The Music Industry - How It Works & How Artists Make Money

Have you ever wondered where the money really goes when a song is streamed, played on the radio or used in an advert? Whether you’re a singer, songwriter, producer or manager, or you simply love music and want to understand the business behind it, this masterclass is for you.

Join us at Soul-Full for a lively, practical three-hour session with Lindsay Wesker, who has spent 45 years at the heart of the music industry. Lindsay will walk you through how the industry really works, so you can make confident choices about your music, your rights and your income.

What you’ll discover

1. The structure of the music industry
2. The four main commercial assets: how artists make money
3. Record labels
4. Music publishing
5. Copyright and copyright infringement
6. Artist management
7. The live music industry
8. Synchronisation: your music in films, TV programmes, adverts and computer games
9. Self-releasing
10. Digital distribution and streaming

Lindsay has seen the music business from every angle: as a journalist, DJ, manager, songwriter, label executive and broadcaster.

• Began as a writer of stage plays, radio plays and TV scripts, then became a music journalist at Black Echoes in 1981
• Presented shows on pirate stations Invicta, LWR and JFM, then on Kiss FM (1986–1994), Jazz FM, GLR (BBC Radio London) and the BBC World Service
• Worked in A&R, promotion and marketing at WEA, A&M, Avex, Mushroom and ZTT
• Has managed an act since 1985 and co-wrote most of the songs on their second album. Their first album was re-released on vinyl in America in 2026
• Created The International Dance Awards in 1993
• Spent nearly 20 years at MTV (1999–2018), where he created MTV Base, MTV Hits and MTV Dance
• Has presented a weekly show on Mi-Soul every Saturday since 2011, and has taught at Point Blank since 2019
• Has self-published five books and is currently promoting his own self-released single

Event venue & nearby stays

Soul-Full Community Hub, 62 George Street, Croydon, United Kingdom

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.

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