New Artist Accelerator platform MXTR launches 10 Sep 2024
New Artist Accelerator platform MXTR launches, committed to championing and funding emerging artists with a sustainable ecosystem that puts creative control and ownership first.
• MXTR will offer artists funding, majority share deals, master ownership and full creative control.
• MXTR is powered by pioneering music organisation, AudioActive. Since 1999, AudioActive has built a reputation and unique community of supportive talent development services for underground and underrepresented youth talent.
• First artist signings are R&B/Neo soul singer-songwriter, Orla Rae and British rapper, Dred.
• The official MXTR launch party will take place on 18th September at Alphabet in Brighton featuring live sets from Orla Rae and Dred. DJ support from Tommy Jules, hosted by Hatter.
• Get involved, send music, apply for a live session and learn more at https://www.mxtr.co.uk
Launching in September 2024, artist accelerator MXTR aims to kickstart sustainable careers and empower artists through complete creative control with a clear vision of supporting the first steps into a commercial music career.
With the musical industry at large in need of a vastly improved duty of care for creatives, MXTR is a platform that puts artist rights in the spotlight. Designed to drive change it will focus on developing artistssongwriting, production, live performance, industry knowledge and career sustainability.
Developed by music industry professionals and the core leadership team of AudioActive who have decades of experience across the music industry, community building and talent development. MXTRseeks to provide emerging talent with best-in-class label services through tools, advice, opportunities and financial support to develop their careers.
“For every Arrdee and Rizzle Kicks that we've helped to nurture through AudioActive, we've seen just as many equally talented emerging artists fall by the wayside because of the way that the system works. Exceptional talent and music is the lifeblood of the music business and artists should not have to compromise to get their music out into the world. MXTR is here to support and accelerate artists and help them to smash through some of those barriers.” Adam Joolia, CEO
Showcasing its long-standing commitment to disruptively tackle inequalities and discriminatory practices that continue to prevail in the creative sector, MXTR will position the artist as the priority, focusing on bespoke deals not only weighted in the artist favor but tailored around their specific requirements.
New artist deal structures of MXTR not only feature non-recoupable advances to fuel creativity but royalty share deals that revert fully to the artist after just a few years.
“Data from the MIDiA Research creator survey shows that the majority of artists seeking a music career say that breaking through the noise and a lack of financial resources are their biggest challenges.” MIDiA Research, May 2024
“76% of new artists say that their music career is financially unsustainable” Toolroom Academy industry survey, June 2024
In tandem with its commitment to fair compensation, MXTR’s architecture and accelerator framework has been specifically designed to elevate upcoming artists as well as established talent by giving them majority share and full creative control over their artistry and masters.
These advancements showcase the company's dedication to adapting to the ever-changing landscape and forging an exceptional new ecosystem for musical talent to flourish regardless of background or access to resources.
NEWS & PRESS
Career achievements of Stephen Taverner to be recognised at the Artist & Manager Awards
The hugely popular founder of East City Management will receive the award for Managers' Manager Shortlists for Artist Of The Year (sponsored by Tixel) & Manager of the Year revealed An inaugural Earth Action Award will be presented to NATURE the artist...more
Music Nation starts formal operations, launching new era of opportunity for UAE artists
Chairwoman Rasha Khalifa Al Mubarak Announces Senior Leadership Team: Amer M. Samhoun named Chief Executive Officer; James K. Petrie appointed Chief Operating Officer; Ali Dee joins as Chief Creative Officer Music Nation Copyrights Management ("Music Nation"), a pioneer in music rights...more
Brits spend over £580 a month on entertainment and leisure, but 61% regret social media-driven purchases
A new study from credit card brand Aqua has revealed how Brits are spending on lifestyle, and what drives certain purchases Eating out tops the list of lifestyle spending categories, with over half of Brits indulging in restaurants and takeaways 70% of Brits admit...more
Noctil leverages The MLC’s public musical works database
Noctil leverages The MLC’s public musical works database to give its users the ability to view The MLC’s data for unmatched sound recording products and musical works with unclaimed shares within the Noctil platform The latest in a series of strategic...more
Impala warns of risks to cultural diversity posed by UMG/Downtown deal
A crucial element in reviewing mergers in the music sector is what’s at stake for the ecosystem and cultural diversity. A new paper published by IMPALA predicts that the proposed UMG/Downtown acquisition carries significant risks for both the quantity and...more
Latest PPL Momentum Music Fund and PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator grantees announced
10 talented UK artists in genres including pop, folk, R&B, jazz and rock receiving PPL Momentum Music support These selected grantees mark the 50th round of the landmark fund, supporting 623 artists at a career tipping point since its launch in 2013 4...more
Best performing National Album Day to date
Vinyl LP sales rose 54% over the National Album Day weekend, and were up 23.9% year-on-year A third of the Top 100 Official Vinyl Albums Chart was made up of titles released exclusively for National Album Day 2025, also accounting for...more
Sony Music Publishing UK Renews Exclusive Global Deal with Daecolm
Sony Music Publishing today announced it has renewed an exclusive worldwide publishing agreement with British artist and songwriter Daecolm. The deal renews the company’s long-established partnership with Daecolm, which began in 2016, and covers his existing catalogue and future recordings. In 2024, Daecolm achieved global success with the international hit “I Adore You”...more
KiTbetter Opens First North American Manufacturing Facility for KiTalbums in Los Angeles, California
KiTbetter, the company behind the patented hybrid KiTalbum format that bridges physical and digital music, has opened its first North American manufacturing facility in Los Angeles, California. The new site marks a major milestone in KiTbetter's global expansion. It will...more
Concord Music Publishing signs songwriter-producer Nickname Jos
Today, Concord Music Publishing announced the signing of artist, songwriter, and producer Josef Kuhn, known professionally as Nickname Jos. The universal co-publishing deal, effective immediately, includes Nickname Jos’ full catalog and future works. Nickname Jos is a multitalented performer, songwriter, and producer that has...more
Wear the music, share the joy: Music therapy charity Nordoff and Robbins launches Christmas jumper collection
Available now at nordoff-and-robbins.teemill.com A percentage of every sale goes directly to Nordoff and Robbins Endorsed by Nordoff and Robbins Music Ambassador, Edith Bowman Created in partnership with sustainable print on demand platform Teemill Nordoff and Robbins, the UK’s largest music therapy charity, has today...more
IMPF establishes key targets across tech, data and emerging markets at Global Music Summit
Record 650 delegates attended 2025 event.Dates set for 2026 event. The IMPF established a number of key targets and priorities for the independent music publishing community across tech, data and newer markets at this year’s Global Music Summit Palma. Dates have also...more
Sophie Ellis-Bextor features on episode 4 of ‘The Red Carpet Treatment - On The Road Presented by Mastercard’
The Red Carpet Treatment - On The Road Presented by Mastercard Hosted by Luke Hamnett Sophie Ellis-Bextor features on episode 4, out TODAY available to watch in full on @BRITs YouTube or on @BRITs social channels The BRIT Awards with Mastercard today releases the fourth...more
Mercury rises for Sam Fender
WINNING ALBUM, PEOPLE WATCHING, ENJOYS 159% CHART SALES INCREASE IN THE OFFICIAL ALBUMS CHART MIDWEEK DATA UK record labels association the BPI, which organises the Mercury Prize, today reports an increase in demand for Sam Fender’s album People Watching after last week’s acclaimed triumph in his hometown. The...more
Industry Organisations Sign Groundbreaking Seat at The Table Inclusion Pledge
ATC Live and Ginger Owl Among First to Sign Pledge, with The Royal Albert Hall, AEG and The O2 Becoming Industry Champions New Live Sector-Wide Pledge Aims to Achieve Gender-Balanced Leadership and Measurable Progress by 2030 Following the release in April of the ‘Seat...more
EJAE signs with WME
EJAE, the vocalist and songwriter behind KPop Demon Hunter’s #1 hit, “Golden,” has signed with WME for worldwide representation in all areas of her music career. A breakout star of Netflix’s record-shattering animated musical film KPop Demon Hunters, EJAE is the...more
Blue Raincoat Music/Reservoir strikes publishing deal with Molly Drake Estate
Nick Drake Publishing Agreement Renewed Blue Raincoat Music Publishing, in conjunction with Reservoir, have signed a global publishing deal with the estate of songwriter and poet Molly Drake and have renewed their existing publishing deal with her late son, the seminal...more
hmv goes Dutch with new store in The Hague to open before end of the year
Music and popular culture retailer hmv is planning to open its first store in The Netherlands with a new site in The Hague in the latter stages of development. The new store will open its doors before the end of...more
Building on the momentum of its inaugural landmark edition SXSW London Announces it is Open for Business for 2026
SXSW London builds on the success of its inaugural year with its 2026 programme. Passes for access across the festival are now available to purchase on the SXSW London website. The leading European platform for the convergence of technology and the creative...more
Independent Venue Week announce Nova Twins as 2026 Artist Ambassadors
The UK’s annual celebration of independent venues, music and culture will run over 7 days and nights from Monday 26th January to Sunday 1st February Nova Twins will perform an exclusive live show as part of the week’s activities More than 200...more
Leading Entertainment Execs Launch Unit1 Studio, The World's First Independent Avatar Concert Producer
Headed by Barney Wragg (AEG, EMI, Really Useful Group, Universal) Breakthrough CGI and AI technologies deliver digital humans virtually indistinguishable from the artists themselves Unlocks potential for immersive avatar concerts through lower production costs and improved time-to-market Partnership with KT Tunstall ahead of...more
PPL announces Dr. Richard James Burgess MBE as new Chair
PPL has appointed Dr. Richard James Burgess MBE as its new Chair. He will succeed John Smith OBE, effective 5 January 2026. Burgess will lead the PPL Board as the organisation continues to grow as a global leader in neighbouring rights...more
2AM introduces Lenny, the first AI agent redefining audience engagement in live entertainment
After a successful large-scale deployment at Rock en Seine, the Paris-based startup brings AI-native communication to festivals and venues. 2AM unveils Lenny, the first AI agent purpose-built for audience engagement and live event operations, covering the full audience journey - before,...more
Tickets For Good bolsters international growth with appointment of veteran ticketing executive Henk Schuit as European board advisor
The ADE Conference Startups alumni reveals latest Netherlands expansion news. TfG boasts almost 600k registered healthcare workers, teachers, and charity workers across UK, EU and U.S. It's distributed 1million+ free and discounted tickets from 1,000+ live event partners, including Dua Lipa, Idles,...more
KiTbetter and Duran Duran Deliver First-Ever Dolby Atmos Upgrade to a Physical Album
Groundbreaking upgrade to 2023's 'Danse Macabre: De Luxe' KiTalbum marks a new era for physical-digital music formats KiTbetter, the company reshaping physical music for the digital era, today announced a world first: the upgrade of a previously released physical album to...more
Yoto Launches David Bowie Card: Introducing the Legendary Artist to a New Generation
Yoto's latest addition to its growing popular music offering is filled with the immortal icon's classic songs Yoto, the award-winning audio platform for kids, today announced the launch of a new Yoto card featuring the timeless work of David Bowie. With...more
The Other Songs announce team expansion
Global independent music and entertainment company The Other Songs have announced the exciting expansion of their team as they recruit music industry executives Louis Brown, joining as General Manager, and Raju Watts, joining as Financial Director. Speaking on today’s news, founders...more
Day Fever partners with Ticketmaster’s Universe
Day Fever, the acclaimed daytime clubbing brand, has entered into a multi-year partnership with Ticketmaster’s white-label ticketing platform Universe, making the company its exclusive ticketing partner.Through the partnership, Day Fever will tap into Universe’s all-in-one ticketing and marketing platform, delivering...more
Simon Dunmore Partners with Armada Music to Launch New Label, NBT Records
The imprint will operate from Armada’s brand-new creative hub in London Acclaimed industry figure Simon Dunmore and Armada Music, the world’s biggest independent dance music label, have partnered to launch NBT Records – a brand-new label dedicated to soulful, dancefloor-driven records. Formed...more
Moises and Cory Henry Launch Global Music Competition with $50,000 in Prizes
Jam Sessions Invites Musicians Worldwide to Reimagine GRAMMY Winner's Track Through AI-Powered Tools Moises, Apple's 2024 iPad App of the Year, today launched Jam Sessions, a global music competition connecting artists, producers, and creators through AI-powered music technology. The inaugural edition...more
THE HEADLINES
How fan power is reshaping pop (see Features)
The “forever” stakes of generative AI ownership (see Comment)
Lyor Cohen: AI won’t replace artists — it will make them unstoppable (see Opinion)
Omdia tips music publishers’ revenues to hit $10bn this year (see Reports)
Unit1 Studio launches offering potential for immersive avatar concerts through lower production costs (see Digital)
Are we still in the music business? When your POV is worth more than your mp3s (see Opinion)
Is rock’n’roll dead? (see Features)
Book extract: Body Of Work: How The Album Outplayed The Algorithm And Survived Playlist Culture (see Comment)
With MTV channels switching off, is the music video under threat? (see Features)
Spotify partnering with multinational music companies to develop ‘responsible’ AI products (see Digital)
Sam Fender wins 2025 Mercury Prize (see News)
Spotify working on ‘SongDNA’ feature that showcases the people behind tracks (see Digital)
How far should cultural boycotts go? (see Features)
How Subvert is building a co-op owned Bandcamp alternative (see Digital)
Lucian Grainge outlines UMG’s strategy for generative AI partnerships and product development (see News)
The future of music streaming: Change or be changed (see Comment)
