IMPF Covid-19 Medium to Long Term Recovery Plan

The biggest challenge of our time can only be solved through collaboration

CONTEXT

As the scale and nature of disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic continue to evolve, our industry faces one of the most significant challenges we have ever encountered.

With high levels of self-employment and scant access to social benefits, any loss of income directly threatens the very existence of not just thousands of authors, composers, and performers, but publishers and the rest of the music chain, many of whom struggle to earn a living even under normal circumstances.

The music sector has been among the first and hardest hit by this unprecedented crisis. The global lockdowns have affected concerts, music festivals and shows and cancelled the travelling opportunities for a sector that relies on being particularly mobile.

As the hub for independent music publishers internationally, IMPF continues to respond to the crisis by assisting our members, especially some of those who run smaller micro-businesses that may well feel isolated at this time. The wellbeing of members of our forum is our duty of care and we try to ensure that there is a rolling outreach to each other at this time so we can offer support as needed.

Economically, losses due to Covid-19 will impact music publishers throughout 2021.

But this is about more than just economic losses. It brings into focus other geo-political considerations, such as governments seeking to strengthen their protectionist policies and thus creating more risk for global business as a result of the virus. Added to that, reduced tax-returns, dwindling economies and massive spikes in unemployment rates will result in governments struggling to justify continued support of the arts and culture. This, despite the fact people across the world now, more than ever, need access to music and entertainment.

The main objectives of the IMPF Covid-19 Medium/Long Term Recovery Plan are;

• to liaise with members on the impact to their music publishing business
• to enable members preserve their livelihood and continue investing in talent and their businesses
• to promote members companies
• to encourage a strong climate of collaboration throughout our membership and the music chain, including regulators, politicians, streaming services, and other stakeholders

ACTIONS FOR THE IMPF COVID-19 MEDIUM/LONG TERM RECOVERY PLAN

MEMBERS OF THE COVID-19 TASK FORCE ARE:

David Alexander, Managing Director – Sheer Music Publishing
Ender Atis, COO – Budde Music Publishing
Annette Barrett, Managing Director – Reservoir/Reverb Music
Niclass Björlund,  Managing Director – Edition Björlund
Mark Chung, Managing director – Freibank Musikverlags
Pierre Mossiat, CEO – Strictly Confidential Music Confidential
Teri Nelson Carpenter, President and CEO – Reel Musik Werks
Simon Platz,  Managing Director  – Bucks Music Group
John Telfer, Chairman – Rocking Gorillas Music
Francesca Trainini,  Managing Director – Oyez!