AIM Connected 2024: Transgressive Records Co-Founders Join The Waeve’s Graham Coxon and Rose Elinor Dougall for Keynote Interview with Pete Paphides

Takes place 12 September at the Barbican Centre, 09:00 — 19:00 BST

• ERA’s Kim Bayley and Secretly Group’s Chloé van Bergen join representatives of Merlin, Blue Raincoat, Too Young and Supernature 

• Topics include investment, creator remuneration, AI, streaming fraud, sustainability, and more

• Tickets available here, with additional discounts on entry for AIM members outside London

The Association of Independent Music (AIM) has released the programme for 2024’s AIM Connected, its flagship conference and networking event for entrepreneurs, strategists and senior execs across the independent music sector and beyond. 

Taking place at London’s Barbican Centre on Thursday 12th September, the conference will feature a keynote interview with Transgressive Records, the world-renowned independent label, publisher and management company known for its work with artists such as Arlo Parks, Foals and SOPHIE. With the label celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, co-founders Tim Dellow and Toby L will be joined by The Waeve’s Rose Elinor Dougall and Graham Coxon (also of Blur) for an interview with esteemed journalist and broadcaster Pete Paphides (The Times, Melody Maker, Mojo, Q and others). They will reflect on Transgressive’s past two decades at the forefront of discovering and nurturing new talent, and its vision for the future.  

Other highlights will include expert panels on combating digital piracy and fraud, making the best use of AI in music, fairness and best practice in artist deals, investment and legacy business-building, the Music Climate Pact’s ongoing roll-out and next steps, and the impact of the Employment Rights Bill on music businesses. 

Among the leading execs to be added to this year’s line-up are Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) CEO Kim Bayley, Beggars Group Director of Live Licensing and AIM Chair Ruth Barlow, Secretly Group VP Operations Chloé van Bergen, Blue Raincoat General Manager Aine Markey, FUGA SVP EMEA Liz Northeast, Too Young Founder and MD Fred Schindler, freelance lawyer and angel investor Jane Clemetson, and Domino Head of Digital Partnerships & Analytics Rachel Buswell. Other panellists include Beatbread Head of Europe Mark Terry, Domino Recordings Head of Legal and Business Affairs Frances Pollitzer, EarthPercent Co-Executive Director Cathy Runciman, Metropolis Studios Partnerships Director Gavin Newman, Muso CEO Andy Chatterly, IDOL UK General Manager Roo Currier, and Snapper Music Managing Director Frederick Jude. 

The event will also feature AIM Connected’s trademark TED-style ‘Strong Opinion’ keynotes on key topics for the modern music business. Leading figures at PPL, Vevo, Amazon Music, Meta and Curve will lead high-level, future-facing deep dive sessions, in addition to a fireside chat between Merlin COO Charlie Lexton and AIM’s interim CEO Gee Davy. 

One-on-one networking sessions will run throughout the day, which attendees will be able to book onto online. Open networking will run throughout lunch and the end-of-day drinks reception.  

Subsidised entry is available to all members of AIM, as well as various UK trade and community organisations. For the first time, AIM is offering an additional discount on tickets to its non-London based rightsholder and distributor members in recognition of the additional costs of attending a conference in London for those in other regions and nations of the UK. 

AIM’s interim CEO Gee Davy commented: “AIM Connected is the UK’s key forum dedicated to the realities of operating an independent music business, with best practice and knowledge sharing at its core. As always, we have focussed on making sure the event is packed full of valuable insights, while ensuring it is also cost-effective to attend. This year we are building on that accessibility by offering additionally subsidised tickets for members based outside London. We hope this will help business leaders and business builders from across all regions and nations of the UK to come together for this 2024 edition. It will be an unmissable event with the chance to hear from a wide variety of the industry’s leading thinkers.”

AIM would like to thank its event partners and sponsors Amazon Music, AudioSalad, beatBread, Merlin, Meta, PPL and Vevo.

You can find full information and buy tickets at https://www.aimconnected.com/. To inquire about subsidised tickets, please contact info@aim.org.uk.

About AIM

AIM is the not-for-profit organisation representing and supporting the UK’s independent music sector and community, which makes up more than a third of the UK’s recorded music market alone. Now in its 26th year, AIM’s 1000+ members range from the largest, most respected independent record labels and associated music businesses in the world to self-releasing artists and the next generation of entrepreneurs in music. These include 4AD, Black Acre, Because Music, Beggars Group, Chrysalis / Blue Raincoat, CTRL Music, Domino Recording Co, Finesse Foreva, Hospital Records, HQ Familia, The Leaf Label, London Recordings, Ninja Tune,  Numbers, Partisan, Transgressive, Scruff of the Neck, Secretly Canadian, Stones Throw, Supernature, Warp, and XL Recordings.

AIM’s regular ‘Ahead of the Curve’ sessions were the first of their kind in the sector, bringing together music and technology professionals, businesses and projects for meaningful engagement.  AIM provides continuing professional development and insight sessions on a range of subjects throughout the year through the AIM Academy brand - with webinars, in-person training and networking - and through AIM’s conference programme: AIM Connected, AIM Sync and AIM’s Future Independents. AIM supports the wider music community through its new AI-driven platform, the Knowledge Space, currently in rollout across the industry.

AIM champions the talent and innovation in the independent music community at its annual Independent Music Awards, which will be back at the Roundhouse in London for 2024 on October 17th, recognising global success and the best emerging talent in the industry, with the help of key media partners including the BBC.

AIM exists to level the playing field for the UK’s independent music businesses and entrepreneurs - the beating heart of music. No matter their genre, their background, how much money they have, how they identify or their location, AIM provides access to the knowledge and contacts creative entrepreneurs need to create, build and win. AIM supports its members, not only through the difficult times, but also on a day-to-day level with practical support that makes a real difference to their lives and work, helping them take their business to the next level.