A Guide to Networking in the Music Industry

✦ About the Free Guide

Let’s be honest: networking in the music industry can feel uncomfortable. A lot of advice around it is either overly corporate, painfully vague, or built around the idea of constantly pitching yourself to people.

But relationships are still a huge part of how this industry works. Jobs, collaborations, recommendations, creative partnerships, touring opportunities, and even friendships often come through communities, conversations, and trusted connections rather than formal applications alone.

That’s why we created the Guide to Networking in the Music Industry — a free practical resource for artists, producers, DJs, songwriters, managers, publicists, and music professionals trying to navigate the industry in a more intentional way.

The guide draws on shesaid.so’s experience working across the global music industry through conferences, workshops, community programming, mentorship spaces, and conversations with artists, creatives, and industry professionals internationally. It was created in response to one of the most common questions we receive from emerging and mid-career professionals alike: how do you actually network in the music industry without feeling fake, transactional, or completely overwhelmed?

It’s a concise, practical toolkit designed to help you:

• Understand how relationships and opportunities actually work within the music industry

• Approach online and offline networking more intentionally and confidently

• Navigate conferences, showcases, and industry events more effectively

• Write clearer DMs, emails, introductions, and follow-ups

• Build meaningful long-term professional relationships rather than purely transactional ones

• Maintain professionalism, boundaries, and confidence in industry spaces

You’ll also find:

• DM and email outreach templates

• Conversation starters and elevator pitch examples

• A list of key global music industry conferences and events

• Practical networking exercises and follow-up systems

• Recommendations for online communities and professional networks** If you’re already subscribed or part of the shesaid.so membership, you can still access the guide through the same download link without being added to the newsletter twice.