The countdown is officially on for the MIX (Music Industry Xplained) course 2025.

Presented by Hot Presss, this course is designed for individuals aspiring to thrive in all aspects of the music and entertainment scene, whether as artists or career professionals. The course covers skills and expertise in music management, media, publicity, promotion, publishing, record labels and more within the music, entertainment, events, and media industries. Celebrating over 25 years of MIX, the course will return in an online format on 25th March 2025.

MIX is a 13-week lecture series recognised by the music industry both in Ireland and internationally. It brings together top professionals from the global music scene to share their expertise, knowledge and insights. Each week, participants will dive into key topics such as Releasing Music Independently; Working with the Media; Developing your Act as a Brand; Record Companies and How They Work; Music Marketing; Record Production; Publicity and Social Media; Music Publishing and Music Online.

To secure your place on the upcoming course, please enrol here.

Ciaran O’Neill, the name behind Irish DJ and electronic producer CNTRAST, spoke to Hot Press about his experience with the MIX course, which laid the groundwork for him to release his debut offering, a vibrant remix of the Bantum track ‘Clang Clang’.

When the idea of putting his music out crystallised for O’Neill, he soon realised that he didn’t know where to begin.

“I didn’t know my way around the industry,” he tells us. “I knew I’d want to release music – but I didn’t know where to start and who I should contact”.

The opportunity with the MIX course came somewhat fortuitously, granting O’Neill the confidence to hit the ground running.

“The MIX course was great," Ciaran says. "When you get an intensive introduction like that, it changes your perspective completely. It made me realise that it’s not as complicated as you might think. It’s quite manageable, really. You’re trying to promote your music, and it’s like promoting anything. You just have to know the right places to go, and the right people to reach out to.

“I really enjoyed it," he adds. "The course was so interesting, and didn’t ever feel like a chore. It was brilliant because across the 13 weeks, each lecture covered a different basis. One week, someone came in and talked about promoting music on social media, then another week a different expert concentrated on radio.

“It was very, very thorough. There were loads of lessons on the importance of gigging to promote yourself. They also gave me ideas on how to build up a contact list.

“If you’re starting from zero, it’s definitely a daunting task, but MIX made everything more manageable.”

The intimidating aura of the industry notwithstanding, getting to work with industry professionals and to collaborate with like-minded, up-and-coming artists gave O'Neill the knowledge and the understanding necessary to make real progress.

Did the MIX course make navigating the rapids any less stressful?

“100%. The whole industry seemed like an absolute minefield from the outside. But MIX gave me a road map. The course instructors were very generous in sharing some e-mail addresses and telling us who we should contact. It gave me a better idea of how to write press releases, and keep them short and sweet.

“I loved hearing the stories from lecturers on how they met some huge names – like Stuart Clark talking about meeting Amy Winehouse – and what you can learn from those situations. All in all, it was so much fun to have a view into that world. I’d definitely recommend it”.

This Thursday, 6th March, CNTRAST x Bantum (Ruairí Lynch) will share ‘Clang Clang’ (CNTRAST Remix), which marks the DJ’s first official release.

The video was shot by O’Neill himself in Antarctica, granting the track a superb new visual accompaniment alongside the remix unveiling.

The video will premiere exclusively on hotpress.com this Wednesday, 5th March.