I Am Independent - For Independent Music Artists

There is still a week left to take advantage of our 50% off deal for our brand new I Am Independent Bootcamp Video Course.  Thank you so much to those of you who have signed up already.  This week we start a mini series where we talk through what you can expect from each section of the video course.  This week we cover section one which looks at Where you are as an artist and where you want to get to as well as knowing your 'why'.  If you're not convinced that the course can help you yet then have a listen as we breakdown why this section is particularly important. You can get in touch with us on Instagram or Facebook or send us a voice message. Instagram @weareindependentartists  Facebook @weareindependentartists Use the discount code IAMSALE for 50% off our brand new Bootcamp Video Course until the end of January 2022: www.IamIndependent.co.uk/bootcamp --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/i-am-independent/message

Hannah Shogbola works in the Live Music industry representing over 25 clients from Hak Baker to Jaguar to Fredwave to Helena Star and many more.  Hannah is one of the only Black female agents in the UK. She’s also one of the few people to sell out Brixton Academy, Roundhouse and The Forum, which she did when she was under-30! In this week's episode Hannah gives insight into the live music sector, how to get started, what agents look for and how you might get one.  Hannah is also the founder of Daju which helps to showcase and develop artists.  It's another great episode with lots of gems. Follow Daju on Instagram: @daju_ldn You can get in touch with us on Instagram or Facebook or send us a voice message. Instagram @weareindependentartists  Facebook @weareindependentartists Don't forget you can now sign up for our brand new I Am Independent Bootcamp Video Course.  Use the code 'IAMSALE' to get 50% off until the end of January.  Sign up at www.iamindependent.co.uk/bootcamp  -

Well we've hinted at it all season and today we finally announce what we've been working on last year - our brand new bootcamp video course for Independent Artists!  Back in 2019 we were doing in-person workshops for Independent artists which we took online during lockdown.  It worked so well that we decided to film a video course that can be available to Independent Artists everywhere to work through in their own time and at their own pace.  The course is in 4 parts covering everything from knowing your 'why' as an artist, music admin, gigging, social media, preparing for a release, writing a press release, creating your 12-18 month plan and much more.  You'll also find a helpful FAQ section at the end of each part.  Have a listen to this episode and we'll tell you more about it. We've worked hard on this course and we really hope it is useful to the many artist who get in touch with us with questions about the independent artist journey and how to get started. We always want to make

2021 has been a tough year for Independent artists but you made it!  Well done! But before you log off and wind down why not reflect on your wins as well as your challenges and spend a bit of time thinking ahead to your plans for 2022.  In this episode, as well as sharing some music industry news, we recap on how to write your 12-18 month plan.  It's a great time to put pen to paper and plan to succeed.  P.S. Don't miss next week's episode as we have some exciting news to share with you. You can get in touch with us on Instagram or Facebook or send us a voice message. Instagram @weareindependentartists  Facebook @weareindependentartists Subscribe for a free 10-day guide: www.IamIndependent.co.uk  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/i-am-independent/message

You have probably heard the terms 'Crypto' and 'NFT' thrown around over the last year or so but perhaps you've not fully grasped the scope of possibility in terms of artists and the music industry. It can seem complicated so we're particularly excited to bring you this truly illuminating chat with Des who is something of an expert on the subject.  Des is also an artist manager and is currently studying for a PHD on the topic of music streaming.  He's extremely knowledgable but also is great at explaining the Crypto and NFT phenomena and how it can benefit artists in particular. It's not too late to get involved and this chat might just be the thing to get you started! Follow Des on Instagram @soga.world You can get in touch with us on Instagram or Facebook or send us a voice message. Instagram @weareindependentartists  Facebook @weareindependentartists Subscribe for a free 10-day guide: www.IamIndependent.co.uk  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/i-am-independent/message

This week we chat to the wonderful Selina Wedderburn who has had an interesting and varied career in the music industry.  From Team Manager at PPL within the licensing department, to Operations Manager at Your Army Ltd - one of the UK’s biggest independent music promotions companies. Selina is also Co-Founder and Director of her own platform, 'Tempo & Flow'.  Her varied knowledge of the industry and passion for music makes this an informative and engaging chat with lots of great takeaways for you Independent artists. Follow Selina on Instagram @Selina_music_page Follow @Tempoandflow Follow @yourarmy_ You can get in touch with us on Instagram or Facebook or send us a voice message. Instagram @weareindependentartists  Facebook @weareindependentartists Subscribe for a free 10-day guide: www.IamIndependent.co.uk  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/i-am-independent/message

We're back with a brand new season of the I Am Independent podcast!  Kicking off season 4 we talk to the brilliant and lovely Nick Eziefula who is a partner at Simkins LLP, one of the UK's leading media and entertainment law firms. Nick is passionate about music and is an artist himself as well as an artist manager.  Nick gives us insights on what to look for in a music lawyer, what he wished independent artist knew about the industry and explains why he thinks it's a better time to be an independent artist right now than any other time. We rarely get the opportunity to hear this kind of advice from a lawyer so candidly so this should prove a really valuable and useful chat. Follow Nick on Instagram @nickeziefula You can get in touch with us on Instagram or Facebook or send us a voice message. Instagram @weareindependentartists  Facebook @weareindependentartists Subscribe for a free 10-day guide: www.IamIndependent.co.uk  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/i-am-independent/m

For our season 3 finale we have a conversation between Bianca Rose and Jake Isaac about the process of Jake producing Bianca's latest album, 'If You Knew, Would You Care?'  It holds some great insight from both artist and producer perspective and as the relationship worked so well for this project we thought perhaps there is some useful tips for you as independent artists within this conversation.   We are now taking a short break while we put all our efforts into finishing off something very exciting that we have been working on for some time and we hope to let you in on that early Autumn time.  In the meantime, keep on keeping on.  We see you independent artists, we appreciate you, we champion you and we're here for you. Follow Jake Isaac on Instagram @iamjakeisaac Follow Bianca Rose on Instagram @itsthatbiancarose Let us know your experiences on our Instagram or Facebook pages or send us a voice message. Instagram @weareindependentartists  Facebook @weareindependentartists Sub

This week Bianca has a chat with the creative director for her recent album campaign for 'If You Knew, Would You Care?'.  Cat Couture from Amoroso Films is a creative through and through. There is not much she can't do creatively and she's also an independent artist herself.  Cat was such a key part of Bianca's creative process for her album campaign that we thought we'd share with you a really insightful conversation they had where you'll learn about how to prepare to approach a videographer/director, what is your responsibility and what is theirs, how to communicate your ideas, how to work creatively on a small budget and much more. Follow Cat Couture on Instagram @iamcatcouture Follow Amoroso Films on Instagram @amorosofilms Let us know your experiences on our Instagram or Facebook pages or send us a voice message. Instagram @weareindependentartists  Facebook @weareindependentartists Subscribe for a free 10-day guide: www.IamIndependent.co.uk  --- Send in a voice message: https

This week is part 2 of our chat about what we learned through the creation to release process of Bianca Rose's latest album 'If You Knew, Would You Care?' In this part we cover working with Label Services, working with a PR company, collaborating with other artists and producers, budgeting and levelling up.  It can be a difficult and emotional process creating and putting out a body of artistic work but with each cycle you can learn something to improve for next time.  We hope this chat gives you some tips and advice with your own releases as we've been really pleased with the results of this campaign. Follow Bianca Rose on Instagram @itsthatbiancarose Let us know your experiences on our Instagram or Facebook pages or send us a voice message. Instagram @weareindependentartists  Facebook @weareindependentartists Subscribe for a free 10-day guide: www.IamIndependent.co.uk  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/i-am-independent/message

Followers of I Am Independent may have noticed that as well as running IAI, Bianca and Loretta have been in full-on album campaign mode for Bianca Rose's new album release 'If You Knew, Would You Care?' for the past few months.  It's been an incredible, year long journey from conception to delivery.  As we near the end of the campaign we thought it could be helpful for us to do a 'deep-dive' into everything we've been working on and feedback on what we learned, what went well, what we'd do differently and whether our initial plans and dreams turned into a reality for this project. This is part one of the chat so do check back next week for part 2.  In this episode we talk about having a good plan and planning well in advance, using funding wisely and creating a realistic budget, finding a creative partner to help bring your vision to life and bringing your best so that others can do their best.  We hope this chat is helpful and by the way, the album is amazing so do go and give it a listen

Many artists choose to be independent these days and we are all about supporting that.  However, we are not against record labels and being signed it's just that sometimes these deals don't serve the artist as well as they could do.  A fantastic in-between option that we have had a really positive experience with is 'Label Services'.  Label Services often offer fair deals to artists where they can retain ownership of their masters, benefit from the expertise of their team and their contacts, and sometimes offer financial support too.  In this episode we chat to the lovely Hannah Celnikier from The Orchard.  Hannah breaks down what label service do, what they look for in independent artists and why it might be a good option for you.  It's a really insightful episode and really takes the mystery out of label services and how to access them. Follow The Orchard on Instagram @The_Orchard_ Let us know your experiences on our Instagram or Facebook pages or send us a voice message.

It's Mental Health Awareness Week so we're really pleased to be able to bring you this amazing chat with Ian Hurst from We Are Hummingbird.  They are a non-profit who makes mental health as important as physical health, through the power of music.  Ian offers some valuable insight from his own personal mental health struggles to practical tips for musicians and artists as well as for those around them.  Musicians and artists often face unique mental health pressures due to the nature of the industry so it's really important to check in with yourself and get help early if you are struggling.  Do check out the WAH website for some great resources and have a listen to their fantastic podcast. Follow We Are Hummingbird on Instagram @wearehummingbird For some free mental health resources click here Let us know your experiences on our Instagram or Facebook pages or send us a voice message. Instagram @weareindependentartists  Facebook @weareindependentartists Subscribe for a free 10-day

Most artists understand that image is important but, do you understand why and how much have you really invested in getting it right?  We had a great chat with brand image stylist, Alex Agboke about all things style from identity, wearing your music, why image is more than just finding clothes that suit you to how to create a strong brand through your image. As an ex-singer and performer herself, Alex offers coaching and advice to artists and creatives as well as business professionals. Follow Alex on Instagram @thebrandimagestylist Let us know your experiences on our Instagram or Facebook pages or send us a voice message. Instagram @weareindependentartists  Facebook @weareindependentartists Subscribe for a free 10-day guide: www.IamIndependent.co.uk  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/i-am-independent/message

Digital marketing is probably the most important and accessible promotional tool available to Independent artists.  However, unless you're particularly technically minded, they can seem complicated and overwhelming. This week we have a chat to Tom Chaplin who not only is a music manager at The Collective but, also has a digital marketing business called Tribal Marketing.  Tom specialises in Digital marketing for artists and has a real passion to help them having been one himself and managing his own roster.  If you haven't got your head around digital marketing and understood how important and helpful it can be, we hope this episode sets you on the right track.  And if you're still stuck you could reach out to Tom! Follow Tom on Instagram @t.s.chaplin Follow The Collective on Instagram @thecollectivemotion Find your tribe with TRIBAL Marketing www.londontribal.com Let us know your experiences on our Instagram or Facebook pages or send us a voice message. Instagram @weareindependentart

Paul Bonham leads the Accelerator program for Music Managers, a joint initiative between the MMF (Music Managers Forum), Arts Council and YouTube.  Prior to this role Paul worked for the Arts Council England and was also a Music Manager himself.  Paul is a fountain of knowledge and in this episode offers some great insight, advice and tips on both management and funding for independent artists. Follow Paul on Instagram @paulbonham Follow the MMF on Instagram @mmf_uk Let us know your experiences on our Instagram or Facebook pages or send us a voice message. Instagram @weareindependentartists  Facebook @weareindependentartists www.IamIndependent.co.uk  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/i-am-independent/message

Publishing can be confusing for independent artists or perhaps you feel it's only relevant for signed artists.  However, a publishing administrator such as Songtrust can be very useful for independent artists who don't have a publishing deal to make sure your royalties are collected internationally and that you're earning all the money that is due to you.  We had a really illuminating conversation with Lara Baker from Songtrust to give you a simple guide to publishing and to tell you how Songtrust can benefit you and provide you with some valuable resources too. Follow Songtrust on Instagram @songtrust Sign up for their music publishing crash course here And contact Lara at lbaker@songtrust.com  Instagram @larakbaker Let us know your experiences on our Instagram or Facebook pages or send us a voice message. Instagram @weareindependentartists  Facebook @weareindependentartists www.IamIndependent.co.uk  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/i-am-independent/message

We always seek to give you real and honest stories and experiences from Independent artists that will hopefully in turn help you with your journey.  Today we talk about a real-time situation for us as Manager and Artist where over the last 12 months Bianca Rose has been on a journey from feeling like giving up to beginning to see some breakthrough and real areas of growth (despite the pandemic).  It was therapeutic for us to have this chat and see how far we've come but also we hope it will offer you some insight and inspiration if you are looking to take your career to the next level but have felt a bit stuck. You can check our Bianca's new music here. Follow Bianca on Instagram @itsthatbiancarose Let us know your experiences on our Instagram or Facebook pages or send us a voice message. Instagram @weareindependentartists  Facebook @weareindependentartists www.IamIndependent.co.uk  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/i-am-independent/message

Some artists have found themselves to be super productive and inspired over the last year in the pandemic and that's great.  However, others have had plans destroyed, frustrating delays, discouragement and disillusionment. We're big fans of Tina Boonstra an incredible Independent artist who has built her career up starting off on the open-mic scene.  Like many artists, 2020 was due to be a big year for Tina with lots of exciting things planned that disappeared, or were made impossible, overnight.  Tina talks about how she processed the disappointment, what she learned was important and how she adapted her plans for her artist journey.  Again, it's an incredibly inspiring and insightful chat this week and if you've found 2020/2021 hard as an artist we hope this episode makes you feel seen but also offers you some hope. Follow Tina on Instagram @tinaboonstra Let us know your experiences on our Instagram or Facebook pages or send us a voice message. Instagram @weareindependentartists  Fa

They say overnight successes take years to create and Marie Bashiru seemed to burst on to the scene last year despite having been creating music for many years.  She says the difference was learning from past mistakes, working with a strong team that believed in her and not giving up.  As we've said many times it is a hard and sometimes lonely road being an Independent artist.  Marie talks about her journey and what has worked as well as what has not worked.  It's an illuminating and insightful chat that we think you'll find useful and inspiring.   Marie releases a live EP this Friday.  Check it out here. Follow Marie on Instagram: @mariebashiru Let us know your experiences on our Instagram or Facebook pages or send us a voice message. Instagram @weareindependentartists  Facebook @weareindependentartists www.IamIndependent.co.uk  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/i-am-independent/message