For me, the Music Industry is all about community and connection.
It was present when I first started hosting gigs when I was 16 in a small North Norfolk town. It was present every time I toured across Europe with friends in independent bands, sleeping on floors and sharing meals. It is found in gig venues, festivals, colleges and clubs up and down this country, as scenes are built and history made.
What makes our Music Industry so special, so addictive, is the people you meet, the second-hand passion and excitement you get from sharing ideas, discovering emerging artists, and being part of something bigger than yourself.
There may be no better city to represent this than Manchester.
The Hacienda, The Salford Lads Club, Band on The Wall, and New Century have all played their part in developing some of the biggest artists in the World. Now, Manchester has added Aviva Studios to the mix, a multi-use space opened in 2023, home of Factory International, where Beyond The Music: Inspire hosted its second year of conferences, panels and interviews focused on developing the next generation of creative talent.
Beyond The Music
Beyond The Music: Inspire offered two days of panels, masterclasses & workshops to help attendees make the most of their opportunities as they develop their careers in the creative industries. Free to access, it welcomed a wonderful mix of students, artists, producers and those wanting to work in the Music Business, to sit front and centre to listen to experienced Industry personnel, and share their stories and advice.
As host and presenter, I felt the warm buzz of opportunity and enthusiasm as I took to the stage to kick things off in front of a full audience, introducing the first panel, “What Comes Next? How to take the next steps in your creative career”.
The panel, made up of influential educators and experienced professionals, Dr Kirsty Fairclough (School of Digital Arts), Gary Briggs (Factory Academy), Jemma Tanswell (Reform Radio), Mark XTC (Manchester College), Jon Green (Unity Radio) and Ian Johnson (Access Creative/Access Industry), gave valuable advice for anyone looking to break through into the Music Industry.
They explored essential skills to work in the Music Industry and make the most of Beyond The Music. Being organised and on time, the importance of networking to build contacts, to collaborate and discover new opportunities, and the importance of being polite and respectful to your peers as you never know when you might cross paths again in the future.
Our Music Industry is smaller than you might think. Attend any industry conference or festival and you are bound to bump into familiar faces. The sooner you can shed any self-consciousness you may have, you can develop comfort by introducing yourself to your peers, and being able to pitch your ideas, the easier it will be to find and secure opportunities, making a name for yourself. It isn’t easy, but as we mentioned during the panel – we were all starting out in music at some stage. We know what it’s like to start that journey.
Past, Present & Future
Later in the morning, Richard Addis introduced the conference to Dolby Atmos Music; explaining why cutting-edge immersive audio technology is rapidly becoming the industry standard. Instead of simply stereo mixing to pan-recorded sounds left and right, Dolby Atmos allows users to dynamically position sounds in three dimensions – left, right, forward, behind and all around the listener, transforming music into a more spatial experience.
Production Futures and the PSA (Production Services Association) walked through the pathways to work behind the scenes at concerts and festivals, shedding light on often hidden roles such as stage managers, engineers, riggers, lighting operators, and sound technicians. The people who make sure your favourite music events run smoothly. So often these roles are taken for granted while we’re waiting patiently for the headliner to grace the stage in muddy fields up and down the country.
After lunch, I returned to the stage as interviewer for the Changemaker Keynote, in conversation with Nick Raphael, to discuss the past, present and future of A&R. Nick has held some of the top jobs in Music at Epic, Universal, EMI and Capitol Records, as well as signing or launching the careers of Jay Z, Sam Smith, Charlotte Church, Olly Murs, JLS and Paloma Faith.
In an energetic exchange, Nick explained how having his finger on the pulse of trends, talent and gaps in the market, helped him find and sign Jay Z (who was getting big hits in the States but had no label to release in the UK) and Sam Smith (who had a massive hit in ‘Latch’ with Disclosure but no label outlet of his own). Nick celebrated artists having a wealth of digital tools now available to them, that ‘level the playing field’, encouraging the artists in attendance to commit the hours and admin in building and maintaining a social media presence, finding their voice and community along the way.
For me, the blueprint comes in understanding your authentic artistic offering, who your target audience is, and being consistent in the content and music you communicate to them. It won’t be easy, but nothing worth having is.
Once the panels had ended, Manchester’s many venues opened their doors to showcase the finest emerging artists on offer. I caught the solo set of Access Creative College alumni Arthur Black at the Castle Hotel, whose hypnotic performance had the crowd hanging onto her every entrancing word. One to watch, for sure.
Friday at Beyond the Music
Deb Grant (BBC 6 Music) kicked things off on Friday discussing pathways into the Industry with Hannah Tinker (Albert Hall / Fair Play), Katherine Cantwell (Heavenly Recordings), Liv AKA Frequency3 (Artist), JoJo AKA mojojojojojo (Photographer), Natalie White (Aviva Studios), and Yelena Lashimba (Shimrise / Third Kulture / Reform Radio).
I loved this panel as it provided such an eclectic mix of roles, stories and insight. I met Katherine last year and she always provides a wonderful transparency and understanding to the A&R / label process at Heavenly. I particularly enjoyed Yelena and Liv expressing their differing outlooks on gig opportunities as artists with Yelena being strict on the minimum fee she would accept regardless of the slot, and Liv having a more flexible approach depending on the significance of the booker. As artists, you have to recognise your own red lines.
As well as sharing their attitude on progressing their careers, the panellists spoke on gender representation and how the industry still has a long way to go to reach parity on festival lineups and in positions of power. I added to this after the panel, recommending the audience check out PRS Keychange and ‘The F List’ for organisations that are working towards equity in music. You can’t be what you can’t see.
On the Thursday, the Arts Council took to the stage to explain how creatives can access financial support for their projects, and the Friday continued the introductions with four key music organisations that all musicians and artists should know about:
- PRS For Music is a membership organisation for music publishing, allowing songwriters to earn and receive royalties when their works are broadcast on TV or radio.
- PPL is a collection society that represents record companies and performers (featured and non-featured), ensuring they receive the royalties due when their recordings are played in public, broadcast on radio, TV or on Internet radio.
- Musician’s Union is the UK trade union for musicians. They work to maximise the employment and income of musicians, as well as improving working conditions and offering advice, support and legal assistance.
- UK Music is the collective voice of the UK’s music industry, representing all sectors with research, advocacy and guiding policy-makers to make decisions in the collective interest of our industry.
I strongly advise all students, performers and artists to look into all five organisations and what they can offer. Admin is often the last thing musicians or performers want to do, but without it, revenue (which could be invested in your next creative release) won’t filter through. Don’t overlook it.
After lunch, MTV Presenter Becca Dudley talked with top female executives Ana Karatziva (Vice President of Talent & Music at Paramount/MTV) and Sable Owusu (Head of Marketing, BET). While it’s very easy to feel disconnected from people at the very top of our business, hearing their career journeys helps to understand the paths available if you aim high. Being able to directly ask them questions about their experiences and engaging with their responses is something you will often only get to do in a conference setting.
Closing Beyond The Music: Inspire was the Changemaker artist interview. The Future Cut production duo of Tunde Babalola & Darren Lewis are behind some of the biggest hits in popular music from Rihanna, Nicole Scherzinger, Shakira and Lily Allen. Interviewed by Mike Burgess, they took the audience on a journey from being young producers in Manchester, to working with artists in New York, LA and the World over.
It was a joy to hear the duo discuss their journey, building contacts, making hits and being so creatively connected. It won’t always go to plan, you might feel out of your depth at times, but you either win or you learn. I urge students to collaborate with their peers and their friends. You never know where you might find a creative spark, especially one that can stand the test of time and open doors to a future you never thought possible.
See you next year
And that was Beyond The Music for another year. I had the pleasure of bumping into dozens of familiar faces, many I had formed connections with on Instagram or LinkedIn and then solidified those relationships in person. Not to mention the students who came over to me and asked me questions about my career and advice on theirs.
If I can impart any advice or wisdom to you, the reader, it is this. Be curious about the things that excite you, and the people you connect with. Be authentically you. Trust that you have the intellect and commitment to reach whatever targets you have in life. Enjoy growing your knowledge and experience, and bring people along with you.
Community and connection are the reasons this entire industry exists.
Find yours, and flourish.
About Sunny
Sunny Winter (@sunnysjwinter) is known for his creative content discussing the Music Industry, Mental Health and Social Identity, as well as interviewing guests on stage and on screen. He has led conversations at BBC Introducing Live, Latitude Festival, Truck Festival, Wild Fields Festival, as well as being a studio contributor on BBC News and guest lecturing at Universities across the UK.
Sunny began his career as a concert promoter in Norwich, receiving press and praise from BBC Radio 1 and NME Magazine. Since then, he has completed multiple tours across 10 countries as a European Tour Manager for independent artists. He now works for a Major Label in London, specialising in International Neighbouring Rights.
He is passionate about sharing advice, knowledge and support to pay it forward to the next generation of the Music Industry.