Gloria Airoldi is a 24-year-old Italian student in the final year of studying SAE’s Music Business course in London.
Her experience has seen her work with Videocittà, the festival of audiovisual and digital arts in Rome, exploring sound in AV performances, installations, and performing arts.
As part of her course, Gloria is working on a project dedicated to revolutionising the future of Italian music by creating a more inclusive and supportive ecosystem for emerging artists.
Here, Gloria delves into the project and how her studies with SAE have helped her take her industry ambitions to the next level.
How did you look to launch a career in the music industry?
What has always attracted me to this industry is the opportunity to work on projects of different kinds and topics, as well as the chance to collaborate with other countries, fostering an exchange of ideas and perspectives.
I decided to approach this after realising how crucial the music industry is to an artist’s success. A friend of mine in Italy is a talented musician, but I have always felt that those supporting him are not truly capable, which made it harder for him to build a strong connection with his audience.
That’s why I chose this path: I would love to be one of those professionals who genuinely dedicate themselves to helping artists achieve their goals.
What led you to SAE?
With the decision to pursue a career in this industry, I began a research period, initially looking for possible internships in Italian marketing and PR companies. However, after realising how difficult it was to find such opportunities, I decided to focus on studying instead.
I started looking for universities specialising in the music industry in Italy, and the first one I found was SAE Milan. After reading about their courses, I noticed that they were more oriented toward the Italian market, with a strong emphasis on distribution but less focus on production.
For this reason, I expanded my search and came across SAE London, which, in my opinion, offered a course more aligned with what I was looking for.
How have your studies prepared you to take on the music industry?
Since the course is designed to provide a broad and comprehensive understanding of the music industry, allowing me to take on different roles, even if only for a short period, I feel quite confident in my skills. Additionally, I have a clearer idea of the fields and positions I would like to work in.
Could you talk about your professional meet-up project? Where did the idea come from for this? And what do you hope to achieve with it?
The idea originates from a reflection I have had for some years now: the lack of diversity in musical genres in Italy, especially in venues.
I have always been passionate about music, as has my family, and from a young age, I had the opportunity to listen to a wide variety of genres, developing a broad musical knowledge. Yet, in the venues around me, I often felt like I was hearing the same styles over and over again. This made me wonder why: does the Italian audience genuinely prefer just one genre? Is there no space for Italian jazz and blues? Or is there simply a lack of courage to experiment and create something new? And if so, is it because there is no market for these genres in Italy and internationally, or because there aren’t adequate structures to support them?
Wanting to explore this issue further, I started researching whether there were actually spaces that offered a more diverse musical landscape. I discovered that in Italy, there are indeed places where one can listen to jazz and blues, and organisations such as Umbria Jazz or Puglia Sounds that actively support emerging artists in these genres. This led me to question why jazz, blues, and soul are still considered niche genres in Italy today, despite having been widely popular in the past, just like live music venues once were. I began to wonder whether the challenge for these artists was that Italian audiences were simply more focused on pop, trap, and indie, or if the issue lay in the structures responsible for promoting new genres, which perhaps struggle to bring them to the mainstream, whether due to a lack of funding or other limitations.
From these questions, my project was born: a professional meet-up structured into up to four panels, each focusing on different aspects of the music scene in Italy and other countries. These panels will host industry professionals, providing a platform for discussion, exchange, and collaboration. The goal is to identify potential solutions, whether entirely new approaches that have yet to be explored or simply opportunities to expand networks and foster new collaborations.
What do you see as the major challenges for the Italian music industry? Are these the same in the UK?
From my point of view, both Italy and the UK, like every country, face difficulties that need to be overcome, but each challenge is closely linked to the specific demands of each country. For Italy, for example, the music industry faces challenges such as limited genre diversity, a strong focus on the domestic market, and few opportunities for emerging artists to establish themselves internationally. The dominance of mainstream pop and the reluctance to take risks in promoting alternative genres make it difficult for new sounds to emerge, leading to a loss of appreciation for our musical roots.
The lack of presence in the international market may be due to various factors, including language barriers and structural issues such as insufficient funding, a limited number of live music venues, and inadequate infrastructure, all of which hinder industry growth. However, there are successful examples like Anyma, who has leveraged his potential by thoroughly studying strategies to expand beyond the local market. By engaging in strategic collaborations with markets in other countries, this artist has managed to generate both popularity and profit for all parties involved.
The UK also faces entry barriers, even though it is well integrated into the global market and has access to numerous opportunities and collaborations with major music industries like the US, there is always a strong demand for innovation. This forces the UK music industry to constantly compete in an increasingly dynamic and competitive landscape.
How were your experiences at VideocittA?
My experience with Videocittà was very positive, as it gave me the opportunity to observe the organisational dynamics of a large-scale event. I was able to explore music from unusual perspectives, such as through impressive audiovisual installations, immersive performances, and audio art. Additionally, I had the chance to observe and participate in marketing strategies and box office management, both from an operational and sales perspective.
Do you have any advice for emerging talent looking to break through? Are there any essential do’s and don’ts?
Perhaps the only advice I would give is to reflect on why they make music: what it means to them as artists, what drives them to write and perform. Staying true to themselves is essential, create music for themselves first, and the right audience will follow naturally.
Using social media to reach an audience is crucial, as it allows artists to connect with many people in a short time. However, my advice is to remain authentic and stay true to the message they want to convey, as this will help them attract the right audience for them. At the same time, it’s important not to overlook organic ways of sharing their music, such as playing live in local venues near where they’re based, which can be a great way to gain recognition and make their performances more memorable.
What does the rest of 2025 look like for you?
For the rest of 2025, I want to give my best in this final major project. I aim to expand and establish my network, which will help me achieve my goals and gain as much experience as possible in this field. After graduating, I would like the opportunity to continue gaining experience in this industry by taking part in projects that allow me to develop new skills and eventually pursue a career as a project manager or event manager.
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