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Unesco patronage

Unesco Patronage

The fair music initiative as a contribution to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expression is hosted under the patronage of the Austrian Commission for UNESCO.

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Peter Rantasa: Starting the fair music Initiative

fair music - how to put an end to a history of unfairness in the music business

As a music fan, I have always been outraged by the historically unfair treatment of composers and musicians, as well as the limitations of artistic freedom due to a dominance of commercial interests all through music history.
What happened to many creators of music – think of cases like the famous song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” – should be impetus enough to strive for more fairness and justice in the music industry.

I think the time is favourable: The current and dramatic changes in the industry have completely rearranged the musical landscape. These changes in structures can be seen as steps towards modernisation. They also provide us with the opportunity to create awareness for fairness in the production and distribution of music. There is also the chance to cooperate with international organisations and music-related NGOs to establish widely accepted industry standards.

I invite you to participate in helping me launch the fair music initiative. The fair music weblog offers you the necessary information and opportunity to get involved.

Peter Rantasa founded the Viennese electronic festival “PhonoTAKTIK” and the Viennese electronic platform “Rhiz -Bar Modern.” Since 1999 he is the director of mica - music austria (curently on parental leave) and, since 2003, a member of the Board of Directors of UNESCO’s International Music Council (IMC).

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Ruth Jakobi: Working for Diversity and Fairness

Advocating for diversity and fair play in commercial music productions

The European Music Council, regional group of the International Music Council, stands for musical diversity, promotes musical rights and supports the fair music initiative.

The Importance of Musical Rights:

• the right for all children and adults to express themselves musically in full freedom;
• the right for all children and adults to learn musical languages and skills;
• the right for all children and adults to have access to musical involvement through participation, listening, creation, and information;
• the right for musical artists to develop their artistry and communicate through all media, with appropriate facilities at their disposal;
• the right for musical artists to obtain fair recognition and remuneration for their work.

Musical Diversity is the most important focus of all EMC actions, which naturally are influenced by more general issues in cultural policy as the “Communication on a European agenda for culture in a globalizing world”, published by the EU Commission on 10 May 2007, the “Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008” as well as the UNESCO “Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expression”.

In this context, the EMC advocates for diversity and fair play in commercial music productions and encourages decision making bodies at national and EU level to support SMEs (small and medium size enterprises) in music production via their industry programmes.

The “Fair Music” initiative of MICA (Music Information Centre Austria) is strongly supported by the EMC and its partners.

Ruth Jakobi is the secretary general of the European Music Council, a network of music organisations and national music councils in Europe. In this position, which she has since September 2003, she is responsible for several European cooperation projects and for advocacy activities towards cultural policy in Europe. In October 2006, Ruth Jakobi has been elected to the Board of the European Forum for the Arts and Heritage (EFAH).

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Franz Patay: Addressing a global Problem

fair music - For the emergence of a fair future music industry

Sadly, fairness in culture is not a given. Artists today are active in global markets, they are actors in a global culture in which variety is steadily being eroded.

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Wolfgang Seierl: For a Fair Music Life

A fair music life? Quite our cup of coffee!

Just as soon as the term fairness is applied to the harvesting and consumption of coffee, it is in danger of being appropriated and devalued by advertising and marketing departments. Therefore, it is high time to apply the concept of fairness to the music industry in order to formulate some new ideas.

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