Guardian Podcast – How to Make It in the Music Industry

The UK music industry, fuelled by the success of acts such as Sam Smith and Adele, contributed £3.8bn to the UK economy in 2013, according to UK Music’s annual report. However despite this, banks still seem reluctant to invest in independent musicians.

What is it that traditional lenders find so off-putting about the creative industries? If musicians want to grow their businesses, where can they go if they are denied mainstream support? What strategies can they use to grow in a digital world?

Talking to music experts Claire McNeil from Aim Start-Ups, Sarah Thirtle from Creative Industry Finance, Julia Payne from The Hub and Keith Wyatt from record label Indie Kitchen, presenter Ruth Barnes hears how musicians can make moves to increase their bottom line.

Joining the conversation is musician Tom Twyman from Coco and the Butterfields, a band that has self-financed through busking and gigs. The band recorded two tracks in the Guardian studio exclusively for the podcast.