From Conversation to Action!
Embedding Coaching in the Music Industry
Over the last few months, we’ve explored the evolving role of artist support — from Nurturing the Artist, Sustaining the Industry to Who Decides What Coaching Looks Like in the Music Industry?.
Those conversations have been important. They’ve opened doors, challenged assumptions, and given us language to talk about the mental, emotional, and creative resilience that artists need to survive and thrive.
But there’s a question hanging in the air:
We agree coaching matters.
We agree it belongs in the music industry.
So — what’s stopping us from actually embedding it?
This piece is about moving from agreement to action.
From Optional Extra to Industry Standard
Right now, coaching in music is often treated like a bonus — a “nice to have” if budgets allow, or if an artist is lucky enough to work with a forward-thinking manager, talent development program or label.
But let’s look outside our world for a moment.
- In sport, coaching is non-negotiable. You don’t expect an athlete to perform at elite level without it.
- In business, executive coaching is a standard line item in leadership budgets.
In music, we still operate under the myth that talent plus hard work will carry an artist through the pressure, instability, and emotional toll of the industry. It won’t.
If we want sustainable careers, coaching can’t be an afterthought. It has to be a built-in wrap around support system, not an optional extra.
What Embedding Coaching Could Look Like
Embedding coaching into the industry doesn’t mean adding another “nice idea” to the to-do list — it means weaving it into the infrastructure we already have:
- Labels: Include coaching in artist contracts, just as you would marketing or PR budgets.
- Funding Bodies: Make coaching a required or incentivised part of grant-supported projects.
- Education: Integrate coaching into music colleges and training programs so artists graduate with both creative and personal resilience.
- Venues & Festivals: Offer onsite performance and wellbeing coaching during high-pressure events.
This is not about replacing managers, mentors, or therapists. It’s about adding a dedicated, structured layer of support that addresses the unique challenges of being a music creative.
The Cultural Shift Required
Embedding coaching isn’t just a logistical change — it’s a mindset shift.
We have to move past the outdated belief that “if you can’t handle the pressure, you don’t belong here.”
The truth is, even the strongest artists can break under unrelenting demands. Resilience isn’t something you either have or don’t — it’s something that can be developed and sustained.
This shift starts with everyone — from the A&R who sees coaching as a creative investment, to the festival booker who understands the human cost of touring.
A Roadmap for Implementation
Short-term
- Launch pilot programs with selected artists and labels.
- Offer subsidised coaching through funding bodies and arts councils.
Mid-term
- Develop industry-wide guidelines and best practice frameworks for coaching provision.
- Build partnerships between artist development organisations, coaches, and music institutions.
Long-term
- Make coaching an expected, budgeted, and normalised part of every music career stage — from grassroots to global tours.
A Call to Action
If you’re an artist — ask for coaching in your next funding application, contract, or project.
If you’re a manager or label — start budgeting for it now, even in small ways.
If you’re a funder — make it part of your criteria for project support.
If you’re in policy — recognise it as infrastructure, not luxury.
The conversations we’ve been having are important, but action is what will transform them into lasting change.
The last six blogs were about recognising the need.
This one is about building the future.
The door is open. The framework is ready. The question now is — who’s willing to step through it?