BRITs Apprentice Scheme returns to boost more young talent looking to forge a career in the music industry

The BRITs Apprentice Scheme is back for a third round and is now recruiting for ten apprentices to take up fifteen-month paid placements with independent record labels and music companies.

Applications are invited from people of all backgrounds across the UK who love music and are passionate about working in the music industry. The Scheme also provides a cost-effective opportunity for the 10 host companies to take on and train new talent that they might not otherwise be in a position to employ.

The deadline for applications is 16th August 2021, and the BPI/BRIT Trust organisers and DiVA are calling on interested applicants to apply as soon as possible here. Full details are available on The BRIT Trust website.

The 10 host companies in this latest round include Dirty Hit – home to The 1975 and Wolf Alice; Score Draw Music – the Belfast-based creative music and sound company; Come Play With Me – which supports people in Yorkshire into sustainable careers within music; live concert and festivals promoter FKP Scorpio; Leeds-based indie record label Dance To The Radio; label group Full Time Hobby; and artist marketing agency Blackstar.  Roles on offer across all the host companies include working in marketing, social media and label operations. See Notes below for a full list of participating companies and bios and roles being recruited for.

The scheme, first launched in 2017, has been created by labels association the BPI, and is funded through music industry charity The BRIT Trust with monies raised by The BRIT Awards.  It is managed for the BPI by DiVA, the recruitment and training organisation and their partners, All Spring Media, who have a successful track record in delivering apprentices in the entertainment industry.

The BRITs Apprentice Scheme is open to individuals aged 18 and over.  Successful applicants will be matched with participating independent record labels and music companies – who, for the first time, do not have to be BPI members to benefit.  BRITs Apprentices will receive specialist training in either business administration or content creation, and will also benefit from further structured support, mentoring and industry networking.

This latest cohort of The BRITs Apprentice Scheme will commence in November 2021 and will last fifteen months, although it is hoped the experience will lead to further employment opportunities in the industry.  All the apprentices who took part in the last round of the Scheme have to date either been offered full-time roles with their host companies or have taken up jobs with other music companies. The Scheme has also been encouraging and inspiring companies that have participated to develop their own apprentice openings.

There will be six places for candidates working in London with four in other parts of the UK – in Belfast, Leeds (x2) and in Chesterfield.  The BRIT Trust will fund two thirds of each salary – leaving the host companies to cover the remaining third.  London salaries will reflect a London living allowance. 

Additionally, Amazon Music will help meet the investment cost of training the BRITs Apprentices, as part of the £2.5 million Amazon Apprentice Fund. The company is committed to supporting career opportunities and skills development across England, by using Apprenticeship Levy Transfers.

Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive BPI & BRIT Awards, said: “It’s a privilege to work in the music industry and we want to give more young people who love music the opportunity to turn their passion into their career. Thanks to the generosity of The BRIT Trust and BRIT Awards, the BRITs Apprentice Scheme has developed a great track record in boosting diversity and creating opportunities for aspiring industry executives. We are delighted that the Scheme is returning in 2021 to support a further wave of talent breaking into the industry.”

Tony Wadsworth CBE, Chair of The BRIT Trust, said: “Promoting education and creating positive opportunities for young people of all backgrounds through the transformative power of music is core to the BRIT Trust’s ethos, and the Trustees are delighted to continue investing in future talent through the successful BRITs Apprentice Scheme.”

Arit Eminue, Director DiVA, said:  “We are excited to work with the next cohort of apprentices and host companies. The scheme has been incredibly successful so far. All the apprentices from the last round moved into full-time jobs in the industry, which was a fantastic outcome, especially during a global pandemic. Additionally, off the back of the scheme, former host companies have launched in-house apprenticeship schemes offering more opportunities to new talent. This shows the ripple effect schemes such as the BRITs Apprenticeship Scheme can have for both employer and new talent.”

Frank Wilkes of 2021 host company Kycker, an online platform for artists to use to manage their DIY careers, said: “Kycker is thrilled and privileged to be part of the BRITs Apprentice Scheme as we see apprenticeships as both a great tool for new entrants to the music industry and a great opportunity for new staff to help develop our offer to DIY artists.”  Kycker is recruiting for the role of Digital Marketing Assistant.

Fred Jude, MD of 2021 host company and independent label Snapper Music, said: “We are pleased and excited to be part of the BRIT Trust funded BRITs Apprentice Scheme.  We look forward to adding a new member to the Snapper Music team, offering them great training and career opportunities within the music industry.”  The company is recruiting for the role of Royalty and Business Affairs Assistant.

Thorsten Sauer, CEO of 2021 host company ICE Services, said: “At ICE we are working across all levels on Diversity and Inclusion. We thank the BPI for the recognition, in being selected for the BRITs Apprentice Scheme, that we offer the right environment to develop colleagues. We’re committed to our colleagues and their dedication to our purpose to support creators.”  ICE Services are recruiting for the role of Licensing Team Assistant.

Please see Notes to Editors below for quotes & details from all 10 host companies.

2019 BRITs Apprentice Bridget Branagan-Freeman, who joined Absolute Label Services as a Business Administrator and now has a permanent role as a Digital Production Manager, said: “Being part of the BRITs Apprentice Scheme was a great honour.  Through my training I have developed a greater understanding of all the different elements of the music industry and how they all link in together. I have gained confidence in administration work as well as developing my creative skills. During our workshops we weren’t just limited to our apprentice roles in projects, we were encouraged to take on different roles for us to gain confidence. 

2019 Apprentice Ben Magee, taken on by Champion Sound Music as a content creator & artist management assistant, and now Director and business owner of his own company New Champion Management LTD, said: “The BRITs Apprentice Scheme was a colossal experience for me. It came along at a time where I was finding it difficult to establish myself in a meaningful way in the arts, and was fast-losing confidence. I was afforded training, skills, connection, self-esteem and a place of employment that has set me up to a fulfilling career within the music industry, to the point where I was able to formally start my own company and take on artists and freelance work of my own.”

Notes

1. Blackstar https://blackstaragency.com/

Blackstar is a marketing agency for the music industry that specialises in building innovative campaigns for artists. These include campaign management, digital marketing, social management & creative direction with team members in London and in the US in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.

Blackstar are recruiting for the role of Social Media Apprentice.

Olivia Hobbs, Founder & Director Blackstar, said: “We are honoured to be a part of this scheme, providing a platform not just for equality but better equity. Unpaid schemes can be a root of imbalance in our industry and we have a lot of work to do to put it right. Working with DIVA, BPI and Brits on this scheme is essential to reset the standard.”

2. Come Play With Me CIC https://www.musicglue.com/cpwm/

Come Play With Me CIC (CPWM) exists to support people in Yorkshire into sustainable careers within music through a series of projects – mentoring and supported release/press campaigns through our record label, advice from our Advice Clinic, workshops, panel events, our magazine and support for promoters/musicians from under-represented groups via our Come Platform Me initiative! It is largely funded by Arts Council England, Youth Music and PRS Foundation.

CPWM CIC are recruiting for the role of Label Assistant.

Tony Ereira, Director Come Play With Me, said: “Everything we do at Come Play With Me is about supporting people, often from under-represented demographics, into sustainable music careers. We always have multiple projects in flight at any one time so being able to work with someone over an extended period, and support them onto a longer term career path, is incredibly exciting!"

3. Dance To The Radio www.dancetotheradio.com

Dance to the Radio is a platinum-selling indie record label formed in 2004.  The company is part of Futuresound Group which is one of the UK’s largest and longest running independent live music and music venue companies.  We work with innovative new artists with an authentic style and independent mindset that we amplify to the wider audience they deserve. 

Dance to The Radio are recruiting for the role of Junior A&R / Product Assistant.

Sam Robson, Director Futuresound Group, said: “We are delighted Dance To The Radio is included in the BRITs Apprentice Scheme, having taken on apprentices in a number of roles across the Group in the past we’re really excited about offering an opportunity to a young person in our record labels and artist management businesses.  It’s great to be selected to offer access to this kind of work in the North and we can’t wait to see who applies!”

4. Dirty Hit www.dirtyhit.co.uk

Dirty Hit is an award winning independent record label with offices in the UK, US and Australia, releasing music from a diverse range of artists across a variety of genres. The key objective at the label has always been to create an exciting and forward thinking label with a distinctive identity, across both the label itself and the artists on the roster.

Dirty Hit is recruiting for the role of Marketing Assistant.

Jamie Oborne, Owner Dirty Hit Records, said: “We are thrilled to be taking part in the BRITs Apprentice Scheme. Supporting future generations and ensuring that anyone with a passion for music has the same opportunity to make their mark on the industry is hugely important. The apprentice will be working alongside our marketing and digital team across a number of national and international projects to learn how to create a successful marketing campaign. We are excited to be welcoming someone new to the team and look forward to supporting them as they begin their career in the industry.”

5. FKP Scorpio https://www.fkpscorpio.co.uk/

FKP Scorpio UK is a relatively new London based live concert and festival promoter. We promote shows from the smallest club to the largest stadium throughout the UK. We are a subsidiary of German based international festival and concert promoter FKP Scorpio GmbH. We are a small growing team driven by a passion for what we do. We try to build long-term relations with partners, artists, employees and customers. We support artists in the long run; from up-and-coming to headliners. When creating events, we stay innovative and open to try out new concepts.  Examples of artists we have worked with include Ed Sheeran, Catfish and The Bottlemen, Massive Attack, The xx, The Lumineers, The War On Drugs, Anne-Marie, Burna Boy, Adele, Easy Life, Mumford and Sons, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Ellie Goulding, BBC Blue Planet II and Planet Earth II Live in Concert.

FKP Scorpio are recruiting for a role that will be part of the marketing team but will also work also across ticketing, general administration and concert co-ordination.

Barry Campbell, FKP Scorpio Special Projects, said: “The BRITs Apprentice Scheme just seems such a well organised, meaningful scheme, which has delivered great past results – it was a no brainer to get involved.”

6. Full Time Hobby https://fulltimehobby.co.uk/ / https://www.hasslerecords.com/

The Full Time Hobby group of labels were founded in 2004 by Nigel Adams and Wez, having previously worked together in the UK office of Australian indie Mushroom Records. Alongside the labels Full Time Hobby and Hassle Records the company also covers publishing and management for a select number of related artists. Inspired by classic independent labels, including the original Elektra records, Rough Trade and Sub Pop and latterly the label split of Epitaph / Anti, Full Time Hobby and Hassle Records were set up as very much independent labels with different fanbases, distribution networks and A&R outlooks but joined by shared resources and an outlook of creative freedom, independence and the desire to champion exciting, original artists and new music.

Full Time Hobby is recruiting for the role of Marketing and Direct to Consumer Assistant.

Ian Westley, Director Full Time Hobby and known to all as Wez, said: “Helping to train the next generation of people who work in the music industry has to be one of the most important issues the industry faces. It’s a fast paced business to work in, with many different moving parts that are constantly changing and evolving. We’re delighted to have been given the opportunity to play our part and hopefully have a positive impact on a young person’s career just as they are starting out. ” 

7. ICE Services

ICE offers a flexible suite of services for Publishers, Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) and Rightsholders. Services include: copyright administration, multi-territorial online licensing processing and Digital Service Provider (DSP) licensing solutions. ICE was created by PRS, STIM and GEMA and represents over 330,000 rightsholders alone through this partnership. In addition, the ICE Core includes repertoire of IMRO, BMI, Sabam and the independent publishers Peermusic, Downtown/Songtrust and Concord. ICE has processed trillions of online music uses from music streaming services and paid over €1.6 billion back to rightsholders since March 2016. The ICE copyright database holds over 40 million musical works. ICE is based in the UK, Germany and Sweden.

ICE Services are recruiting for the role of Licensing Team Assistant.

Tim Rawlinson, Head of Licensing ICE, said: “In these difficult times for the industry, we’re pleased to be able to support access to opportunities and to help with that crucial first step on the ladder. This role offers an exciting and immersive introduction into the digital sphere of the music industry. We look forward to making our new colleague feel part of the team and helping them develop.“

Thorsten Sauer, CEO ICE, said: “At ICE we are working across all levels on Diversity & Inclusion. We thank the BPI for the recognition, in being selected for the BRITs Apprentice Scheme, that we offer the right environment to develop colleagues. We’re committed to our colleagues and their dedication to our purpose to support creators.” 

8. Kycker www.kycker.net

Launched at SXSW in 2018, Kycker is a free online platform created for artists to use to manage their DIY careers and earn a sustainable income from their music. Artists can distribute their music worldwide and are able to claim performance royalties from all live shows and radio broadcasts at the push of a button. The platform has been designed to allow musicians to corral their entire career in one place and provide mentoring and tools for direct to fan marketing has been hailed as a “much needed innovation in artist development” by industry experts.

Kycker are recruiting for the role of Digital Marketing Assistant.

Kycker’s Frank Wilkes said: “Kycker is thrilled and privileged to be part of the BRITs Apprentice Scheme as we see apprenticeships as a great tool for new entrants to the music industry and see apprenticeships as a great opportunity for new staff to help develop our offer to DIY artists.”

9. Score Draw Music www.scoredrawmusic.com

Score Draw Music is a multi-award winning music and sound company working across film, television, advertising and animation.

The company has delivered thousands of hours of music including songs, score and titles themes and are proud to have collaborated on projects with some incredible companies including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Jr, Nickelodeon, PBS Kids, HIT Entertainment, Blue Zoo, JAM Media, Sixteen South, BBC and CBBC.  Score Draw Music has a growing development slate including preschool animation work, educational content and a series of library music albums which are due to launch later this year.

Score Draw Music are recruiting for the role of Production Music and Social Media Assistant.

Multi-award winning composer Mark Gordon, of Score Draw Music, said:  “We’re delighted to be included in the 2021 BRITs Apprentice Scheme. As a company we try to take on as many young people for placements as we can every year (including over 2020-2021 where we have been delivering these placements remotely) A position such as this allows us to build on this and create for one person an incredible opportunity to work and learn with us over a significant amount of time. It’s a great privilege to have been chosen as one of the providers and we fully intend to make the most out of it for our apprentice.”

10. Snapper Music www.snappermusic.com

Snapper Music is an independent music company based in London.  We control a portfolio of record labels including three front-line imprints which release both new and catalogue recordings; Peaceville, the long-established metal label; Kscope, featuring post-progressive sounds; and Madfish, for alternative releases, also the home to our award winning boxed sets . The majority of our catalogue is comprised of vinyl LPs and CDs but we also own and license a range of music Blu-ray and DVD.

The label was started in 1996, with an early emphasis on the acquisition of copyright in recording catalogues which included those of WASP, Ozric Tentacles and The Pretty Things, alongside the recording of new material by established artists such as Peter Green. These were soon supplemented by recordings from bands such as Porcupine Tree, and Cradle of Filth who would later go on to influence the activities of the company to the present day. In 2000 the Snapper group purchased Peaceville Records, with artists including Opeth, Darkthrone and Katatonia. Early signings of bands such as Porcupine Tree led the label to achieve success in the modern prog-rock genre, launch the solo career of Steven Wilson and form the Kscope label in 2008 with new material in a new direction from Anathema. Snapper continues to record new material from bands as varied as Darkthrone and The Pineapple Thief and to acquire historic recording copyrights. It has also, on the Madfish label, developed a speciality in creating and marketing distinguished limited edition boxed sets from artists such as Wishbone Ash, Gentle Giant, Steve Hillage, John Mayall and Laura Nyro.

We operate internationally with distributors in all major territories and whilst we have a strong digital presence we are committed to physical product in stylish and innovative packaging. Our success derives from a unique combination of new recordings and strong catalogue activity with an experienced international setup and concentration on specific genres, notably metal, art rock and blues. We also benefit from a successful synch licencing business having placed many of our recordings in big Hollywood films including Joker, Stardust & Meet The Fockers plus TV productions such as Tin Star, Cobra Kai, Grey's Anatomy, South Park & The Simpsons.

Snapper Music are recruiting for the role of Royalty and Business Affairs Assistant.

Fred Jude, Managing Director Snapper Music, said: “We are pleased and excited to be part of the BRITs Apprentice Scheme. We look forward to adding a new member to the Snapper Music team, offering them great training and career opportunities within the music industry.”