Artist management is arguably the hardest (and often the most thankless) job in the music business. It is especially hard for new managers working new acts to get a proper foothold in the industry – and harder still for those in the UK outside of London. To help address this, the Music Managers’ Forum has launched an accelerator programme for managers in partnership with YouTube Music – and it is putting its money where its mouth is.
There will be a new independent fund to help support new managers in England and Scotland in the early stages of their career and 12-month grants of up to £15,000 will be made available to successful applicants. This will sit alongside training and mentoring from established names in the management community.
The first round of applications is now open, with a deadline of midday on 31st October. (Disclaimer: successful applicants will benefit from an intensive year-long training and mentorship programme, delivered in partnership with CMU Insights and Music Ally.) Fiona McGugan, GM of the Music Managers’ Forum, said, “The role of music management has undoubtedly been elevated across the past decade. It’s a challenging profession, and a good manager needs to be across all aspects of their client’s business – be they an artist, a songwriter or a producer. However, many managers also face financial uncertainty, particularly in the early stages of their career, and we fear that without proper support the music industry will lose vital talent from across the country.” Azi Eftekhari of YouTube Music added, “We believe passionately in the importance of managers in developing the next wave of UK talent. YouTube Music is proud to partner with the Music Managers Forum on the Accelerator Programme which we hope is a game-changer in providing emerging managers the opportunity to hone their skills and focus on their business.”
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