Ditto Music, an award-winning music distributor and record label company, has launched a training initiative named Industry Access in order to encourage those from minority and working-class backgrounds to pursue careers in the music industry.
The initiative is open to anyone over the age of 16 who feels that inequality may be a barrier to their success, and will consist of a Music Industry Training Programme (open to 100 successful applicants) and a Music Industry Fair & Networking Event. The Training Programme will involve several in-depth sessions around key industry areas such as artist management, music marketing and publishing.
Each session will be hosted by Ditto Music and feature guest speakers such as Tasha Demi, Whitney Asomani, Despa Robinson and Shauni Caballero. The programme will conclude with a closing keynote speech by Big Zuu on the different strategies around developing an artist’s career.
Ditto Music CEO Lee Parsons, in explaining the decision to launch Industry Access, said:
‘After we pledged to $100,000 in 2020 to support Black Lives Matter causes and underrepresented people across the music industry, it was clear that we needed to use our position to create real opportunities that would make a real difference. That’s why we created Industry Access, to give those who feel underrepresented in the industry the opportunity to learn from the best, develop their skills and excel in their own careers.’
The Industry Fair & Networking Event is scheduled to take place on 4 September and will be open to everyone who completes the initial Training Programme. Guests for the event will include label reps and owners, music lawyers and marketing companies among others.
Following the conclusion of the Training Programme, Ditto Music will also offer one-to-one support and mentoring to a selection of the initiative’s participants, providing them with the chance to learn directly from key industry professionals.
On his collaboration with Industry Access, Big Zuu said ‘The launch of this initiative, hosted by Ditto Music, is so important for this industry. I feel proud to be a part of it and any advice I can offer to young people wanting to kick start their careers, especially those from minority backgrounds, I hope is one step further in the right direction.’
Industry Access is slated to begin in the spring/summer of 2021 and candidates will need to submit a short video explaining why they would benefit from the initiative.
Applications for Industry Access are open now!
This sounds like such a great opportunity, super exciting!