As part of our new 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.
👉 Our first Q&A is with Simon Metcalfe, artist manager of Kaisha and Events Manager at the Association Of Independent Music (AIM).
What’s your current role in the music industry?
I’m currently Events Manager at the Association Of Independent Music and, outside of my work at AIM, I’m an artist manager working with an amazing R&B/Soul artist, Kaisha.
What does your general day to day look like?
Currently my day to day is split between programming AIM’s upcoming conference AIM Connected on 12 Sep, which involves booking high-level experts working across the independent sector, marketing the event, looking for interesting opportunities for partners to get involved and much more.
I’m also currently working on the AIM Independent Music Awards which takes place on 17 Oct at the Roundhouse, London. It’s the biggest event for AIM and the largest I’ve personally worked on. With 600+ VIPs, artists and industry guests attending, it’s great to see so many independent artists and labels spotlighted and celebrated for their work.
What steps did you take early in your career to gain experience and build skills to get you where you are now?
I’ve previously played in bands which is a great way to see the different aspects of the industry and learn broad skills that remain useful today. I definitely recommend looking at your local music scene to see where you can get involved. Whether this is helping out on the door at local events or organising your own small scale gigs.
What opportunities did you explore early on that were particularly valuable?
While I was studying, I was able to intern and shadow lots of roles in the local industry from labels, managers and promoters, alongside working at venues and performing. Being immersed in the local scene (and the different roles within it) helped me understand what kind of role would be well suited for me, so I could focus on building the relevant skills.
Has the opportunity landscape changed since then?
The independent sector has grown along with the opportunities available to artists without huge marketing budgets. As a fan of attending small gigs, I’m concerned about the amount of UK festivals and venues closing each year, so I encourage everyone to turn up to support artists at their shows and on the merch stand if they can.
Are there any specific internships, projects or initiatives that you would recommend to newcomers looking to pursue a similar role?
The Amplify apprenticeship in partnership with AIM, Amazon Music and Women In CTRL has been a great scheme recently enabling six independent labels to hire a Label Assistant apprentice for fifteen months. Applications are currently closed but keep an eye on AIM’s newsletter and socials for updates on this.
I also really recommend AIM’s annual free-to-attend online conference, Future Independents. We’ve had some great speakers recently including KAMILLE, Pixey, Elijah and more to share knowledge. It’s a great event to hear from experts across the industry and walk away with practical steps to grow your knowledge and music business.
What advice do you have for building and leveraging a professional network in the music industry?
Among my favourite events to organise are networking events, as these can be really key for making new contacts. It’s hard to tell where opportunities might come from in the future so put yourself out there and introduce yourself as you never know where it might take you.
How has the evolving digital landscape impacted your role and where do you focus to stay ahead?
I’ve really enjoyed working with the evolving digital landscape. During the pandemic, we pivoted a lot of our events to an online delivery and it’s been really rewarding to see the expertise shared at our conferences to people outside of London who might not have been able to afford the associated costs with attending these events. There’s lots of great resources out there - CMU and Water & Music are regular favourites of mine for industry news and for specific skills, YouTube!
What trends or changes do you see on the horizon for the music industry and how can early career professionals prepare for them?
There’s a huge amount of free information online to research the different areas of the industry. AI will have (and is having) a huge impact on the music industry, and there are loads of free tools online to start exploring!
What’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?
You don’t need to wait for someone to hire you to get involved with the music industry. If you consistently put yourself out there (and especially if you’re able to find resourceful ways of making stuff happen) people will gravitate towards you.
Horizon Music Jobs