Mixmag and Bumble unite in Miami to celebrate the Making Moves in Music initiative

Miami Music Week is one of the most exciting and electrifying weeks of the year for the music industry as artists, industry members and fans from all corners of the world as they descend upon the South Florida city to congregate for the best parties, showcases and events. It also served as the culmination of a compelling new initiative from what might seem like an unlikely new contender in the music space: Bumble. The social networking app recently launched a compelling new initiative called Making Moves in Music (MMM), created in partnership with The Media Nanny, ID&T and Astralwerks, which takes strides towards closing the gender gap in the music industry with a passionate artist incubator project.

Staying true to their mantra of encouraging women to "make the first move", Bumble launched the Making Moves in Music competition for female DJs and producers, which challenged women to submit their original works and sets to be selected for an elite bootcamp and masterclass session in Amsterdam. From over 500 contestants, six were selected to join for the interactive sessions, which led to a final three heading to Los Angeles for another riveting extension and bootcamp with Astralwerks to produce their own demo, set to be released on the label later on.

Dutch native Nicky Elisabeth was crowned the inaugural winner of the MMM competition. She's a 25-year-old DJ and producer who loves to play across the spectrum of electronic from disco to house, produces music she describes as "melodic techno with a twist" and holds down a residency at Amsterdam's De Marktkantine club. She was celebrated in full-force in Miami with a dinner with Mixmag and The Media Nanny at the PAO Restaurant at the Faena Hotel.

"Within the industry, it [can be] all about who knows who, or who is friends with who. What I love about this initiative is that it puts that aside and really focuses on talent," Nicky says of her win. "Before I entered this competition, no one told me they liked my mixes. It tended to be about business, not about the art. This was the first time that I came in touch with people who were really in it for the art."

As part of the Making Moves in Music win, Nicky went on to perform at Ultra Music Festival on the STMPD RCRDS stage for the first time in Miami and will also perform at ID&T's Mysteryland later this summer.

On Bumble, Nicky says: "They are so passionate about empowering women. It's something that I am passionate about as well, so it all fits, with them doing this project with me."

Bumble is a women-first network with over 50 million users with aims to challenge and campaign for women enter and be involved in the dance music industry, amongst others. "Our number one special source at Bumble is empowerment. We are doing everything we can to empower women," Louise Troen, VP of International Marketing & Communications at Bumble explains. "The reason why women don't make the first move is because they lack the confidence to do so. Confidence is feeling empowered as an individual. So it's important for us to find experiences and provide tools to let women feel more empowered in whatever they do, whether it's dating, finding a new friend, or networking."

Keep an eye out on more news from Bumble's Making Moves in Music initiative, coming soon.

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