The Association of Independent Music (AIM) has announced the final wave of speakers for ‘Future Independents,’ its free virtual conference aimed at giving artists, labels, managers and other music entrepreneurs access to the knowledge they need to level up in music.

Joining the lineup on Wednesday 8th June are panels and workshops from industry big-hitters including Spotify’s UK and Ireland music strategy and operations lead Lucy Blair, YouTube Music’s UK label relations manager James McGuinness, and Meta’s music label partnerships lead Josh Nicoll.

Additional speakers include representatives of iconic independent labels Anjunabeats, Black Acre, Cooking Vinyl and Soundway Records; Chloe Mykel, CEO and founder of artist relations agency 1994 Collective, known for campaigns with Russ Millions, Billy Billions and SB; Tiago Mathias, creative manager at digital agency Blackstar, whose work includes projects with Arlo Parks, Charli XCX and Blur; plus Siofra McComb, founder of creative services company Positive Subversion.

Grammy and BRIT-award winning singer, songwriter and music entrepreneur KAMILLE has already been named as this year’s keynote speaker, and will be interviewed by Radio 1’s Jess Iszatt.

Panel discussions will explore “How to Get Involved at International Showcases”, “The Power of Short Form Video,” “Building a Brand For Long-Lasting Superfans,” and “Radio in 2022.” Meanwhile, Richard Leach, general manager of Curve, will present a “Royalties Made Easy” workshop, and RightsHUB CEO Lee Morrison will lead a session titled “Seize The Data: Secure The Bag,” helping creators manage data associated with and generated by music in order to ensure they get paid what they are entitled to.

AIM has meanwhile released a list of industry experts participating in its networking sessions. Attendees who register before midnight on 2nd June will have the opportunity to pre-book one-to-one slots with leading specialists in legal, finance and investment, distribution, artist services and other areas to help set them up for success.

Ben Wynter, AIM’s Entrepreneurship & Outreach Manager, said: “The biggest barrier to success for people from diverse backgrounds is access to information. With Future Independents, AIM is not only breaking down that obstacle but is also providing top quality speakers to share their experience and advice on how to succeed in music.

“Music entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of the industry. They are the risk takers and the innovators who drive the industry forward and create new trends, as epitomised by our keynote speaker KAMILLE. I am excited to see us build on the success of the first Future Independents last year as we go even bigger in 2022, when the exclusive Associate Membership and Knowledge Base launches more widely.”

Future Independents is for anyone in music looking to develop their understanding of trends, new approaches and the latest tech, including people managers wanting to up-skill their teams, as well as those just beginning their journey in the music business.

The conference will take place virtually from 10am to 6pm BST on Wednesday 8th June and is free to attend.

You can see the lineup and programme in full here: https://www.futureindependents.co.uk/whats-on.

AIM would like to thank its Annual Platinum Partners, Amazon Music, Meta, Merlin, PPL, Spotify and YouTube Music, whose ongoing support helps to make its calendar of events possible.

About AIM
AIM is the not-for-profit organisation exclusively representing and supporting the UK’s independent music community, which makes up over a quarter of the UK’s recorded music market. Now in its 22nd year, AIM’s members range from the largest, most respected record labels and associated music businesses in the world to DIY or self-releasing artists and the next generation of entrepreneurs in music - including 4AD, Black Acre, CTRL Music, Dirty Hit, Domino Recording Co, Finesse Foreva, Hospital Records, Killing Moon Group, FAMM, Ninja Tune, Numbers, Transgressive, Secretly Canadian, Supernature, Warp and XL Recordings.