Today, Monday 26th April, the Scottish Commercial Music Industry Task Force (SCMIT) have written a letter to the Scottish Government calling on it to act immediately to prevent the collapse of the Scottish Music industry. SCMIT was established by commercial music businesses in April 2020 to respond to Covid-19 and includes all sub-sectors of the…

UK trade bodies including BPI, AIF and LIVE have made an urgent call for a government-backed Covid insurance scheme in order to save this year’s summer for live music. While the roadmap for the return of live opens up the prospect of summer festivals coming back in 2021, many operators are already pulling out this…

UK Music is calling on music industry leaders to ensure disabled people and people with long term health conditions can realise their dreams by removing potential barriers to job opportunities. The call comes as UK Music published new findings from its Workforce Diversity Survey that reveal one in five disabled people in the music industry…

Since April 2020, the SMIA has sat with the Scottish Commercial Music Industry Taskforce (SCMIT) – a lobbying group comprised of promoters, festivals, agents and artist managers – who have been leading voices in the implementation of both the Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers (HFCF) and the Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund (COVRF), and…

Edinburgh Festival Fringe is to go ahead this year. After being cancelled last year due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the festival has been given the green light to run between August 6 – 30 this year. Tickets are to be launched in early summer, with performers able to start registering as soon…

The Traditional Music Forum (TMF) and TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) have created Scotland Online: A Directory of Musicians, a resource promoting traditional musicians working and recording in Scotland. The new website supports Scottish performers by providing a directory profile, which signposts where their music is available to buy and listen to, whilst helping…

A live concert taking place next month will act as a pilot for the return of big events – and those who attend will not have to be socially distanced or wear face masks. Music lovers in Liverpool will get the chance to enjoy the event at the city’s Sefton Park on May 2. It…

New Music Scotland are pleased to announce that nominations for the fifth annual Scottish Awards for New Music are now open. The Scottish Awards for New Music celebrate Scotland’s creatively ambitious and vibrant contemporary music scene, showcasing some of the most innovative, experimental and ground-breaking work taking place in Scotland. The awards highlight the depth…

IMPALA, the European independent music companies association, is launching a sustainability programme to help make the European independent music sector more sustainable. The package consists of a climate charter for IMPALA, overall targets and voluntary tools for members. IMPALA’s ambition is to aim for a climate positive membership by 2030, with an interim net zero target…

Apple’s free 24-hour music video channel has launched in the UK, bringing a curated selection of songs reminiscent of how MTV originally worked. Like Apple Music radio, Apple Music TV features curated programming available all day. It is available free to US, UK and Canadian residents on the Apple Music app and Apple TV app.…

The PR campaign for 2020’s Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award has been Shortlisted for a Marketing Society Scotland Star Award. As part of the Communications Category, the Shortlist for Best PR campaign is as follows: In a year like no other, we worked with Material PR on the delivery of our most impactful…

Data published ahead of the BPI’s new All About the Music 2021 yearbook has revealed that music raised the nation’s spirits since the pandemic began. The new data shows the impact music had on the UK throughout the 2020 lockdowns, and particularly the increase in music listening across Britain to aid in wellness, motivation and…

Help Musicians has announced new plans to expand its existing Music Minds Matter service. The charity recently published the results of a study it conducted, which found that the combined impact of the coronavirus lockdown and fears over the Brexit deal’s insufficient support for touring musicians is taking an unprecedented toll on the mental health of musicians in the…

The Snuts enter straight in at Number 1 on this week’s Official Albums Chart with their debut album W.L. Clinching the top spot following a close tussle all week with Demi Lovato, The Snuts also become the first Scottish band in 14 years to enter at Number 1 on the UK’s Official Albums Chart with their debut album,…