Ditto music – an online music distribution firm based in Liverpool – has launched a new initiative titled ‘Industry Access’ to help those from minority backgrounds establish careers within the music industry. Industry Access comprises of two events: the Music Industry Training Programme, open to 100 applicants, and a Music Industry Fair & Networking Event. The five-stage training programme has been designed to offer industry insight to those who feel challenged by inequality, covering distribution and labels, artist management, music marketing and publishing.
The programme concludes with a keynote delivered by rapper and television personality, Big Zuu. Speaking on the new scheme, he said: “The launch of this initiative, hosted by Ditto Music, is so important for this industry. I feel proud to be a part of it and any advice I can offer to young people wanting to kick start their careers, especially those from minority backgrounds, I hope is one step further in the right direction. I’ll be talking to Vital about my journey and how I’ve approached my career.”
Thanks to @ItsBigZuu and everyone helping with our new industry access initiative as part of our $100k #BlackLivesMatter fund and thanks @MusicWeek for the coverage today. https://t.co/vRsTxLkxex
— Lee Parsons (@ceoleeparsons) February 17, 2021
In 2020 Ditto music pledged $100,000 to support the Black Lives Matter movement as well as other minority campaigns, but soon conceptualised Industry Access as a means of making a longer lasting difference within the industry.
“After we pledged to $100,000 in 2020 to support Black Lives Matter causes and underrepresented people across the music industry, it was clear that we needed to use our position to create real opportunities that would make a real difference,” CEO Lee Parsons said. “That’s why we created Industry Access, to give those who feel underrepresented in the industry the opportunity to learn from the best, develop their skills and excel in their own careers.’” Once the successful applicants have completed the training programme, Ditto offer one-to-one mentoring, as well as inviting a selection of the scheme’s participants to learn directly from key industry figures and musicians.
“Industry Access is an opportunity I would have run to at the start of my career,” added Vital Powers, video content creator at Ditto. “There can be lots of knock-backs for young black people trying to break into the music industry no matter how eager they are, so it’s a breath of fresh air to see Ditto tackling the issue and offering support to try and better the situation. Plus, it feels great for me personally to be a part of the solution, rather than just hoping something gets done.”
