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The Music Managers Forum<\/a> (MMF) and YouTube Music have unveiled Hyperdrive: a new collaboration to fast-track the professional development of talented music managers.\u00a0<\/p>\n The initiative marks an evolution of the Accelerator Programme<\/a>, which has supported more than 150 UK-based managers with a unique combination of grant funding and expert-led training.\u00a0<\/p>\n Accelerator\u2019s model of early stage investment \u2013 backed by YouTube Music, Arts Council England, the Scottish Music Industry Association and PPL \u2013 has delivered results across the management community.\u00a0<\/p>\n Participants in the programme have demonstrated significant increases in their year-on-year earnings, as well as expanding their rosters, strengthening their businesses and embarking on new commercial collaborations. Accelerelator engaged with a broad range of managers from different backgrounds and locations.\u00a0<\/p>\n These successes were recently celebrated in a special one-off event at YouTube Music\u2019s offices, attended by managers of every Accelerator cohort since 2019 and featuring speeches from Dan Chalmers (YouTube\u2019s head of music for Europe, Middle East & Africa) alongside MMF chief executive Annabella Coldrick and MMF chair Niamh Byrne<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n MMF Hyperdrive aims to go\u00a0 further, with a four-month training programme (September 2026-January 2027).\u00a0<\/p>\n Working in partnership with YouTube Music, Hyperdrive participants will learn new skills to help develop their businesses, including building capacity, enhancing creativity and learning about new commercial models and tools. Through a travel bursary, they will also receive support to attend key conferences and MMF events, as well as tickets to the 2026 Artist & Manager Awards.<\/p>\n The programme will culminate in a dedicated three-day retreat and an opportunity to earn recognition from the MMF\u2019s recently launched Manager Certification Programme<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Hyperdrive will be open to managers from across the UK with clients who turn over \u00a350,000 or more and are running a growing business. Managers who work independently or within companies as employees or through joint ventures are also encouraged to apply.\u00a0<\/p>\n Applications will open next month, and the MMF will host an online seminar at 12pm on July 8 to provide further information.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n As the responsibilities of artist managers are constantly evolving and expanding, we have designed this new programme to empower the management community<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Maddy Smith<\/p>\n
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