WINCON 2025 PROGRAMME AND SPEAKERS ANNOUNCED FOR SOFIA EDITION
The Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) has announced the program and speakers for its annual global conference WINCON, taking place October 15–16 in Sofia, Bulgaria, organized in partnership with ANMIP-BG (the Association of Independent Music Publishers & Producers – Bulgaria) and hosted by SoAlive Music Conference. Marking its 10th anniversary, WINCON 2025 will bring together leaders from over 40 countries to shape the future of the independent music sector.
5-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE « RAAP » RULING, TIME TO SEE CONCRETE SOLUTIONS SAY EUROPEAN MUSIC BODIES AND EU PARLIAMENTARIANS
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the EU Court’s « RAAP ruling ». Heads of European music industry bodies and EU parliamentarians agree this anniversary is a new opportunity to commit to concrete action and renew their call on the European Commission to come forward with a legislative fix.
KEES VAN WEIJEN: “THE NETHERLANDS AT THE HEART OF EUROPE’S MUSIC: WHY INDEPENDENCE MATTERS AND WHY I WILL NOT BE SILENCED ABOUT UMG’S ACQUISITION OF DOWNTOWN”
Kees van Weijen has spent over fifty years in the music industry, including senior roles such as Executive Vice President at Universal, before focusing on strengthening the independent sector, including through his independent distribution business Rough Trade which was sold to [PIAS]. As Board Member as well as former Chairman and President of IMPALA, the European association of independent music companies, and founder of the Dutch independent network STOMP, he has long been a leading advocate for cultural diversity and fair competition in music.
WIN ANNUAL REPORT CELEBRATES A STRONG AND UNITED INDEPENDENT MUSIC COMMUNITY
Worldwide Independent Network (WIN), the international network that brings together 37 independent music trade associations operating in 43 territories, has released its 2024-25 Annual Report. The report provides an overview of the activities carried out by the organization from July 2024 to June 2025, highlighting progress in supporting, developing and further connecting the independent community.
JOINT STATEMENT BY A BROAD COALITION OF RIGHTSHOLDERS ACTIVE ACROSS THE EU’S CULTURAL AND CREATIVE SECTORS REGARDING THE AI ACT IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES ADOPTED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Representing a broad coalition of European and global authors, performers, publishers,
producers and other rightsholder organisations, we wish to formally express our dissatisfaction
with the published GPAI Code of Practice, the GPAI Guidelines, and the Template for disclosure
of a sufficiently detailed summary of training data under Article 53 of the EU AI Act.
IMPALA WELCOMES EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S DECISION TO OPEN DETAILED INVESTIGATION INTO UMG’S ACQUISITION OF DOWNTOWN, URGES FULL SCRUTINY AND BLOCKING OF DEAL
IMPALA, the European association of independent music companies representing over 6,000 independent music companies and associations, welcomes the European Commission’s decision to open a detailed investigation (phase two) into the proposed merger between Universal Music Group (UMG) and Downtown Music Holdings.
EU POLICYMAKERS URGED TO #StayTrueToTheAct TO UPHOLD THE PRINCIPLES OF TRANSPARENCY, CONSENT, AND PROTECTION OF CREATORS
Following on our previous statement, IMPALA calls on EU policy makers to #StayTrueToTheAct and uphold the principles of transparency, consent, and protection of creators, as illustrated in the video sharing ‘Sophia’s Story’.
INDEPENDENT MUSIC COMPANY CEOS AROUND THE WORLD CALL FOR END TO FURTHER ANTI-COMPETITIVE, CONSOLIDATION ATTEMPTS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
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.
LET CULTURE LEAD US FORWARD – EUROPEAN CULTURAL SECTOR UNITES TO CALL FOR A STRONGER CREATIVE EUROPE PROGRAMME
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).
“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.