artists globally, and generates a 14 : 1 return for every Pound received. The BPI drives innovation by bringing the music and tech communities together through such initiatives as Grow Music and its Insight Sessions. It publishes market data insights, including through its All About the Music yearbooks, and offers members free training and networking, among other benefits.
The BPI runs The BRIT Awards, is home to the Mercury Prize, co-owns the Official Charts, and administers the BRIT Billion and The BRIT Certified Awards. With its Equity & Justice Advisory Group, BPI promotes Diversity, Equity & Inclusion across music and, as a supporter of the Music Climate Pact, is committed to an industry that operates sustainably to reduce its carbon impact.