Photography: Audrey Damier | @shotby.drey
We teamed up with Young Guns Network (YGN) and KISS FM to host a Youth Music NextGen Community Event at Bauer Media's headquarters in London.
On 19 June, we linked up with KISS FM at Bauer Media's London HQ to hear the team's advice on how to get your music heard.
Keep reading to learn some of the KISS team's top tips...
How do I get my music heard?
Jordan Lee, a presenter at KISS and Hits, shared insights into how artists can get their music heard on the radio, as well as tips on how to connect with DJs.
Ben Malone, KISS presenter and DJ, shared the importance of artists doing their research before getting in touch with radio stations. "The number one thing is check out the shows you want to send music to. Make sure it's a fit. I get sent music all the time that I would never ever play on my show," he said. "Not because it's not good, just cause it's not the right sound for the other music that I'm playing on the show."
"Make it easy for the people you're sending it to. Send it in a Soundcloud link or a Dropbox link - never send a WeTransfer," he added. "Label it correctly with your name and the track."
Youth Music NextGen presenter Jade Barnett hosted the evening, and shared her career journey with the audience. Progressing from the role of Backstage Presenter at the Youth Music Awards 2021 to becoming a Host at the awards last year, now Jade is a professional public speaker and the co-founder of Power2Prevail CIC.
Jade Pearson, Assistant Producer on KISS Breakfast, Briony Casey, Head of Digital at KISS, and Matt Gibbs, part of the Innovation team at Bauer, each ran through what they do in their roles and how they got them, giving an insight to some of the many careers available for creatives in the music industry.
Networking
After the presentation, pizza was served, and networking began. Budding musicians, presenters and other young, music industry creatives swapped tips, stories and social media profiles.
The KISS FM and Bauer Media team worked the room, chatting with the guests and answering their questions. YGN co-founder Remi Harris MBE was also on hand to help demystify the music industries, leveraging her 25 years of experience to offer advice to young creatives on how to take their careers to the next level.
As part of our mission to support emerging creatives UK-wide, our NextGen Community Series has so far headed to Bristol and London, providing networking opportunities as well as opening the doors to some of the music industry's key organisations, such as Meta.
Not only have these events given young creatives the chance to connect, but they have also provided knowledge sharing opportunities from trailblazers and industry leaders, sharing tips and tricks about everything from building communities to leveraging social media platforms as an artist.
Sign up to our NextGen Community and be the first to hear about these events and more, as well as job, training and performance opportunities around the UK.
Youth Music NextGen Community Series events:
- Wednesday 7th August – Mono, Glasgow
- Wednesday 27th November – Levi’s, London Office