We caught up with Rio to see why he uses Indiy and why he thinks the platform is exciting for the music industry.

Rio – Tell us about your background in the music industry and what you’re currently up to.

I’ve been in the industry for 10 years. I started rapping at 16 - because all my friends were! - but I found it really difficult to find and buy beats. So, I taught myself how to make them. I did some course through my college; they asked me to mentor new students on the next programme, and I found myself working in youth music.

At the same time I started performing - I’ve opened for Joe Budden, that was pretty cool - and was combining it all with travelling the country delivering talks on change.

I was heavily involved with gangs when I was younger, so I raised £100,000 to support young people in future youth projects. And this was all by the age of 19…! I worked in specialist music schools as an assistant tutor for four or five years, and met a studio manager during that time who I decided to set up my own studio with. You limit yourself if you’re employed. It was comfortable, but it just wasn’t enough. I needed to branch out and open more doors.

So we started building it up five years ago, and it’s still going strong. I’ve branched out to work with other studios, too, as my name has been getting out there.

What made you want to be an independent artist Rio?

I’ve never wanted to perform or engineer music just for money; I want to be a part of projects with a much bigger end goal.

Ultimately, I’d love to build a kind of Marshmello vibe get great artists collaborating with each other, as well as supporting up-and-coming artists to get their break.

How long have you been using Indiy?

Not long enough!

What do you use the platform for?

I use Indiy Marketplace for networking - to find other like-minded, relevant people who want to progress and help people push themselves. It’s just so easy to access people like that through the platform; it’s similar to social media in that way. You can interact and connect with people all over the world. You get responses so quickly, as well - it’s so efficient.

How did you first hear about the platform?

Via Chris - I met him through one of The Fanatix producers when he was an artist himself. We sparked up a really positive friendship that’s carried on since then.

What’s your experience been like so far? Has it helped you to grow your business, expand your network etc?

What’s your experience been like so far? Has it helped you to grow your business, expand your network etc?

It’s been a really positive experience. All the responses, feedback and music I’ve been getting back has been nothing less than I expected. I’ve actually found someone for mixing and mastering through the platform, too. I don’t work with a lot of big singers so it’s nice to not have to worry about the final mix - I just contact my guy through Indiy and I get it back with seven days, and at a reasonable price.

Would you recommend Indiy to other music professionals? If so, why?

Of course! I have already, just because within the next three or four years I really think it could go the same way as Facebook or Instagram. It’s like a musical LinkedIn! So I’m more than happy to encourage people to get involved.

It was Awesome to catch up with Rio. At Indiy, you can find and securely hire talented music professionals who will help progress your music career.

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