History of the Fair Music Standards
Started as a local initiative of mica - music austria in the Mozart Year 2006, fair music has evolved into an international project, funded by the EU. Since the summer of 2009, NGOs from the music and culture sector have been developing standards for the certification of fair produced and marketed music, to reinforce musicians and the music business all over the world with this image campaign.
2006: Start of the fair music project
Fair music was launched as a local initiative by mica-music austria.
Sept 2009: First draft of the fair music Standards for Recorded Music
The first draft of the fair music Standards for Recorded Music was set up at an internal meeting by the project team (mica – music austria) and a lawyer specialised on the music business.
Oct 2009: Conference at the 3rd World Music Forum in Tunis
First stakeholder consultation as part of the standard setting process: fair music project partner Wouter Tourkenburg from IAJS (International Association of Schools of Jazz) presented the Standards in their erstwhile form and discussed the agenda with peers from other music organisations.
Results: Adoption of the draft version of the Standards for Recorded Music and processed into the first collectively agreed version.
Jan 2010: Meeting of IAMIC (International Association of Music Information Centres) in Nizza
Presentation of the fair music project at the winter conference of the International Association of Music Information Centres.
March 2010: Launch of the Fair Music Homepage and Publication of Standards
First version of the Standards for Recorded Music published on the new fair music website, which has ever since served as an information platform for stakeholders and interest parties.
May 2010: Fair music conference in Vienna
Discussions about the current boom of Austrian pop music and its general economic conditions, aesthetic dimensions, economic potential and the risks of a rapidly changing industry, especially for small and medium-sized labels.
Jun 2010: IAMIC Annual Meeting in Dublin
Presentation of the fair music project and the planned online surveys by Sabine Reiter, CEO of mica-music autsria.
Autumn 2010: First fair music Newsletter and Invitation to Participation
The first fair music newsletter was sent in order to inform all relevant stakeholder and special interest groups. The regularly sent newsletters report about project activities, achievements of the initiative and invitations to standard conferences.
Popkomm and WOMEX
Rainer Praschak and Alexander Hirschenhauser travelled as fair music ambassadors to Berlin and Copenhagen and met with about 100 label managers from Europe and other countries.
Jan 2011: Eurosonic
About 50 people visited the panel presentation and discussion "fair music - a new trend in music marketing" on Friday, the 12th of January, 2011. The speakers Shamal Ranasinghe (Topspin Media/UK), Hannes Tschuertz (Ink Music/AT) and Wouter Turkenburg (IASJ/NL) each gave their view on fair music and discussed in which terms the initiative could develop and be successful.
Midem
Presentation of the fair music idea at the traditional WIN (Worldwide Independent Music Industry Network) board meeting during MIDEM music convention in Cannes/France. National trade organisations were invited to spread the fair music idea and labels were accumulated as evaluation partners for the fair music standards.
Online survey on: Standards for Recorded Music
A questionnaire for the standards for recorded music was created and presented on the fair music homepage.
Feb 2011: Focus group on Standards for Recorded Music
Together with 15 members of the VTMÖ (Austrian Association of Independent Labels), mica – music austria examined the standards for recorded music.
Outcome: Economic aspects led to negotiations about the fair music certification: the limitation of costs for labels resulted in the second version of the standards for recorded music.
March 2011: Completion of the first version of Standards for Online Music Services
Several representatives from VTMÖ, VUT (German Association of Independent Labels) and mica – music austria set up the first version of standards for online music services at a conference in Berlin.
Completion of the first version of Standards for Live Performance
Together with a lawyer, the project team (mica – music austria) set up the first version of standards for live performance in order to discuss the outcomes in Frankfurt.
April 2011: Musikmesse Frankfurt
At the Frankfurt Music Fair, musicians, label owners, event organisers, operators of online music services, and special interest groups met to revise the drafts of fair contractual standards with a reality check, in order to finally apply and establish these standards. Subjects covered were contractual standards for music recordings, live performances and online music services.
Outcomes concerning standards for:
▪ Recorded Music: the standards for recorded music passed the reality check in Frankfurt. Conference participants were able to finally agree on the most important and controversial clauses of the contractual standards and agreed on the third version.
▪ Online Music Services & Live Performances: Discussion about the necessary changes of the first versions in order to develop subsequent versions in the future.
