Sofia Ilyas - Interview

“The first piece of advice I’d give is to really be yourself and explore your personality.”

Sofia Ilyas reflects on her career in the music industry, personal growth, and her role of Chief Community Officer at Beatport.

Interview: Félicie Zufferey

Sofia Ilyas' journey into the music industry was not born out of traditional pathways; it stemmed from a genuine love for music and a desire to do something meaningful. Her unique trajectory led her to become the Chief Community Officer at Beatport, where she brings a blend of passion and strategic insight to the industry.

In the interview, Sofia shares her career milestones, from overcoming initial challenges to her role at Beatport. She discusses the impact of her early experiences, which fueled her passion and shaped her professional path.

Sofia approaches her work with a philosophy that centers on authenticity and exploration of self, which she believes are crucial for making genuine connections within the community. Her story is a testament to embracing her identity as one of the few Pakistani women in the music industry, using her insights to lead initiatives that resonate beyond the music industry.

Sofia, with your significant career in the music industry and now your role as Chief Community Officer at Beatport, you've been at the forefront of community initiatives. Could you retrace your career for us, sharing key moments and the “WHY” of you getting started in this industry?

At the end of my 20s, I felt a bit disheartened and wanted to do something more meaningful with my work, so I decided to follow the one thing I loved—music. I didn't know how to get close to the industry, and used music venues as my place to network. I would stand at the sound booth and get to know sound engineers and lighting staff; the record labels would usually hang out at the sound booth, too. Soon, I got to know a lot of people and artists that way.

One day, I was at a Nils Frahm show, and his live performance struck me so much. Shortly after, I moved to Berlin and was suddenly surrounded by incredible composers such as Dustin O'Halloran, Ólafur Arnalds, and Anne Müller. I started working at their label, Erased Tapes, doing their PR, and that's how my music career began. I had no experience in the music industry or PR, so it was a bit of a leap to leave London and my job behind to start PR for these artists. But I was eager to learn and give it my everything.

All of these artists are deeply passionate about their craft, and I was fortunate to learn all aspects of production quickly. When it came to PR, I was naturally curious about them and how they made their music. This curiosity came across in how I presented their music, as I wanted to pass that on to journalists.

One key moment I'm proud of is being part of Nils Frahm's journey and breaking him into a wider audience. It was difficult at the beginning to get exposure for instrumental music, which didn't fit into any genre being covered in the media at the time. But after three focused years of working towards a collective goal, we suddenly broke him into the scene.

During my music career, I was more focused on marketing and PR, but I was always aware of diversity, especially as one of the few Pakistani women in the industry. So when I saw the role at Beatport, it felt like a natural progression away from PR and marketing and into a more community-focused role, which has always been at the heart of my work. I was impressed and inspired to see a role focused solely on community initiatives.

Throughout your career, you've undoubtedly encountered challenges. Could you share a significant challenge that shaped your professional trajectory and your personal growth?

At the beginning of my career in music, I was conscious of not knowing much. I hadn’t attended University or had any music education, and I only started going to live shows at 28. My music knowledge was low, so I felt a lot of insecurity, especially when expressing an opinion. My opinions were based directly on what a sound made me think/feel, and I reasoned with the recording quality as much as I did with notes being played.

That lack of knowledge drove me to learn about mixing, mastering, production, record labels, record stores, etc. I wanted to understand the whole ecosystem. It took me a few years to become confident in my opinions and voice them; now, you can’t stop me.

What at first felt like a weakness, became my strength.

Taking a positive approach and learning as much as possible helped me. Often, I need to set aside my ego and frustrations and understand it doesn't matter if I don't know everything. Not to compare yourself to others and know we all bring something unique based on our backgrounds.

As Chief Community Officer at Beatport, what are some of the current challenges you face?

Beatport recognised that improving diversity in the DJ community could not be achieved through a marketing campaign or a one-off effort; instead, it needed constant support and focus.

One of the challenges I’ve faced since starting the role is where to focus my best efforts to improve the current landscape.

For now, I’ve focused more on offline initiatives that bring people together to learn from one another and feel the positive force of the community in the room to inspire change.

However, what I should do in my role is constantly evolving, and it can be challenging to know where best to focus myself for effective change.

In your role, balancing numerous responsibilities is crucial. Do you have any specific routines that help you manage your workload and maintain your creativity? For example, what does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day begins in the morning. I like to think and visualise my work and then make notes and plan. I then do what I call focused/power hours, usually for at least four hours with no breaks or distractions. Then, I go for a walk or workout and cook for myself. I work a bit, usually an hour, and then I’m all about listening to music and drifting away.

After music, I’m a huge foodie; I’m vegan and eat natural ingredients as much as possible. Food greatly impacts our mental and physical health, so it’s a big priority in my daily life.

About creativity, I lean on my network for opinions and thoughts on projects. Often, they see things I haven't thought of, especially my team, Grace and Ryan, who are great to bounce ideas off. Collaborating keeps your creativity going as you achieve much more with others.

Given your deep involvement in the music scene, are there particular genres or artists that inspire your work right now?

I have a monthly two-hour show on Soho Radio. It inspires me to search for music, current and past.

Recently, I did a two-hour show of music from Japan, which took me on a great journey of discovery.

I’m firstly piano obsessed, but I also love other genres such as hip-hop, grime, etc. I’m pretty broad with what I like and try to incorporate that into my piano events. On that note, I hope to do a piano event in Tokyo next year. So, if you’re a pianist in Tokyo, please get in touch with me!

This video features Japanese artist Hinako Omori for Sofia’s Piano Day event in 2023 at the National Gallery

Looking forward, what initiatives or projects at Beatport are you most excited about?

The events we organise as the Community team at Beatport really inspire me. Each time we do them, we make genuine connections and learn a lot in preparing for them.

I was hugely proud of my team for the recent Pride exhibition we executed in London. Seeing all the incredible images from the queer community come to life from London nightlife was incredible.

Another exciting project is our $150,000 Diversity + Parity fund, launched by our CEO, Robb McDaniels, and sits with my team. Each year, we spread the fund across 5-6 organisations that champion diversity. Japanese collectives can join the waiting list.

Beatport’s Diversity + Parity fund

Beatport recently hosted its first event in Tokyo, 'IMS Connect in Tokyo'. Could you share your perspective on how the event went and what this means for Beatport's future in Japan?

It was exciting to bring our first-ever IMS/Beatport event to Tokyo through IMS Connect.

Japan is a place where we have many Beatport customers. We are also keen to connect with the music community there more, and the event acted as a gateway for direct communication.

I was so impressed to see such a young, dynamic ground in the room, eager to listen and learn.

It was really important to me that the artists were all Japanese and the whole event was in Japanese, too. It was great to see so many happy faces. I met so many incredible people leading up to the event, and during the event, I learned so much about the Tokyo music scene and the culture. It’s such an inspiring place, and it's great to see so many young people wanting to learn about making music and connecting.

At Beatport and IMS, we want to connect with the local scene, especially the record labels and local artists.

To conclude, for those looking to make a positive impact in the music industry, what advice would you offer?

The first piece of advice I’d give is to really be yourself and explore your personality. That will help you source connections that resonate with you and inspire you.

When you first try to connect with the music industry, it can be daunting, but connect in ways that are immediately accessible to you and in your own community, such as record stores and music venues.

Listen, observe, and think about how you can add a positive element to the music world and what your place can be. Don’t rush to find that answer; if you focus on connecting and discussing, the answers will come to you.

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