In 2006, AIM (UK), AAIM – currently A2IM (USA), AIR (Australia) and IMPALA (Europe), came together with the objective of providing a single voice and structure to represent the indie community globally. Along with the other existing independent music trade associations at the time, they formed the initial WIN platform. We were formally incorporated in the UK in 2016 as the Worldwide Independent Network Limited, and today have 40 members from 47 territories around the world.
The first ever worldwide celebration of independent music was Independents Day, on the 4th of July, 2008. WIN’s first global event was a synchronized program of fundraising in the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Spain, raising awareness of the sector across the world.
First published in 2012 as the Global Independent Standard, the Global Independent Values were renewed in 2024 through an extensive and collaborative process with the independent community. It is a set of ten core principles representing the collective position of the global independent recorded music sector, which can be adopted and applied nationally and globally.
Since 2012, our Performance Rights Initiative has supported trade associations and their members in navigating the world of international performance rights management. Led by the Secretariat, it operates through the WIN Performance Rights Group, participation in DDEX and other stakeholder groups, and resources such as the MLC Directory and the ISRC Factsheet.
In 2013, 15 independent record label representatives formed the founding WIN Council. Today, the WIN Board consists of 21 members representing independent trade associations worldwide. Since 2024, to reflect the diversity of WIN’s membership, the board is made up of five blocs: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Australasia.
2000 independent labels worldwide signed the Fair Digital Deals Declaration in 2014, committing to treating the artists they work with fairly in agreements relating to the digital exploitation of their work. More than 10 years later, it continues to be relevant in conversations with policymakers, digital services, and other stakeholders.
After months of campaigning in 2014, WIN successfully persuaded YouTube to return to negotiations with Merlin, leading to a collective commercial deal. We secured a similar victory with Apple Music in 2015. Together with our members, in 2024 we mobilized in response to TikTok’s decision to walk away from licensing negotiations with Merlin. More recently, we opposed UMG’s acquisition of Downtown, supporting the unprecedented “100 Voices” campaign.
The first global gathering of independent music trade associations was held in Cannes (France). Branded WINCON in 2015, it is WIN’s annual conference where the leaders of associations representing more than 40 territories meet to drive the independent agenda forward, share knowledge and resources, and celebrate being part of a diverse, multilingual and multicultural community. WINCON has since been held in New York (USA), Lisbon (Portugal), Belgrade (Serbia), and Sofia (Bulgaria), where it celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2025.
The first WINTEL report, mapping the global market share of the independent sector at ownership rather than distribution level, was published in 2016. After subsequent editions in 2017 and 2018, and a WINTRENDS report in 2022, we continue to act as a central hub to collect data from and describe the economics of the independent music sector, including on Latin America’s digital value chain and challenges facing independents in Asia, Latin America and WANA.
The 2019 WIN Development Plan outlined our strategy to promote associative work in markets without an independent music trade association. This was followed by the Roadmap to Starting a Trade Association in 2022, offering practical guidance to independent music companies. These efforts have resulted in new trade associations in Paraguay (AMI-PY), Pakistan (PUMPA), and Colombia (ALDISCO) joining our network.
IFPI and WIN launched the Repertoire Data Exchange (RDx) in 2020 as the industry data portal for the supply and exchange of performance rights repertoire data between record companies and Music Licensing Companies, and an example of the benefits of implementing common technical standards. As of July 2026, data from 298 rightsholders is routinely sent to 14 leading collective management organizations in 21 territories.
Regional networks are collaborative platforms where independent music companies and trade associations can exchange knowledge, generate strategies, and design solutions that contribute to the development of the music sector in their own markets and across the region. WIN’s LATAM Network was officially launched in 2020, the APAC Alliance was established in 2021, and a West Asia and North Africa (WANA) working group was set up in 2025.
Collaboration with our members has been key to the success of initiatives such as the Latin American Independent Music Observatory (OLMI), launched in 2021, and the Latin American Independents Forum in 2022, with projects in the Southern Cone (FICS, 2022) and the Andean Community (FICA, 2023). In 2025, IMPALA and WIN joined forces through IMPALA’s network programme co-funded by the EU.
WINHUB is an international networking project connecting the independent recorded music community around the world via a combination of its online platform and real-world events. Since launching in 2022 with a boat party in Valdivia, Chile, WINHUB has connected over 1,800 professionals from 45 countries through 10 online events and 10 networking mixers in Bulgaria (2024), Chile (2022 and 2025), Colombia (2026), Mexico (2024), South Korea (2025), and the USA (2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026).
We act as a central forum that continuously monitors policy developments around the world. Essential to this is the WIN Public Policy Forum was created in 2023, bringing together policy experts from our member associations in various regions to share developments and address topics such as artificial intelligence, copyright, and competition.
The WIN Principles for Generative AI, published in 2024, establish five pillars to guide the independent music community’s engagement with artificial intelligence. The principles affirm that the training of generative AI models on music and related content is subject to copyright and call on developers and policymakers worldwide to work with the independent music community toward responsible AI development.
Launched in 2024, WIN Supporters is a program for businesses interested in championing and engaging with the global independent music community. Support from these partners enables us to continue our essential work. In turn, Supporters benefit from WIN’s resources and network, gaining insights into emerging markets, building new connections, and accessing opportunities to promote their services.
The WIN Streaming Group, established in 2024, elevates the local voices of our community on important digital issues, ensuring representation from all regions. Consisting of company executives and trade association representatives, the group monitors industry developments and local insights and plays a crucial role in collecting and analyzing data.
BRIDGE is a capacity-building and professional development project to address the digital gap and empower the independent music ecosystem in markets across Asia, Latin America, WANA, and Africa. Launched in 2025, it aims to foster collaboration, share best practices and resources, and build the skills needed for independents to thrive in the digital landscape. In its first year, BRIDGE involved 730 participants from 14 countries, in 11 activities and 19 resources.
20 years connecting and strengthening the global independent music community, and this is only the beginning! We will keep expanding our reach into new territories, new collaborations, new business models, and new tools for data and advocacy, so that the global independent community has a voice wherever decisions about its future are made.
