EU Seeking Proposals to Support Musicians in Europe

EU Seeking Proposals to Support Musicians in Europe

Up to €30k available for each proposal in new 'Music Moves Europe' project.

As part of a new initiative called ‘Music Moves Europe: Boosting European Music Diversity and Talent’, the EU has issued a call for four proposals and tenders across four separate areas: online and offline music distribution; the establishment of a European Music Observatory; a training scheme for young music professionals; and a European music export strategy.

Music Moves Europe developed out of concerns over both the payment of artists online and the lack of visibility of non-American and British music on major streaming platforms.

The introduction reads:

While music is being consumed more than ever, artists and producers claim that they do not receive fair remuneration for the online exploitation of their work. European content, especially from smaller countries, struggles for visibility on big streaming platforms compared to that of American and British artists.

The European Parliament has secured €1.5m ‘with the aim to test suitable actions for more targeted EU funding for music post-2020’.

In her talk at Midem last year, Martine Reicherts of the European Commission said ‘Music is back in Europe… at some stage in Europe we failed to touch the European citizen’s heart. We talk about economy, we talk about the euro, but do people really love Europe?… In a way I feel we have missed the point of the cultural aspect’. Reicherts points to a new emphasis on culture at the EU with music playing an important role. 

In May, the Commission proposed an increase of €390 million to the budget for supporting cultural and creative sectors, bringing the total to €1.85 billion for 2021–2027. The media sector will receive €1.081bn, €609 million will be allocated to culture including music, and €160m will be cross-sectoral, funding SMEs and cultural organisations.

The first call for proposals in ‘Music Moves Europe’ aims at supporting up to 10 online or offline distribution projects or start-ups to increase the circulation of European music and to address national fragmentation and language barriers.

The second call aims to support up to 10 training programmes for young professionals, to improve the music sector’s resilience and professionalisation.

The third is for a feasibility study for a European Music Observatory that would engage in ‘reliable and regular data collection on the music sector at European level’.

Finally, Music Moves Europe is seeking tenders for the development of a European Music Export Strategy to address the ‘fragmented, diverse and complex landscape’ in Europe and the challenge that ‘Non-English music repertoire from Europe struggles to cross European borders’.

The maximum grant will be €30,000 per proposal. The grant is limited to 90% of costs. The deadline for submitting applications is 10 September 2018 and decisions will be issued by November.

For further details, visit ec.europa.eu.

Published on 2 July 2018

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