We are Create Define Release

A community-first music organisation working towards an equitable music industry for producers and artists

We create events and programmes that empower people to create music, define their sound, and release music on their terms.

Create

Lowering the barriers for people to create music

Define

Encouraging risk-taking and nonconformity in music making

Release

Providing opportunities and guidance on releasing music in today’s industry

CDR History

Stemming from our flagship 'Session', a night for aspiring producers to road test their 'work-in-progress' tracks at the iconic London club Plastic People; we've created safe spaces for countercultural musical development since 2002. Create Define Release (CDR), a Black-led community-first music company with a deep heritage in the UK's grassroots electronic music scene, is a community of music producers, artists and fans building an equitable music ecosystem to progress electronic music across genres and historical perspectives. Described by FACT magazine as “an anti-industry utopian platform for creative development”, CDR is renowned for helping to kickstart the careers of outstanding electronic music artists such as Maya Jane Coles, Sbtrkt, Floating Points and many more.

Now, we deliver a range of cross generational projects, all of which create unique spaces for music makers to explore and enhance their music creation and production abilities - supporting them to test new approaches, take creative risks and learn from each other while also developing friendships and working collaborations.

What We Believe In

Nurture

We create spaces that empower producers and artists to take risks and not feel pressure to conform to music industry norms. We’re committed to lowering the barriers for people to create music, define their sound, and release music with confidence in today’s landscape.

Knowledge

We’re passionate about sharing as much knowledge as possible on all areas of the music production process, in the form of courses and mentorships, producer masterclasses and workshops. We also want to shine a light on untold narratives in the music industry, to lend a voice to working producers and their experiences.

Community

Community is at the heart of everything we do. When CDR started back in 2002, the aim was to create a physical space for a community of artists, producers and music lovers to share new and unfinished music in a welcoming and supportive environment. Since then we've been lucky enough to see some of the first members of our community go on to reach amazing heights in the music industry while continuing to contribute to the ever growing global CDR family in various ways.

All of our programmes are centred around creating and nurturing communities; whether that be in schools and youth clubs all over the UK through Music Producer Club, our regular CDR Sessions events in London, Bristol, Manchester and other cities, or more bespoke mentorship programmes like Process and Pathways.