We're kicking off 2024 with a Spotlight from Off The Record (OTR). Founded by Wide Events CIC in 2013, it provides events and online content for musicians and those who want to work in the industry for 16 to 25-year-olds based in Scotland. OTR is designed to equip young people with music business knowledge, information and skills to help them forge a career in music.
An Off The Record event in Edinburgh. Image by Jannica Honey.
November 2023 saw the return of Off The Record with a conference and digital programme series championing emerging artists and aspiring industry professionals across Scotland. Our main aims are to highlight viable career paths, offer young people their first experiences of working in the music industry and provide a resource platform of industry led guides as well as content created by young professionals, highlighting their experiences and outlook on the music industry within Scotland.
Over the past 10 years, we have hosted outreach events and full-day conferences across Scotland including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Kirkcaldy, Kilmarnock, Glenrothes, Dundee, Aberdeen, Galashiels and Dumfries, providing insights and advice on pursuing a career in music. This has enabled participants to build relationships with prominent organisations including the BBC, DF Concerts, The Skinny magazine, Come Play With Me, Youth Music, PITCH Scotland, Resonate, Motive Unknown, EmuBands, ATC Live, FOCUS Wales and numerous managers, promoters, labels and more.
Group shot at an Off The Record event in Dundee. Image by Jannica Honey.
During the pandemic we hosted our first fully virtual conference, complete with networking opportunities to help young people meet professionals and their peers and in what was a time of uncertainty, highlighted alternate income streams for grassroots artists and industry professionals.
Now adopting a hybrid approach to our conference content, 16-25s have the opportunity to get involved in-person and online, expanding the reach of knowledge and opportunity sharing, and removing barriers to access for those who otherwise would not be able to attend.
YMI funding supports Off The Record’s 10th year of developing young people across Scotland, giving them first hand experiences of working in the music industry, passing on knowledge from speakers within the same age bracket as attendees, making their goals attainable, and developing a community of peers who support each other beyond Off The Record. This helps build confidence, developing the next generation of artists and industry professionals.
An Off The Record event in Dundee. Image by Jannica Honey.
Throughout our 2023/24 programme, young people can participate in a range of opportunities:
YMI funding also allows us to offer aspiring industry professionals with a number of opportunities to get actively involved in the project. A number of paid content creator commissions are offered, allowing young people to cover topics important to them, which are subsequently shared with their peers (via our website and socials), and circulated to youth groups across Scotland. Moreover, opportunities to gain hands-on experience working as part of the event team are offered, and young people can help shape the programme by participating as a youth board member.
An Off The Record event in Edinburgh. Image by Jannica Honey.
This helps young people take their first steps in the music business, with mentoring, support and training opportunities provided.
If you’re 16 to 25 and an aspiring industry professional or developing artist join us February 2024 for the return of Off The Record, a daytime conference with a programme of industry led workshops, panels and Q&As. We’re also looking to expand our team, if you want to gain first hand experience of working at a music industry event head over to otrscot.com to find out more.
