The MMF's Accelerator Programme for Music Managers is the world’s only independent funding and professional development programme designed exclusively for artist, songwriter, DJ and producer managers. Supported by YouTube Music, the programme offers a combination of financial and educational support – including twelvemonth grants of up to £12,000, alongside expert-led professional development training.
To date, Accelerator has supported more than 115 individuals from across the UK – including managers of Joy Crookes, Shygirl, PinkPantheress, FLO, Eliza Rose, Joy Anonymous, Moses Boyd, Enny, Nafe Smallz, Squid, Joesef, S1MBA, Moonchild Sanelly, The Reytons, Steam Down, Shygirl, Dry Cleaning, Employed To Serve, Yolanda Brown, Wes Nelson, Shabaka Hutchings, Goat Girl, Bree Runway, Porridge Radio and Caskets.
The sixth round of the MMF Accelerator programme is open for submissions, closing at midday on 26 Feb.
To apply you must be based in the UK, and must be managing at least one artist, songwriter, DJ or producer
The MMF Accelerator programme gives artist managers the opportunity to develop their skills and connect with the management community through training and mentoring and provides a springboard to help create self-sustainable artist management businesses that can go on to develop multiple artist careers.
A core aim of the programme is to enable a diverse range of ‘next-generation music managers’ to succeed in artist management, and to expand their economic and cultural footprint in the UK and around the world.
“The main thing is I feel like I’m really in the trenches, fully stuck in, like I’m really helping - and every day is different. It’s really exciting...”
Leon Wright runs London-based artist management company Parade. “I was an A&R person for nine years in publishing, I did quite well. I felt like I was ready to become a manager because of what I learned from other managers when I was working in A&R”, says Leon.
FRNT MGMT’s Frances Barber Shillito was a makeup artist before going into management. “I worked with DJs and bands - Martin Garrix, Paul Van Dyck and people like that. I did ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, ‘X Factor’, everything like that, working with managers and labels all the time, as part of a very close knit team. I was the last person on stage with artists, the first person off stage with them. I watched the business, saw how it worked, saw it all. There were a lot of transferable skills. Ultimately I wanted to be more business minded with tha artists I worked with, rather than following them around with a makeup brush trying to make them look less hungover!”
Working between London and LA, Sadé Lawson is one half of creative studio Cozy Global and specialises in artist management consulting, video and content production, and creative project management. “I have a background working at record companies, then working in production and previously managing FKA Twigs”, she says “My experience working with Twigs, I went into something that was already set up, already moving and functioning as a business. I was probably a little bit spoiled by that - I was focusing on one part, and there were other managers doing other things”.
“Joining the MMF and then participating in the Accelerator programme has given me a more rounded view” she adds. “It’s a challenge to make something truly sustainable when you’re working with artists who are themselves still setting up their business structure. If you take out the creativity and what an artist is making then essentially, as a manager, you are working with someone who is trying to build their own business, and sustain themselves, as well as sustaining other people.”
“Working in management feels like a baptism of fire, the workload is absolutely crazy”, agrees Leon. “But the main thing is I feel like I’m really in the trenches, fully stuck in, like I’m really helping - and every day is different. It’s really exciting”.
“I find myself saying to the artists I work with ‘stop trying to do everything, focus on creating, so that I can take other things off your plate and really amplify what you’re doing’”, says Frances. “The artists I work with - producers and DJs - their main focus should be to make music. Part of our job as managers is to take things off their hands, and take control and make sure it’s all sorted, so that they don’t need to think about it, don’t get too stressed over it, because that ruins their creative flow. But that’s a balancing act, because there’s obviously only so much we can do. We can’t control everything!”
“One thing I learnt from being on the Accelerator programme is that we all work in very different ways. We all face the same challenges and we all have the same stresses and strains...”
“One of the hardest things is really having a sustainable business for an artist when you’re still in the building phase”, says Sadé. “Essentially you’re trying to reinvest everything you make into growing that artist, and making sure that they can also pay their rent and bills. That’s always the battle: as a manager you understand that the most. So a lot of the time you’re going to be the person who makes sacrifices. You want the majority of what you make to go back into what the artist is doing long term. Luckily I’ve always tried to have a job, a nine to five - to maintain a level of security.”
“Without the MMF Accelerator funding I would have had to join a management company or take on A&R work alongside building my business”, says Leon. “Having the funding for a year, topped up with my management income, I’ve been able to be a full time manager. That’s the most valuable thing that’s happened for all this, I’ve been able to just be a manager for an entire year”.
“Financially it was definitely similar for me” says Frances. “But also, I think the confidence that the Accelerator programme gives you is invaluable. I made a lot of changes to my company once I joined Accelerator because it gave me support and a network and advice from people who were outsiders to my business. They were able to offer advice, looking in, without the emotional attachments. One thing I learnt from being on the Accelerator programme is that we all work in very different ways. We all face the same challenges and we all have the same stresses and strains”.
“I think Accelerator gave me a lot of reassurance that you’re going in the right direction”, says Sadé. “You see things from the outside but a lot of time we are going through these similar struggles, and it was really nice to have the reassurance and a safe space to talk about it all”.
“It really was an interesting group of people, we all really did come from different backgrounds, we all did have different rosters. Being able to just see how it works in other parts of the industry was really valuable...”
“That was what was so nice about Accelerator”, continues Frances. “Everybody has their own way of doing things, yet we were all making it work. You learn off each person. Even if it’s tiny things, someone inspiring you, someone just making you think ‘Oh, actually, you know, maybe I’ll try it like that”.
“It was definitely an unexpected benefit of the programme”, agrees Leon. “Obviously you don’t know who else is going to be on Accelerator before you go in - you don’t know who those other 23 people are going to be. It felt like being part of something. Management can be a bit of a lone wolf situation, so that was definitely a bonus - and a confidence boost”.
“When you join Accelerator you don’t know what you’re walking into”, continues Frances. “You don’t know what stages people are going to be at, or who the other people are”.
“One of the big things was just seeing the different types of people”, says Sadé. “A lot of the time programmes will say ‘we’re diverse, we’re inclusive’ but with Accelerator it really was an interesting group of people, we all really did come from different backgrounds, we all did have different rosters. Being able to just see how it works in other parts of the industry was really valuable”.
“And not even always just from a business perspective, but also from a personal perspective, how people are making their way. It’s inspiring to see people push through. We have this shared understanding of how hard it really is. We have an understanding from the inside of what it really takes. It’s nice to have people who aren’t directly related to you. It’s nice to have an opinion from somebody who is maybe not in your genre or world, who can give you their input from a whole different perspective, but where you also know that they understand the gist of what you’ve got going on”.
“It sounds boring, but take the Zoom meetings sitting down - don’t try and do stuff on the go, or on the way to meetings!”
“There’s always something to learn,” continues Frances. “As managers I think we can get set in our ways. That was the biggest key for me through the whole thing, remaining open minded - that open mindedness allows you to learn in areas that you maybe didn’t think you needed to”.
“Accelerator is a pretty risk free opportunity”, says Leon. “If someone is hesitant because they feel like they might lose their job going for it, you can apply alongside a job. I actually did it the other way, because I was ready to make the leap - I left my job and applied the day after! I wanted to frame it that way when I was applying. I didn’t want to say ‘please save me’, but just ‘I’ve made this decision, are you able to support me?’ What I know now compared to at the beginning is huge. Part of that is the very nature of learning from my own experiences being a manager full time, not having to join a management company that might have its own agenda”.
“One of the most valuable things is the reframing that the programme gave me”, says Sadé. “Coming through the whole process and seeing other people’s experiences and seeing that a lot of the time we’re going through similar things in different ways. It was really nice to have that reassurance and safe space to talk about it”.
“There’s a lot I learned throughout the process”, says Leon. “There’s a lot - and mainly just get stuck into everything that gets offered to you - and be on time! You’ll get the most out of it if you truly show up in every moment. It sounds boring, but take the Zoom meetings sitting down - don’t try and do stuff on the go, or on the way to meetings!”
“Don’t be afraid of the video!”
“For me Accelerator gave me the opportunity to look at the areas that I was weakest in and to really double down on those things. So that thing of really showing up, writing down questions, I think that’s a big thing”, agrees Sadé. “It can be nerve wracking, but it’s a time where you have free access to professionals. These are things that a lot of the time you have to pay for. There were things that I would say maybe didn’t apply to me at the time - but I knew that at some point in my career - or my artists’ careers - it’s going to be a very valuable, relevant thing”.
“Being open minded allows you to learn in areas that you probably didn’t think you needed”, adds Frances. “The people you meet, the things that you learn, the places that you are asked to go during Accelerator. All of it. The retreat in particular is a big opportunity for personal growth. I think all of us struggled with that part of the programme. I remember having a conversation with a few other members discussing it, we were saying that it’s rare as an adult that you’re thrown into a situation like that - two or three days away with 24 adults!”
“As adults we have a lot of control over our lives, and it’s rare to be thrown in at the deep end”, finishes Sadé. “There were people who, at the start of the programme, were more reserved. But I think we all learned quickly that this is a safe space, and seeing some people’s journeys was amazing - I saw a few people come out of their shell and really excel as part of the programme”.
“If someone is hesitating about applying to Accelerator I’d say just do it!” says Frances. “Take a chance - believe in yourself, you’re worth it. You are the prize as somebody would have said!”
“Don’t be afraid of the video!” adds Sadé, highlighting a key element of the application process. “That’s the place where you can be honest about your journey and what you want to get out of it. And don’t rewatch it too many times! I re-recorded mine about fifteen times. So just do it, watch it once and be done with it”.
MMF Accelerator Programme Eligibility
- You must be based in the UK.
- You must be currently managing at least one artist, songwriter, DJ or producer. Talent can be based anywhere in the world and of any genre.
- You must have been working as a manager for at least 18 months as a freelancer or at a company you own. If you have recently left a company you are still eligible to apply if you have 18 months experience.
- The creator(s) you work with should have collectively had at least £20,000 in gross income/turnover in total, including known/confirmed pipeline income in the last the past 12 months (Jan 2023-Jan 2024)
- We welcome applications from managers who were previously unsuccessful applicants to the programme and meet the basic criteria.
For more information and to apply visit the Accelerator application page
