CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — For more than 40 years, the students and instructors at AEMMP records at Columbia College have been discovering, signing, managing, promoting, and marketing new artists and publishing and distributing their records.
“I think there are a handful of colleges that have a record label, but we have a distribution deal with Ingrooves Music now,” said Mateo Canizares, a grad student and assistant instructor at Columbia College. “I'm pretty sure we're now the only organization that has a distribution deal.”
AEMMP Records — which stands for Arts, Entertainment and Media Management Practicum — is a part of the Music Business Bachelor of Arts program within the Business and Entrepreneurship Department at Columbia.
“It's a very hands-on, intensive experience that you can't find anywhere else,” said Maddi Jones, who’s a senior at Columbia College. “We do real work, real industry work, facilitating work with artists, it's really incredible stuff.”
She said it’s an exciting time for students in the program, given the change currently taking place in the industry.
“Instead of record labels focusing on their mega stars, they are taking care of their entire roster, including their small artists because we live in a new songwriter economy where the small artists can thrive as well on platforms like TikTok and such,” Jones said. “It's definitely a new industry we're working with, so it's an exciting time for students to pursue this career.”
Those industry changes have included a shift in power, Canizares said.
“The independent artists have all the power now,” he said. “Record labels don't need to fund a record anymore. If you have a built-in audience, then you get picked up, you may get a crazy advance, because they have confidence in you, then you go on tour and it sells out. You still need to get played on the radio but it's changed so much.”
Canizares and Jones were among the 100 students who participated in a showcase at South by Southwest (SXSW) in March, the nation's largest annual film, music and live performance festival. It was the first time that AEMMP was officially part of the festival programming.
“It was an amazing experience,” she said. “This was my second time going. It's an amazing opportunity not only for your project with the artist, but for yourself as an industry professional. Lots of networking, panels where you learn from some of the biggest names in the industry — it was incredible.”
The Columbia program offers instruction and training for many career paths in the music industry, Canizares said.
“We are all lovers of music,” he said. “Just to be involved in it. It offers programs in marketing, advertising, publishing.”
Columbia College formed AEMMP in 1982. Since then, it’s become the longest running student-led label in the country.
“It's really a practicum class,” Canizares said. “The first week, we look for some artists who aren't signed. Next week, we get them signed, then let's start marketing strategies. Artists send in their stuff.”
AEMMP, which initially specialized in rock music but has since evolved into a hip-hop label, signs about six to 10 artists per year. Many go on to have successful careers in the music industry.
“Saba is a rapper and producer who was a student here. He's worked with Chance the Rapper. Saba now has a multi-million dollar record deal. A lot of really cool people have come through this class. It's been cool to see the legacy go on.” said Canizares.
Saba grew up in Chicago's Austin neighborhood and has since released four albums.
“Hip-hop is so massive now,” Canizares said. “It's a more shared understanding that hip-hop is arguably the most consumed music right now.”
AEMMP classes are built from the ground up to give students experience releasing music, managing talent, and developing social marketing campaigns. These classes are unique in their format, and Columbia was one of the first colleges to create structured collaboration between these aspects of entertainment management.
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