Key Production Group
We’ve been working with Key Production Group to raise the profile of Founder & CEO, Karen Emanuel, based on her 30 years in the music business. Key Production specialises in the production and manufacture of CDs, DVDs and vinyl records, as well as the beautifully art-worked packaging for both music and other industries. For over a quarter of a century, it's staff has been forming great relationships with major record labels and independent artists to create successful projects making ‘the stuff of music’.
Check out this interview for Reuters TV. Or this report for China Central TV, filmed at Key's HQ in North London.
Key Production’s work can be seen in the full A-to-Z of music artists, from Alt-J to The XX, and its creations even include cassettes. This 'forgotten' spool-tastic format is now lusted after by a growing army of music fans in search of novelty and 'cuteness' factor! We secured an entire page in The Guardian featuring Karen’s opinions on why cassettes are back, plus articles in inews, GQ, and MoneyWise. Interest in this resurgence earned Karen a sofa interview on BBC World News TV, and on BBC Radio Scotland, as well as highly popular interview with BBC Radio London, which saw hundreds of listeners send in emails about their 'mix tapes' and fondness for the format!
Vinyl Revival
The vinyl revival of recent years fuelled a 10% rise in record sales in 2020 - 4.8m produced in total. The surge in record player sales meant TV shows such as The Gadget Show got in the experts to test which had the best sound. Key Production pressed the show's theme tune, as you can see in this episode where actor and DJ, Craig Charles, tests the turntables.
In December 2022, it was widely reported that vinyl record sales had eclipsed those of CDs by revenue for the first time in 30+ years. However, CD sales remained strong and surpassed those of records by volume. Karen Emanuel discussed the rise of physical music sales with Sally Bundock on BBC World News in January 2023, sharing her predictions for the music industry to the channel's 404,000,000 monthly viewers.
Greening the 'Stuff' of Music
In 2020 our team produced a detailed case study of Key Production's Sustainability Statement, and announced news of its carbon balancing. This was achieved in collaboration with C-Level via CommuniTree - a certified long-term project that has already planted its millionth tree in Nicaragua. (Karen also manages to run the eco-hotel she built on Lake Nicaragua. Listen to her talk about her deep connection with this Central American nation on The Thoughtful Traveller podcast, via Spotify.)
Karen was interviewed about her sustainability philosophy and actions in a podcast for Edie.net, which detailed Key's long-term efforts to make the entire supply chain more sustainable. This was a theme Euronews explored in an article entitled, Is our addiction to Spotify ruining the planet? Top tip for people who stream music: if you listen to certain tracks a lot, download them rather than repeatedly streaming them because cooling servers takes a lot of energy...
Leading From the Front as a Thought Leader in Music
Besides inspiring other entrepreneurs via titles such as HR Magazine, Be The Business, Business Matters, and Record of The Day, the Curious PR team finds Karen speaking opportunities at UK universities, colleges and schools: This woman CAN – and having run Key Production for 30 years (in 2020), she’s inspiring others to reach for their ultimate goal, too. Check out this podcast recorded in New York with Brian Funk to hear how.
Indeed, that's why Karen co-founded Moving The Needle, an initiative we launched on International Women's Day in 2021. MTN has bold ambitions to educate and help women in UK music overcome potential barriers to reach their full potential - whichever role or niche they hold, and whatever their background, ethnicity or gender. Read more about MTN via this article we secured in Music Week, and here in our Blog.
