As we enter the winter months, you could be forgiven for wanting to hunker down and start planning for the new year. But there's still a wide array of opportunities for songwriters of all levels and backgrounds to take advantage of before 2024 signs off.
From forward-planning your future festival bookings to signing up to more genre-specific development programmes, there’s plenty to get stuck in to over the next two months. Here’s five unmissable openings for songwriters in November and December.
Apply to play at The Great Escape 2025
Every May, hundreds of music creators and industry professionals descend on sunny (or indeed rainy) Brighton for The Great Escape. The four-day, multi-format event has long been the UK's go-to music showcase for what’s new and next when it comes to exciting talent, and has served as a key stepping stone for the likes of Adele, Ed Sheeran and Charli XCX when launching their respective careers.
Performing at TGE provide a vital step-up for new and emerging artists from across the UK and beyond. If that prospect appeals to you, then you'll be pleased to hear that applications to play at TGE 2025 are open now. The festival is actively encouraging everyone from bands, singer-songwriters, rappers, DJs, collectives and duos to apply, with submissions open until February.
If you're looking to play more gigs on the festival circuit in 2025, then check out our Festival Application Guide.
Become part of TikTok’s #ElectronicMusic global hub
From expanding your creative network to even achieving viral stardom, every songwriter should be aware of just how powerful TikTok can be in enhancing the exposure your music receives.
The social media platform’s latest foray into music is its global #ElectronicMusic hub, which is designed to ‘elevate DJs, producers and artists at every stage to get discovered’. According to TikTok, electronic music has seen year-on-year global growth of 70% in terms of video creations, with drum’n’bass up 50%, techno up 63% and trance seeing a 73% increase.
In recognition of this, TikTok has launched its #ElectronicMusic hub (which initially started in the UK back in 2022) on a global level in a bid to help more artists from across this multi-faceted genre get their music heard and boost their visibility. The #ElectronicMusic hub is now available and can be explored on the platform here.
Join Help Musicians' Co-Pilot scheme and gain a mentor
No matter where you’re at in your journey as a songwriter, having someone in your corner who you can call on for advice is invaluable. Founded by Help Musicians in partnership with PRS for Music and Ivors Academy, Co-Pilot is a programme that's designed to help you take that next career step by matching you with an experienced industry mentor.
As a Co-Pilot mentee, you’ll receive free one-to-one online sessions with a music industry mentor, as well as access to networking opportunities, regular peer-to-peer discussions and online development sessions. Speaking about his experience of the programme, independent singer-songwriter and mentee Alex Luke said ‘it’s given me a foundation strategy: I now have more knowledge in my arsenal going forward. I can look back and think, “What did I do last time and how do I build on that again?” and that’s so valuable.’
To be eligible to apply, you must have a right to live and work in the UK and have earned some money from your music in the previous two years. You can see the full entry criteria and submit an application here.
Apply for Take Five 2025
Aimed at emerging creative and improvisational jazz musicians, the non-profit cultural organisation Serious have announced that applications for the 20th iteration of Take Five, its annual flagship talent development programme, are now open until 29 November.
Each year, the programme platforms eight emerging musical innovators in the UK who are seeking to develop and hone their craft while also building on the professional side of their careers. There are also opportunity to network, receive mentoring, collaborate and perform.
Take Five has a proven track record in developing writers, leading to wider industry recognition in the form of touring, record deals and more. Take Five alumni include Polar Bear’s Seb Rochford, Sons of Kemet, The Comet is Coming’s Shabaka Hutchings and saxophonist Nubya Garcia. You can see the full application criteria for the 2025 programme here.
Submit a proposal for the New Music Biennial 2025
*This opportunity closed on 4 November*
The critically acclaimed New Music Biennial will return in 2025, with PRS Foundation and Southbank Centre partnering with Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, BBC Radio 3 and NMC Recordings for next year's initiative. Supporting talented organisations and music creators who are ‘pushing the boundaries of new music’ in the UK, NMB is once again aiming to ‘create a world-class programme of commissions’ with its latest edition.
NMB 2025 will feature 20 new pieces of music spanning all manner of genres, from classical and chamber opera to jazz, folk and electronic music. Each work will be no longer than 15 minutes to fulfil NMB’s aim ‘to create a pop-up, interactive way for audiences to discover new music’.
Organisations can either submit new commissions or present existing pieces of new work to NMB’s organisers until 4 November, which will then be considered by a panel of judges. The final programme will be announced in early 2025, with public performances of the selected works taking place across two celebrations weekends in Bradford (6-8 June 2025) and London (4-6 July 2025).
