Audiomack and the Black Music Action Coalition have announced the launch of “Black Music Executives Are The Future”. According to a press statement published on Audiomack, the internship and mentorship program committed to unearthing and developing the next generation of Black executives in the music industry.
As part of the program, Audiomack and Black Music Action Coalition will select five (5) Black undergraduates—or graduates who earned degrees as recently as April 2021—to participate in three-month internships at Audiomack across several departments, including marketing, creative design, editorial and content strategy, content operations, and tech development.
Each of the five participants will be allocated at least two notable music industry leaders to act as mentors during the program. Among the award-winning executives are: Amina Diop, senior vp of Republic Records and artist manager; Andrew McInnes, CEO of TMWRK and artist manager; Cortez Bryant, CEO of The Blueprint and artist manager; Damien Smith, artist manager at Full Stop Management; Gordon Dillar, artist manager at SALXCO; Prophet, co-founder and co-chair of BMAC and artist manager; and Tariq Cherif, co-founder and CEO of Rolling Loud Festival.
“It’s disheartening to see that, of the 70 major and independent music companies, only 4.2% of high-level executives are Black,” Audiomack VP of Marketing & Brand Strategy Jason Johnson said. “As leaders in this industry, we must commit to hiring, developing and elevating Black talent to better reflect the communities that we serve. With this partnership with BMAC, our hope is to establish a strong pipeline of young, Black talent to enter the music industry and equip them with the resources to thrive.”
“If we are serious about closing the wealth gap and building an equitable industry and society, then there must be a true investment made into the next generation of Black executives and artists,” Black Music Action Coalition co-chair and artist manager Willie “Prophet” Stiggers said. “BMAC’s mission is not to only hold our industry accountable for dismantling systems that have historically prevented us from reaping the benefits of a culture we created, but to also to create new systems, new ideas and new leaders. It starts with leveling the playing field and ensuring that the executives and artists coming up, has the tools, support, resources, and access to excel. If Black lives matter – prove it.”
Prospective candidates can apply on the program’s website, and must make an Audiomack account, upload their resume, select their preferred internship department, and follow Audiomack, BMAC, and Culture Fusion Agency on Instagram and Twitter. Additionally, candidates must write a 300-word explanation of why they’d like to be chosen and how it will help their careers.
Applications will be accepted until March 4. Audiomack and BMAC will announce winners on March 14, with the program beginning March 21.