A programme that has benefited the likes of Dua Lipa, ROSALÍA, Dave, CUCO, Gunna, Mahalia, Maleek Berry, Chloe x Halle, Jacob Collier, Rauw Alejandro and Cavetown (MusicBusinessWorldwide), Youtube’s Foundry development programme remains a relationship between streaming platforms and emerging artists that makes major record labels feel a little uneasy.
This week Youtube announced an addition of 11 new independent artists to their Foundry programme and have said that there are set to be more additions later this year.
Commencing in 2016, Foundry was formed as a series of workshops and content creation sessions at Youtube Spaces in Los Angeles with the aim to provide artists with tools to build their presence on Youtube. Fast forward three years and the programme has produced numerous artists that have made their way into the charts and has since inspired other streaming platforms to provide similar facilities, such as ‘First on Soundcloud‘ and ‘Spotify’s RISE’.
Foundry’s latest eleven additions include the psychedelic beats of Omar Apollo, London singer-songwriter Arlo Parks, Chicago singer/rapper Ann Marie, Mexican songwriter Abraham Vazquez, Tokyo rock band Ace Collection, Hiatian DJ Michael Brun, LA RnB singer iyla, Dublin hip-hop experimenter Kojaque, Lagos rapper Flohio, South Korean duo Groovy Room and Brussels rapper ICO – a spread that internationally covers all genres and all walks of life.
As part of the programme, the artists will receive marketing promotion and education on best practices for growing and engaging their audience on an international scale. Foundry will also complement other YouTube Music initiatives that aim to support and promote artists, such as the Artist Spotlight Stories series and Artist On The Rise program for artists on the cusp of superstardom (MusicWeek).
