A2IM, a.k.a. the American Association of Independent Music, has launched a new program to help support and grow smaller labels. Read about it straight from the source in the guest blog post below and click here to sign up. Thanks, A2IM!
First and foremost, let’s give a little overview about A2IM for those who may not know much about us. Here’s our deal: A2IM exists to help Independent music labels improve business by promoting access and parity through advocacy, education and connection-building with one another and associated businesses. We are a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade organization representing a diverse group of over 380 independently-owned American record labels. A2IM’s independent community includes music labels of all sizes and staffing levels across the United States, from Hawaii to Florida, representing musical genres as diverse as our membership.
Phew, okay… Now, let’s get a common misconception out of the way: “independent” doesn’t refer to a specific genre of music, nor does it mean lesser-known artists. For example, A2IM member labels have issued music releases by artists including Taylor Swift, Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, Adele, Paul McCartney, Arcade Fire, Run The Jewels, Bon Iver and many others. We are deeply committed to protecting the value of America’s independent musical community. As a trade organization, we are uniquely positioned to serve as the voice for our diverse community of independent labels operating within the United States. We represent the Independents’ interests in the marketplace, in the media, on Capitol Hill and as part of the global music community.
So now, where does the A2IM Supporters Program come in? Well, one of the best parts about being independent is that it encompasses a massive range of individuals, artists, teams, and so on. #TeamA2IM sat down together one day and realized that the independent community is vast and that we could do more to help those who don’t fall into our usual categories of “Label Member” and “Associate Member.” This is how the A2IM Supporters Program came about.
We wanted to make sure that those who don’t “qualify” for our typical membership tiers can still access significant discounts, be the first to hear about industry trends, and have the tools they need to grow their businesses. Becoming a Supporter costs just $100/year and we’ve already gathered support (i.e. amazing discounts) from SXSW, CMW and more to come!
Click here to join! Please note: to qualify to be an A2IM Supporter, your label’s gross revenue must be $100,000 or less a year. Learn more about A2IM on our website and let us know if the comments if you have any questions!
