London graduates prove instrumental in The Music Federation
Two of our graduates from BIMM Institute London have proved instrumental in the inception of The Music Federation. Huge congratulations to Project Manager Isabelle Ljungqvist and Head of Live Sam Hong.
What is the Music Federation?
Formed by Killing Moon Group and Believe, The Music Federation (TMF) provides:
- Free recording studio service,
- Promotional services
- Access to The Music Federation advances
- Free legal services
- Merchandise facilities
- General training and expertise
- Video production services
- And more…
TMF also recognises that most of its members do more than just releasing records to generate revenue. That’s why TMF will also provide an array of non-label services to members, ranging from artist management services to publishing, A&R management and mental health and well-being services, which can be opted into on a project-by-project basis.
The labels that have already signed up include Metropolis, Fierce Panda, Export Quality Records, Native.FM, Elephant Music, Polarface, Annabel Allum, Wild Paths, and many more to be confirmed.
Catching up with the London graduates
We caught up with Isabelle and Sam to find out a bit more about their roles:
What is your role within TMF?
Isabelle Ljungqvist: I’m a project manager at TMF, working across all our members’ catalogues and frontline releases. I’m also on the artist management team, taking care of the day-to-day responsibilities of our managed artists.
Sam Hong: I am Head of Live at The Music Federation. I book club nights, tours and showcase festival stages that we secure for The Music Federation. I also act as a booking agent for our artists on our label and management roster that needs support on live shows. I’ve worked on shows with Wolf Alice, Rosie Lowe and BIMM alumni Black Honey.
“The Music Federation was created from a desire to collaborate, share knowledge, and foster a community of like-minded people.”
– Isabelle Ljungqvist, Project Manager.
What sets you apart from similar industry outlets?
IL: The Music Federation was created from a desire to collaborate, share knowledge, and foster a community of like-minded people. The goal is not to compete with each other but to help each other further advance in all aspects of our collective businesses. The fact that our members come from all different parts of the music industry is what makes it so exciting!
SH: In my eyes, what makes us different at The Music Federation is that we are an artists development company that is community-based. Our members range from festivals, labels, artists, presenters, and more. Our live business promotes club nights, tours, live streams, domestic and international festival stages. Alongside promoting live events, we help to develop presenters, careers and brands within the live space.
Are there any labels or outlets that you’re desperate to work with?
IL: I’m super keen to work with all our member labels and help them make connections between each other and our partners. As for other labels, I would love to work with Slow Dance and Pony Recordings, two brilliant East London labels.
SH: I’m excited to work with all our members but Wild Paths Festival especially. I attended the festival in 2019 and came back to London wanting to work with the organiser, Ben, somehow. I love what he’s done with the festival and how the booking team produces exciting and fresh line-ups. To start something like Wild Paths is not an easy task, and I’m excited to see what we can do together now WP is part of the TMF family.
How has BIMM Institute helped you get to where you’re at?
IL: My time at BIMM Institute allowed me to lay the foundations of my music industry skills and network. The breadth of the Music Business course was valuable throughout my studies and my first few years in the industry. However, the networking possibilities should be emphasised, as I got my first internship and my first graduate job through contacts I made whilst at BIMM Institute. And we’ve now come full circle as I’m currently working with my BIMM classmate Sam Hong, who I used to manage in the band DAZE!
SH: BIMM Institute had a huge hand in getting me to where I am today. In my final year, we had an internship placement, which I secured at Killing Moon (now The Music Federation) as the live intern. I think the Music Business course is excellent as it teaches you the skeleton of the music industry.
My Events lecturer Dan Tsu gets a massive shout-out because he was a big inspiration to me being an Asian man in live events. The guy books a stage at Glastonbury! A lot of the stuff I learned in those classes I still use for our shows. I made a lot of connections with the students there. A lot of my friends are now working in music or are artists.
To find out more about our amazing students, head over to our student success page or you can find out about potential industry placements, here.
