Music Industry Mentoring
I’m Ellie Coden, founder of Cool for Cats Live and Head of Events & Programming at The Victoria in London. I offer one-to-one music industry mentoring for musicians, bands, aspiring promoters and people starting or developing a career in music.
Over the past 20 years, I’ve worked across live music promotion, independent record labels, festivals and music education. Through Cool for Cats, I’ve promoted shows in venues of up to 1,000 capacity, alongside running shows for Parallel Lines in venues of up to 2,500 capacity.
My experience also includes seven years at Fierce Panda Records, working as Events Manager at Attitude Is Everything, talent scouting for Live Nation and consultancy for Lodestar Festival, alongside teaching and mentoring at ICMP and Point Blank. I draw on that experience to offer practical, honest guidance shaped around your project and goals.
Mentoring with Ellie Coden
Every session is shaped around what you need. Some of the things we can work on include:
• Getting gigs — approaching venues and promoters, writing pitches and planning your next live steps.
• Putting on shows — booking artists, budgeting, ticket pricing and promoting your event.
• Planning a release — understanding independent labels, distribution and building a realistic release campaign.
• Building a career in music — exploring different roles, making connections and deciding where to focus your time and energy.
You can bring a specific project or simply some questions you’d like to talk through.
What I Can Help With
One-to-one music industry mentoring sessions take place online and focus on your questions, projects and goals. You can book a single session to work through a particular challenge, or arrange ongoing mentoring as your plans develop.
Before we meet, I’ll ask you to share a little about your background and what you’d like help with, so we can make the most of our time together. We’ll talk through your options and identify practical next steps.
To enquire, get in touch with a few details about yourself and what you’d like to work on.
How The Mentoring Sessions Work
Music Industry Mentoring Sessions - Pricing
Choose a one-off session or ongoing mentoring to suit your music career or project. All sessions take place online and are tailored to your goals.
Single mentoring session - £80
One 60-minute online session for focused music industry advice, feedback on your project or help planning your next steps. Whether you’re approaching promoters, organising a gig or preparing a release, we’ll focus on your questions and goals, with practical guidance you can put into action.
Three-session mentoring package £220
Three 60-minute online mentoring sessions to use whenever you need them, with no expiry date or fixed schedule. Book them close together to support a particular project, or spread them out as your plans develop, with practical music industry advice and time to build on each conversation.
One 60-minute online session each month for six months, plus email support between sessions for follow-up questions. We’ll set goals, review progress and plan your next steps as your music career or project develops, with ongoing guidance shaped around your needs.
Six-month development mentoring - £100 per month
