Streaming services are squeezing artists' pay, ticket prices are rising, and touring costs are making it difficult for people to make a profit. At all levels musicians are facing tough challenges. 

In uncertain times when people are turning to music as an outlet, Steph Carter, Director of Culture Marketing at Marshall, is passionate about supporting communities and listening to grassroots artists to elevate the industry. 

For Carter, working at Marshall is more than work; it is a passion. As a musician himself, playing in punk rock bands, he understands deeply the needs of musicians and how tricky it can be to  navigate the highs and lows without support.

“It's a really difficult time for musicians today; there are a number of factors that play into that,” he says, continuing: “Without that next generation, there is no music industry of tomorrow.”

Grassroots amplification

To support the next generation of musicians, Marshall’s has launched a new Amplify initiative. A membership programme designed to embed long-term support for grassroots music. The brand is committing to donating an amount equal to 1% of revenue from member purchases to support local music communities, starting with independent venues. 

“The goal really is to look at helping and protecting the spaces where future artists and scenes are born, whilst also cementing those locations that hold weight to icons of the past,” says Carter.

As a legacy brand with a 60-year heritage, Carter is passionate about remaining true to Marshall’s roots in supporting artists. Jim Marshall, the brand’s Founder, was a drum teacher who owned a music shop in Hanwell. The brand was built on Jim’s conversations with musicians and a passion to create an amp that would be loud enough for their needs.  

“It's very much a company that's based off the support that we could give to grassroots musicians and talent,” explains Carter, adding: “We've continued that kind of ethos.”

“We do a lot to support communities. Communities that care about music, that care about where they are, where they've come from, and really finding ways to kind of give space to people who need it,” he says. 

“What we've done with Amplify is we've found a way to formalise and scale something that we've always done and believed in, which really helps to support the foundations of culture and the next generation,” he added.

Listening to communities

In order to support musicians and show up in the right way, Carter champions the power of active listening. 

“We are very focused on listening to artists, listening to venues, listening to communities, and understanding where the support is needed, what support is needed, and how we can help them to grow and activate,” he says.

Born from listening, as part of Amplify, the team has created ‘Marshall Nights’, a nationwide series of gigs shining a spotlight on emerging talent and the local communities that support them. With venues facing financial challenges that leave them struggling to keep on the lights, Marshall is helping to cover the costs and encourage audiences to engage with live music.  

“We are very focused on listening to artists, listening to venues, listening to communities, and understanding where the support is needed, what support is needed, and how we can help them to grow and activate,” Carter explains. 

Venues have long been a hub for music and for building communities. By supporting musicians at grassroots and being there for them as they grow, Marshall is striving to play its part in keeping the music ecosystem healthy. 

“The goal is for us to help that talent move from one level to the next level so that we can support the music ecosystem from inception, concept creation to commercialisation, again and again and again,” Carter adds. 

Defining culture marketing

Culture is in danger of becoming an industry buzzword, yet as someone with ‘culture’ in his job title, Carter is serious in his approach and in showing up in a respectful, meaningful way. Contributing to culture can mean so much more than empty words.

“It's not a tactic. It's a responsibility,” he says. “It's not about attaching the brand to something that's cool and in the moment. It's about consistently showing up and finding ways that help to create culture in the first place.”

Where ‘culture’ is often used as a synonym for popular entertainment, as a music brand, Marshall inherently has credible cultural currency. Yet to properly leverage this position Carter is staunch in understanding how and why music is such a driver of culture and the importance of the industry at large. 

“It's respect for where we've been in the past, but also looking at the opportunities for what's coming in front of us,” Carter says. For him, this means working with ambassadors, artists and communities across genres to properly understand how to engage.

Marshall has a heritage in rock and roll because of the bands that were early adopters in the 60s. Now, the brand has goals to develop and grow alongside the industry.

“Take different genres of music that aren't rock music,” Carter says, “We find partners who have the respect of the culture and listen to what they're doing first, not overstepping any boundaries.”

“Culture moves fast, but the fundamentals remain the same. It's all about authenticity, it's all about creativity, it's all about community, and it's also about showing up consistently in those spaces, not taking them for granted,” he adds.

Creating cultures of success 

Carter extends this ethos to his teams and to building a productive, passionate internal culture. Championing authenticity, listening and learning to get the most out of the people he works with. 

“It's all a lot about listening to where we are, listening to the support we can give each other, listening for the needs of each other in the team, and finding ways that we can really just meaningfully help and support each other,” he explains. 

Having talent in the right places and collaborating with one another makes for a harmonious workplace. Carter also believes in working across functions and urges that marketing should not be siloed. 

“The business exists around three key areas. It continues to grow when each area listens to each other. And it's kind of like a multiplication. If you take one and multiply it by the next one and the next, you get consistent growth and support to move in a meaningful positive way,” he explains. 

The power of connection

At a time of global unrest, music takes on a new importance as people turn to the industry for hope and community. Entertainment and escapism become a lifeline and a reminder of creativity and beauty in an increasingly fractured world. 

At a time when every industry is experiencing the impacts of AI for the first time, Carter is passionate about the importance of maintaining humanity in music.  

“Dialling that craft in to really be your most emotional, open, vulnerable self is a skill set that you learn over time. It's not something that comes to people easily,” he explains. “Creativity and that creative focus that comes to me. It comes from an emotional space. It's hard to create emotion from Artificial Intelligence.”

While there remain opportunities to use technology as a tool to produce or bring craft to life, Carter maintains that the true magic of music comes from connection. 

“It is in those moments in a venue when it's live, where you experience that. The one off in that one location, the people in the room around you. They're responsible for what's happening in that moment, the band on stage or the artist on stage making a mistake, it's never going to happen again in the exact same place, in the same way,” he says.

Carter aims to bring this to life in his work. Staying connected to the work, the message and the people that it impacts keeps him passionate. “Support in the right way and connect with people as much as you possibly can,” he says.

In an industry where AI is always top of the agenda, it is a timely reminder to prioritize authentic human connection. As he explains: “While moving that needle forward, make sure you stay connected to family and the people close to you in these difficult times, because that's the key to bringing this all together.”