I've been thinking about the reaction to my last Journal entry. The response has been interesting. A lot of people have strong opinions about AI and music. People inside the music industry debating what AI means for the music industry. And I think we're missing one very important person in the conversation. The listener.

Maybe AI hasn't created our desire to skip the journey. Maybe it's simply giving us exactly what we've been asking for.

I've been reflecting on something that feels increasingly difficult to ignore. It seems like the music industry still has thriving newcomers and hugely successful headline artists—but the people in the middle, the ones who've quietly built careers over decades, are under more pressure than ever. In the latest edition of The Eleven One One Journal, I explore why I think the traditional career ladder in music has changed.

I've had this thought sitting in my head for months. The more I think about it, the more I believe it's one of the biggest conversations our industry needs to have. Everyone is talking about AI. Some people are excited. Some people are terrified. Personally, I think we're asking the wrong question.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes There are few phrases in modern music that get used as often as this one: "I'm an independent artist." It's become a badge of honour. Almost a statement of identity. But the more I hear it, the more I find myself asking the same question. What does that actually mean? For a lot of people, the answer is simple. "I'm not signed to a record label." And while that's technically true, I don't think it tells the full story. In my opinion, independe