Music business organisations

Music biz organisations

You don’t have to join these organisations, their web sites have a lot of useful information, and they might run music business seminars that are open to non-members (BASCA, MPG and MMF do). Some of them offer useful services for members (e.g. copyright storage, legal advice) and reduced prices. Others tend to respond to members questions only (notably MCPS and PRS) and many have useful information for members only.

Main UK professional music bodies

Initials and link UK music organisation name Members
AIM Association of Independent Music independent labels and distributors
APRS Association of Professional Recording Services audio recording professionals
BASCA British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors composers and songwriters
BPI British Phonographic Industry (British Recorded Music Industry Ltd.) bigger record labels (inc. Majors)
ERA Educational Recording Agency  
ERA Entertainment Retailers Association (ex-BARD) record / video retailers
FAC Featured Artists Coalition recording artists
HAIL Music from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland  
ISM Incorporated Society of Musicians professional musicians
JAMES Joint Audio Media Education Services audio recording professionals
MCPS Mechanical Copyright Protection Society publishers and writers
MCPS-PRS MCPS-PRS Alliance MCPS, PRS
MMF Music Managers Forum artist managers
MPA Music Publishers Association music publishers
MPA code of practice Music Publishers Association  
MPG Music Producers Guild music and audio production pros
MU Musicians’ Union pro, semi-pro and amateur musicians
OCC The official UK charts organisation BPI and ERA (ex-BARD)
PCAM Society for Producers and Composers of Applied Music  
PPL Phonographic Performance Limited record labels
PPL Performers’ money PPL black box (was Royalties Reunited)  
PRS Performing Right Society publishers and writers
PRS Foundation PRS independent music funding  
PRS Education PRS Centre for Education Management  
UK Music UK Music as BMR plus?
VPL Video Performance Limited record labels
WMF Welsh Music Foundation  

Other UK professional music bodies

Initials and link UK music organisation name Members
AACP Alliance Against Counterfeiting and Piracy ERA, BMR, CLA, etc.
AURA Association of United Recording Artists
(now merged with PPL)
artists and session musicians
BACS British Academy of Composers and Songwriters (now BASCA) composers and songwriters
BARD British Association of Record Dealers (now ERA) record retailers
BCC British Copyright Council  
BMF British Music Forum (see UK Music)  
BMR British Music Rights (now see UK Music) MPA, BASCA, MCPS, PRS
BVA British Video Association video publishers
CEFM Centre for Education & Finance Management (was CEDUMAN)  
CEG Creative Export Group exporters
CLA Copyright Licensing Agency (literary works) publishers
DACS Design and Artists Copyright Agency (visual arts) designers and artists
DCF Digital Content Forum  
Equity professional performers trade union professional performers
FACT Federation Against Copyright Theft media companies
IASPM International Association for the Study of Popular Music academics
JPO Joint Performers Organisation PPL, MU, MPG, Equity
MEC Music Education Council  
MEF Mobile Entertainment Forum  
MIA Music Industry Association suppliers and retailers
NMC National Music Council  
NFMS National Federation of Music Societies  
P@MRA Performing Artists’ Media Rights Association
(now merged with PPL)
session musicians
RAJAR Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd.  

EU music organisations

Initials and link Music organisation name
CELAS CELAS (jointly owned by PRS and GEMA, representing EMI publishing)
EMO European Music Office
GESAC European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers
ESCA European Composer and Songwriter Alliance
Impala independent record label group
Younison representing artists in Europe

USA music organisations

Initials and link Music organisation name
A2IM American Association of Independent Music (AAIM)
AFM American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada
AFTRA American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
CEA Consumer Electronics Association
FMC Future of Music Coalition
Grammy Grammy.com now incorporates the Recording Artists Coalition (RAC)
NARAS National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (see Grammy)
NMPA National Music Publishers’ Association
RIAA Recording Industry Association of America

World music organisations

Initials and link Music organisation name
CISAC International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers
IFPI International Federation of the Phonographic Industry
CDSA Content Delivery Association (was IRMA, International Recording Media Association)
Merlin independent record label rights broker (WIN partner)
WIN World Independent Network
WIPO World Intellectual Property Organisation

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