Mobility

Mobility is a vital component of competitiveness within the music industry that not only concerns the live music sector but also has a ripple effect throughout the industry’s value chain. Ending touring barriers and facilitating live shows is crucial for artists and independent music companies who were completely deprived of their performance income for more than two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The global independent community works to promote a framework that enhances cultural cooperation and cross-border exchange and calls for all governments to implement support measures for the live music sector with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and independent artists and venues.

For a summary of the topic, you can read “The Show Must Go On: How Touring Barriers Impact the Music Sector”, an article that was featured on the WIN Annual Report 2022-23.

Europe

In 2024, a call led by the European Music Managers Alliance (EMMA) urged the European Parliament to alleviate the financial burdens faced by touring musicians by overhauling and standardising the way in which “withholding tax” is applied by member states. The letter was counter-signed by IAO, IMPALA, FIM, EMEE, Live DMA, and Liveurope.

In 2023, IMPALA joined other European music organisations in calling for EU member states to launch a dialogue with the sector around the topic of mobility. You can read their letter titled A New European Vision For Touring, with a detailed annex on issues covered. Together with the IAO, in 2021 they proposed the creation of a GECAT Pass (for Geographical European Cultural Area Touring).

US Visas

In 2023, in response to the US Department of Homeland Security’s proposal to implement a significant raise in the cost of obtaining touring visas, WIN, A2IM, CIMA, IMPALA, and other organizations issued calls to oppose the increases. WIN also coordinated an international working group.

Amid pressure from local and international stakeholders, the final fee change approved in January 2024 establish exceptions that protect the most vulnerable and includes discounts on fees charged to artists working with American nonprofits and small businesses.

Other Resources

The One Voice for European Music initiative launched by the French National Centre for Music includes recommendations to improve support for cross-border mobility.

Music Moves Europe study A European music export strategy defines the background, the scope, and proposes a set of measures for a European music export strategy.