The Independent Music Companies Association (IMPALA), originally the Independent Music Publishers and Labels Association, is a non-profit trade association established in 2000 to help European independent record labels represent their agenda and promote independent music. Its offices are in Brussels, Belgium. IMPALA is a member of the Worldwide Independent Network (WIN), a coalition of independent music bodies from countries throughout the world. In 2025, IMPALA started a new co-funded work programme as a European Union cultural network.
In 2008 an Action Plan for Music was launched[2] and in 2010 an Action Plan for Finance was published.[3]
In January 2015, IMPALA launched its Digital Action Plan, a ten-point plan calling for a new European industrial policy to drive the digital market through the cultural and creative sectors. The action plan calls on the EU to reinforce copyright, and other key measures, including promoting diversity in a measurable way and devising a new regulatory, competition, social and fiscal framework for smaller actors.[4]
To celebrate IMPALA's 15th anniversary, from September 2015 various initiatives took place across Europe under the "IMPALA 15" banner, such as the Reeperbahn Festival at Hamburg, Germany.[5]
In March 2016, IMPALA launched a monthly feature to put the spotlight on Europe's most inspiring young independent labels, known as the Young Label Spotlight.[citation needed] On 24 September 2018, Paul Pacifico, CEO of the UK's Association of Independent Music and Michel Lambot, co-founder and Co-President of the PIAS Group, co-represented IMPALA, the body representing European indie record labels, at the expert workshop organised by the Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels (BOZAR), the European Cultural Foundation and the British Council about Brexit and the cultural sector. The goal was "to reaffirm our shared intent and common values, and to produce practical recommendations from the cultural and creative sectors that go beyond those that have already been made", and a list of recommendations was afterwards published on the IMPALA website.[6][7]
As part of its role of representing independent music companies at EU level, IMPALA was involved in the discussions on the EU Copyright Directive, and is working on competition issues such as Sony's buyout of EMI in 2018, or the sale of Universal Music Group's shares.
In 2019 IMPALA acknowledged the climate emergency and committed to making the independent sector ecologically sustainable and regenerative, as well as using its voice to support Music Declares Emergency in Brussels.
In 2020, IMPALA established a COVID-19 Task Force and adopted a crisis plan, mapping tool and recovery package, as well as a set of second stage recommendations, helping culture to be recognised as one of Europe's fourteen priority sectors for recovery in the EU.[8]
In October 2020 IMPALA adopted a Diversity and Inclusion Charter, a set of commitments dedicated to the European independent sector.[9]
In November 2020, The organisation announced a year long series of podcasts, playlists and other projects to celebrate IMPALA's 20th birthday on a dedicated blog page.[10]
In March 2021, IMPALA launched IMPALA Campus, an EU-funded training programme for recorded music professionals and self-releasing artists taking place spring and summer 2021 in partnership with four leading music conferences across Europe.[11]
On 23 March 2021, IMPALA released a paper “It’s Time to Challenge the Flow: How to make the most of the real opportunities of streaming”[12] and a ten-point plan with recommendations to music services to reform streaming.[13]
The IMPALA sustainability task force developed a sustainability programme which was published in April 2021.[14] The programme includes European independent music sector carbon goals for 2026 (net zero) and 2030 (net positive), along with a 15-commitment climate charter,[15] voluntary tools, tips and guidance for members of the association.
In July 2021, IMPALA and IAO released[16] a proposal for a GECAT Pass (for Geographical European Cultural Area Touring), with the idea to get small and medium sized music tours back on the road quickly and efficiently. The approach involves creating a new cultural area with a single touring permit, instead of treating Europe as a number of distinct blocs and countries.[17]
In March 2022, IMPALA made a statement[18] on the war in Ukraine and has been encouraging support for the Ukrainian culture sector together with other European cultural associations.[19]
On 29 March 2022, IMPALA launched a new programme to boost diversity in the European independent music sector in partnership with YouTube called “100 Artists to Watch”. This new programme replaces IMPALA's annual European Independent Album of the Year Award, which had a great roll of 10 years.[20]
In April 2022, the association and Julie's Bicycle have launched the first bespoke carbon calculator for the independent music sector.[21][22] This was followed with the launch of IMPALA's Climate Training and Standards project IMPACTS.[23] This EU funded project aims to build new climate literacy capacity for independent music companies across Europe to help them lower their carbon footprint.
In May 2022, during EU diversity month, IMPALA launched the Changemaker Award[24] as part of its equity, diversity and inclusion work, the award aims to put the spotlight on projects that promote change in the independent sector and inspire others to take action. The first recipient of this new award is the POWER UP initiative,[25] which supports Black music creators and industry professionals and executives, as well as addressing anti-Black racism and racial disparities in the music sector. Later in May, IMPALA released a report on the first diversity and inclusion survey of the independent sector, “Towards a more diverse and inclusive independent music sector”[26] to close its programme for European Diversity Month.
In April 2023, IMPALA released its climate standards report[27] which establishes a framework to start looking at how sector-wide benchmarks and standards might be developed. This was developed by IMPALA's own Climate Analysis Group with input and approval provided by climate experts represented by Thema1 and Julie’s Bicycle.
Following a month-long review process launched on the second anniversary of IMPALA’s ten-point streaming plan, the independent sector issued a new call to action in April 2023.[28] Building on IMPALA’s initial recommendations to make streaming fairer and provide a dynamic, compelling, and responsible future for creators and fans, IMPALA’s new call was based on three key themes:[29]
Getting more money into the market and making sure there is no dilution of revenues.
Changing how revenue is shared.
Boosting diversity, transparency and climate action.
In May 2023, For the second edition of its Changemaker award, IMPALA honoured the UK not-for-profit organisation Women in CTRL, for their work developing and supporting music creators and music professionals from under-represented groups.[30]
In June 2023, IMPALA released its first membership Carbon Calculator report footprinting independent labels and examining initial trends amongst users.[31]
In July 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 as a vital component of competitiveness within the sector, taking into account the consequences of the pandemic and the cost of living increase.[32]
In September 2023, at the Vienna WAVES Festival and Conference, IMPALA elected a new board for a term of two years and reviewed the priorities of the association in the coming year. These include AI opportunities, streaming reform, fiscal support, growing the network in Central Eastern Europe and boosting sustainability and inclusion work.[33]
Continuing its work on streaming reform, IMPALA raised concerns about the impact of a possible two-tier system involving the allocation of revenues, following proposals for reform by various streaming services.[34]
At the end of 2023, while EU policymakers sought to reach a final agreement on the AI Act, the EU’s landmark proposal to regulate AI. IMPALA called on the EU institutions to support effective transparency and record keeping obligations on AI models.[35] After a provisional agreement was found the week after,[36] IMPALA praised the endorsement by EU member states,[37] and subsequently the European Parliament[38] in early 2024.
In April 2024, IMPALA called for an end to the "value gap" for Tiktok and other moment economy platforms and warned of the "unintended consequences" of proposed streaming reforms across digital service providers.[39]
Ahead of the 2024 European Parliament Election, IMPALA joined artists and labels across Europe to call on the European Commission to come forward with a clear proposal to address the consequences of the EU “RAAP” case regarding terrestrial broadcast and public performance rights.[40]
In April 2024, IMPALA joined the Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) in their renewed set of values as part of its ongoing work to promote the collective position of the sector in today’s evolving music landscape.[41]
In May 2024, IMPALA joined WIN's call for a joined-up approach on GenAI around key principles promoting safety, transparency, respect for copyright, a human-centered approach, ethics, and cross border consistency.[42]
At the end of European Diversity Month in May 2024, IMPALA announced Black & Irish as the third winner of the Changemaker Award 2024. Black & Irish were recognised for their advocacy for the black community in Ireland, fostering connections within Irish society and championing anti-racist ethos.[43]
Following Indie Week in New York, IMPALA and A2IM partnering with Julie’s Bicycle launched a pilot project in June 2024 to develop the internationalisation of IMPALA’s Carbon Calculator in the US.[44] IMPALA released its first qualitative survey in the independent music sector of the business case for taking sustainability action[45] the following month.
IMPALA welcomed the Belgian court decision to refer performer remuneration questions to the higher EU court.[46]
After raising value gap concerns earlier that year,[47] IMPALA opposed TikTok’s attempt to boycott Merlin, flagging the importance of collective deals for diversity and consumer choice.[48]
In autumn 2024, IMPALA received funding from strategic climate investment charity Murmur, to support its Carbon Calculator powered by Julie’s Bicycle and supported by Merlin.[49]
In December 2024, IMPALA asked regulators to block UMG’s move to buy Downtown[50] following the acquisition of PIAS Group[51] earlier in October.
Members
As of 2024[update], IMPALA has nearly 6000 members, including national associations as well independent music companies as direct members. The Board is elected by its members.[52][53]
IMPALA has four awards schemes: the 100 Artists to Watch Award, the Outstanding Contribution Award, the Changemaker Award and the IMPALA Sales Awards.[54]
Related Research Articles
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's investment bank and is owned by the 27 member states. It is the largest multilateral financial institution in the world. The EIB finances and invests both through equity and debt solutions companies and projects that achieve the policy aims of the European Union through loans, equity and guarantees.
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 1933 by Francesco Braga. It operates a secretariat based in London, with regional offices in Brussels, Hong Kong, Miami, Abu Dhabi, Singapore and Nairobi.
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory.
The Association of Independent Music (AIM) is a non-profit trade body established in 1999 by UK independent record labels to represent the independent record sector, which in 2016 constituted approximately 23% of the UK market. Its members include record labels, self-releasing artists and distributors.
The Carbon Trust is a United Kingdom-based consultancy established in March 2001. Its aim is to accelerate the pace of private sector decarbonisation and increase energy efficiency in the United Kingdom and worldwide.
The European Union Emissions Trading System is a carbon emission trading scheme that began in 2005 and is intended to lower greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. Cap and trade schemes limit emissions of specified pollutants over an area and allow companies to trade emissions rights within that area. The ETS covers around 45% of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions.
The energy policy of the European Union focuses on energy security, sustainability, and integrating the energy markets of member states. An increasingly important part of it is climate policy. A key energy policy adopted in 2009 is the 20/20/20 objectives, binding for all EU Member States. The target involved increasing the share of renewable energy in its final energy use to 20%, reduce greenhouse gases by 20% and increase energy efficiency by 20%. After this target was met, new targets for 2030 were set at a 55% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as part of the European Green Deal. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU's energy policy turned more towards energy security in their REPowerEU policy package, which boosts both renewable deployment and fossil fuel infrastructure for alternative suppliers.
Carbon emission trading (also called carbon market, emission trading scheme (ETS) or cap and trade) is a type of emissions trading scheme designed for carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs). A form of carbon pricing, its purpose is to limit climate change by creating a market with limited allowances for emissions. Carbon emissions trading is a common method that countries use to attempt to meet their pledges under the Paris Agreement, with schemes operational in China, the European Union, and other countries.
Eurelectric is the sector association which represents the common interests of the electricity industry at a European level, plus its affiliates and associates on several other continents. Together these organisations employ 970,000 people in the European Union and have a turnover of €627 billion. Formally established in 1989, Eurelectric covers all major issues affecting the sector, from generation and markets to distribution networks and customer issues.
Merlin is a digital rights music licensing partner for independent record labels, distributors, and other music rights holders around the world. It was founded in 2007 with Charles Caldas as the chief executive. In January 2020, Jeremy Sirota stepped into the role of Merlin CEO. The company is a member-based organization representing the digital licensing rights for hundreds of independent labels and distributors in nearly every country around the globe. As of 2019, Merlin has paid out over two billion dollars.
Climate change is impacting the environment and human population of the United Kingdom (UK). The country's climate is becoming warmer, with drier summers and wetter winters. The frequency and intensity of storms, floods, droughts and heatwaves is increasing, and sea level rise is impacting coastal areas. The UK is also a contributor to climate change, having emitted more greenhouse gas per person than the world average. Climate change is having economic impacts on the UK and presents risks to human health and ecosystems.
Energy in Sweden is characterized by relatively high per capita production and consumption, and a reliance on imports for fossil fuel supplies.
Climate change has resulted in an increase in temperature of 2.3 °C (4.14 °F) (2022) in Europe compared to pre-industrial levels. Europe is the fastest warming continent in the world. Europe's climate is getting warmer due to anthropogenic activity. According to international climate experts, global temperature rise should not exceed 2 °C to prevent the most dangerous consequences of climate change; without reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, this could happen before 2050. Climate change has implications for all regions of Europe, with the extent and nature of impacts varying across the continent.
Climate finance is an umbrella term for financial resources such as loans, grants, or domestic budget allocations for climate change mitigation, adaptation or resiliency. Finance can come from private and public sources. It can be channeled by various intermediaries such as multilateral development banks or other development agencies. Those agencies are particularly important for the transfer of public resources from developed to developing countries in light of UN Climate Convention obligations that developed countries have.
Creative Europe is a funding programme established by the European Union to support the cultural, creative, and audiovisual sectors across Europe. The main objectives of the programme are:
Coal, cars and lorries vent more than a third of Turkey's five hundred million tonnes of annual greenhouse gas emissions. They are mostly carbon dioxide and part of the cause of climate change in Turkey. A quarter of the emissions are from electricity generation.
The European Green Deal, approved in 2020, is a set of policy initiatives by the European Commission with the overarching aim of making the European Union (EU) climate neutral in 2050. The plan is to review each existing law on its climate merits, and also introduce new legislation on the circular economy (CE), building renovation, biodiversity, farming and innovation.
ProVeg International is a non-governmental organisation that works in the field of food system change and has ten offices globally. The organisation's stated mission is to reduce the consumption of animal products by 50% by 2040, to be replaced by plant-based or cultured alternatives. Instead of increasing the share of vegetarians and vegans, ProVeg's focus is on reducing animal product consumption in the general population.
Sustainable finance is the set of practices, standards, norms, regulations and products that pursue financial returns alongside environmental and/or social objectives. It is sometimes used interchangeably with Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) investing. However, many distinguish between ESG integration for better risk-adjusted returns and a broader field of sustainable finance that also includes impact investing, social finance and ethical investing.
Music Declares Emergency (MDE) is an environmental pressure group with no commercial or political affiliations whose purpose is to create a vehicle for musicians and the music industry to bring their influence to bear on climate breakdown mitigation.
References
↑ "What we do". IMPALA. 24 March 2020. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
