Jamie Unknown wears two hats in the industry, he is a DJ and producer specialising in UK garage and house, and junior A&R at Armada Music, the biggest independent dance music label in the world, founded by Armin van Buuren, Maykel Piron, and David Lewis. We caught up with Jamie to talk about how he broke into the industry, and what actually gets a track noticed by a label like Armada.
Jamie’s route in wasn’t a single lucky break, it was persistence across multiple corners of the industry.
“I was working at various places, radio stations, other labels, just trying to get my way into the industry as much as I could,” he told us. “For anyone listening, if you’re trying to get into the industry, involve yourself with as many people as you can and speak to as many people in the industry. Most people, they are trying to help the others.”
With over 100,000 tracks uploaded to DSPs every single day, Jamie’s advice for artists hoping to stand out is simple: don’t chase the crowd.
“The best way to get signed to a label like Armada is by being unique and yourself,” he explained. “The best thing to do is use your social media, it’s a free marketing tool. Send your tracks to DJs. If DJs are already playing out your tracks, there is a good chance that we may already be aware about you. If you’ve got content of a big DJ playing your record, it all adds into why we might sign you.”
He also pointed to platforms built specifically to close that gap between artists and DJs, name-checking Inflyte as one way producers can get their music in front of the right ears sent directly to DJs and DJ pools, who can pick tracks up, rate them, and leave feedback.
It’s straightforward advice, but it comes from someone sitting on both sides of the desk. As a producer who knows what it’s like to send music out, and as an A&R who knows exactly what makes him stop and listen.