Business Skills: Creation to Career — First Steps as an Artist with Andy Edwards
Join Andy Edwards for a practical session on building a music career, with advice on navigating the industry.
Starting a career in music can feel overwhelming. There is no single route to success, and many artists and music creators are building their careers independently, without a manager or wider team to guide them.
This practical online session is designed for artists and music creators in the early stages of their career who want to better understand how the music industry works and make informed decisions about their next steps.
Led by Help Musicians business advisor Andy Edwards, the session will explore the realities of developing a career in today’s music industry and help you build a stronger foundation for long-term success.
What you’ll learn
During the session, you’ll gain insight into:
- The different pathways available to artists and music creators today
- How artist development works and what realistic career progression looks like
- How to make informed decisions about releasing music, building an audience and growing your profile
- When and how to build the right team around you
- Common pitfalls to avoid and practical strategies for building a sustainable career in music
There are never guarantees in the music industry, but understanding your options and making informed choices can put you in a stronger position as you develop your career.
About Andy Edwards
Andy Edwards is a music business executive, artist manager and advisor with experience across major record labels including BMG Records and Sony Music, artist management, music technology, touring and rights acquisition.
During his career, he has worked with artists including U2, Feeder, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Genesis, Dido, James Morrison, Cher Lloyd and Andreya Triana. He has negotiated recording, publishing, brand endorsement and live performance agreements, and as a former director of the Music Managers Forum (MMF), played a key role in advocating for a fairer and more transparent music industry.
Andy continues to advise artists across genres and career stages and is also a passionate advocate for neurodiversity in music.