The music company sends a message to clients after #BlackLivesMatter protests
In the wake of the death of George Floyd, BMG set out its commitment to fight racism and inequality. One week after ‘Blackout Tuesday’, the music company sent a message pop-up via their myBMG app to artists and songwriters with a pledge: “We need to play our part in addressing historical injustices inflicted on black people.”
The myBMG app was originally launched as a royalties portal, but it has increasingly evolved into a communication platform offering synch information and news about songwriting to their clients. In recent weeks, the app has been used twice to update clients on coronavirus related issues.
The ongoing protests in the U.S. (now extending all over the world) were a big moment for reflection and saw many of BMG team members thinking about the initiatives that should be taken.
“Mindful of the music industry’s record of shameful treatment of black artists, we have begun a review of all historic record contracts. While BMG only began operations in 2008, we have acquired many older catalogues” the message follows. “If there are any inequities or anomalies, we will create a plan to address them. Within 30 days.”
BMG also commits to guarantee more diversity within its workplace. The statement also reads: “In common with many music companies, at BMG the reality is that black people are not as well represented as they are in the populations in which we operate. We are not as diverse as we could be. Despite numerous initiatives over the years, we have not made sufficient progress. We pledge to do so and will produce a plan to do so. Within 30 days.”
The music company is not the first one to take action against racism: while Spotify, Amazon and Apple Music redesigned their playlists and programming for Blackout Tuesday, YouTube is launching a $100 million on its platform to support black creators.
