The Glossary: Sharri Morris | Strategic Brand & Partnerships Creative Consultant

Introducing Sharri Morris. 

Sharri Morris is a Strategic Brand & Partnerships Consultant who builds culture-driven partnership ecosystems across music and technology, leading upstream brand strategy and shaping client narratives through meaningful connections between creative communities and organisations.

With over twelve years of experience spanning brand leadership at Ableton, Primephonic (now Apple Music Classical), 7digital, and UMG, she has shaped global go-to-market strategies and activated partnerships with major players like Warner, Dolby, Bowers & Wilkins, and the BFI. Her background at Nielsen/Gracenote, where she managed the EMEA Music Team overseeing the global music database that powers streaming platforms, deepens her understanding of music ecosystems at scale.

Driven by a commitment to inclusive brand leadership, Sharri founded Delia Bookings, an artist bookings agency supporting marginalised artists across Europe.

Now working independently, she advises brands, festivals, and non-profits on partnership architecture, cultural strategy, and product positioning, blending relationship building, creative thinking, and cross-functional collaboration to help organisations show up with clarity and purpose.

At the heart of her work sits one question: how can partnerships create genuine value beyond simple cross-promotion?

What is your role in music and what does your day to day look like?
I work independently as a brand and partnerships strategist across music, culture, and technology. My focus is on building bridges between creative communities and the companies that want to support them in ways that feel meaningful and long lasting. I design partnership ecosystems, shape strategic narratives, and help organisations show up with clarity and purpose.

Before becoming independent, I spent several years at Ableton. I worked first as Senior Brand Strategist and later as the Global Brand Partnerships Lead, collaborating closely with leadership and product teams. That experience helped me understand how storytelling, product vision, and community impact all intersect inside a global music tech company. It shaped how I approach brand strategy and partnerships today. Everything external starts with understanding who a brand truly is and why/what it wants to stand for.

My current day-to-day can include developing co-marketing concepts, shaping community initiatives, mapping cultural strategy for a new product, or advising on partnership proposals for brands, festivals, or non profits. The work blends relationship building, creative thinking, and a lot of cross functional collaboration.

At the heart of it all sits one question: how do we create something that supports the music making community in a genuine way? Partnerships are never just cross promotion. They should be built on shared values, mutual growth, and a belief that together you can create more than you could alone.

How did you get into your line of work?
I have always been drawn to the space where creativity and strategy overlap. Over the past twelve years I have shaped global marketing at Primephonic which is now Apple Music Classical, built partnerships with Warner, UMG, the BFI and Bowers and Wilkins, created content for Technics and HMV Digital at 7digital, and helped launch UMGs first streaming service in collaboration with Classic FM and Global Radio. I also founded “Delia Bookings” artist bookings agency (named after the mega talented babe, Delia Derbyshire!!) which supported marginalised artists in gaining access to clubs and festivals across Europe.

None of it followed a tidy plan. I said yes to opportunities, learned constantly, and built experience across marketing, partnerships, editorial strategy, and community work. I started young, doing street team work before social media, collecting emails outside gigs, taking on internships, and saying yes to anything that taught me how music, audiences, and storytelling work together.

Every role strengthened a different part of my skill set. My time at Ableton brought that full circle, blending music, technology, cultural insight, and global impact. Becoming independent now feels like a natural extension of all of it.

What skills are important in your job?
Relationship building, active listening, and communication. To collaborate well, try to understand what motivates people, how they work, and what they care about.

Strategic thinking. A partnership should always connect to long term goals. You need to understand business priorities, DEI and ESG considerations, user needs, and creative vision all at once.

Creative problem solving. Campaigns shift, partners evolve, teams change. Flexibility and imagination make the work stronger.

Business acumen. Strong partnerships rely on understanding commercial value, measuring impact, and making room for both quantitative and qualitative outcomes.

Cultural sensitivity and curiosity. Working across regions means recognising nuance, timing, and context whether you are in Amsterdam or Athens.

If someone is excited to do what you do, what advice would you give them?
Start with people. Trust, clarity, and empathy shape the foundation of any strong collaboration. Study the brands you admire and understand their deeper purpose. Think about how you would help them connect with the world in a way that feels true.

Begin small. Some of my most formative projects were grassroots, low budget, and highly collaborative. Those early experiences taught me how to move from strategy to execution and how to navigate creative and commercial conversations.

Hold on to your integrity. A strong partnership is never just a transaction. It is built on shared intention from the very beginning, with both sides invested in what they are creating.

What have you found surprising about your role?
The most surprising part has always been how human the work really is. Even within large companies and complex systems, success usually comes down to trust and shared vision. It is rarely about volume or flash. It is about alignment.

Another surprise is how wide the impact can be. Some of the most meaningful work I have done has involved community building and expanding access to opportunities. My collaboration with Doors Open is a great example of how partnerships can widen career pathways and help demystify roles within music and technology.

Partnerships can shift culture. They can open doors that did not exist before. That is the part of the work I value the most.

What are your top 3 tips for someone who wants to work in the music industry?
Cultivate curiosity and be a lifelong learner. The music industry is super dynamic. Stay curious about new technologies, genres, business models, and cultural shifts. Attend workshops (e.g "Doors Open"!!), webinars, read industry news, listen to new music, and never stop learning. This adaptability is your superpower.

Build a genuine network and community. It's often said, "it's who you know" but it's more about building authentic relationships. Be generous with your knowledge, support others, and find like-minded folks …your peers! Attend events, connect with people online, and always follow up. The industry thrives on collaboration and community.

Focus on your unique value and transferable skills. Don't feel pressured to fit into a predefined box. Think about what unique perspective, skill set, or passion you bring. The music industry needs diverse talents, from finance to tech, marketing to mental health support. Highlight your transferable skills, and be ready to carve out your own niche, especially if you come from an underrepresented background; your perspective is incredibly valuable.

Explore jobs in electronic music on Doors Open here