Music advocacy group Black Lives In Music aiming for enduring change following release of the government licensing report
News Article: Government's New Licensing Proposals Aim to Modernise Music Industry and Address Racial Inequality
The UK government has announced new licensing proposals that aim to modernise the music industry and address racial inequality. These proposals will directly impact the music business, as they seek to evolve the licensing system into one that is more equitable and inclusive [1].
The government's policy shift is based on the findings of the Race Equality in Music Events Licensing (REMEL) report, which is scheduled for publication later this year. The report highlights how existing licensing policies disproportionately impact Black and global majority communities, particularly in the live music and night-time economy sectors [1].
The REMEL report exposes systemic barriers such as racial profiling and over-policing that have historically excluded Black and underrepresented creatives, artists, promoters, and venue owners from fully participating and thriving in the music industry [1].
Dr Charisse Beaumont, CEO of Black Lives in Music and a contributor to the Licensing Sprint Taskforce, emphasized that the REMEL report's evidence was instrumental in shaping the government's newly announced licensing reforms [1]. Beaumont, who was part of the Licensing Sprint Taskforce, used statistics from BLIM's forthcoming REMEL report in her work for the taskforce [1].
The intended impact of these findings and subsequent reforms is to create fairer access and inclusive pathways in the music industry for artists, promoters, and venue operators from Black and global majority backgrounds [1]. This aims to dismantle the systemic barriers that impede their success, thereby fostering a more diverse and representative music culture that better reflects British society as a whole [1].
Charisse Beaumont welcomed the government's recognition that licensing needs to evolve and expressed gratitude to various contributors of their work [1]. Beaumont believes the policy shift could be the foundation for deeper and long-lasting change [1].
For more insights on this issue, you can listen to an interview with Charisse Beaumont and BLIM co-founder Roger Wilson, available at the provided link [2].
[1] Press release from the UK government, July 31, 2022 [2] Interview link available here
- The government's new licensing proposals, aimed at modernizing the music industry, may also inspire similar reforms in other sectors such as lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, travel, and cars, where systemic issues have been identified that disproportionately affect marginalized communities.
- Successful implementation of the licensing reforms in the music industry could serve as a model for these sectors, fostering a more equitable and inclusive environment for artists, promoters, and venue operators from diverse backgrounds in areas beyond music.
