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People from all ages and backgrounds, from different corners of the UK, dream of a career in the music industry. However, if you don’t know somebody who’s already working in music, it can be difficult to know where to begin. To a certain extent, the industry remains shrouded in mystery, so breaking down barriers to access is vitally important.
This is where TheWRD comes in. Since launching in 2022, TheWRD has made premium music business education that’s accessible to everyone. The aim is to level the playing field so connections, a university degree or a hefty chunk of money are no longer necessities just to get a foot in the door. With TheWRD’s fully online and flexible courses, you can fit your studies around existing commitments – whether that’s work, family or other life complexities.
“Many of our music industry partners say they are not necessarily looking to hire people with university degrees. But there’s this misconception that uni is the only place to get the skills and knowledge you need,” says Ian Mack, TheWRD’s CEO and co-founder. “That’s simply not true. We’ve created an alternative route.” This speaks to a wider issue, which is that the music industry is still struggling with diversity. “It’s a big, ongoing challenge,” Mack says. “For us to achieve true diversity in the long term, I feel, traditional education models need reworking to give everyone equal opportunity to fulfil their potential.”
TheWRD is reimagining music education with innovative programmes including the 14-Day Music Career Builder and the 14-Day Live Music Kickstarter. As their names suggest, these courses provide students the opportunity to supercharge their music industry careers in just two weeks. Mack says they’re designed, not for a “deep dive” but to introduce students to all facets of the business so they can discover what kind of role really appeals to them.
“With the 14-Day Live Music Kickstarter, the aim is to give you a really great overview of how the live music industry works,” Mack says. “It’s perfect for anybody who loves the idea of working in live music but doesn’t know where to start. And even if you’ve been in the music industry for a while, it’s a great way to brush up on how this side of the industry is changing – and changing fast.”
The 14-Day Music Career Builder has a different focus: it offers a 360-degree overview of the publishing, distribution and recording side of the industry. “There’s common ground between the two courses – it’s all the music industry – but they focus on different aspects of the business,” says Mack, who started his career at Warner Music Group and went on to become VP of Right Bank Publishing before starting TheWRD.
Both courses operate in the same way: they’re fully online and structured so students can complete them as and when they have time, without compromising their other commitments.
TheWRD student Krystal Rose from London – also a singer, digital marketer and single mum of two – first got involved through TheWRD’s partnership with entrepreneur Tolu Farinto’s Limitless Live festival which takes place at Roundhouse in London and this year was headlined by Stefflon Don.
She shares enthusiasm about the flexibility of TheWRD’s offerings: “As a busy mum of two, the fact that TheWRD courses feature recorded content presented by industry experts is absolutely amazing. It allows me to listen and watch in my pockets of spare time – which is really convenient and the only viable way for me to study right now. I can also watch TheWRD’s content over and over again, which is brilliant.”
“Our students also get access to a suite of professional tools that we’ve created with industry experts to complement the recorded content – such as tour budget worksheets and festival planners,” Mack adds. “Plus, we run weekly live sessions where everyone can connect and learn from each other, industry experts, and TheWRD team. They’re great fun as well as being a safe space to explore ideas and learn new things.”
Dan Ward from Cardiff – producer, songwriter, DJ and TheWRD Student – says: “I really look forward to our weekly live sessions because I get to connect with other people who are as passionate about music as I am. TheWRD has given me the opportunity to learn more about the music industry and develop the skills I need to make music my full-time career.”
Students are also invited to join TheWRD’s online Creators Community. “We want to nurture a real sense of community at TheWRD,” says Mack. “Making industry friends can sometimes be just as important as acquiring skills and knowledge when it comes to breaking into our industry. So, providing a way for everyone to connect, share thoughts and help each other is really important. And, from the comments I hear, it’s something everyone really values.”
Thanks to TheWRD’s scholarship programme, which is supported by viagogo and other leading music organisations, some students are also eligible for free access.
“Over the last two years, many organisations and individuals have been very generous with their time, money and expertise. This has helped us give free education to over 600 people from over 50 countries,” Mack says proudly. “Viagogo wanted to partner with us because they really understand the importance of our work in opening access to people from disadvantaged and marginalised backgrounds.”
“Of course, this is a great thing to do for society but it’s also important commercially,” Mack goes on to explain. “For the music industry to truly thrive, we need to create an environment that gives all talented people the opportunity to flourish, not just a few. Our scholarship programme contributes to that cause by supporting people who might otherwise fall through the cracks. So, we’re grateful to viagogo and everyone else who helps us do this very important work.”
Opening access has become a particularly pressing issue since the pandemic, when a number of key event workers left the industry to retrain – and never returned. Many sectors are now struggling with a serious talent shortfall, making live events trickier and more expensive to put on. Some are struggling to remain financially viable; others have had to raise ticket prices. TheWRD plays a small but vital role in addressing this problem by creating a new route for fresh talent to enter the industry.
TheWRD also offers longer courses including a 28-Day Music Industry Bootcamp and one-year diploma in Creative Entrepreneurship in Music. All are designed to be as streamlined as possible. “We say ‘don’t lecture me, just give me TheWRD,’ because we want to help people develop the industry-grade skills, knowledge and connections they need as quickly as possible,” Mack states. “If you want to learn about the music industry from people who are actually out there doing it, TheWRD is for you. And all our courses are constantly evolving so they’re fully future-proofed.”
The message is clear: if you’re interested in a career in the music industry and need a helping hand to get started, get TheWRD.
Click here to apply for a viagogo scholarship to study TheWRD’s 14-Day Live Music Kickstarter.
The post How TheWRD helps emerging talent break into the music industry appeared first on NME.
