Independent Music United is a Cleveland-based nonprofit that focuses on creating a more sustainable independent music community by providing free seminars, workshops, and other resources to musicians, while aiding the redevelopment of Greater Cleveland as a whole. Our unique platform provides these sought after resources in exchange for community service hours that are both manageable and impactful. Our impact includes building a more educated musician base in Cleveland thus making our city more appealing to outside musicians; very directly enhancing downtown vibrancy by consistently performing needed community service tasks; and creating a more business-savvy music community. By the end of 2011, we plan to aid at least 25 bands through our innovative programs, as well as performing over 200 hours of community service.

While there are a great many compilation efforts being organized at all times, we are excited to bring to the table an idea that we haven’t seen yet in any community on an independent level. The Cleveland Compilation Project is a very specific and very simple concept that will provide great local musicians with a cross-promotional opportunity that is managed and produced by THEIR hands!

We are looking for 10-15 local Greater Cleveland bands or solo acts that have three things:

1. QUALITY RECORDED MUSIC THAT YOU OWN COMPLETELY

2. INTEREST IN HELPING TO DEVELOP YOUR LOCAL MUSIC COMMUNITY

3. WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT

Though IMU is organizing this project, we will not be taking part in anything financially. This means that we make nothing and spend nothing, we simply facilitate the entire project so that you, as local music brothers and sisters, can create something that will benefit yourselves and your music family!

If you are interested in taking part in this project please contact us at info@independentmusicunited.org with a Subject Heading of “COMP PROJECT”

Hello Friends! It’s been a minute since we’ve connected with you via the blogosphere, but we come bearing great news!

Independent Music United will be hosting the First Greater Cleveland Musicians Meetup on Saturday, May 22nd @ Harland’s Pub off of E. 185th St in Cleveland! The party starts at 7pm and is FREE to attend; it ends whenever we want it to.

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO COME PARTY WITH US!

It’s sure to be a great time with some great local musicians and music lovers. We can’t wait to see you all out there on the 22nd! TELL EVERYONE!

Hey Everyone! It’s been a crazy couple of weeks for us here at IMU; we moved back to Cleveland, sat down with our legal team, and are about to embark on a journey to Detroit to sit down with the amazing staff of the Detroit Music Awards to talk shop!

Next week is a full one as well! We’re sitting down for our very first official Board of Directors meeting, taking part in a Civic Innovation Lab session, and having coffee with some of Cleveland’s hardest working music business folk!

We’ll keep you posted on all the great news as it flows in. We’re beyond excited to be back home in our glorious city! It feels so good to be home.

The idea for IMU began in late 2008 when two driven, independent musicians began searching for a way to give back to the independent music community, which had given them so much.  During the formation and crystallization of the organization, IMU had a broad, positive impact on those in and around the independent music community. Up to this point IMU has educated independent artists by producing five free independent music industry pamphlets and guides which have garnered over 5,000 downloads online, and has also successfully hosted eight free independent music industry seminars, lecturing to hundreds of independent musicians and those concerned about the state of the independent music community.  Additionally, IMU has specifically assisted the careers of hundreds of independent musicians, bands, and musical groups through online counseling sessions, show reviews, and by answering specific questions from independent musicians of all genres.  IMU also acted as a voice for independent musicians at the 2009 Future of Music Policy Summit in Washington, DC and is an continually active advocate for independent musicians across all forms of online social media.

the City of Cleveland is known across the globe as the birthplace of Rock n’ Roll, a term coined by Alan ‘Moondog’ Freed, a Cleveland radio personality, in 1951.  Cleveland has also long been known for hosting the first ever Rock n’ Roll concert in March of 1952, which was called the Moondog Coronation Ball, hosted by Mr. Freed.

Just one of the many, many reasons we LOVE our hometown!

The goals of IMU are to educate independent artists about the music industry, assist independent artists in building sustainable careers, and to advocate for independent artists both by introducing independent artists to important social issues that affect the independent music community and by educating the general public about independent music by promoting the work of independent musicians and spreading awareness about the independent music community.