The Global Research Hub Aims to Elevate
Music's Economic, Social, and Cultural Impact
NEW YORK,
July 17,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Organization for Recorded
Culture and Arts (ORCA) has officially launched, marking the
beginning of a groundbreaking think tank, a first for the global
music ecosystem, composed of leading independent music labels from
around the world. ORCA's mission is to develop and promote
research, data, and qualitative and quantitative evidence that
underscore the significant economic, social, and cultural value of
music.
ORCA's founding members include a diverse array
of the world's most influential independent music labels that
discovered and developed the long careers of Adele, Nirvana,
Christine and the Queens, The National, Mitski, ODESZA, among other
leading global music artists:
- Because Music (Paris,
France)
- Beggars Group (London,
UK)
- City Slang (Berlin,
Germany)
- Domino Recording Company (New York, NY)
- Everlasting Records (Madrid, Spain)
- Exceleration Music (Nashville, TN)
- Hopeless Records (Los
Angeles, CA)
- !K7 Music (Berlin,
Germany)
- Ninja Tune
Records (London,
UK)
- Partisan Records (New
York, NY)
- Playground Music (Stockholm, Sweden)
- Secret City Records (Montreal, Canada)
- Secretly Group (Bloomington, IN)
- Sub Pop (Seattle,
WA)
"This is a concept long in the making, arising
from a realization of shared values above and beyond our existing
collective independent activities," said Martin Mills, Founder and Chairman of Beggars
Group. "Music is an undervalued asset in the daily round, and we
seek to translate the motivations underlying its production into an
appreciation that art and commerce can live as one." -
Martin Mills, Founder and
Chairman, Beggars Group
"The music industry is constantly evolving, but
one thing remains vital: the need to invest in artist careers and
to support their work. We are excited that ORCA now exists to help
independents build up collective intelligence on how best to
sustain and protect cultural investments, so we can share their
economic benefits as broadly and as equitably as possible." -
Darius Van Arman, Co-CEO,
Secretly Group
Vision for a Thriving Music
Economy
ORCA is dedicated to investing in and fostering the
development of music as both culture and commerce. Music holds a
unique power to support all communities and the people who live in
them. By demonstrating the benefits, long-term value, and return on
investment for continuously supporting artists long-term while
developing thriving music ecosystems, ORCA aims to highlight
music's role in transforming economies and inspiring social
impact.
Recognizing the music economy and its potential
to create well-paid, creatively rewarding long-term jobs is
imperative. Careers and jobs are created for more than just artists
and producers and are made for the entire support system:
engineering, licensing, marketing, ticketing, venue staffing, and
beyond. Through workforce development, music can foster social
mobility, promote equity, and contribute to a forward-thinking
sector that offers opportunities to artists, businesses, and
communities worldwide.
Through its research, ORCA invites policymakers,
business leaders, and communities to understand deeply why music
matters and should be recognized as its own economic ecosystem. By
providing evidence-based research, the think tank aims to arm
stakeholders with tools to make music more inclusive and leverage
music ecosystems to build collective value.
Launch of First Report
As part of the
official launch, ORCA is proud to release its inaugural research
report, "Setting the Stage: How Music Works." This comprehensive
report, presented as both an interactive website and a standalone
PDF, provides an in-depth introduction to the music industry
specific for non-music policymakers and community leaders,
detailing the complexity of its stakeholders and activities, and
highlighting the extensive benefits it generates—ranging from
economic and cultural to community-based impacts. ORCA will release
a series of reports that will include research and data on the
immense benefits of the music ecosystem for local economies,
workforce development and job creation, and social issues spanning
equity, sustainability, and beyond.
"Independent labels play a crucial role in
fostering economic development and growth, not just within the
music industry but across a wide array of sectors. Their
investments and activities create jobs, support small businesses,
and drive local economies. By nurturing artists and investing in
diverse services and businesses, independent labels build vibrant
communities and sustainable economic ecosystems. The Organization
for Recorded Culture and Arts report underscores the vital
importance of supporting these independent entities for the
continued prosperity and diversity of the music industry." -
Nathan Ohle, President and CEO,
International Economic Development
Council (IEDC)
"As an organization that champions the
independent music sector and celebrates its successes, WIN welcomes
this much-needed report. By providing concrete case studies, this
new tool complements WIN's own initiatives to amplify the
collective position of the global independent recorded music
sector. This report will be particularly valuable in informing
policy and supporting the remarkable efforts of trade associations
around the world to promote the value of music." - NoemĂ Planas,
CEO, Worldwide Independent Network (WIN)
"At A2IM, our mission is to promote equity and
support the diverse voices within the independent music community.
As practitioners on the front lines of helping policymakers
understand a complicated ecosystem, we appreciate that the ORCA
report emphasizes the vital role of independent record labels and
their collective efforts to drive positive change." - Dr.
Richard James Burgess MBE, President and CEO, A2IM (American
Association of Independent Music)
For more information about ORCA and to access
"Setting the Stage: How Music Works," please visit
https://www.orcaformusic.com/.
About ORCA
The Organization for
Recorded Culture and Arts (ORCA) is a global think tank comprised
of international independent music labels dedicated to increasing
the economic, social, and cultural value of music. ORCA aims to
foster the development of music as both culture and commerce,
supporting artists, businesses, and communities worldwide.
ORCA is coordinated by the Center for Music
Ecosystems.
About the Center for Music Ecosystems
The nonprofit
Center for Music Ecosystems advances research, policy and global
thought leadership on how music best catalyzes economic, social,
and human development.
Media Contact:
Kate Laursen
2036105879
380473@email4pr.com
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SOURCE Organization for Recorded Culture and Arts