Over the last two years, Rupinder Virdee has redefined strategic communications for PRS For Music both domestically and internationally. With a vision to bring the music business closer to the industry as a whole, she has joined the dots between the creative members at PRS and the organisation, changing perceptions and increasing visibility of the people behind the scenes. As a strong advocate for underrepresented music communities namely the rock, jazz and South Asian communities, Virdee’s work recently led to the first-ever South Asian headliner at the BME stage at SXSW Texas this year. 

Coming up through the industry, as a junior publicist, Virdee made her mark with Arrested PR, representing global music artists including Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Jon B, D12, Kray Twinz, Hed Kandi, Brand New Heavies and more. Being passionate about addressing barriers to progression within the music industry – not least when it comes to increasing representation of diverse talent – led her to pioneer comprehensive PR strategies for ethnically diverse artists 20 years ago, a time when few others had ventured into this space.

Virdee launched publicity campaigns joining the western music world with the South Asian world, garnering coverage for the likes of The Pussycat Dolls in Indian designer Rocky S, Sean Kingston’s Bollywood Girls and Timbaland’s Indian Flute, and the Kray Twinz. She co-founded the Sikh Press Association alongside Jagraj Sing to challenge the media perception of the community and to raise awareness of the community's struggles with racial discrimination post 9/11, which included education and awareness of Islamophobia and the wider affected communities that faced violence after the attacks. She was also instrumental in the launch of Langar Week highlighting the lack of food banks but the availability of hot food at Gurdwaras nationally during the early food crisis in the UK. Langar Week now has participants in 20 countries around the world. 

In her bid to relentlessly champion women, Virdee has also launched various campaigns. Working with the founder of Binti Period, a menstrual health charity, she devised and helped to launch the ground-breaking initiative to provide free period products across Surrey. Surrey County Council then became the first council in the UK to provide free period products across the county. Virdee then worked with the charity to launch menstrual education in The Gambia, making it part of the national curriculum.

Today, she sits on the advisory committee for The Brit School, is an advocate for South Asian music creatives, a regular voice on BBC Asian Network, BBC Radio London sharing her opinion on the impact of South Asian music globally, a mentor and music manager. 

How do you feel about joining the Music Week Women In Music Roll Of Honour?

“Overwhelming to be honest. I am being held in high company in a class which features some of the most remarkable women that are game changers in the music industry. I feel on top of the world.”

How do you look back on your early years getting into the industry?

“When I fell into PR, I hadn’t graduated university at the time and, to be honest, I remember thinking PR wasn't for me but I threw myself into it just to get a foot in the door! I started as an intern doing every job available, making tea, getting paper cuts on press mailers, a million-post office runs, cutting and pasting PR cuttings from newspapers and magazines, armed with a Pritstick and scissors making press books for clients and labels to working for a PR company with top charting artists like Louise Redknapp within a few months! Then I graduated to running national press campaigns for household names to finally setting up my own agency. I’ve been working in the industry for 24 years now, in many guises but always anchored in PR and marketing, and one lesson I once learned still serves me well – the art of storytelling. Being able to craft analogue stories in a digital world keeps connectivity alive, and that is what has kept me in this field.”

Did you have a mentor at that stage?

“Early on I didn’t have a mentor – it was more just about going out and doing it, saying yes, and just getting stuck in. I did have a mentor a little later in George Metcalfe, Hugh Hefner’s publicist, who gave me great advice. I also have to call out Nihal Arthanayake who not only opened the door for me into a new world but also held it firmly open to help me grow.” 

PRS For Music is a key organisation – what are the challenges involved in strategic communications at the heart of the music industry? 

“PRS for Music is a unique organisation that, under the charge of Andrea C Martin, is moving at lightspeed. Historically the organisation has always been progressive in its support and offering to members and the wider industry, and today we are looking at a sophisticated and technologically-advanced organisation that is driving support and innovation for songwriters and the creator community. One of the challenges now comes from living in a digital world, a space where people can curate their feeds and how they consume information. This means we have to really know and tune into our membership so we can ensure we reach them and, more importantly, hear them. We have global teams who are working in a number of different time zones which is always a challenge, but what makes it easier is a strong internal team that shares the same values.”

How are you helping to create more awareness of the crucial work that PRS does for its members?

“It’s not an easy job, but we have great industry partnerships that make it just that much easier to communicate what we do. We also have a very knowledgeable outreach and writer relationship team across the UK and in India, USA and the African continent who work closely with our members face-to-face, which is vital to keep that human relationship alive. Social media has been something we have really leant into to share the stories of not just our work but our members' stories and we can’t do this without them. Excited to say that we also recently launched our TikTok channel to further remain within a space that our members also use and thrive in.”

Andrea C Martin won at the awards last year – what was that moment like for the organisation? And how has she supported female executive talent at PRS?

“Andrea has been absolutely incredible for the organisation in many many ways. Her drive is insatiable and her desire to make every person at PRS seen has been a game changer. To see her being recognised for her work in the music business having come from a different industry was incredibly received and showed us all that there is a power in investing in people and the pay off can be high. In my personal experience, she has been a driving force in supporting the female executives in the business by offering a safe space for them to thrive. She has, without exception, been integral in my growth at PRS and allowed me space to redefine our comms at PRS, offering advice and encouragement through the peaks and the troughs.”

You have worked to support South Asian communities in music, how have you helped to deliver increased representation for talent?

“I remember starting in the music industry and not seeing one South Asian face until I met Nihal and knew about Indy V. It was inspiring to see someone like Indy, who looked like me, in a public role for a big label. But for almost a decade after that I didn’t see many more. I remember being on BBC Radio London 13 years ago talking about how crazy it was that there was a clear lack of visibility and representation of South Asian people – an entire facet of the British community that are just invisible and not seen, who are thriving in their own worlds but not represented at all. The power in delivering increased reputation comes from reciprocating what Nihal did for me. I am in a position to make influential connections, build networks and ensure the inclusion and representation of South Asian talent within the wider music industry. This looks like putting South Asian names forward for opportunities such as SXSW, Glastonbury, and even just the visual representation and inclusion of the community in marketing, advertising, speaker opportunities and more. One thing that is critical and I have worked in this space with intent is, is education for the community so they understand what is often a complex business.”

What’s your biggest achievement so far? 

“Outside of being a mother, seeing other young people take on the industry by storm excites me. I am lucky enough to be able to speak and advise young executives who are taking on the behemoth of the music industry and then seeing them take leaps and bounds into great positions is what makes me feel a sense of achievement. I was born and grew up in Kenya but we were forced to come to the UK under dire circumstances and not much in our pockets. We left everything we knew behind to start in a new country which, as a child, is disarming. Thinking back, we were one step away from homelessness, five of us living in one single room, to now being able to be seen and honoured as a woman in the music industry by Music Week and the Roll Of Honour judges, is far beyond what I could have imagined. It’s a reminder to dream big because anything is possible.”

What advice would you offer young women about enjoying a successful career in music?

“Trust your gut and don’t be talked out of ideas that you really believe in. Believe in yourself and articulate what you bring to the table. We work in a male-dominated industry and it’s not always easy, but you can create your own path by leaning into a great network of women and leading with conviction. Oh, and always return phone calls – you never know where relationships can grow!”

What’s the best advice you’ve ever had?

“It sounds really simple, but take a break. We live in a world and industry which is known for its pressures on delivery – everything is now, now, now. Taking time out and enjoying the many bucket-list experiences we have access to reminds us of why it’s wonderful to work in the industry we do.”

Is there a young woman you'd like to shout out who you think is a rising star in the industry?

“Yes, Anna Hazarika! She’s amazing! She works at PRS as a royalties distribution coordinator but is a fierce champion of Asian talent from across all of Asia. She runs a great outlet called Asian Tones bringing together Asian creators for events, interviews, new music, connectivity and networking celebrating the sounds of the scene and continuing the bid for representation.”

Similarly, is there a young woman artist whose music you're enjoying right now?

“I am in love with Asha Gold. I feel like I have her music on repeat! She’s self-taught, self-sufficient, her own marketing and tour manager, a songwriter, guitarist, creates her own campaigns and I won’t be surprised if she soon becomes a household name! Please check her out.”

Finally, what’s your biggest lesson from 2024 so far? 

“I have had a few…  remember that nothing is impossible and continue to be kind, it will get you far. Remain focused on a singular goal, it will reward you, and finally, burnout is not essential for success.”