Educational guides
Education is a powerful tool for anyone in the music industry, whether you’re just starting out or looking to deepen your knowledge. To support your journey, we’ve put together a list of invaluable educational guides and toolkits tailored specifically for musicians and music professionals. These resources cover everything from applying for funding to understanding copyright laws and ensuring accessibility in your organisation.
If you have a guide that you would like Music Connections to feature here, please email it to news@musicconnections.com
BUSINESS-RELATED
Accessible Employment Guide
Attitude is Everything has published an accessible Employment Guide as part of a concerted bid to improve the inclusion of Deaf and disabled workers in the commercial music sector. Research suggests that disabled people remain hugely underrepresented at all levels of the UK music industry, despite significant increases in disabled audiences at live music events and the fact that 19% of working adults are considered disabled under the Equality Act.
CLIP
Creators Learn Intellectual Property (CLIP) is a trusted knowledge platform focused on creators’ rights and intellectual property. With a global perspective, CLIP serves creators across various disciplines, enabling them to make informed decisions and receive fair recognition and compensation for their work.
Initially launched with music industry content, CLIP plans to expand to include literature, audiovisual creation, dramatic and visual arts, and more. Creators can access expert insights through videos, explore key aspects of intellectual property rights, and test their knowledge with mini-quizzes. Their mission is to empower creators worldwide by raising awareness of intellectual property rights and related processes.
FAC Kitemark: The Artist-Promoter Relationship
In 2021, the Featured Artists’ Coalition (FAC) launched its kitemark, a “fair trade” symbol to be awarded to artist friendly organisations. The first edition “FAC Kitemark: Independent Promoters” focuses on the independent, live music promoter relationship with grassroots artists.
Getting Paid As A Creator – Knowing Your Options
Your Music Your Future International, powered by CISAC, is an education campaign that aims to help creators everywhere understand their options when it comes to royalties and copyright buyouts. It aims to reach creators from all walks of life and to help the global network of authors societies that support and represent them.
Mentoring in Music – a DIY Guide
Led by recording artist Frank Hamilton, UK Music’s Futures Group have created a comprehensive mentoring guide to offer support and advice to anyone seeking a career in the music industry.
Music Copyright Explained
This guide explains how copyright gives music makers control over the songs are recordings they create and how the industry can generate income from music rights.
Music Publishing Webinars
Check out a wealth of webinars on the SongTrust website. There’s everything from the basics of music publishing and monetising your lyrics to managing your setlists and navigating royalties.
HOW TO…
The Get Paid Guide
Are you confident you’re doing everything right when registering your music with PRS or PPL? The Get Paid Guide is here to help. It’s your essential companion—a simple, easy-to-use resource that ensures you get paid for your work.
With quick videos, a handy data checklist, and an interactive quiz, this guide will boost your confidence and make sure you’re entering your data correctly. Make sure you’re covered, and let the Get Paid Guide lead the way.
How to beat writer’s block
Even the most prolific among us have moments when creativity isn’t flowing – so if you’re struggling to get your writing muse back, check out these top tips from Andrea Stolpe, written for M Magazine, on ensuring that blocks don’t define your relationship with songwriting.
How to write a funding application
Are you ready to take your music career to the next level but unsure how to secure the funding you need? Andrea Caswell’s fully updated August 2024 guide from the PRS Foundation is here to help you navigate the complex world of music funding applications.
This guide breaks down the essential steps for applying to the right grants, whether you’re looking to create new music, perform live, or boost your marketing efforts. It explains how to check your eligibility for different grants, craft a realistic budget, and align your application with funders’ priorities.
TOOLKITS
Preventing Sexual Harassment at Work: A Toolkit For Orchestras
The Independent Society of Musicians (ISM) and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) have launched a new toolkit to help orchestras prevent sexual harassment.
Preventing Sexual Harassment at Work: A Toolkit for Orchestras offers practical steps for managers and HR teams to protect musicians and address harassment, following a 2022 ISM report that found 66% of musicians had experienced discrimination, with many cases involving sexual harassment.
The toolkit includes resources like checklists and action plans, covering vulnerable situations such as time on tour. While aimed at orchestras, the guidance is relevant to the wider music industry. ISM Chief Executive Deborah Annetts hopes the toolkit will help prevent harassment and support victims in speaking up.
BREXIT-RELATED
A flowchart for musicians working in the EU
Post-Brexit deal, gigging in Europe sees the need for an increasing portfolio of documents to ensure trouble-free passage, to, from and through the 27 member states of the EU. The Musicians’ Union has compiled an interactive flowchart for musicians travelling to the EU – either solo or in groups – to assist in making sure you have the correct documentation prior to setting off. The flowchart guide contains links to useful online resources.
