Photography: Temi Adegbayibi | @temiadegbayibi

How do you put your best foot forward when you're completely independent? Our second London-based NextGen Community event of 2025, in association with Bandcamp and YGN, discussed how young creatives can stand out and make their mark.

Hosted by our NextGen Community Producer, Talia Andrea, and featuring Aly Gillani (European Artist and Label Representative at Bandcamp), Dochi (NextGen Fund artist and member of Brighter Days Family) and Siofra McComb (Director at Positive Subversion), the panel covered the most effective ways to platform yourself, put your work out there, the benefits of staying independent, and what pathways to success might look like when you’re doing everything yourself. The experts also shared practical strategies for managing time effectively and tackling burnout.

After the panel, young creatives had time to network, while enjoying two performances from NextGen Fund artists, Sunkissed Child and Eden J. Howells.

Couldn't make it? Find out what you missed...

Core Values

Figure out who you are as an artist/creative. Identify your core values, and then make decisions that adhere to those values. This will help you to streamline your approach to networking, brand building, and will enable audiences to understand what you're about, and what they can expect from you.

Personalised Pitching

Radio is a great way to get your music out there. Not only is it free, but it's still one of the best ways to reach new audiences. When reaching out to a radio host or DJ, make sure your pitch is personal. Let them know you've listened to their show, you know who they are and the kind of music they play. Tell them why you think they personally will like your music, and why it would be a great fit for their show.

Keep It Simple

When you're sending your music to a radio host, A&R, journalist or someone else in the industry, don't overwhelm them with links and downloads, and certainly don't write them an essay. Create one link with no more than three tracks to listen to, and keep your message short and sweet. 

Build Your Team

Being an independent artist doesn't mean you have to do everything on your own. Consider who you might need on your team to help you get your music out there, sell your merch and book gigs. Ask other artists/creatives who they would recommend from their networks, so you're connecting with people that you can trust.

Dive Deep into Artist Journeys

Explore the paths of artists you admire or those whose work resonates with yours. Investigate what they were doing at the same career stage you're in now. This exercise can help you identify the steps needed to emulate their success.

As part of our mission to support emerging creatives UK-wide, our NextGen Community Series has headed to Cardiff, Bristol, Manchester and Glasgow, providing networking opportunities as well as opening the doors to some of the music industry's key organisations, such as Meta, KISS FM and Levi's at their offices in London.

Not only have these events given young creatives the chance to connect, but they have also provided knowledge sharing opportunities from trailblazers and industry leaders, sharing tips and tricks about everything from building communities to leveraging social media platforms as an artist.