Dr. Richard Frenneaux offers a distinctive blend of academia and a notable background in the music industry. With significant contributions as the principal songwriter, frontman, and producer for Sony signed band, Red Light Company, he achieved commercial success, propelling their album Fine Fascination. Upon release, Fine Fascination achieved commercial success by peaking at number 13 on the UK Albums Chart and number 23 on the Scottish Albums Chart, with two weeks in the Top 75; it also reached number 7 on the Official Album Downloads Chart for five weeks. Red Light Company embarked on several tours, headlining their own shows while supporting high-profile acts such as the Kaiser Chiefs, Editors, Kasabian, The Killers, U2, Coldplay, and Snow Patrol.

The band received strong support from influential music outlets. Zane Lowe named their track "Arts & Crafts" the "Hottest Record in the World", and multiple singles from their album were B-listed on BBC Radio 1. Red Light Company was featured on several "Bands to Watch" lists, including those of NME and HMV, with additional endorsements from Edith Bowman of BBC Radio 1. Their single "Scheme Eugene" was named The Sun’s "Single of the Week," beating out tracks from artists like Britney Spears and Leona Lewis.

Notably, as a writer and producer, Dr. Frenneaux's collaborations with renowned artists such as Lana Del Rey and Natasha Bedingfield, alongside production maestro Flood, resulted in a 2 x Gold Record, as well as achieving 5th place in the San Remo Music Festival demonstrating his far-reaching impact on the music industry. 

Frenneaux has worked with rising talents like Essex singer-songwriter Joseph J. Jones, co-writing and producing his material. After Jones' single "Gospel Truth" spent over three months in the German Top 100 airplay chart and earned him an Anchor Award nomination, his follow-up track "Crawl" gained further momentum. It entered the German Top 150 airplay chart, appeared on Spotify’s New Music Friday playlists in ten markets, and hit viral charts in the UK, France, Italy, Austria, and Ireland, receiving airplay on BBC Radio 1, Capital Xtra, and Radio X. In addition, Dr. Frenneaux collaborated with Laura Welsh, whose music found critical and commercial success in both charts and film with a noteable contribution to the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. Together, they produced and wrote an EP that charted in the Top 10 on the US iTunes Chart. 

Richard Frenneaux has made significant contributions to the world of film, television, and commercial music through various soundtrack syncs. His work includes notable placements on New Jersey Television and Sex & Violence. He collaborated with John Powell and Laura Welsh on the 2015 film Pan, while his co-written and produced track "Crawl" by Joseph J. Jones was featured in the end credits of Tin Star (Season 2, 2018). He also contributed additional music to The Royals (2018) and worked alongside George Kallis on the score for Anti-Social (2015). He also contributed to the original soundtrack of Farming (2019), directed by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, through the song “Gospel Truth” by Joseph J. Jones, which he wrote and produced. In the commercial space, Richard provided music for the global Sony Ericsson campaign in 2007 and collaborated with Laura Welsh on a charity campaign for Save the Children in 2014. Additionally, his track "Scheme Eugene" by Red Light Company was featured on the UEFA Blu-ray Disc (2008) as part of the Sony Electronics UEFA highlights.

In 2023, Dr. Frenneaux transitioned to academia, assuming the role of Assistant Professor in International Communications at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. His research examines the contemporary music industry through the lenses of platform disruption, participatory culture, and creative labour, with key publications including A New Paradigm of Engagement for the Socially Distanced Artist (2021), The Rise of Independent Artists and the Paradox of Democratisation in the Digital Age (2023), Dead Formats, Living Futures: Speculative Nostalgia and the MiniDisc (New Media & Society, 2025), and the monograph The Music Industry in the Digital Age: How Platforms are Redefining Pop, DIY and Participatory Culture (Bloomsbury, 2025).

Further strengthening the connection between academia and industry, in 2023 Dr. Frenneaux secured a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Arturia, a world-leading music technology company. This partnership provides invaluable resources and support to the School of International Communications, offering students direct access to cutting-edge music production tools and reinforcing the program’s credibility with tangible industry connections.

Expertise:

• Practitioner Expertise: Dr. Frenneaux combines years of hands-on experience as a successful songwriter and producer with his academic focus, offering deep insights into the music industry.

• Industry-Rooted Research: His work is informed by a credible track record in music production, having collaborated with renowned artists and contributed to commercially successful projects.

• Innovative Perspectives: With a background in both the creative and technical aspects of music, Dr. Frenneaux brings a unique practitioner-driven approach to his research on platform disruption, DIY culture, and music technology.

Chart Positions & Industry Impact

Certification:

2 x Gold Record - Bagnati Dal Sole - Noemi

In week 52, the single was certified gold with over 15,000 physical copies sold, and in 2016 the certification was reconfirmed thanks to the achievement of 25,000 digital downloads.

BiliBili Channel

Dr. Richard Frenneaux runs a RedNote channel with over 25,000 subscribers and a BiliBili channel with over 20,000 subscribers, where he shares insights on songwriting, music production, and the music industry, blending practical expertise with academic knowledge.

Google Scholar

ResearchGate

• Music industry
• Platform Disruption
• Participatory Culture
• Media
• DIY

Undergraduate 2024-2025:

• Communication & Technology (Convener)
• Understanding the Chinese Creative Industries
• Transmedia Narratives and Digital Literacy
• Researching Communications 2
• Documentary and Reality
• BA Dissertation Supervision

Post Graduate 2024-2025:

• Music Technology, Production and Industry (Convener)
• MA Dissertation Supervision
• PhD Supervision

NAA 2024-2025:

• Music Technology

Marketing and Communications Officer, School of International Communications

FHSS Director of Social Media and Communication