Association of Independent Music Companies

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The Association of Independent Music Companies eV ( VUT ) is a registered association based in Berlin , founded in 1993 by eleven label operators in Hamburg. With around 1,300 members (as of 2017), it is the largest association of its kind in Europe. He represents the interests of small and medium-sized independent music companies, including labels, publishers, distributors and self-marketing artists in Germany.

The VUT is a member of the international associations WIN ( Worldwide Independent Network ) and IMPALA as well as the Federal Association of Popular Music and the Berlin Music Commission .

purpose

The association gives the small and medium-sized independent music companies in Germany a voice and works to ensure that the cultural diversity, to which independent music companies contribute, is more widely recognized and valued. VUT members see themselves as partners of the artists, promote up-and-coming talents and rely on long-term relationships with them. The association pursues the goal of achieving fair competitive conditions and market access for all music companies - regardless of their size. In short, the VUT's mandate is: Act United - Stay Independent.

About the association

Its roughly 1,300 members include labels, publishers, distributors, producers and artists who market themselves. Overall, independent music companies have a market share of over 35 percent of the music recordings used. In terms of the entire music industry in Germany, around 56 percent of sales in 2012 were achieved by small and medium-sized companies. The member companies are characterized by their partnership with their artists and their willingness to innovate.

As an association, VUT is committed to the interests of the independent music industry on a German, European and international level, the core of which is the musicians and authors. As a service provider, VUT offers its members a wide range of advice, information and services. This includes, among other things, member and legal advice, training and further education events, the conclusion of framework agreements and regular industry newsletters. In addition, through its practice-related advice, VUT makes a contribution to accompanying and promoting young talent in the music industry on their way into the music industry.

The association awards the VIA! VUT Indie Awards , the independent music industry's first and only critics' awards , to honor outstanding talent and showcase the cultural diversity of small and medium-sized music companies. In addition, the VUT Indie Days , Germany's largest platform for recorded music, have been taking place regularly since 2013 . They are the central meeting point for independent companies from home and abroad and their artists. Since 2015 the VUT Indie Days and the awarding of the VIA! VUT Indie Awards held as part of the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg.

aims

  • The VUT is committed to the appreciation of music itself and especially to the recognition of the contribution made by small and medium-sized music companies (SMEs) to a diverse cultural landscape and intercultural work.
  • The VUT works to improve the legal, economic and political framework conditions for the benefit of small and medium-sized music companies so that they can continue to invest in developing young talent and in artists in the long term. The focus of the association's work is to provide SMEs in the music industry with better market access and fair competition.
  • Copyright is both the labor law of artists and the basis of business for VUT members, which is why it plays a central role for the association.
  • The VUT is committed to fair pay and social working conditions for artists and those working in the music industry.
  • The association imparts knowledge about the music industry and finds practical solutions for its members that are based on the reality of their work and life. A "bottom-up approach" is pursued, which means that the association's services should initially benefit the smallest VUT member. In addition, the international networking of the members is supported.
  • The VUT gives small and medium-sized music companies a voice, represents their interests and is the interface between the music industry, politics, media and society. At the same time, he is the contact person for all issues relating to the music industry.

structure

The board is elected by the association members for a period of two years. As of December 2017, there were ten board members. Désirée Vach took over the position of CEO from Christof Ellinghaus in 2017. The office is headed by managing director Jörg Heidemann. There are also five regional groups: VUT-Nord, VUT-West, VUT-Mitte, VUT-Süd and the LabCom (Label Commission) Berlin. There are two specialist groups within the VUT: the self-marketers and the music publishers (MVV). The specialist group spokesman is Fritz Krings (Peripherique). The association also founded the Music Industry Women network in August 2015. The aim of the network is to have more women help shape the music industry in the long term - including in management positions and as founders - and to ensure that women become more visible. In addition, Music Industry Women serves as a platform for networking, exchange and further training. The first major project is the mentoring program, which is carried out in cooperation with the Berlin Music Commission and funded by the Senate Department for Economics, Technology and Research and which started in November 2015. The mentoring program is aimed specifically at young women and experienced mentors from the areas of label, publishing, sales and the other business areas represented in VUT. There are a total of eight committees on the following topics: Members, Business and International Affairs, Regional Groups, Special Interest Groups, Politics and Communication, Music Industry Women, VIA! VUT Indie Awards and Staff.

history

In 1993 the Association of Independent Sound Carriers was founded in Hamburg with the aim of counteracting the existence-threatening changes in the sound carrier market and the tougher competitive conditions. From 1999 it called itself the Association of Independent Sound Carriers, Music Publishers and Music Producers eV (VUT) . IMPALA was founded in 2000 as the umbrella organization of the European associations of independent music companies. In 2004 the VUT office moved from Hamburg to Berlin. In 2008 the VUT was given a new name: Association of Independent Music Companies eV In 2011 the Golden Indieaxt was awarded for the first time for special services to the independent music industry. In 2013 VUT organized the VUT Indie Days and VIA! VUT Indie Awards in Berlin. In 2015, the Music Industry Women network for women in the music industry was founded and the first round of the mentoring program started. In the same year, the VUT Indie Days and the VIA! VUT Indie Awards moved to Hamburg and took place for the first time as part of the Reeperbahn Festival .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Oliver Hochkeppel: Young Music: Together Strong. In: sueddeutsche.de. June 2, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2017 .
  2. ↑ The 2013 Monitoring Report counts the following branches of the music industry: “Self-employed musicians etc .; Music / dance ensembles; Recording studios etc .; Record publishers; Music publishers; Theater / concert promoter; Private musical / theater houses; Concert halls etc .; Providing services to the performing arts; Retail sale of musical instruments etc .; Retail sale of recorded sound carriers, etc .; Manufacture of musical instruments ”. See monitoring of selected key economic data from the cultural and creative industries 2013 (long version). (PDF; 2 MB) Table 5.1: Export quotas in the music industry. In: kultur-kreativ-wirtschaft.de. Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, December 2014, p. 80 , archived from the original on March 19, 2015 ; accessed on December 6, 2017 .
  3. ↑ Monitoring of selected key economic data from the cultural and creative industries 2013 (long version). (PDF; 2 MB) Table 7.15: Sales size classes of the cultural and creative industries by submarket 2012. In: kultur-kreativ-wirtschaft.de. Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, December 2014, p. 153 , archived from the original on March 19, 2015 ; accessed on December 6, 2017 .
  4. ↑ Board of Directors. In: vut.de. Archived from the original on December 5, 2017 ; Retrieved on May 23, 2018 (The linked original page will be continuously adapted in the event of personnel changes. The information given in the article relates to the status on the creation date of the archive version.).
  5. ↑ Verena Blättermann: Désirée Vach becomes chairwoman of the board of the VUT. In: vut.de. September 20, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2017 .
  6. ↑ http://www.vut.de/regionen/
  7. ↑ http://www.vut.de/no_cache/wirtschaft/wirtschaft-artikel/article/music_industry_women_das_netzwerk_fuer_frauen_in_der_musikwirtschaft/
  8. ↑ http://www.vut.de/no_cache/wirtschaft/wirtschaft-artikel/article/das_mentoring_programm_des_vut_fuer_frauen_in_der_musikwirtschaft/
  9. ↑ German Independent Association VUT ends the general assembly with a new name and a new board. Press release. In: vut-online.de. VUT, September 22, 2008, archived from the original on December 18, 2008 ; Retrieved December 5, 2017 .
  10. ↑ http://www.vut.de/vut/geschichte/