Job title – Senior Designer 
Term – Permanent
Salary – Competitive
Start Date – Immediately 

An excellent opportunity to join Metropolis for a career driven, self motivated, independent and enthusiastic individual that wants to drive their career forward in this role.

As a senior designer it will be your role to produce outstanding designs across various mediums, make sure the company’s brand is represented well across all visual material which leaves the building and keeping an eye on design trends.

 Key responsibilities and accountabilities 

• The preparation and creation of graphics and video to client or Group briefs.
• To support the creative team in the development of a range of creative solutions.
• To deliver exemplary service to all clients.
• To be a self-sufficient member of the creative team.
• Win people’s confidence and that they can always expect you to be patient, reasonable, approachable, understanding, and supportive of any issues.
• Be prepared to be involved and contribute to areas outside your core responsibility, and expect your team manager to assist you in any problems you face.
• To produce outstanding designs across various mediums, make sure the company’s brand is represented well across all visual material which leaves the building and keeping an eye on design trends.

Knowledge and Experience

• Have a minimum of 4-5 years industry experience and should be comfortable working as an individual or as part of the team.
• Existing client contacts list advantageous.
• Passion for music.
• Understand branding and ensuring it is well presented externally and internally.
• Strong knowledge of design platforms.
• Evidence of leading large scale content projects

Skills/Aptitudes

• IT skills
• Ability to present at a senior level
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong diplomatic and interpersonal skills
• Experience and expertise in proposal writing
• Lateral thinker
• Leadership ability
• Must be fluent in the Adobe Creative Suite (most importantly after effects, Photoshop and Illustrator)
• A knowledge of 3D will be a big advantage (Cinema 4D or Studio Max)
• Editing skills are a bonus as well, either in Premier or Final Cut.

If you are interested in the position and meet the requirements detailed, please email your CV, along with covering letter to, human.resources@metropolis-group.co.uk with subject heading Senior Designer.

Job title – IT Helpdesk Administrator
Term – Permanent
Salary – £16,000+
Start Date – Early December

An excellent opportunity to join Metropolis for a career driven, self motivated, independent and enthusiastic individual that wants to drive their career forward in this role.

As a first line support engineer, you will be the first point of contact for our internal staff on all IT and communication technical support issues. Duties including reactive helpdesk, Engineer scheduling, quotes, purchase orders, developing infrastructure, assisting the 3rd party support engineers in any contract support issues they may have as well as general administration duties.

The ideal candidate will have a working knowledge of the following:

•       Windows XP/7
•       Mac OSX
•       MS Office
•       TCP/IP
•       Wireless Technologies
•       Active directory
•       Microsoft Exchange 2003
•       Trend anti-virus
•       Dealing with third party company’s
•       Basic Understanding of VMware

The IT Helpdesk Administrator will work as a member of a dynamic engineering team, responding to and resolving support queries and escalate logged calls to second and third line support.

The successful candidate will have a strong academic record, outstanding communication skills and exceptional technical skills. This is a great opportunity for a 1st Line Helpdesk Administrator to become part of an expanding and interesting company in the music industry.

If you are interested in the position and meet the requirements detailed, please email your CV, along with covering letter to, human.resources@metropolis-group.co.uk with subject heading IT Administrator.

Metropolis To Release Hillsborough Benefit Single

Release Date: 17th December 2012

Metropolis Group will release the cover of The Hollies’ classic He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother by Justice For The 96 Collective, featuring artists such as Robbie Williams, Melanie C, Rebecca Ferguson, Paloma Faith and Mick Jones.

Produced by world renowned producer Guy Chambers. ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ will feature other artists including; Peter Hooton (The Farm), Pete Wylie, (The Justice Tonight band), Chris Sharrock (Oasis), Ren Harvieu, Dave McCabe (The Zutons), Paul Heaton (Beautiful South), Hollie Cook, Jon McClure (Reverend & The Makers), John Power (Cast) and Gerry Marsden (Gerry and the Pacemakers), with further names to be announced in the coming days.

Released on 17th December 2012, the single is aiming to top the Christmas charts. All artists involved are giving their time for free, and all proceeds from the sale of the single will go towards the Hillsborough Families legal costs in their fight for justice.

Producer, Guy Chambers said: “I am deeply honoured to be asked to produce this record for the 96.  If we can help to raise money to support the families’ legal battle so that they finally get their time in court then our job will be done.  I spent my teenage years in Liverpool and feel a deep affection for both its musical heritage and the unique solidarity of its people.”

Speaking from his Westminster office Steve Rotheram MP explained: “Today, I am proud to announce that a group of some of the biggest UK recording artists are coming together to record ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ to support the Hillsborough Families fight for justice and to raise funds for any future legal costs. Whilst we are confident that the campaign for truth and justice is nearing a conclusion, for 23 years the bereaved Hillsborough families have carried the eternal flame of hope that we would one day see those responsible brought to justice. All profits from this CD will go towards assisting with any legal costs incurred in that fight.  The families have suffered enough”.

Liverpool Legend, Kenny Dalglish said: “The families of the 96 should never have been in the position they are now in, of having to fight to get the accidental verdicts from the 1989 inquests overturned. I will continue to support their dignified campaign every step of the way.”

The Hollies classic ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’, was used to great effect earlier this season by Everton FC at Goodison following the release of the HIP report.

Triple Ivor Novello winning songwriter Guy Chambers will record the single at the end of the month, in his North London Studio and at Metropolis Studios. Guy has worked with Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, Tom Jones, and many others.  Pledge Music will also be offering a host of exclusive items via their website to aid the campaign (www.pledgemusic.com)

In 2009, Steve Rotheram, as the then Lord Mayor of Liverpool, brought together; Peter Hooton (The Farm), Dave Pichilingi (Sound City), Phil Hayes (The Picket) and Kevin McManus (Liverpool Acme), musicians, footballers and Liverpool celebrities to record ‘Fields of Anfield Road’ for the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy. The record spent two weeks in the top 20.

This year’s ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ release is expected to go even further and will hopefully challenge the X Factor winner for the Christmas Number 1 position.

-ends-

Pre-orders will be available from early December

For further information, please contact:

Jane Kearney at LD Communications:
Jane.kearney@ldcommunications.co.uk/ 0207 439 7222

]]> http://metropolis-group.co.uk/blog/2012/10/30/metropolis-to-release-hillsborough-single/feed/ 0 http://metropolis-group.co.uk/blog/2012/10/05/hiring-special-projects-intern/ http://metropolis-group.co.uk/blog/2012/10/05/hiring-special-projects-intern/#comments Fri, 05 Oct 2012 15:39:52 +0000 networkeditor http://metropolis-group.co.uk/?p=336 Continue reading →]]>  

Metropolis are looking for a ‘special projects’ intern who can start immediately. The ideal candidate will be a dynamic, self starting, motivated individual preferably with TV and/or label experience. Understanding of the music industry would also be beneficial but not essential. Availability of a minimum of three days per week would be ideal.

If you are interested, please send your CV with accompanying cover letter to client.services@metropolis-group.co.uk. Please put Special Projects Intern as the subject heading.

With a reputation as one of the world’s most prestigious and successful independent recording facilities, West London’s Metropolis Studios requires little by way of introduction. Boasting a client list that comprises the likes of The Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, Elton John, Madonna, Kylie, The Rolling Stones, Usher, The Clash, Rihanna, Queen and Michael Jackson, to name but a few, it’s little wonder that Metropolis remains steeped in rich musical history, continuing to attract some of music’s biggest names.

However, while its core business may be centred on those resident in the upper echelons of the rock and pop world, Metropolis’ managing director Ian Brenchley has recently set about instigating a brand new initiative designed to offer aspiring producers and engineers the opportunity to gain some truly invaluable experience working alongside some of the industry’s most experienced and influential figures. This initiative culminated in last month’s (July 2012) announcement that Metropolis would be launching an Academy Programme in October 2012. And with an impressive array of individuals, such as Tracie London, Darcus Beese, Goldie, Mr Hudson, Jeanette Lee, Ross Cullum, Peter Vettese, Caroline Elleray, Sam Wheat and Matthew Rumbold confirmed on its advisory board, the programme is certainly in keeping with its high-profile status.

So, with Metropolis firmly established as one of the worlds leading studio facilities, what was it that initially led to the inception of the Academy Programme? “About two years ago, I met a guy called Kevin Nixon who was running BIMM (Brighton Institute of Music and Media) and we set up a pilot course with them, whereby we took one of our studios and turned it into an A&R classroom for about eight kids and, due to our affiliations with EMI, we were aiming to teach them how to work as A&R guys,” explains Brenchley. “We had a couple of open days, which were heavily oversubscribed and in really high demand, with kids who were really keen to learn about how to make records and how the business works and all the stuff that’s really hard to learn in a university classroom, as no one really teaches the real world of it. That ran for about a year, finishing in February 2012, and having been really successful, we were going to initiate a collaborative school effort with BIMM, but one thing or another happened internally within BIMM and it eventually fell apart.

“However, we really liked the idea of an educational facility, as it’s currently a very financially robust area of the music industry and offers great growth potential. And furthermore, we’ve got such incredible expertise in the building, both historically and contemporarily. Some of these engineers have been going for 30-40 years, yet they’re not necessarily passing their knowledge on. So, when it comes to something like mastering, for example, there aren’t too many kids who are desperate to become mastering engineers these days. Therefore, we figured that as our engineers have all these great skills and knowledge, it’d be a real shame not to pass that on. Of course, we’ve got interns and junior guys but still the expertise here is not being passed on in any great volume.”

While there is evidently ample opportunity for Metropolis’ engineers to impart their studio prowess upon those looking to learn the proverbial ropes, Brenchley is equally aware of the opportunities for both financial and physical expansion that come with such a venture, especially in light of the amount of dormant space that remains unused in such a vast complex. “There are clear financial opportunities that come with this, and we also have a huge building at our disposal. We’ve just spent half a million pounds refurbishing it and developing new areas. There’s 100,000 square feet of space here, and currently we are only using 27,000, and there’s possibly around another 30,000 that we could move into. We’ve just developed 3,500 square feet in the basement for our purpose built creative digital media facility, plus we’ve got a further two studios down there, some production and writing rooms, and a brand new state of the art screening room facility that’s going in there soon.”

With so many plans in place, the Metropolis Academy Programme is now in the process of recruiting for its courses. “The classes have launched now with www.metropolisacademy.com up an running and places for the two courses that we are running (Music Production and Music Business) are now available. There is a weekend course and a ten-week course, which will be peppered with a who’s who of those working on the ground and making a success for themselves in the music business, and I think it’ll be great for the kids to hear from these guys about how things really work, as opposed to a university lecturer telling you how things ideally work. This course will tell kids how the business operates now, not how it used to be. And from a production perspective, the guys who will be leading the course are people who are active now, producing and making records successfully. Who better to teach aspiring kids that that?”

It is Brenchley’s approach to providing students with a more practical ‘hands on’ experience, in contrast to that of offering them a theoretical idea of how things work, that ultimately serves as the driving force behind the Academy Programme. And with an abundance of unique knowledge and expertise under one roof, he appears loath to let such potential go to waste. “Having the Academy here makes sense on a number of different levels. We are producing on average – and this is quite a broad average – 50 per cent of the UK top 40 here over the course of a year, which is a great volume and footfall of the elite from the world of rock and pop, so it’s quite aspirational; if there’s a school here and the people making those kinds of records next door come and tell you ‘this is how I’m doing it’, I think that’s a much more pragmatic, practical, hands on experience. Of course there will be academic qualities to it, but it’s a real life experience, and I think that makes a lot of difference, especially in the music industry, as it’s not the kind of industry where you can just go and get a degree and step straight into a great job. I think it is this aspect of our courses that will give kids a bit of an edge over those going to another standard course.”

Among those set to serve as guest lecturers across the metropolis Academy are Brenchley himself, along with Ian Ramage, who has worked in the industry for over 25 years with such companies as Sony, EMI and BMG, and with artists including Coldplay, Keane and Pink Floyd. Meanwhile, Marc Fox, founder member of Haircut 100, whose album Pelican West sold over two million records, will also be involved. From session percussionist and arranger to A&R consultant, Fox has worked with the likes of Depeche Mode, Tina Turner, Girls Aloud and Paul McCartney, and works regularly on productions with Endemol, Sky and TigerAspect. Also on-board is Fraser Kennedy, who has been a producer for many years and worked on a number of prestigious records and shows, including Live at Abbey Road.

In addition to the Metropolis Academy Programme, Brenchley also reveals that as of next year the facility will be offering even further educational opportunities, with the final touches currently being put to a degree course. “We are now writing the course curriculum for a degree course that will start in September 2013 for which there’ll be 100 available spaces, and as we monitor the progression of this course we will see how we can continue to diversify and add to the range of courses we will be able to offer.”

Having garnered much of its fame and success via its services to the music industry, Metropolis will always be most closely affiliated to the world of rock and pop, yet its facilities have been able to branch out somewhat over the years, with Brenchley keen to point out the various other avenues down which he endeavours to explore further. He elaborates: “We have a lot of audio visual business here, meaning students will be able to learn about the film, TV and software world. We also have an app label here, which has some fantastic expertise behind it. All this stuff is interconnected and highly relevant when you look at where the industry is going these days. The industry is predominantly online and continues to grow evermore so, so it’s really good for the kids who are coming through the ranks to get a good overview of how all this stuff is interconnected and how it all works, because it’s no good teaching them about the traditional business, as things work very differently now, compared to how they used to.”

Ultimately, it is Brenchley’s vision for Metropolis as a whole that has led to the introduction of its academy programme and its development and expansion into the realm of TV, movies and apps. With a drive and ambition to keep Metropolis at the fore of an ever-changing media landscape, not to mention a passion for growing his business at every conceivable level, it is Brenchley’s holistic approach that looks set to ensure that Metropolis remains one of the most successful establishments in its field.

He concludes: “If we weren’t a world famous studio with a reputation for producing top quality rock and pop stuff, we wouldn’t be able to do all of the other stuff. And equally, all of the other stuff will feed the core business as it will bring greater visibility worldwide to Metropolis and to what we do, so you keep the core business going and keep reinventing it for a new demographic and a new generation.”

For more on the Metropolis Academy, please visit metropolisacademy.com.

Source: Audio Pro International

iMastering Summer Album Offer

Master an album of up to 14 tracks for just £750.00 ex VAT (£900.00 inc. VAT)

T&Cs apply, for any further requests / enquiries

contact imaster@metropolis-group.co.uk / +44 (0) 208 742 1111

www.imastering.co.uk

Available from – Early September
Salary – Competitive

Metropolis Creative, part of the world-famous Metropolis Studios, is currently looking for talented and creative freelance iOS iPhone/iPad developers to join our ever expanding team, after the release of our first iPhone music game. Candidates must have excellent knowledge of Objective-C, launch experience of a consumer iPhone/iPad application is preferred and you must have must have iPhone and/or iPad apps that are available for viewing & evaluation. Experience using at least one iOS graphic framework, e.g. UIKit/Interface Builder, CoreAnimation, OpenGL or 3rd party libraries such as Cocos2D, Unity etc. is also required.

Experience using other technologies such as XML, Javascript, Flash/Flex, server-side technologies e.g PHP and digital media tools e.g. Photoshop would be preferred.

Knowledge of other mobile platforms, and the ability to work in a cross-platform environment (Windows XP/Vista/7 Mac OS X etc.) is also preferable.

Must be able to function well in a small team environment with excellent interpersonal and technical skills.  Applicant must be able to multi-task as we have multiple projects under development; must be able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment.

If you are interested and believe you are the right candidate for the role, please send your CV to human.resources@metropolis-group.co.uk with subject title iOS Developer.

Tune in at 11:30am 89.1FM, online or on DAB to hear some of the key names in Metropolis talk about its history and what’s next for us.

For more information click here and to Listen here!

If you missed the show you can tune in any time right here!

We are delighted to announce the launch of the Metropolis Academy — a programme of music courses led by practitioners and industry experts which will take place in our world-class recording studios. At Metropolis, we have a firm belief that whether you are a music professional or simply a passionate enthusiast, there is nothing quite like being taught in a studio environment, especially one where some of the most iconic albums of all time have been recorded. Equally, we believe there are no better people to guide you than the pros who’ve been there and done it. This is why we have set up the Academy. We hope you like our opening line-up which comprises weekend courses and intensive three month programmes on everything from the Art of Music Production to getting into the Music Industry, with guest lectures from managers, sound engineers, musicians and some very special superstar guests.

An Introduction To The Music Business

A 2-day introductory course to the Music Business from an inside perspective. The course will be led by industry expert Ian Ramage who has worked with distinguished artists such as, Coldplay, Pink Floyd at EMI, Sony, and BMG….

Price: £375.00 per student

Mastering the Art of Music Production

A 10-week course on the Art of Music Production led by industry professionals who have worked with some of the biggest names in the business. Expect to learn what it takes to become a great producer.

Price: £1,500.00 per student

For more information and detailed course syllabus, please head to the website www.metropolisacademy.com

Follow us on Twitter: @metstudiosacad

To enter, visit: http://www.talenthouse.com/collaborate-with-yellowire

Since emerging from London in 2010, Yellowire has taken the Indie world by storm. The band rocked HMV’s Next Big Thing, The Isle Of Wight, Latitude, Reading and Leeds festivals.

After touring across the UK and Europe the band is now inviting all remixers and aspiring producers from across the globe to submit a remix of their single ‘Tonight is the Night (Don’t Stop Dancing)’ for the chance to have it laid straight to vinyl at London’s Metropolis Studios.