With over 25 years helping to shape the global electronic music scene, Ned Beckett has established himself as a leader in artist representation and music promotion. As the founder of LittleBig Music Agency – the roster of which includes artists such as aya, Dopplereffekt, Holly Herndon and Amnesia Scanner – Ned utilises his deep knowledge of the music industry to manage and develop the live careers of seminal artists such as Aphex Twin, Jon Hopkins, Ryoji Ikeda and Autechre. Under his leadership, LittleBig has become synonymous with innovative artist development and strategic live career management, reflecting Ned's expertise in navigating the complexities of the music industry.
In addition to his role at LittleBig, Ned is also the co-founder of Berlin's Leisure System label and releases his own productions under the Dream Sequence alias.
This dual role showcases Ned Beckett’s profound understanding of both the business and creative sides of the music industry, giving a depth to his work in driving forward the art and careers of influential electronic musicians around the world.
Ned will be speaking at our recently announced online event – Doors Open UNLOCKED Becoming a Booking Agent with quietLoud - read more about it and sign up for your place here.
What is your role in music and what does your day to day look like?
I run the LittleBig Agency, which is an international booking agency headquartered in Berlin with over 80 acts on the roster. I manage the live careers for my artists: Aphex Twin, Jon Hopkins, Autechre, Ryoji Ikeda and partner with other agents for lots of others e.g. Ben Frost and DJ Python. My day is a mix of speaking with the artists and their teams to organise their touring all over the world and overseeing the agency business operations in general.
How did you get into your line of work?
I started to promote parties and DJ when I was at Uni. Then interned at Warp Records and over a few years built my role to be involved with their live activities. This is where I got to know a lot of artists and see how the live industry worked. I then left and started a very small agency operation which has slowly grown over 20 years.
What skills are important in your job?
Problem solving, attention to detail, social skills, outgoing, friendly, trustworthy, self motivated.
If someone is excited to do what you do, what advice would you give them?
Try to start running some events…that’s really the coal face of the live music ecosystem and it’s where you can get a sense of how it all really works on a smaller scale.
What have you found surprising about your role?
That it makes the world feel smaller. It’s a truly global network and operation and I’ve worked on every continent for shows. Most people I’ve ever come across in my life, in some way, have a passion for live music.
What are your top 3 tips for someone who wants work in the music industry in general?
Be prepared for an incredibly competitive and relentless industry.
Look after your mental health, no one else is responsible for that.
Stay connected to your own creativity.
Doors Open UNLOCKED Becoming a Booking Agent with quietLoud takes place online on April 29th 2025, read more about it and sign up for your place here.
Explore jobs in electronic music on Doors Open here.