Pet Shop Boys and their manager Angela Becker were honoured alongside a host of industry figures at the 2024 Artist & Manager Awards (AMAs).

The pop icons and Becker jointly picked up the Artist Manager Partnership Award at last night’s ceremony, held at London’s Bloomsbury Big Top, in recognition of their 16-year collaboration.

Describing her experience as a “rarified education”, Becker reflected on the duo’s “intelligence, passion and curiosity”, before offering words of advice to future generations of managers.

“Learning the language of your client’s hopes and fears will open doors to profound impact, ensuring your work echoes in the hearts of audiences long after,” she said. “I am continually elevated and inspired by the pursuit of new ways to communicate Pet Shop Boy’s vision. As Hans Christian Andersen says, ‘Where words fail, music speaks.’”

Organised by the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) and Music Managers Forum (MMF) the AMAs were hosted by BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Remi Burgz.

Other winners included Chase & Status and their manager, Frame Artists co-founder Sophie Kennard, who received the Team of the Year award from their agent, UTA’s Obi Asika, and Sarah Wilson from TuneCore. The award followed a memorable year for the electronic music act, who headlined Creamfields, Boardmasters, TRNSMT and BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, as well as staging their own one-day show at Milton Keynes Bowl.

In addition, the Icon Award was presented to singer Paloma Faith by her long-time manager Innis Ferguson at Lateral Management.

“Sometimes it’s worth remembering that managers need support too”

Riverman Management founders Alex Weston and Dave McLean took the Managers’ Manager honour in tribute to their 35 years working in music. Originally making its name as a promoter, bringing US acts including Nirvana, Green Day, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden to the UK, Riverman switched to artist management and has represented Placebo since 1995.

Reflecting on the company’s successes and on the increased demands being placed on managers, Weston called for greater recognition and support of the role.

She said: “What other job on this planet requires us to have so much wide-ranging knowledge and so many skills and so much responsibility? And the most extraordinary thing of all is that, very often, certainly when we work with new artists, we don’t get paid anything at all to do this for years on end.

“But we do it because we are 100% committed and passionate about each of the artists we take on and truly believe, against all the odds, we can break them and their music! They are the future of our industry and put their faith and trust in us to help them achieve those ambitions. But, a note to our major labels, sometimes it’s worth remembering that managers need support too.”

There were also wins for Barry Can’t Swim (Breakthrough Artist), Hope James at Atlas Artists (Secret Weapon) and Victoria de Juniac of VictoriaBDJ Management (Breakthrough Manager).

Elsewhere, Sam Kelly and Ray Simpson from Cymande were presented with the Originator award, the 2024 Pioneer was awarded posthumously to producer and artist SOPHIE and the Fan Champion Award went to Yungblud, Tommas Arnby, Adam Wood and the wider team at Special Projects Music.

Finally, the awards for Writer/Producer Manager and Team Achievement recognised the work of Ant Hippsley and Croydon-based Finesse Foreva.

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Katy Perry has become the latest artist to pledge £1 from every ticket sold for her newly announced UK tour leg to the Music Venue Trust (MVT), as the business awaits the green light for the LIVE Trust.

The American pop star, who played her first UK shows at London’s 200-cap Water Rats and 1,145-cap Scala in 2008, becomes the first international act to follow the likes of Coldplay, Sam Fender and Enter Shikari by donating a percentage of tour proceeds to the organisation.

“I’m proud to donate £1 from every ticket on the UK leg of The Lifetimes Tour to Music Venue Trust so that venues like Water Rats and Scala, where I played my first UK shows, can continue to usher in the next generation of music talent” says CAA-represented Perry, who will play arenas across the UK in October 2025, promoted by AEG.

“We want to say a huge thank you to Katy and her team for stepping up to support grassroots music venues, artists and promoters,” adds MVT CEO Mark Davyd. “The contribution from these shows will keep venues open, get new and emerging artists out on tour, and enable promoters to bring the best in new music to our communities.”

Davyd tells IQ the charity’s mission extends to supporting the whole ecosystem at grassroots level.

“Whether it’s artists being able to tour or promoters being able to take risks or venues being able to be open, it all helps each other,” he says. “We have our own internal distribution of funding through which we have successfully distributed over £4 million in the last three years to artists, so we will continue to do that, but we imagine that as the financial support expands organisations like FAC, MMP, AIP, MU, etc will identify funding partners to distribute money for them or build mechanisms themselves.”

“A strategy that keeps venues afloat but bypasses the artists who perform on those stages will simply repeat the mistakes of the pandemic”

Last week, the UK government urged the live industry to introduce a voluntary ticket levy to support the grassroots music sector in its response to the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee’s report.

However, prior to that, the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) and Musicians’ Union (MU) penned a joint open letter calling for a blanket ticket levy to share the cost of investing in the future of the UK live scene, insisting that “just supporting venues in itself will not save grassroots music”.

Speaking to IQ, FAC CEO David Martin stresses that the group was established to represent the UK’s artist community.

“We make no apology in campaigning for their interests, especially when artists are facing such massive shortfalls from the increased costs of touring,” he says. “Alleviating those pressures and encouraging more live activity is the only effective solution to the grassroots music crisis.

“A strategy that keeps venues afloat but bypasses the artists who perform on those stages will simply repeat the mistakes of the pandemic, with disastrous consequences for the wider live music business. While the generosity of individual artists in donating to MVT is commendable, it does not equate to a sustainable, transparent and long-term strategy to safeguard the sector’s future.”

The LIVE Trust, an industry-created charitable body which would collect and distribute funds, is currently in the process of being set up with the UK charity regulator. Martin says the FAC endorses the body as “a vehicle for collecting and distributing a blanket levy”.

“It is now imperative for the sector to unite in agreeing on a clear pathway to achieve this goal, fostering economic activity, live touring, and audience growth,” he adds.

“LIVE’s members are working to increase the profile of the Trust ahead of launch and include discussion as to its aims and objectives”

On that subject, LIVE CEO Jon Collins offers an update on the timeframe involved in setting up the trust.

“We have covered a lot of ground in the six months since the CMS Committee recommended an industry solution to the grassroots crisis, avoiding a much more intrusive statutory intervention,” he tells IQ. “Even with a packed industry summer and an election, we have been able to agree the aims, objectives, structure, funding approach, initial trustees and mid-term strategy for the trust.

“A lot of this work goes under the radar as we work on our formal submission to the Charity Commission. We feel we have now answered all the Commission’s questions and await the green light.”

Collins continues: “It is brilliant news that Katy Perry has opted to support grassroots music, and we hope she is the first of many international artists to do so alongside their UK counterparts. With the LIVE Trust in place, there will be another option for those wishing to support artists, venues, festivals, promoters and the other actors that contribute to our grassroots sector.

“LIVE’s members are working to increase the profile of the trust ahead of launch and include discussion as to its aims and objectives in relevant tour planning.”

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UK-based charity Music Support is reportedly supporting a record number of live and music industry professionals, after seeing a 51% increase in calls to their helpline over the past year.

In a new survey, the organisation detailed challenges facing industry executives — including drug and alcohol problems, mental health issues, and suicidal thoughts — are up across the board, steadily increasing from last year’s report.

In addition to a steep increase in helpline calls, Music Support revealed that nearly half of respondents divulged mental health problems, rising from 40% last year.

More than one-fourth of respondents stated drug and/or alcohol problems, up from 19% in 2023, and 21% said they had suicidal thoughts in the past year, up from 18% last year.

“Whilst the increase in demand for our services is a concern, we are also encouraged that stigmas around mental health and problematic substance use are breaking down and people are more willing to reach out for help,” says CEO Joe Hastings.

Responses were collected from on- and off-stage individuals across Music Support’s Safe Hubs at summer festivals, a service it has offered since 2016.

“It’s vital that those who work in music know there is somewhere they can turn for their mental health”

Elsewhere, Music Minds Matter (MMM) announced its first batch of partners in the creation of Music Minds Matter Allies. The mental health-focused industry charity will work alongside the six organisations to help connect their networks to support, co-develop new resources, and facilitate connection and collaboration through communal events.

The first set of allies include the BIMM Music Institute, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the Featured Artist Coalition (FAC), the Music Managers Forum (MMF), the Musicians’ Union (MU), and We Are The Unheard (WATU).

“A life in music is full of uniting highs but sadly the hours, pace and passion can have an impact on wellbeing too,” says Sarah Woods, chief executive of Music Minds Matter and Help Musicians. “It’s vital that those who work in music know there is somewhere they can turn for their mental health and we want to ensure that messages spreads to all who need us.”

“With our Music Minds Matter Allies, we can work together to develop more supporting resources and reach so many more who need support, whether a venue booker, artist manager, festival owner, record producer or label accountant.

“Music Minds Matter is here for everyone working in music at any time and we’re so pleased to work with our Ally organisations to ensure that help and guidance reaches those in need now, or those who may need it in the future.”

“Having artists talk about their mental health struggles allows us to normalize the conversation around mental health”

This year alone, Music Minds Matter has supported over 3,300 people working in music, and research has shown that industry professionals are at a higher risk of experiencing depression and other mental health-related illnesses.

Those working in the music industry may be up to three times as likely to experience depression compared to the general public, a MMM survey revealed.

MMF chief executive Annabella Coldrick emphasised the importance of allyship for the industry: “Against a backdrop of cutbacks elsewhere in the music business, managers are under increasing pressure, shouldering a greater range of responsibilities and expected to deliver on multiple fronts. It can be an incredibly stressful and isolated role.

“Taking a more tailored approach that listens to the concerns of managers and provides them with bespoke mental health resources is, we feel, the best way to alleviate these challenges.”

In response to these challenges, Live Nation recently launched a “music meets meditation” app in collaboration with Mindful Nation. Created by Niamh McCarthy, former assistant manager to Madonna and U2, the app is purposed to help artists and professionals find balance in the rigours of touring.

“Having artists talk about their mental health struggles allows us to normalize the conversation around mental health and opens a space for others to also share their experiences and struggles with mental health, anxiety and depression,” McCarthy says.

“Creating boundaries for self-care can feel hard but ultimately helps not only the performer but the crew and those around them to also prioritize their needs creating for a happy and safer tour experience.”

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As the United Kingdom gears up for next month’s general election, a range of music organisations have told IQ how the new government can best help the live business.

The main political parties have now put out their manifestos ahead of the 4 July vote, with varying degrees of support for the arts. Labour, the party currently leading all opinion polls to form the UK’s next government, has reiterated its pledge to cap ticket resale if it wins the election.

“Access to music, drama and sport has become difficult and expensive because of ticket touting,” it states. “Labour will put fans back at the heart of events by introducing new consumer protections on ticket resales.”

While stressing that Britain will remain outside the European Union, the party vows to improve EU touring for UK artists.

“Labour will work to improve the UK’s trade and investment relationship with the EU, by tearing down unnecessary barriers to trade,” it says. “We will seek to negotiate a veterinary agreement to prevent unnecessary border checks and help tackle the cost of food; will help our touring artists; and secure a mutual recognition agreement for professional qualifications to help open up markets for UK service exporters.”

Touring regulations also feature in the Liberal Democrats and Green Party manifestos, with the former saying it would push to “negotiate free and simple short-term travel arrangements for UK artists to perform in the EU, and European artists to perform in the UK”, and the latter promising to “ensure that musicians have access to visa-free travel to the EU through negotiating a reciprocal arrangement at the earliest possible opportunity”.

“This will be a government seeking to kickstart economic growth, and implementing the right policies to support the live music sector”

The Lib Dems also set out their desire to “protect fans from being exploited by ticket touts by implementing the Competition and Markets Authority’s recommendations to crack down on illegal ticket resale”.

The Conservatives, meanwhile, pledge to “extend our Community Ownership Fund to help more communities across the UK take control of vital community assets like pubs, music venues, libraries, green spaces, leisure centres and more”.

Stressing its support for apprenticeships as “a key pipeline of talent into our world-leading creative industries”, the party adds: “We will work with industry to deliver a dedicated flexible coordination service so that everyone who wants to work in the film, TV, gaming and music sectors can work on live productions whilst benefiting from at least 12 months of secure training.”

Jon Collins, CEO of LIVE (Live music Industry Venues and Entertainment), which serves as the collective voice of the UK live music business, says the trade body is looking forward to working with the next government on “a range of issues that require a fresh focus, considered investment and informed action”.

“With Labour likely to form that government, it is very encouraging to see many of our key asks set out in their manifesto and their action plan for the arts, culture and creative industries,” he says. “This will be a government seeking to kickstart economic growth, and implementing the right policies to support the live music sector with a value of £5.2 billion will deliver that growth – both domestically and internationally.

“Labour is committed to facilitating easier touring arrangements with the EU which will critically drive up activity; the current provisions have seen a 74% drop in activity and left orchestras either unable to tour or facing prohibitive costs. We welcome Labour’s support for our grassroots sector and look forward to working with ministers to ensure grassroots music venues are able to thrive, update them on the progress of the LIVE Trust, and ease the trading environment through business rates reform.”

“The rest of the world recognises this country as a beacon of music innovation, and it’s vital that an incoming government maximises that potential”

Collins adds: “Whilst not a manifesto commitment, we will be looking to the next government to act on the recommendations made by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in their recent report (May 2024) on grassroots music venues to reduce VAT on tickets and undertake a comprehensive economic analysis of the impact of a reduced rate applied across the sector.

“We are pleased that Labour has committed to take forward our proposals published in our Live Music Manifesto on secondary ticketing and reforming the apprenticeship levy. LIVE will work with the next government on plans to deliver Martyn’s Law in a way that protects fans without putting unnecessary burdens on venues and festivals.”

Last week, the Music Venue Trust (MVT) published a report entitled, A Manifesto for Grassroots Music, which outlined the steps the charity says are required in order to stem the closures of grassroots music venues and bring stability to the sector.

“In 2023, of the 366 small music venues Ed Sheeran played while learning his trade, at least 150 are now closed,” said MVT CEO Mark Davyd. “Another 72 grassroots music venues significantly reduced or ended their live music offer. 38% of GMVs in the UK made a loss in the last 12 months. The sector operated on a 0.5% profit margin overall while running live music events at a £115 million loss.

“All of this can be changed if the next government delivers the five simple steps we have set out.”

Music Managers Forum (MMF) CEO Annabella Coldrick highlighted touring, the grassroots scene and streaming as key areas of concern.

“When the general election was called, the industry was in deep discussion with policy makers about reforms to music streaming and to grassroots live music,” she says. “In the next parliament, those discussions must be transformed into tangible actions – and fast! Our artists and music makers deserve nothing less.

“Underpinned by those reforms, it’s really important that music, culture and the creative industries are at the heart of the UK’s business and growth strategy. The rest of the world recognises this country as a beacon of music innovation, and it’s vital that an incoming government maximises that potential – for instance, by negotiating new improved touring arrangements for UK artists wanting to perform in Europe, and by addressing our concerns about exorbitant visa fees for the US. Both have been a real focus for the MMF, and for the FAC, with our joint #LetTheMusicMove campaign.”

“To reset the market, we want the UK to follow the example of Ireland and outlaw ticket resale for profit”

David Martin, CEO of the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), says: “The FAC’s priority is to ensure that the momentum to drive forward artist-friendly reforms of streaming and the sustainability of the live music ecosystem continue into the next Parliament. The next government must take forward the work that was started by the Culture Media & Sport Select Committee in these areas. We can’t let progress slip.

“There are plenty of challenges facing our industry, but with a UK music strategy for growth the next government can maximise its untapped potential. Through practical changes to the way we do business – such as implementing fair royalty rates or a live ticket levy that directly supports artists – British music will thrive. The new government should legislate on these issues if industry consensus cannot be found.”

Unsurprisingly, the focus for Adam Webb, campaign manager of of anti-touting pressure group FanFair Alliance, is on cleaning up secondary ticketing.

“To reset the market, we want the UK to follow the example of Ireland and outlaw ticket resale for profit,” he tells IQ. “Thankfully, because of FanFair’s campaigning, this is firmly on the radar of politicians. The Labour Party has already committed to introducing a 10% cap on resale prices, and action against ticket touting is one of the key music-related pledges in their manifesto. The Liberal Democrats also have a manifesto commitment to clamp down on speculative ticketing and other anti-consumer practices.

“Alongside that, I’d like to see the Competition & Markets Authority provided with new enforcement powers. The UK’s ticket resale market is not highly regulated. We need that to change, and for capped consumer-friendly ticket resale to be made more visible and viable.”

Meanwhile, the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) plans to resume its Five Percent For Festivals campaign – calling for a reduced VAT from 20% to 5% on ticket sales for the next three years – post-election.

“We are delighted to see so many references to music and meaningful commitments that will change our members’ lives for the better”

“I think there will be intervention. My concern is that by the time something does happen, how many [festivals] will have gone?” AIF CEO John Rostron told IQ earlier this month. “What’s good for us is there is an election about to happen, so we’ll have a new group of politicians with a five-year mandate, and that is stronger to work with than where we were, which was with a group of MPs that didn’t know how long their futures would be.”

Elsewhere, the Musicians’ Union (MU) has welcomed the Labour Party Manifesto, saying it tackles many of the issues the organisation has raised with the party on behalf of members.

“The MU is Labour-affiliated and, along with fellow unions, we have been involved in shaping policy for a Labour government for many years now,” says MU general secretary Naomi Pohl. “Having not had significant access to Conservative ministers, with a few notable exceptions, we have a chance of a government that prioritises the arts and wants to engage with us on issues facing musicians.

“This is the first time that the MU has been so directly involved in the Labour Party manifesto process and had a chance to influence the final document. We are delighted to see so many references to music and meaningful commitments that will change our members’ lives for the better.

“While we know our membership is a broad church politically, we would be missing a once in a generation opportunity if we didn’t encourage musicians to vote Labour. This is an opportunity to shift the dial for the creative workforce of today and tomorrow.”

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The Music Managers Forum (MMF) and Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) have stepped up their #LetTheMusicMove campaign in order to oppose changes to US visa applications.

The UK groups say the newly-proposed increases to filing fees attached to specific visa applications – including O and P artists visas – would result in potentially crippling costs for UK artists looking to tour North America.

#LetTheMusicMove was originally established in June 2021 to campaign for reductions in post-Brexit costs and red tape for UK artists and musicians when touring in Europe, but has extended its focus following the recent announcement by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Under the proposals, the cost of artists visas increase by more than 250%, which would make performing in the US unaffordable for many emerging and mid-level artists.

“These proposed increases to visa costs would be catastrophic for British artists, and make it unaffordable for many to tour the US,” says MMF chief Annabella Coldrick. “By reactivating and expanding our #LetTheMusicMove campaign we hope to convince the Department of Homeland Security to rethink their culturally destructive proposals.”

“By working strategically, there is still a chance of stopping these damaging changes”

The DHS and the US Citizenship and Immigration Services have opened a comment period until 6 March, allowing US citizens to send public feedback which will then be reviewed and further adjustments considered.

“#LetTheMusicMove provided artists with a unified campaign in which they could voice their concerns about the challenges of touring after Brexit,” says FAC CEO David Martin. “However, these new proposals around US touring visas are equally concerning and, should they be agreed, will only exacerbate the seismic challenges facing the UK’s artists today.

“For that reason, we are asking British artists to commit to three simple actions: to sign up to the campaign, to send us their views, and to submit feedback to the official consultation process. By working strategically, there is still a chance of stopping these damaging changes.”

More than 1,000 artists originally backed the #LetTheMusicMove campaign, including Little Mix, Orbital, Olly Murs, Sampha, Sleaford Mods, Alison Moyet, Nubian Twist, Bicep, AlunaGeorge, Niall Horan, Wolf Alice, Annie Lennox, Biffy Clyro, Idles, Poppy Ajudha, Radiohead, Anna Calvi, Skunk Anansie and Laura Marling.

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Elton John and David Furnish were honoured at the 2021 Artist & Manager Awards (AMAs), which attracted more than 700 artists, managers and music industry professionals to Bloomsbury Big Top in London.

The duo made a final-hour appearance to collect the Artist & Manager Partnership Award at last night’s ceremony, which was organised by the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) and the Music Managers Forum (MMF).

Rina Sawayama, who was also named 2021’s Breakthrough Artist, presented Elton and David with the accolade at the first in-person AMAs since 2019. Other artists recognised on the night included Little Simz (Artist of the Year), Mogwai (Pioneer) and Bicep, who shared their award for Innovation with their management team at This Is Music.

Coming together again with friends and colleagues feels like such a hugely positive and symbolic step forward

“Coming together again with friends and colleagues feels such a hugely positive and symbolic step forward,” said MMF CEO Annabella Coldrick and Featured Artists Coalition CEO David Martin. “Tonight’s Awards was about celebrating music, talent, innovation and camaraderie across the artist and management community – whether that’s individuals at the start of their careers, survivors and legends, or those still standing after decades.”

September Management’s Amy Morgan was crowned Manager of the Year for her work with Glass Animals and Metallic Inc’s Grace Ladoja MBE received the Entrepreneur Award in recognition of her bridge-building between music scenes in the UK and Nigeria. In addition, Kayleigh Thorpe of Little Runaway Management was revealed as the 2021 Breakthrough Manager for her work with Gerry Cinnamon.

The Black Music Coalition were named Industry Champions, while Karma Artists picked up the award for Writer/Producer Manager, and YMU Music Group were presented with the Team Achievement Award in recognition of their groundbreaking inclusion initiatives, including a Mental Health and Well-Being programme for clients and staff.

Presented by Capital FM’s Roman Kemp, the event featured live performances from Wes Nelson & Hardy Caprio, The Anchoress and Lucy McWilliams.

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Key organisations from the UK’s music industry have criticised PRS for Music for its new “ill-conceived” licence for small-scale livestreamed gigs, following last year’s backlash about the proposed tariff for larger livestreamed events.

The UK performance rights organisation has today launched a new licensing portal for music creators, venues and promoters wanting to stage livestream small-scale events, which will impose a flat fee equating to a minimum 9% tariff on events generating less than £500.

The blanket rate for a show that generates less than £250 is £22.50, and £45 for an event that generates between £250 and £500.

The move follows the last year’s proposal that larger livestream events should be subject to a tariff of between 8% and 17% of gross revenues, compared to 4.2% charged at normal in-person live shows.

This prompted Music Managers Forum (MMF) and Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) to send a joint letter – countersigned by more than 50 artist managers – to PRS for Music CEO Andrea Martin last month urging her to reconsider the move.

“[PRS] need to commit to a full and transparent industry-wide consultation before issuing invoices to cash-strapped artists”

PRS says it will not be actively pursuing licences for livestreamed events that took place prior to the launch of the new portal, which would have qualified for the fixed fee licence.

Commenting on the new licence for small-scale livestreamed concerts, David Martin, CEO at FAC, and Annabella Coldrick, chief executive at MMF, say: “All of us want songwriters and composers to be paid fairly and efficiently for the use of their work, but this is not the way to go about it. Once again, we would urge PRS for Music to stop acting unilaterally.

“They need to urgently listen to the growing concerns of artists and their representatives during the pandemic, implement a waiver for performer-writers to opt-out of such fees, and commit to a full and transparent industry-wide consultation before issuing invoices to cash-strapped artists.”

“Unilaterally announcing ill-conceived new tariffs in a crisis is not such a discussion”

Mark Davyd, CEO at Music Venue Trust, added: “The live music industry, including grassroots music venues, artists and promoters, is in crisis mode and pulling together. The team at MVT have been in regular correspondence with PRS for Music throughout this crisis on how we can work together to ensure everyone emerges from this crisis and we can get back to work. At no time during those conversations has anybody suggested that a new tariff for streaming would be created. We have not been consulted on this, advised of it, or even notified of it prior to a press release being issued.

“The principal beneficiaries of paid streaming during this crisis have been artists. The beneficiaries of charitable streaming, online broadcasts by artists to raise money for causes, have included venues, crew, artists, and the wider community, including healthcare workers, food banks and homeless charities.

“It is unclear from this press statement whether PRS for Music wishes to clampdown on artists paying themselves or on artists supporting charities, but we would strongly suggest that neither should have been advanced to the stage of an announcement of a Tariff without understanding the most basic economics of what streaming is actually doing during this crisis.

“We remain available to discuss the realities of streaming during this crisis with PRS for Music if they wish to have an informed discussion on it. Unilaterally announcing ill-conceived new tariffs in a crisis is not such a discussion.”

“[PRS] is continuing to work to agree a range of licensing options for larger events, including a proposed discount”

Andrea Martin, CEO, PRS for Music, says: “We recognise the importance of providing simple licensing solutions wherever possible and the licensing portal for small-scale online events is an example of this. We are continuing to work hard to agree a range of licensing options for providers of larger events, including a proposed discounted rate during the pandemic.

“This is a part of the market which has seen exponential growth and is itself constantly evolving, meeting the expectations for worldwide blanket licences is alone no small feat, but we are committed to finding solutions which ensure members can be paid fairly when their works are performed.”

John Truelove, writer director, PRS Members’ Council, says: “Composers and songwriters have faced monumental challenges this past year. So, the huge surge in the online live concert market beyond anyone’s expectations, is positive news all round. It is great that so many artists are performing online concerts to stay connected with fans, to earn a living, and to promote new releases.

“Anyone wanting to hold small online ticketed gigs can now get a PRS licence in a simple and straightforward way. This will create even more opportunities for artists, musicians and writers to thrive together while ensuring that songwriters and composers are being properly paid when their music is performed.”

PRS is proposing to apply temporary discounted rates on livestream licensing for bigger events until the live sector can reopen – though these are yet to be determined.

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The Music Managers Forum (MMF) and Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) have written to PRS for Music, the UK performance rights organisation, to protest a proposed new tariff for livestreamed concerts, which the associations criticise as “unworkable” and punitive to artists.

The MMF/FAC letter, which can be read in full here, is countersigned by more than 50 artist managers, including representatives for Dua Lipa, Biffy Clyro, Liam Gallagher, Bicep, Fontaines DC, Gorillaz and Yungblud, as well as a group of FAC member artists and songwriters.

The proposed tariff for live streams, described by PRS as a “temporary experimental and non-precedential rate structure”, has been devised without any consultation with industry. It would see a fee of up to 17% of gross ticket sales levied on livestreamed events, and would apply retrospectively to events which have already happened.

Even for the smallest events (those grossing under £50,000), the tariff would be 8% – double the 4% generally charged on a physical concert under the existing tariff ‘LP’.

The proposed tariff, particularly at the top royalty rate, compares unfavourably to the rates charged in several other European countries: The Netherlands’ Buma, for example, has a 7% tariff for live streams, while Germany’s Gema licenses live streams under its existing VR-OD 10 tariff, which is charged at a flat rate up to a maximum of €1,200. (By contrast, 17% of £450,000 is £76,500.)

“A starting rate 8%, rising to 17%, will make livestreaming unviable, for [all] artists”

The letter, addressed to PRS for Music chief executive Andrea Martin, says that while the associations accept that songwriters must be compensated fairly for use of their work in live streams, the 8–17% rate will make livestreaming – a format which has “presented artists with one of their few opportunities to perform and connect with their fans” this year – financially “unviable, for both the smallest emerging artists and the biggest superstar acts”.

“The larger, most-successful events involve significant production costs, and have provided a lifeline to crew and other industry workers,” write MMF’s Annabella Coldrick and FAC’s David Martin. “At the other end of the scale, livestreaming has been increasingly important for emerging artists and those operating in niche genres. For the sake of all artists, songwriters and the wider industry, it is crucial that this new format is allowed to grow and thrive.

“Charging artists up to four times the live [LP] rate strangles, rather than nurtures, this innovation. For some of the smaller artists who have just covered their costs livestreaming, it will be impossible to find this additional money retrospectively.”

According to the MMF and FAC, PRS has so far declined to enter into consultation about the proposed tariff, and it’s for this reason the bodies are making their position public. Additionally, they are inviting more managers and artists to add their signatures to the letter to demand a “full and transparent consultation”.

“The proposed online live concert pilot licence scheme is still evolving”

This consultation, the letter concludes, “should also aim to provide certainty that PRS actually holds a mandate to license livestreaming events on a global basis.

“Until that process is concluded, we are working on the basis that the current live tariff is the applicable rate to these ticketed events.”

Responding, a PRS for Music spokesperson says: “PRS For Music members, alongside many others across our sector, have been very badly impacted by the shutdown of live music this year. We welcome the many initiatives to move live concerts online and PRS For Music has designed an online live concert licence, which will allow the necessary rights to be licensed.

“The proposed pilot licence scheme is still evolving. As conversations with our partners are active and ongoing, it would not be right for us to provide further detail or comment at this stage while we await their assessment and feedback.

“Of course, our primary role is to protect our members’ rights and to ensure they are paid fairly for their work, which is more important than ever now. We hope that these conversation will progress quickly.”

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Covid-19 has impacted every business sector around the world, but with live entertainment likely to be one of the last industries to return, given social distancing regulations, the associations that represent its millions of employees have never been more important.

As restrictions in many countries enter yet another month, for issue 91 IQ found out more about some of our association partners and discovered just what they are doing to help their members navigate and survive.

Following the last instalment with the BPI, CLMA and Dansk Live, this time we check in with the European Arenas Association, the UK’s Featured Artists Coalition and Iceland Music.

European Arenas Association
Representing 33 arenas across 20 countries, the aim of the European Arenas Association (EAA) is to provide consistency, support, best practice and networking opportunities for its members, to allow and encourage them to share experiences and common ground. Membership usually costs €4,000 per year.

The arena industry has been hit particularly hard in the pandemic, so support for the EEA membership during these challenging times has included:

• Surveys to establish the different protocols and procedures followed in the initial stages of the outbreak
• Discussion platforms to allow all members to have direct contact with each other and share concerns/questions
• Cancellation of 2020 membership fees to alleviate financial pressure
• Lobbying the EU via the EU sub-group network

The EAA cancelled its 2020 membership fees to alleviate financial pressure

Featured Artists Coalition (UK)
The Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) is the UK trade body representing the specific rights and interests of music artists. It is a not-for-profit organisation, serving a diverse, global membership of creators at all stages of their careers. The FAC was formed by artists, for artists, and places this ethos at the centre of all it does. It advocates, educates, collaborates and researches on behalf of artists, coming together to provide a strong collective voice within the industry and to governments domestically and abroad.

Formed in 2009, by seminal artists including Billy Bragg and Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason, the FAC’s board still represents some of the most recognised names in the music world, with current artists in residence that include Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien, Imogen Heap, Katie Melua, Sandie Shaw, Howard Jones, Fran Healy (Travis) and Blur’s David Rowntree. There are around 3,500 FAC members, whose fees are £5 (€5.60) monthly or £50 (€56) per year.

During the pandemic, the FAC has focused on different areas at different times (as is the nature of the impact). It moved quickly to survey members to assess the immediate impact of the lockdown. That data hugely supported its lobbying efforts both within the industry and to government. FAC’s Covid-19 directory has been keeping members up to date, while the organisation’s events have moved online to boost the community aspects of their work.

Iceland Music has been lobbying government to get funds into the system to assist with the drop in revenue for musicians and promoters

Iceland Music
Iceland Music is an information agency and music export office. It does not have a membership system, but provides all sorts of information and support to the music community in Iceland, and promotes Icelandic music abroad.

The organisation runs IcelandMusic.is (in English) which offers a portal into the country’s diverse music scene, and Uton.is (in Icelandic), which provides a large range of tools, news and information for the local music community.

Iceland Music also administers the Music Export Fund, which distributes travel grants monthly and marketing grants quarterly. It also runs projects like Record in Iceland, which is a programme offering a 25% refund for projects that are recorded in Icelandic studios, and Firestarter Accelerator, which provides support for small businesses within the music community.

During the pandemic, the organisation has been lobbying government to get funds into the system to assist with the drop in revenue for musicians and promoters, venues, record stores and related operators.

Iceland Music has also been updating its educational materials, creating webinars, podcasts and educational videos that enable those working in the industry to learn more about the business.

View the full Associates list in the digital edition of IQ 91. To keep on top of the latest live music industry news, features and insights, subscribe to IQ now

This article forms part of IQ’s Covid-19 resource centre – a knowledge hub of essential guidance and updating resources for uncertain times.

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The UK’s Music Managers Forum (MMF) and the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) has today highlighted the impact of the coronavirus live music shutdown, with over £50m already lost to the wider music economy, including £3.1m in lost management commission.

The MMF and FAC project that loss of income if all shows are cancelled for the next six months will surpass £61.4m, with a projected loss of £7.1m from merchandise sales, record sales and other related sales.

The findings are drawn from survey responses from more than 150 music managers and artists, detailing the impact of more than 2,100 cancelled shows, delayed campaigns and lost earnings.

Aside from an immediate loss of cash-flow, the findings raise concerns for the commercial music sector’s longer-term sustainability. The organisations call for greater assistance from the UK’s largest music businesses and organisations, given that the government’s recently announced support measures for the self-employed will not pay out until June.

The MMF and FAC welcome the creation of emergency funding initiatives, such as Arts Council England’s £160 million package for cultural organisations, freelancers and individual artists; Help Musicians’ £5m coronavirus financial hardship fund, which today received an additional £500,000 from the Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain; the Musicians’ Union’s £1m coronavirus hardship fund, the PRS for Music emergency relief fund and Spotify’s Covid-19 music relief fund.

“Artists and music makers are faced with a short term crisis and a longer-term catastrophe”

However, the organisations point to measures put in place in other countries, such as the German music licensing society’s (GEMA) €40m crisis fund for its songwriter members, the Swedish government’s €45m cultural response fund and the Norwegian government’s earmarking of €25m funding for the cultural sector, and state more must be done by large UK music businesses “particularly in the recorded sector”.

MMF and FAC propose that major labels, major music publishers and “others who can afford it” offer artists and songwriters a “recoupment holiday”; direct contributions to emergency support funds for artists and their teams; a diversion of “unattributable” royalty collections into an emergency hardship fund; and advances on performer and composer royalties as loans against future payments.

“Artists and music makers are faced with a short term crisis and a longer-term catastrophe,” comments MMF CEO Annabella Coldrick. “This MMF and FAC survey is only a snapshot, but it highlights that millions of pounds have already been lost through cancelled shows and campaigns.

“With government support for freelancers not kicking in until June we need the biggest record labels, music publishers and licensing organisations to act. We need them to do more, and we need them to do so now.”

FAC general manager David Martin adds: “We need all parts of the global music community to do their bit to support those that are most in need, and those with the greatest resource must do their fair share to provide this support.”

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