We are CDR

Supporting producers and artists at every stage of their creative journey.

We create events and programmes that empower people to create music, define their sound, and release music on their terms.

Create

Lowering the barriers for people to create music

Define

Encouraging risk-taking and nonconformity in music making

Release

Providing opportunities and guidance on releasing music in today’s industry

About Us

CDR is a Black-led, community-first music and education organisation rooted in the UK’s grassroots electronic music scene.

Founded in 2002, CDR began as a simple idea: create a space where producers could share unfinished work on a proper sound system, in front of a room of peers, without hierarchy or gatekeeping. What started as a monthly session in London quickly became something more: a community built around experimentation, shared learning and collective growth.

Today, CDR supports thousands of music-makers across the UK and beyond through sessions, youth programmes, mentoring and artist development. While our formats have evolved, our core remains the same::
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● Openness over exclusivity
● Process over polish
● Learning by doing
● Community over competition

CDR is not just an event or a programme. It’s a long-standing ecosystem for artists in formation and music in the making.

What We Believe In

Nurture

We create spaces that empower producers and artists to take risks and not feel pressure to conform to music industry norms. We’re committed to lowering the barriers for people to create music, define their sound, and release music with confidence in today’s landscape.

Knowledge

We’re passionate about sharing as much knowledge as possible on all areas of the music production process, in the form of courses and mentorships, producer masterclasses and workshops. We also want to shine a light on untold narratives in the music industry, to lend a voice to working producers and their experiences.

Community

Community is at the heart of everything we do. When CDR started back in 2002, the aim was to create a physical space for a community of artists, producers and music lovers to share new and unfinished music in a welcoming and supportive environment. Since then we've been lucky enough to see some of the first members of our community go on to reach amazing heights in the music industry while continuing to contribute to the ever growing global CDR family in various ways.

All of our programmes are centred around creating and nurturing communities; whether that be in schools and youth clubs all over the UK through Music Producer Club, our regular CDR Sessions events in London, Bristol, Manchester and other cities, or more bespoke mentorship programmes like Process and Pathways.