As part of our Horizon Future Leaders series of interviews, we are connecting with the music industry’s next generation of leaders to gather candid advice and insights into their career journeys.
This week we spoke with Amy Lewis, co-founder of Roadie Media, a forward-thinking independent music marketing agency helping artists and music businesses grow through strategy, creativity and data-driven insight.
After starting her career as a media apprentice at one of the world’s leading agencies, Amy quickly recognised a gap in how artist marketing was being approached across the industry.
With multiple teams often running disconnected campaigns, she saw an opportunity to unify the process. Roadie Media was born from that mission: to act as a central hub that connects the artist ecosystem and drives meaningful, measurable growth.
Day to day, Amy’s work spans strategy sessions, campaign builds, content creation and mentoring - all while championing a hands-on, collaborative approach. Having recently onboarded Roadie’s first intern, she’s also passionate about creating new entry routes for young professionals, paying forward the opportunities that helped launch her own career.
For those starting out, Amy’s advice is grounded and empowering: master your craft, stay curious about new technologies like AI and make the most of free learning resources such as Google Digital Garage. Above all, she says, trust your gut, build confidence by showing up and surround yourself with people who lift you higher.
👇 Keep reading for Amy’s reflections on entrepreneurship, confidence, and why curiosity and connection will always be the driving forces behind successful music marketing.
What’s your current role in the music industry?
I help artists and music businesses grow through strategic marketing. As co-founder of Roadie Media, my business partner, Tom, and I noticed a real mismatch between all of the marketing strategies surrounding artists and their data.
Surrounding an artist you have promoters, labels, agents, managers and more, all running their own marketing, often using similar strategies across each of their artists. This prompted us to take action and revolutionise this, acting as the hub that unifies and supports the artist ecosystem.
What does your general day to day look like?
My general day-to-day consists of travelling for meetings, hosting marketing sessions, attending events, filming content, hosting interviews and much more! Lots of meetings, brainstorms, emails and campaign set ups!
Running an indie music marketing agency means a very hands on approach across everything from new business pitches to reporting. We’ve recently onboarded our first intern, a very exciting chapter for Roadie.
What steps did you take early in your career to gain experience and build skills to get you where you are now?
I took the time to master my craft! I was fortunate enough to start my career as a media apprentice in one of the largest media agencies in the world, learning from the best. I was then able to transfer these skills to the industry that I love.
Staying up to date with fast moving industries, both music and marketing, is the best way to continue building those skills to further your career.
What opportunities did you explore early on that were particularly valuable?
Taking advantage of free tools to build your knowledge is the best thing you can do! The Google Digital Garage is a great starting point. Networking is important too, build yourself up on platforms such as LinkedIn, and attend as many events as you can.
Early in my career, I would often find opportunities present themselves that I would be too afraid to take, focusing on building my confidence was the hardest hurdle, but throwing myself into new spaces with new people gave me the confidence to trust myself and try new things.
Has the opportunity landscape changed since then?
Apprenticeships and internships have evolved a lot over the last few years, and often, reaching out to independent businesses for work experience can really give people looking to get their foot in the door the leg up they need!
Having had a great opportunity starting my career as an apprentice, I was keen to offer something similar at Roadie Media.
Are there any specific internships, projects, or initiatives that you would recommend to newcomers looking to pursue a similar role?
IQ Magazine, Music Business Worldwide and LinkedIn are great places to find opportunities. Take the time to identify businesses you’re interested in and find the relevant people online. You can get to understand their business landscape better and reach out directly for opportunities.
Though it’s worth noting, these things take time. Don’t be afraid to reach out multiple times and keep up-to-date with what’s going on in the space you’re keen to move into.
What advice do you have for building and leveraging a professional network in the music industry?
Attend talks and networking events! There are many places where you can meet industry people, even at local shows. Get chatting and put yourself out there. LinkedIn is a great place for doing this online.
How has the evolving digital landscape impacted your role, and where do you focus to stay ahead?
Subscribing to newsletters, keeping on top of socials and expanding the community around you is the best way to stay ahead! Working in the digital landscape, attending regular training courses is also a must too, with new platforms regularly entering the space.
As the landscape continues to evolve, educating yourself on things like AI and how to utilise it in your day-to-day is now a must.
What trends or changes do you see on the horizon for the music industry, and how can early career professionals prepare for them?
Social and streaming numbers are becoming increasingly more important to industry. Working with agencies like ourselves can be a really helpful way to take things to the next level, but outside of this, posting regularly, building mailing lists and staying on top of trends is your best bet!
What’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?
It’s going to be tough, you’ll face a lot of hurdles but remember to trust your gut and surround yourself with the right people. Put yourself out there more and go to all of the events and meet as many people as you can, even when it feels hard.
Remember why you’re doing this, and all the difference you can make to artists’ lives and their audiences. You’ve got this!