Jude McArdle is Membership Manager at the Association of Independent Music (AIM). Now in its 22nd year, AIM’s members range from the largest, most respected record labels and associated music businesses in the world to DIY or self-releasing artists and the next generation of entrepreneurs in music - including 4AD, Black Acre, Dench, Dirty Hit, Domino Recording Co, Hospital Records, FAMM, Ninja Tune, Numbers, Transgressive, Secretly Canadian, Supernature, Warp and XL Recordings. AIM fights for their rights and gives them the tools to succeed. We work to bring independent voices together and represent our community to government, industry, press and the public.
Jude is all over anything related to membership and has recently overseen the launch of the brand new ‘Associate’ membership type, free and exclusive for anyone putting out music through one of AIM’s independent distributor members. Associate Membership gives them access to the knowledge, skills and contacts needed to navigate the ever-changing music industry. Jude also lead on the ground-breaking Music Climate Pact platform (musicclimatepact.com). The Pact is a series of high-level commitments from the global music sector (inc. all three major music companies and independents around the world) signed up to take individual and collective action to measure and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, support artists in speaking up on climate issues and more.
Another highlight for Jude was managing AIM’s £1mill Covid-19 Music Hardship Fund for freelance workers and contractors in our sector who lost income due to the pandemic.
Prior to AIM, Jude had a blast booking bands at grassroots venues across London before spending many happy years working at PPL, the original organisation that collects and distributes royalties to artists and labels when their music is played on the TV and radio.
