Headstock

What Headstock does

Headstock is a Manchester-based music and mental health social enterprise founded in 2019 that delivers music-led initiatives to address mental health within the UK music industry. Its two operational pillars are MUSIC 85258, a free 24/7 confidential text support service launched in 2024 in partnership with mental health charity Shout (accessed by texting MUSIC to 85258), and The Drop, a monthly EDM event series co-produced with ticketing partner Skiddle featuring headline electronic artists at intimate Manchester venues such as The Yard and Amber's, with proceeds split between Headstock and music industry mental health charities including Music Minds Matter. The company also produces high-profile awareness murals of iconic musicians — Kurt Cobain, Ian Curtis, and Keith Flint — painted by street artist Akse P19 in Manchester and London, including a reinstated Ian Curtis mural on the Star & Garter that anchored a Peter Hook & The Light fundraiser raising £18,500 for Shout.

MUSIC 85258 signposting is distributed across 27+ Greater Manchester venues including Co-op Live, AO Arena, Albert Hall, Band on the Wall, The Deaf Institute, and Gorilla. The business is run by a team of 1–10 with no disclosed parent company, external funding, or public listing. Revenue is generated through event ticketing via Skiddle, one-off fundraising events (such as the Peter Hook fundraiser), and corporate partnerships with brands including Amazon Music, Beyond the Music, Gigpig, and NTIA. End-user services are free; Headstock monetises via event proceeds and partnership activity rather than per-user fees. The company won the 2024 Prolific North Champions Awards 'Marketing Campaign of the Year – Social Impact' for the Ian Curtis mural reinstatement and Peter Hook fundraiser work.

Name

Headstock

Legal name

Headstock

Website

https://headstock.live

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Event fundraising: Headstock organizes music events (The Drop series) with headline artists, with proceeds split between Headstock and mental health charities supporting music industry workers.
2. Charitable donations and fundraising: The organization raises funds through events, mural projects, and fundraisers in collaboration with partners. Raised £18,500 from Peter Hook fundraiser for Shout.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Headstock is a music and mental health social enterprise that creates and delivers music-led projects, events, and awareness campaigns to address the mental health crisis affecting music industry workers and the wider public. Its flagship product is MUSIC 85258, a free, confidential, 24/7 text-based mental health support service for music industry workers delivered in partnership with mental health charity Shout, and it operates The Drop, a monthly EDM event series co-produced with Skiddle at intimate Manchester venues, with proceeds and dedicated fundraisers split between Headstock and music industry mental health charities.

Product overview

Headstock is an award-winning Music & Mental Health social enterprise that operates primarily through events and awareness campaigns rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include The Drop, a monthly EDM event series produced in partnership with Skiddle, and MUSIC 85258, a confidential text-based mental health support service for music industry workers developed with charity Shout. Supporting these are Headstock Murals—public art installations honoring iconic musicians that serve as mental health awareness platforms—and periodic fundraisers such as the Peter Hook event. The organization functions as a social enterprise focused on creating tangible impact through music-led initiatives rather than offering a traditional product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MUSIC 85258: A dedicated mental health text support service for anyone working within the music industry, launched in partnership with Shout charity. Users text MUSIC to 85258 for free, confidential, 24/7 support.
• The Drop

Products and services

• The Drop A monthly EDM event series co-produced by Headstock and Skiddle, featuring headline electronic music artists in intimate ~320-capacity Manchester venues (Amber's, The Yard, The Bread Shed), with proceeds directed to music industry mental health charities. Tickets are sold via Skiddle and events are livestreamed on Skiddle's YouTube channel.
• MUSIC 85258 A free, confidential, 24/7 mental health text support service for anyone working within the music industry, delivered by Headstock in partnership with Shout, accessed by texting MUSIC to 85258, with Shout's trained volunteers providing in-the-moment crisis support.

Quantifiable outcome

• £18,500 raised for Shout via Peter Hook fundraiser
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• ShoutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeadstock partnered with mental health charity Shout to launch MUSIC 85258 – a dedicated mental health text support service for music industry workers. Shout provides the trained volunteers and infrastructure for the 24/7 text support service.
• SkiddlecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadstock co-produces The Drop event series with Skiddle. Skiddle sells tickets, provides venue (The Yard, Amber's Manchester), and streams events live on their YouTube channel.
• Music Minds MattercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic industry charity providing mental health support. Proceeds from The Drop Solardo event split between Headstock and Music Minds Matter.
• Music SupportsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic industry charity providing mental health and addiction support. Listed as a mental health support resource alongside MUSIC 85258.
• MindsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health charity. Turno's 'What's on Your Mind?' track released in aid of Mind.
• Amazon MusicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a partner logo on Headstock website.
• Beyond the MusicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a partner logo on Headstock website.
• GigpigminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a partner logo on Headstock website.
• NTIA (Night Time Industries Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a partner logo on Headstock website.
• Akse P19coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-renowned street artist who has painted Headstock's murals of Kurt Cobain, Ian Curtis, and Keith Flint. Long-time collaborator on mental health awareness artwork.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Music Support: UK charity providing mental health and addiction support specifically for music industry workers — Headstock's closest functional peer in the music-industry mental health vertical, also listed on Headstock's own site as a partner/support resource.
• Help Musicians: UK charity supporting musicians' physical and mental wellbeing through grants, counselling, and advocacy — directly comparable mission and beneficiary base to Headstock's music-industry welfare positioning.
• Shout: UK-based 24/7 text support charity that powers the operational backbone of MUSIC 85258. Functionally a partner but also a direct peer in crisis text-support delivery.
• Music Minds Matter: Helpline and support service for musicians, crew, and music industry professionals in the UK. A direct peer in the same vertical, and an explicit Headstock partner/beneficiary of The Drop Solardo event.

Broad incumbents

• Mind: UK's largest mental health charity and an explicit Headstock partner (Turno 'What's on Your Mind?' track in aid of Mind). Comparable in mental health advocacy and fundraising, though broader than music-industry focus.
• CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably): UK charity focused on preventing male suicide, also listed by Headstock as a referral resource. Comparable in mental health crisis support delivery and awareness campaigns.
• Samaritans: UK-wide listening and crisis-support charity, listed alongside MUSIC 85258 as a referral resource. Comparable in mental health crisis support, though broader in scope beyond the music industry.

Others

• Skiddle: UK ticketing, events, and live-streaming platform that co-produces The Drop series with Headstock. Comparable as a UK live-music event operator and ticketing channel, enabling Headstock's distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/headstockuk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@headstock-uk
• Facebookfacebook.com/HeadstockUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/headstock-uk
• Instagraminstagram.com/headstockuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Headstock