A coalition of leading European and international independent music companies and trade associations have issued an open letter to Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera at the European Commission, urging the Commission to conduct a deep investigation of Universal Music Group’s (UMG) proposed acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings. This follows a Financial Times exclusive this morning, available here.

The European cultural sector has come together to call on the European Commission, European Parliament and Member States to reinforce the Creative Europe programme in the next EU long-term budget (MFF).

In an open letter sent to the European Commission’s Vice-President and Commissioner for Competition Teresa Ribera, WIN CEO Noemí Planas adds her voice to that of WIN’s sister organization IMPALA in Europe and our Spanish member UFi in calling for a detailed investigation into the UMG/Downtown acquisition. The eyes of the independent music community worldwide are on the EC for leadership to set the standard globally and block this acquisition outright.

Op-ed by IMPALA’s Executive Chair Helen Smith originally released on Music Ally on 25 June 2025.

“Unimaginable in any other sector”

All markets need big companies.

And the world’s biggest music company is more than that. UMG is innovative and bullish. And a great collaborator on so many issues.

The only question is whether there is a point at which big becomes too big?

IMPALA is launching a new initiative designed to foster cross-border collaboration, peer learning and capacity building among independent labels across Europe. This new ‘Label Camp’ project is part of IMPALA’s EU network programme, which co-funds certain projects, boosting the organisation’s work to reinforce the independent music ecosystem.

We’re pleased to invite you to our upcoming IMPALA x CMU webinar taking place this Friday, 27th June at 15:00 CET / 14:00 GMT, as part of our Digital Forward project, co-funded by the European Union.

Webinar title: ‘How do you build sustainable marketing strategies beyond streaming platforms?’ – Friday, 27 June – 15:00 CET / 14:00 GMT. This session will explore the findings of our newly released report: ‘Digital Marketing for Independent Record Labels PART 1 – Mastering Off-Platform Strategies’, the first publication under our Digital Forward series.

The European commission has today started its formal investigation into UMG’s acquisition of Downtown, with a provisional deadline of 22nd July to reach an initial conclusion.

Former Chief Economist of the UK competition authority, as well as musician and independent music label co-founder, Professor Amelia Fletcher of the University of East Anglia, has sent a letter to the Vice President of the European Commission Teresa Ribera urging her to conduct an in-depth investigation into the proposed acquisition.

A new report “Combating the Emergence of a Two-Tier Music Streaming Market” has been published today. Analysing recent evolutions in the music streaming market, the report warns that a two-tier industry is emerging which requires “immediate attention”.

With this year’s EU Green Week focus on “Circular Solutions for a Competitive EU,” IMPALA – the European association of independent music companies – is calling on policymakers to ensure small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the cultural and creative sectors have equitable access to clean energy and climate transition tools.

As we close European Diversity Month, IMPALA presents its remuneration playbook* – a reminder of some of the basic components of a comprehensive strategy for decision makers to boost revenues and diversity. This is important as the independent sector accounts for 80% of all new musical releases in Europe today and is made up of thousands of micro, small and medium sized businesses, playing a key role in taking risks, boosting diversity and partnering artists in their careers.

IMPALA is pleased to announce the 2025 recipient of its revamped Changemaker Award: MEWEM, a pioneering mentoring programme that supports women and gender minorities, including female, trans, and non-binary talents, encouraging them to become entrepreneurs and to increase representation within the music industry.

Europe’s creative sectors call on EU policymakers to uphold transparency, consent, and creators’ rights in AI Act implementation

IMPALA, the European association of independent music companies, has launched a new EU-funded support scheme aimed at boosting sector-led initiatives working on equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI), and environmental sustainability.

The EDI taskforce is pleased to invite you to an online roundtable, “Amplifying voices: supporting LGBTQ+ musicians in the face of discrimination,” taking place on Thursday, 22nd May at 3pm CET / 2pm GMT.

Musicians and industry leaders from the UK and Europe have joined forces to demand urgent action to remove the barriers to touring across the EU.

IMPALA is proud to announce the launch of its new Artist Camp project, co-funded by the European Union as part of IMPALA’s 2025–2028 network programme.

IMPALA, the European association of independent music companies, welcomes the European Commission’s decision to investigate the proposed merger between Universal Music Group (UMG) and Downtown Music Holdings, home to companies such as Fuga, CD Baby, Songtrust, Curve, AdvRev, as well as other businesses in the music sector.

This week, IMPALA exchanged with European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef, for an in-depth discussion on the future of Europe’s cultural sectors and how music has a key role within it.

This Earth Day, Merlin is proud to support the launch of the Weidenmüller Sustainability Fund. The fund is a new, multi-year joint initiative between Merlin and IMPALA, designed to accelerate the independent music community’s transition toward a more sustainable future.

The following MBW op/ed comes from Ruth Barlow, Chair of the UK’s Association of Independent Music (AIM) and Director of Live Licensing at the Beggars Group. Barlow’s career in music spans 25+ years, with experience across radio, live music strategy and licensing, and she is a long-term champion for the rights of independent labels, artists, and their partners. Barlow also serves on the board of UK Music and is a board observer for Earth Agency and BPI Council.

Following formal requests by national competition authorities to the European regulator to open an investigation into UMG/Downtown, an influential European parliamentarian, Aurore Lalucq (chair of the economic affairs committee) has also raised concerns in a written question.

IMPALA’s Strategic Primers’ project with Music Ally is all about maximising streaming opportunities for independents. Our Primer #8 on PANDORA is now out.

Universal Music Group’s (UMG) acquisition of Downtown Music faces EU scrutiny following a referral request from an EU member state, as first reported last week. This deal was part of a wave of acquisitions by UMG including independent labels PIAS and 8Ball Music, all announced within a few months of each other. Further strategic acquisitions are also expected.

IMPALA is taking its digital strategy to the next level with Digital Forward, a new initiative designed to equip independent music companies with the insights they need to navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape. Developed in cooperation with Complete Music Update (CMU) as part of IMPALA’s new programme of work co-funded by the EU for the next four years, the project will provide IMPALA members with in-depth intelligence on streaming, digital trends, market dynamics, emerging business models and more.

Below is a joint statement published today by a broad coalition of creator and rightholder organisations, including IMPALA, coming out strongly against the third draft of the GPAI Code of Practice.

IMPALA is pleased to announce the 100 Artists to Watch for 2025, in partnership with YouTube, marking the fourth consecutive year of this exciting initiative. This year’s lineup features a vibrant and diverse selection of emerging talent from across Europe’s independent music scene, providing a fresh outlook on the future of the industry while celebrating the rich cultural diversity that is at the heart of independent music.

IMPALA, the European association of independent music companies, is joining forces with the Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) on a new WINHUB project, part of IMPALA’s new programme of work co-funded by the EU for the next four years. This collaboration will amplify WINHUB’s reach with an exclusive community platform and new events designed to enhance global connections and export opportunities for independent music businesses.

IMPALA has awarded its Outstanding Contribution Award to Eva Karman Reinhold, chair of SOM (Swedish Independent Music Producers) and founder and co-chair of IMPALA’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) task force, in recognition of her exceptional dedication to the independent sector.

As we warned in our statement last week, UMG’s juggernaut strategy of rapid acquisitions continues, with 8Ball Music, a Dutch independent label and IMPALA member, being the latest independent to be bought.

As the IMPALA EDI task force marks its fifth anniversary, along with the launch of the EDI Charter, we sat down with Eva Karman Reinhold, co-chair of the EDI task force, for a conversation on International Women’s Day. With this year’s theme, Accelerate Action, emphasising the urgency of advancing gender equality, she reflects on the journey so far, sharing insights into IMPALA’s achievements, the challenges faced, key lessons learned, and her vision for the future of IMPALA’s EDI task force.

IMPALA, the voice of Europe’s independent records labels, is warning that music industry giant Universal Music Group (UMG) could increase its stranglehold over the music market if it is allowed to buy up key distribution companies and other services labels and artists need to reach fans.

Last week in Ljubljana, during the annual MENT Showcase and Industry Conference, a group of trade associations members introduced a new initiative—the CEE Independent Music Academy, supported by IMPALA.

IMPALA’s Strategic Primers’ project with Music Ally is all about maximising streaming opportunities for independents. Our Primer #6 on Instagram and #7 on TikTok are now out. Join us on 27th February for a Q&A session with Music Ally.

The board of IMPALA celebrates the life of Horst Weidenmüller, noting his legacy for the independent music sector as IMPALA board member from 2003 (vice-president until 2011) and board member of Merlin, as well as founder of IMPALA’s sustainability task force.

In the framework of the Paris 2025 AI Summit, IMPALA and 37 other international organisations have issued the following statement:

The Paris AI Summit intends to promote reliable, sustainable and responsible AI. For the first time at this level, intellectual property is being discussed.

IMPALA’s Strategic Primers’ project with Music Ally is all about maximising streaming opportunities for independents. Our Primer #7 on TikTok is now out.

IMPALA’s Strategic Primers’ project with Music Ally is all about maximising streaming opportunities for independents. Our Primer #6 on Instagram is now out.

In this letter, we represent a diverse yet unified coalition of creators and right holders active across the EU’s cultural and creative industries. We are writing to express our serious concerns about the Second Draft of the General-purpose AI Code of Practice under the EU AI Act.

In this letter, we represent a diverse yet unified coalition of creators and right holders active across the EU’s cultural and creative industries. We are writing to express our serious concerns about the Second Draft of the General-purpose AI Code of Practice under the EU AI Act.

The highly anticipated beta launch of EMERGE, a new sync music and discovery tool powered by an innovative AI-powered chat interface, has officially premiered at ESNS25. This groundbreaking tool is designed to help professionals find the music they need while promoting European music in a market dominated by Anglo-American influences.

IMPALA’s Strategic Primers’ project with Music Ally is all about maximising streaming opportunities for independents. Our Primer #5 on Deezer is now out. Join us on 27th January for a Q&A session with Music Ally.

The winners of the Music Moves Europe Awards 2025 are revealed, celebrating the extraordinary musical diversity within Europe. Out of 15 nominees from all over Europe, 6 winners were awarded with 7 awards during the annual ceremony at ESNS festival in Groningen, The Netherlands on January 16.

IMPALA, the European association of independent music companies,
is looking for an INTERN to help its Brussels-based team with EU projects, communication work, public affairs and daily life of the association.

The start of 2025 marks a new phase for IMPALA, the European association of independent music companies, as it rolls out a programme of work co-funded by the EU for the next four years.

At the end of last week, Ministers from six EU member states (The Netherlands, France, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Belgium) addressed a joint letter to Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice President of the European Commission, calling for a legislative proposal to fix the consequences of the EU court’s “RAAP” ruling.

Following the announcement that UMG-owned Virgin Group has struck a deal to buy Downtown, European independent trade association IMPALA raises concerns about concentration and reducing independent routes to market. The move is hot on the heels of UMG acquiring control of [PIAS], another significant independent in both recording and distribution, again raising serious competition issues.

IMPALA’s Strategic Primers’ project with Music Ally is all about maximising streaming opportunities for independents. Our Primer #5 on Deezer is now out.

IMPALA releases its second annual update on findings from the IMPALA Carbon Calculator, a free-to-use carbon footprinting tool for the recorded music industry, supported by Merlin and Murmur and powered by Julie’s Bicycle.

Today European Music Managers Alliance (EMMA) and several networks launch a campaign for a new European vision for touring that reduces the time-consuming and costly barriers for touring artists produced by withholding taxes. Highlighting that US artists benefit from generous exemptions when touring Europe, creating an unfair playing field.

IMPALA’s outstanding contribution award goes to Horst Weidenmüller, CEO and founder of !K7 Music and founder of IMPALA’s Sustainability task force, for his outstanding contribution to the European independent music sector.

IMPALA’s One Step Ahead is back with a report (to be released very soon) and webinar on the latest trends in music rights and consumption.

With COP29 drawing to a close, IMPALA encourages members to assess their environmental impact, recognise the associated business benefits, as outlined in the Business Case for Sustainability released earlier this year and support initiatives such as the Global Call to Action to Put Culture At the Heart of Climate Policy.

The EDI Taskforce is delighted to invite you to an online panel discussion with Leon Diop, IMPALA Changemaker Award winner and founder of Black & Irish.

Calling for a meaningful implementation of the AI Act to enable creators and rightholders to exercise and enforce their rights when it comes to ingesting and copying copyright- protected works for training by AI models.

IMPALA’s Strategic Primers’ project with Music Ally is all about maximising streaming opportunities for independents. Our Primer #4 on Youtube is now out.

On TikTok’s imposed deadline day for labels to sign direct terms to boycott Merlin, IMPALA publishes an open letter calling for collaboration and specific action points to achieve a strong, cooperative partnership without strong-arm tactics.

IMPALA has released its fourth Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Report, providing insights into its ongoing efforts in this area. Published on the week of the anniversary of the organisation’s EDI Charter, the report is the result of work by IMPALA’s taskforce, led by Eva Karman Reinhold and supported by advisor Keith Harris OBE.

One of the founders of IMPALA, the loss of [PIAS] to the independent sector will be felt in many different ways, discussed IMPALA’s executive committee following the news this week that UMG had bought 100% of the shares of the leading independent company. As [PIAS] is no longer an independent entity, the company is leaving IMPALA and stepping down from the board.

TikTok’s decision to disintermediate Merlin and walk away from negotiations to renew its current license has sparked widespread concern across the global music industry. The platform is contacting independent music companies directly to try to reach individual deals. Many fear that with this move TikTok intends to pay less for music.