News

 

“INDEPENDENT MUSIC COMPANIES AND THE ARTISTS THEY WORK WITH AROUND THE WORLD RELY ON EUROPE’S AMBITION TO LEAD THE WAY AND INSPIRE US” – OPEN LETTER FROM WIN CEO TO EUROPEAN COMMISSION VICE-PRESIDENT TERESA RIBERA ON UMG/DOWNTOWN DEAL

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.

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“UNIMAGINABLE IN ANY OTHER SECTOR” – IMPALA’S HELEN SMITH ON PLANNED DOWNTOWN ACQUISITION

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?

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IMPALA ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF NEW ‘LABEL CAMP’ PROJECT TO BOOST CROSS-BORDER COLLABORATION AMONG INDEPENDENT MUSIC COMPANIES

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.

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IMPALA / CMU Digital Forward webinar: How do you build sustainable marketing strategies beyond streaming platforms?

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.

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LEADING ECONOMIST AND FORMER REGULATOR AMELIA FLETCHER RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROPOSED ACQUISITION OF DOWNTOWN MUSIC HOLDINGS BY UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP

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.

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IMPALA’S REMUNERATION PLAYBOOK – 12 RECOMMENDATIONS TO BOOST REVENUES AND DIVERSITY IN TODAY’S MUSIC BUSINESS

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.

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Ruth Barlow of AIM and Beggars Group on UMG, Downtown and why she believes ‘regulators must act’

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.

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Universal’s Downtown Music acquisition faces EU scrutiny – IMPALA welcomes referral by national competition authority

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.

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IMPALA unveils Digital Forward: a new initiative to empower independent music companies

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.

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IMPALA UNVEILS ITS REVAMPED 100 ARTISTS TO WATCH PROGRAMME FOR 2025 IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOUTUBE, CELEBRATING DIVERSITY AND INNOVATION ACROSS EUROPE’S INDEPENDENT MUSIC SCENE

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.

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IMPALA ANNOUNCES COLLABORATION WITH WIN TO DEVELOP A NEW EU CO-FUNDED NETWORKING PROGRAMME WITH WINHUB EVENTS

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.

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ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY, IMPALA’S EDI TASK FORCE FOUNDER AND CO-CHAIR TALKS ABOUT HER WORK FIVE YEARS ON

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.

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WIN ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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.

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EMERGE OFFICIALLY PREMIERED BETA LAUNCH AT ESNS25

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.

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IMPALA IS LOOKING FOR AN INTERN

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.

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LEADING EU MEMBER STATES CALL ON THE EC TO TAKE ACTION ON EUROPEAN COURT RULING THAT UNDERMINES BROADCASTING AND PUBLIC PERFORMANCE REVENUE TO TUNE OF €125m A YEAR 

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.

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IMPALA WARNS OF SERIOUS REGULATORY BARRIERS TO UMG’S ACQUISITION STRATEGY AS VIRGIN MOVES TO BUY DOWNTOWN HOT ON THE HEELS OF [PIAS]

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.

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TAKE ACTION, RECOGNISE THE BUSINESS BENEFITS AND SUPPORT EMBEDDING CULTURE IN CLIMATE POLICY AND BUILD PATHWAYS FOR CHANGE: IMPALA’S CALL FOR ACTION AT COP29

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.

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IMPALA REACTS TO UMG’s ACQUISITION OF [PIAS] – LEAVES HUGE HOLE IN THE INDEPENDENT SECTOR, FLAGS REGULATORY CONCERNS AS WELL AS NEW OPPORTUNITIES

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.

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IMPALA – Independent Music Companies Association

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