Industry leaders came together on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 to discuss ways to drive innovation in music and technology accessibility for people living with dementia and older carers. The Music for Dementia organization and the Muses, Mind, Machine (MMM) research centre at the University of Sheffield co-hosted the roundtable, which aimed to address critical barriers that prevent older adults and people living with dementia from accessing music.
The event, called the Music Made Easy Roundtable, was held at the headquarters of children’s audio platform Yoto in London. It was the first in a series of industry events organized by Music for Dementia as part of their Music Made Easy campaign, which was launched in September 2025 to address accessibility gaps in the music and technology sector.
The roundtable brought together more than 19 senior representatives from various organizations including Universal Music Group, BPI, BBC, and Yoto, along with research experts from the University of Sheffield’s BRIDGES for Dementia Network. Discussions at the event focused on device accessibility, platform design, the need for co-design with lived experience advisors, and the commercial and cultural case for prioritizing older audiences.
Some of the key questions explored at the roundtable included how to ensure that people living with dementia are involved in the design process from the beginning, how to change licensing restrictions to make music more accessible, and how to better communicate existing tools and support. The participants also discussed the need for industry collaboration to drive progress in this area.
As a result of the roundtable discussion, Music for Dementia and the University of Sheffield will be spearheading a new taskforce to improve music accessibility for people living with dementia. Karim Fanous, Director of Innovation and New Digital Business at Universal Music Group, expressed his support for the initiative, stating that “music for wellness and health is a vital area” and that UMG is honored to be a part of the project.
Other industry leaders also shared their thoughts on the importance of making music more accessible. Emily Ingram, General Manager of UMG Health and Wellness, stated that “accessibility matters” and that UMG’s Sound Therapy project on Apple Music and their in-house Sollos research program are key components of their efforts to make the benefits of music more widely available.
The roundtable also included representatives from the BBC, who emphasized the importance of inclusivity in their work. Aleksandra Gojkovic, Senior Design Researcher at the BBC, thanked Music for Dementia for facilitating an “open and productive conversation” about accessibility in the industry.
Hailey Willington, Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at BPI, also highlighted the importance of inclusivity in the music ecosystem. She stated that the roundtable brought together various stakeholders to explore the barriers preventing people living with dementia from accessing music and that by working together, the industry can redefine what accessible music technology looks like.
Howard Gordon, Chair of Meeting Centres England and Co-Chair of Deepness Dementia Media Ltd, emphasized the importance of involving people living with dementia in the co-production of new product designs. He stated that individuals with dementia know what is needed better than anyone and should be seen as rights holders and human beings, not defined by their diagnosis.
Recent research by Music for Dementia has revealed the scale of the problem, with only 3 in 10 older family carers able to stream music with their loved ones. Similarly, a study 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, stated that “the generation that created popular music is now increasingly locked out of it” and that the roundtable aimed to address this issue. She emphasized the need for cross-sector collaboration, better design practices, and a commitment to co-production with users and carers.
The roundtable also included presentations on the Yoto Player trial, which adapted the popular children’s audio player for people living with dementia. The trial found that 92% of participating families would recommend screen-free music devices for older people. Dr. Jennifer MacRitchie also presented the co-designed devices and research findings from the Music, Dementia, Technology project at the University of Sheffield, which involved people living with dementia in the development of devices for playback of familiar music and creating new music.
In the UK, there are 940,000 people living with dementia, and this number is projected to rise to 1.5 million by 2040. Research has shown that music can alleviate agitation and distress, support identity and self-hood, bring back memories and even abilities thought lost, create moments of connection and joy, and overcome isolation.