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.
Horizon is CMU's weekly newsletter that brings you a hand-picked selection of early to mid stage career opportunities from across the music industry, paired with insights and advice. Whether you're looking for your first job in music or you're ready to take a step up, Horizon is here to help you find your dream job faster. Horizon is focused on highlighting the best and most exciting roles we've seen and is made for people who are building their careers with ambition.
Getting started and progressing your career in the music industry can often feel overwhelming. Despite the wide range of positions and opportunities available, early-career professionals often face a daunting array of challenges. From the frustrating cycle of needing experience to be able to get the roles that help you build experience, to often intense competition from like-minded peers, the barriers in music can sometimes seem higher than in many other fields.
At CMU we spend a lot of time trying to explain and demystify the music business, and our Horizon newsletter is dedicated to helping the next generation of music leaders build and progress their careers. Our new series of Q&A interviews, Horizon Future Leaders, talks to rising professionals from across the industry: to hear firsthand how they started out and what they have learnt along the way, sharing practical tips and advice for anyone looking to build and own their future in the music business.
This week, we caught up with artist manager, Emma Wiggin.
From fostering inclusivity in rock music through the European Music Managers Alliance to supporting disabled professionals with Youth Music, Emma has built a multifaceted career in the music industry. Recently among those honored with the Music Venue Trust’s Outstanding Contribution To Grassroots Music Award, Emma’s impact extends from empowering emerging talent to shaping inclusive industry practices.
She shares advice on overcoming barriers, such as tailoring events to access needs, and navigating challenges like social media pressures for emerging rock bands. Emma’s journey underscores the value of being genuine, building supportive networks, and advocating for change in an evolving industry.
Read the full Q&A with Emma below 👇
What’s your current role in the music industry?
I have a couple of roles at the moment. I do artist management with a small roster of rock bands, which led to me joining the European Music Managers Alliance, Rock And Metal team, where I am trying to foster a more inclusive and supportive network for rock managers across Europe. I also do disability awareness advocacy and access support work for funding applications with Youth Music.
What does your general day-to-day look like?
My day-to-day is very unconventional to most people, as I have a disability which means I work when I can and work the hours that fit in with my disability.
With the management side, every day is different depending on what is going on in the band’s cycle, but it’s all about supporting the band and their business, whether organising tours, planning album cycles, planning social media, liaising with partners and just generally building my network, so I know the right people to help grow the bands.
With EMMA, I am currently organising a stage at the Alt Escape at The Great Escape for rock and metal artists along with Lone Wolf Management. Slots will be for European rock and metal artists who will really gain from the experience.
Most will be from underrepresented backgrounds and looking for key business partners, as sometimes if you don’t have a label/agent/manager it can be more difficult to get a slot at a festival like The Great Escape, but it’s also the place where you will most likely find your missing piece.
What steps did you take early in your career to gain experience and build skills to get you where you are now?
My first ever role was at T4 On The Beach as a runner/assistant to the second stage manager. I actually wasn’t eligible to apply for the role, as I wasn’t doing the right course at school, but I turned up to the interviews anyway and got the job.
I think that was the most valuable experience, as I had to learn to think fast and problem solve as well as learn how to deal with all personalities, from super friendly rock bands to diva pop stars. It also taught me that, although rules and gatekeepers exist, there is always a way around them if you are motivated enough.
I did go to uni for music management but again the most valuable part was I signed a band to put my learning into practice and went out on the road with them for a year. I think most of my skills and experience are from jumping in and learning as I go along, while also listening and soaking up every piece of advice people have given me.
What opportunities did you explore early on that were particularly valuable?
I had to take a break in my career due to my disability, I literally went from being bedbound and cared for to fighting my way back to a semi-normal life.
When I came back to work I really struggled as I was hiding my disability. Eventually, I was introduced to Attitude Is Everything, who work with disabled artists and professionals in music. I joined their Future Leaders programme and learnt to be confident with my disability, advocate for myself and others, and join a community of supportive like-minded people.
Due to being on the programme, I was then put forward for the Elevate programme at The Great Escape. Again, this was a life-changing experience as it was a very supportive week, learning to network, and meeting lots of people, but also growing long-term friendships with people who were also on the programme.
I also proved to myself that I could still attend these sorts of events as long as I tailor them to my access needs, and credit to the organisers for covering some of my extra access needs, which is always a big barrier to attending these events.
Has the opportunity landscape changed since then?
I think there is more awareness around disabilities and more opportunities, but I still find them very rare.
The main issue with opportunities in the music industry is everything is very London centric and early roles have no or low pay, meaning if you have to travel to London then young people usually end up spending money to gain experience, especially with the current cost of living and high travel expenses.
If you add someone with access needs on top of that it can often mean opportunities are unattainable.
Are there any specific internships, projects, or initiatives that you would recommend to newcomers looking to pursue a similar role?
I highly recommend Attitude Is Everything’s Beyond The Music programme if you are deaf, disabled or neurodivergent. They are a very supportive team and they have a couple of programmes for professionals and musicians.
I have also found joining the MMF as a manager very helpful. The team is very supportive, and they provide lots of education and resources for managers, as well as a chance to grow your network
What advice do you have for building and leveraging a professional network in the music industry?
Be nice! I am very friendly to everyone and am happy to help anyone who asks, and the more you help others the more they will help you. If you have the right attitude then secondly just jump in. Networking is always scary but try to go to as many events as possible and talk to as many people as possible. Never go in with an agenda, just go and be genuine and talk to people.
How has the evolving digital landscape impacted your role, and where do you focus to stay ahead?
To be honest it sucks. Most of the bands I work with are emerging rock bands. Five years ago they would be a dream band for most industry professionals, with great music, energetic live shows and the ability to engage a fanbase. Now if they don’t have enough fans on Instagram or TikTok they are passed up for everything.
There is so much noise on socials that it’s hard to break through and rock bands often struggle as they don’t tend to fit ‘ideal’ social media personalities. Secondly, musicians are always supposed to be online and nowadays people feel the need to be vocal if they don’t like something.
My role as manager is dealing with the mental health side of that, trying to eliminate burnout and educate my bands to try to block out any negative noise.
My focus recently has just been trying to keep on top of the algorithm and learn from people who are doing it well. But also by providing stage slots at festivals, I hope to help artists get in front of professionals, as sometimes a good song and live show is better than numbers on socials.
What trends or changes do you see on the horizon for the music industry, and how can early career professionals prepare for them?
One of the changes I see is the lack of new long-term talent coming through the pipeline, especially in the rock genre. Currently, touring is almost impossible for very early career bands due to costs and a lack of signings to business partners - so labels, agents etc.
I feel it’s becoming harder for bands to break through. The glass ceiling has risen and unless there is a shift in developing this early talent, in ten years we are going to struggle. The focus is very much on the top end of the industry but forgetting that the pipeline starts at the bottom.
What’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?
Be you and be nice. As someone with a disability, I wasn’t able to thrive until I accepted that I am who I am and by working my way and not sticking to the industry mould I am building a career that works for me.
This doesn’t just apply to disabilities, don’t hide your personality, background etc, just to fit in, people gravitate towards genuine people, and working in an industry that is based on networking you’ll get further by being genuine and nice.