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Pathways Into Music: The Fanbase Builder Programme in Northern Ireland

By CMU Editorial | Published on Friday 28 May 2021

Calling all early-career music makers in Northern Ireland. Don’t forget to check out the Fanbase Builder Programme launched by CMU’s Pathways Into Music Foundation and Help Musicians earlier this week.

The Fanbase Builder Programme will support fifteen early-career artists from Northern Ireland, providing each of them with the knowledge and support they need to progress on their own personal pathway into music. That includes access to a series of interactive webinars, a full-weekend of workshops in Belfast, and expert guidance through a practical fanbase building campaign, most likely based around a new release.

Participants will also receive a £500 bursary from Help Musicians to help fund their own fanbase building project. With support and advice from a team of music industry experts, artists will identify measurable objectives and a marketing strategy for their campaign, and then implement that plan and – in the process – grow their fanbase and take their music career to the next level.

The webinars and workshops will be run by CMU’s Chris Cooke and artist manager Phil Nelson – both directors of the Pathways Into Music Foundation – alongside producer, manager and educator Liam Craig and Fiona McAuley, who is Head Of Digital for UK Music at international artist management company YMU Group.

Early-career artists based in Northern Ireland – either entirely self-managed or working primarily with a team of early-career music industry people – are eligible to apply for a place on the programme. More info and the application form is at fanbasebuilder.co.uk.