Available to book
Neil West
Transform digital entertainment strategies with Neil West, speaker and digital music industry pioneer. Neil works with organisations to navigate content transformation and digital innovation, delivering insights from 25 years at Apple, Rhapsody and as #4 in The Guardian's Music Power 100.
Neil West is a well-known icon in the digital music and entertainment industry, with 25 years of experience in digital content transformation. He has played a significant role in reshaping how we consume music and online content, particularly during his time at Apple, where he served as Head of Music and later as Head of Services. At Apple, Neil led the music team in Europe, overseeing the growth of iTunes into the world's largest music retailer and the launch of Apple Music.
In Southern and Eastern Europe, he co-founded and curated the iTunes Festival and managed various services, including the App Store, Apple TV+, and Apple Podcasts. Before joining Apple, he was the European Editor-in-Chief for Rhapsody, the first music streaming subscription service. He also held the position of Creative Director at GarageBand.com and was Editor-in-Chief of NEXT Generation, a leading US video game magazine.
His recognition as #4 in The Guardian’s Music Power 100 in 2011 underscores his influence in the industry. Neil's conferences are known for their innovative insights into the digital entertainment landscape. He engages audiences with personal stories and trend analysis, providing valuable lessons on the evolution of the digital market. In his TEDx Talk, Neil explores management lessons from Apple and The Beatles, drawing parallels between their team-building approaches. He enjoys sharing ideas with organisations to inspire growth, focusing on simple themes, guiding customers through change, and effective team management.
Topics, sessions and talks
Neil West delves into Steve Jobs' philosophy that simplicity can be more challenging than complexity. He examines how Apple thrives by embracing simplicity and offers insights on how attendees can apply these principles within their own organisations. Participants will learn practical strategies to streamline processes and enhance creativity, ultimately empowering them to achieve remarkable results.
Neil West explores how Apple has become the world’s most successful company by guiding billions of customers through change. He shares valuable insights and strategies that can help businesses effectively lead their customers on a transformative journey. Attendees will learn practical lessons from Apple’s approach to change management, equipping them with the tools to foster customer engagement and drive successful transformations in their own organisations.
Neil West draws parallels between Steve Jobs and The Beatles, highlighting Jobs' belief that "My model for management is The Beatles." With 16 years of experience managing teams at Apple, Neil shares insights on effective team management inspired by both icons. Attendees will learn valuable best practices that can enhance their own team dynamics and foster creativity, ultimately leading to greater success in their management roles.
Neil West, Apple’s former Head of Music in Europe, recounts the transformative journey of the iTunes Music Store, which evolved into the world’s largest music platform in just seven years. He shares captivating stories involving icons like Beyoncé, The Beatles, and Bono, along with insights from the iTunes Festival. Attendees will gain valuable lessons from this experience and a vision of the future of music consumption.
Neil West explores emerging trends in the digital entertainment landscape. Drawing on his extensive experience, he forecasts the evolution of consumption habits and highlights the technologies that will shape the industry's future. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the direction of digital entertainment and learn how to adapt to these changes effectively.
Book Neil West as your speaker to gain invaluable insights from a digital transformation pioneer. With 25 years at Apple, he shares proven strategies for team building, customer engagement, and simplicity in innovation. His engaging style and unique perspectives will inspire your organisation to embrace change and drive growth.
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
Email neil.west@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Neil's availability and fees. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and a bit about your audience.
No. PepTalk adds no booking fee, so you pay the speaker's fee and nothing beyond it. The service, from shortlist through to contracts and event-day logistics, is included. For repeat or multi-event bookings, PepTalk can agree preferential rates with your procurement team.
Share your event date, audience, format, objectives and budget, and PepTalk sends a hand-picked shortlist within 24 hours. Each suggestion comes with a profile, a fee and a recommendation on the strongest fit. Once you choose, PepTalk handles contracts, travel and logistics through to event day.
The typical fee range is the speaker's standard in-person fee in their home market, shown in their local currency. It moves with format, location, date and session length: virtual sessions and shorter slots usually cost less, while international travel and peak dates cost more. Send your brief to PepTalk and the team will confirm the exact fee in your currency.
Not all of them, and it makes no difference to your booking. PepTalk's network of 15,000+ speakers covers talent the team works with directly alongside speakers represented by agents and agencies worldwide. PepTalk approaches the speaker, negotiates the fee and handles contracting either way.
Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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