Editorial

Magroove’s expansion plans after $1.6m boost

CEO Vítor Cunha tells The IMI why combining discovery and distribution has been a hit with listeners and independent artists alike…

Latest from The IMI

'Imagine hearing an Osunlade or Ron Trent tune in a major motion picture, it would do so much for our genre'

Newly launched Ocha Publishing’s CEO Carlos Mena talks to The IMI about his mission as a cheerleader for underground house music in mainstream media…

Perfect Havoc looking to become a 360 music and social media company following Orchard deal

"There is no definitive timeline, but we are going to be monitoring these areas very closely,” says co-founder Adam Griffin.

VAULT projects $10bn market for Digital Music Collectible format

The company completed a $4m Series A funding round in February, with target to rival vinyl sales within 5 years…

Silvia Montello on new streaming models and her vision for AIM

The indie trade body’s new CEO officially entered the building on February 1 and wants to work more closely with stakeholders across the music business…

'I wanted to build something that would bring people in and look after them as much as their artists'

Matt Hanner on founding Runway Artists and fulfilling an early artist development role in the live booking space…

Logcast's Spotify integrations 'a massive opportunity for pay-per-stream content', with more major platforms in discussions

Logcast co-founder and CEO Leni Andronicos tells us why the company is obsessed with solving the problem of a disconnect between artists and millions of fans across streaming and social platforms...

‘I remember a lot of label heads telling me it was impossible’

Artist manager and music industry executive KJ Spio on working Cadet’s first chart hit as an independent against the odds, and how he hopes to build virtual concert provider CEEK into a brand renowned for must see experiences…

'A win for one of us is a win for all of us': Key moments from The AIM Awards 2022

The UK's independent music community returned to The Roundhouse for the first time in two years to celebrate the year's biggest success stories, from Lethal Bizzle to The Libertines, TAAHLIA to Rough Trade...

‘The industry has focused on building databases to figure out who owns what. But there's something everyone's missed...'

Crunch Digital founder Keith Bernstein is approaching the issue of music copyright and clearance from a different direction - pointing out that it's often companies with a list of legitimate music licenses that accidently infringe on copyrights. He says the music rights databases, search engines and other online tools don't quite do enough...

Paul Pacifico on his AIM legacy, the indie community he leaves behind, and where he might end up next

On the eve of his final AIM Awards show, we speak to AIM's outgoing CEO about how he feels the trade body has evolved during his six-year tenure, some of the key battles he's fought for the sector, and where he feels indie rights-holders sit in today's market...

‘Metaverse can follow gaming’s multi-billion dollar DLC market trajectory’

Perfect Havoc’s Rob Davies draws parallels following label’s anniversary NFT launch…

What happens when a music studio tells artists ‘Pay what you can’?

The Ranch Production House has allowed musicians to name their price for studio use between August and October to combat the cost of living crisis – but the model could become a permanent fixture, says founder Neil Kennedy…

Member articles

‘You can’t be a musician today without being versatile. You either get with it or get left behind.’

Upon the release of the duo’s fourth album, Ticket To Shangri-La, Young Gun Silver Fox’s Andy Platts talks about spearheading a yacht rock renaissance, streaming as a gateway to physical revenue and why artists can’t be in it ‘just to make music’ anymore…

'In 2022, there isn't an excuse for the amount of money that isn't getting to creators'

Hundreds of executives from independent publishers around the world gathered with the wider biz for IMPF's first ever industry Summit and songwriting camp in Palma, Mallorca in October. Better data and more complete royalty distribution were among the conference's big talking points...

Tia Kofi: ‘I want to be recognised as an artist beyond being a drag queen on a reality show’

Tia Kofi found fame during the second series of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK. Since then, she has surrounded herself with respected industry names to help develop a musical career that can stand on its own…

Marina Elderton: 'You have to be obsessed to get there without a really big team around you'

With a dual career as a sought-after composer for media and a recording artist currently under her ELDR moniker, Marina Elderton reflects on life as an independent artist following the release of a new EP...

Charlie Simpson: ‘If I’d have had a tenth of the stuff that kids have now, it would have blown my mind’

From Busted to Fightstar to establishing himself as a solo artist, Charlie Simpson has witnessed arguably the music industry’s most turbulent transition over a 22-year career. Here, he talks about his new album and life as an independent artist in the modern music business…

Roo Panes: 'There's more opportunity than ever for artists to go direct, to get their music heard, and for independents to make an impact'

Three albums and more than 20 singles and EPs into his musical career, Roo Panes has almost 185,000 followers and more than 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone. He recently signed a publishing deal with BDi Music but already has a number of high profile, song-boosting syncs to his name...

How music rights-holders can cash in on performance sports

ClicknClear founder Chantal Epp talks about the difficulties and opportunities that this often overlooked revenue stream presents. From cheerleading to figure skating, licensing sports routines could be a multi-billion dollar market for music rights holders…

Reef's Gary Stringer: 'If the budget isn’t there, fill it with creativity'

Reef shot to stardom in the mid-90s with a major label deal in a music business that was a world away from the one we know now. Their next album lands in April on their own label powered by Absolute. Here, singer Gary Stringer talks about the band's approach in 2022, finding the right people, and doing more with less...

'Labels sign people all the time that never make it big. Doing it yourself is different'

Zuzu has lived the life of a major label signing and felt all the pressures and expectations that come with it. Now an independent artist using label services and D2C to reach her fans, she's in a much healthier position. She still, however, raises questions about the stresses put on young artists in a changing music industry...

How To Build A Sustainable Music Hub Outside of London

AIM's Member Focus series sees independent music companies break down their goals, the journey to achieving them and what others in the indie community can learn from them...