Tony Rigg

Tony Rigg is a Music Industry Advisor, Practitioner, Business Consultant, and Educator affiliated with the University of Central Lancashire, where he leads the Master of Arts Programme in Music Industry Management. He established this in 2012 with seminal musician Peter Hook. He also collaborated with Hebei University (HBU) in China to set up the Music Industry Management MA programme launched in 2023.

Tony is also Co-Chair of the Music Research Group at the University and is a supervisor for music related PhD candidates.

Tony’s academic citizenship extends to other universities through collaboration, and he is also an External Examiner for London College of Music/University of West London and Solent University, Southampton.

He is the Director of the Preston Jazz and Improvisation Festival, a festival for the city that grew out of the University, which has become the best attended music activity in Preston’s event calendar.

Tony has occupied senior management roles in market-leading music and entertainment organisations including Operations Director for Ministry of Sound, overseen the management of more than one hundred music venues, and delivered thousands of music events. He has set up, operated and owned numerous music enterprises. As an artist/producer he has a chart pedigree with tracks featured on chart-topping and gold-selling albums.

Tony and Professor Mazierska are currently inviting applications for a new research MPhil/PhD in Queen studies.

The benefits of music and culture to society, community, and economy
Access to education and participation in cultural (creative) activities
Diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility in the music industries
Music business and marketing
Innovation and Entrepreneurship within music and related industries
Models of music industry management, artistry and business
Success studies within the music industry – legacy, contemporary, and future
Mainstream music and counterculture
The power of ‘the Brand’ – music and lifestyle
The recorded copyright music industries
Social consumption of music (live, recorded, et al)
Night time industries/night time cultural economy
Artificial Intelligence
Progressive digitisation of the music industry
Music law and practice
Music making/production

Founder - Lancashire Music Association
Ambassador for the Night Time Economy Lancashire (appointed by the NTIA)
Chair - Strategic Stakeholder Group - Lancashire Music Hub
Chair - Local Cultural Education Partnership (Preston LCEP)
Chair - Promenade Concert Orchestra
Member - Program Advisory Group - The Harris Museum, Art Gallery & Library
Member - Lancashire 2050 Cultural and Physical Activities Network
Member – Electronic Music Impact Group
Member - Association for Electronic Music (AFEM)
Member - Creative Communities Group

Notable book publications include Popular Music in the Post-digital Age: Politics, Economy, Culture and Technology (Bloomsbury 2018), The Future of Live Music (Bloomsbury 2020) and The Evolution of Electronic Dance Music (Bloomsbury 2021), which he co-edited with Ewa Mazierska and Les Gillon. Also, The Present and Future of Music Law (Bloomsbury 2022), which he co-edited with leading British music lawyer Dr Ann Harrison.

Notable articles and papers include Challenges to British Nightclubs (Dancecult 2021) and What it Really Meant to be Punk in Britain (The Conversation 2022).

Tony’s most recent book with Professor Mazierska, The Artistry and Legacy of Queen (Bloomsbury 2024), considers how Queen have become one of the most successful music artists of all time, surpassing all other artists of their generation with regard to digital music consumption.

Other Articles and Reports Tony has contributed to include:

Use the links below to view their profiles:

Tony has co-directed a number of conferences including the Future Sound Music Conference, 2016
the Improvisation; Practices Approaches & Reception Conference, 2017
the Future of Live Music Conference, 2018
the Present & Future of Electronic Music Conference, 2019
the Present & Future of Music Law and Practice, 2019
the Artistry and Business of Queen Conference, 2020
He is also Director of the Preston Jazz and Improvisation Festival
The Preston Jazz and Improvisation Festival is a festival that runs in June, is supported by Arts Council England that grew out of the University of Central Lancashire. It brings numerous stakeholders together to deliver a world class music event to the city of Preston. The most recent festival saw more than 10,000 members of the public experience an exciting and diverse programme that included 20 events over 10 days and more than 100 musicians, celebrating world renowned and home-grown talent.

Additional responsibilities

Areas of interest and expertise

External affiliations and memberships