The Music Managers Forum (MMF) and YouTube Music are delighted to announce that the Accelerator Programme for Music Managers will return for its third year in 2021. Apply now.

As a participant on Accelerator, you will take part in a yearlong training programme with funded travel to attend courses, meetings, mentorship and a conference. There will be additional, optional seminars provided by MMF associates and you will receive all the benefits of MMF membership. You will also be able to benefit from low-cost or free business services from some of our partners.

The ground-breaking Music Managers Accelerator, supported by YouTube Music, Arts Council England, Creative Scotland and Scottish Music Industry Association, is the world’s first independent funding and professional development programme designed solely for artists, songwriters and producer managers. It aims to increase the number of sustainable full-time management businesses operating in the UK, empowering them to work with a greater range of creative talent. Accelerator is aimed at UK based managers of all genres and provides support, training, and finance.

Managers selected for the programme include representatives for acts such as Jonas Aden, Jordan MacKampa, IDER, Puma Blue, Moses Boyd, Nafe Smallz, Joy Crookes, Vessel, KEYHA/BLU and Dry Cleaning. Listen to our ‘Music Manager Accelerator 2020’ Playlist on YouTubeMusic

The programme includes:

• up to £15,000 in funding support
• 12 months of manager-specific education courses covering everything from advanced digital marketing, negotiation techniques, managing mental health, legal skills, business management and income generation.
• Free or low-cost legal advice, accounting advice and insurance services offered from a range of partners
• mentorship and masterclasses from world-class managers, agents, promoters and industry leaders
• funding to attend a music industry conference festivals
• a Managers leadership retreat

Click for Application Form

OPENS 14th September – CLOSES 19th October

Aims of the Programme
Eligibility Criteria
How To Apply
Application Form OPENS 15th OCTOBER – CLOSES 25TH OCT
FAQ

AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME

GROWTH To strengthen and stimulate UK based music management enterprises and support this growing sector, driving activity, artistic development, and investment.
DIVERSITY To enable a diverse talent pool of next-generation music managers in expanding their economic and cultural footprint within the UK and around the world.
SUPPORT To address investment gaps at key phases of managers’ company and industry development cycles.
SKILLS To develop key skill sets in the management community, through training and mentoring.
RESILIENCE To springboard self-sustainable businesses that can go on to develop multiple artist careers.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• You must be based in the UK
• You must be currently managing a least one artist, songwriter, DJ or producer. Artists can be based anywhere in the world and of any genre.
• You must have been working as a manager for at the past least 18 months as a freelancer or 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 pipeline income in the last the past 12 months
• Due to the impact of COVID-19 we are asking managers unable to meet this criterion to provide in additional income from the previous 12 months demonstrating a minimum artist income of £20,000.
• We welcome applications from managers who were previously unsuccessful applicants to the programme and meet the basic criteria.

HOW TO APPLY

The application process is in two stages;

STAGE 1 – Expression of Interest and Video application Open 14th September – 19th October

This stage of the application is intended to give us an overview of you and your work. The application form is available here and you will also need to submit a five-minute video.

Application Form

OPENS 14th September – CLOSES 19th October

THE FORM: BASIC INFORMATION

• How long have you been operating as a manager?
• What are the gross income of your artists’ businesses over the past 12 months and a breakdown in which areas this income has been earned and any net profit made?
• What is the overall income of the artist/songwriter/producer business in the past 12 months INCLUDING pipeline income?
• What is the overall income of the artist/songwriter/producer business in the past 12 months EXCLUDING pipeline income?
• What is the NET income of the artist/songwriter/producer business in the past 12 months?
• What is your income ONLY from artist management in the past 12 months?
• What is your income from non-management activities in the past 12 months?
• What other work do you do besides artist management?
• Which artists/music creators do you represent and links to the music?

THE FIVE-MINUTE PITCH

• Your video/sound file must clearly cover the following areas;
• How long have you been operating as a manager?
• Tell us a bit about the artists you work with and how you came to work with them?
• Tell us about an achievement or success you’ve had in the past 12 months
• Tell us about a time you’ve failed in the past 12 months
• The reason why you should be an Accelerator Manager and give a brief outline of your plans over the next two years.

Watch some of our previous applicants explain how they applied to the programme.

STAGE 2 – 24-month Work Plan /Business Plan – 16th November 2020

Applicants who are accepted on to Stage 2 will be expected to submit a short 24-month plan (January 2021 – December 2022). More details will be announced soon. For any further information or queries, please email accelerator@themmf.net

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is there a particular age I have to be to apply?

No, you can be any age to apply.

If the act I work with is based in the UK, can I still apply even if I am not?

No, you need to be living in the UK in order to apply, but the act may be living somewhere else.

How professional does my five-minute video need to be?

We are more interested in what you say in the video, that your skills in video production. The range of Stage 1 successful applicants video styles was very broad. Our advice is to keep the video clear, answer the questions required and within the five-minute time-frame.

£20,000 seems like a lot to have earned, can I still apply if my act has not earned that much?

Don’t forget that this is gross income – as in anything the artist has received or is owed including PRS, PPL, sales, advances, streams, grants, rescheduled touring plans etc. If you sit down and work it all out, you may be surprised that you actually have earned this much or more. We have made provision regarding COVID-19 in allowing applicants to provide incomes for a previous year.

What if I am working with a co-manager?

You can still apply if you are working in partnership with another manager. If you are both applying, please email accelerator@themmf.net to confirm the two names that are applying as a management partnership.

What if I manage two acts that between them have earned over £20,000 but not individually?

You will probably make a stronger application if you work with at least one act that has individually earned over £20,000 but you are eligible if you reach this total across a number of music makers.

Do I need to have been working with the same act for the past 18 months?

Not as long as you have been managing artists, songwriters or producers for 18 months or more, you are eligible to apply for the programme.

How much of the training and education programme will I be expected to attend over the 12 months?

You will be required to attend at least 80% of the training on offer and will have travel funded to attend the in-person training. A full schedule of the programme will be made available in Round 2.

Accelerator Programme 2020

Reflecting the true depth and diversity of British music, Accelerator’s 20 2020 cohort participants are drawn from across the UK and represent an extraordinary range of 66 artists, songwriters and producers – from drill rappers and heavy rock bands to experimental instrumental groups and award-winning jazz ensembles. They include managers of acts shortlisted for the BRIT Awards Rising Star, the BBC Sound of 2020, BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Hot for 2020 and the Mercury Prize.

Over half the group are from outside London. 38% are female, and 52% are from BAME backgrounds. Only three currently operate as full-time music managers, with the majority balancing this role with other freelance, consultative or short term employment.

The full list of participants can be viewed HERE.

Accelerator Programme 2019

In 2019 24 managers were competitively selected from 134 applications. They represent over 54 artists, songwriters, producers and DJ’s. They received £300,000 direct investment from YouTube Music. Collectively they were offered 1,920 hours of training and learning supported by £57,000 of public investment. Individuals have spent up to 80 hours on attending professional development days.

Successes of the Accelerator Managers in 2019 include: Artists represented have performed to approximately 343,500 live audiences in the first 9 months of 2019. Artists represented collectively surpassing 161,692,000 streams across all platforms. Accelerator has networked the managers with new contacts building over 243 new industry relationships for the cohort. Three artists Shakka, Jonas Arden and TENDER gathering over £100K subscribers on YouTube. Guest speakers at events have included Lyor Cohen (YouTube Music), Tom Windish (Paradigm Agency), Claire Mera-Nelson (Arts Council England), Rachel Davis (BBC Music) and manager G Frsh (Yxng Bane).

The full list of participants can be viewed HERE.