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Scott Michael Smith

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:NEXT With Scott Michael Smith: The Innovative Producer/Mixer On Taking Risks, Steve Reich & More

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The L.A.-based producer/mixer talks about his journey from runner at the Village Studios to working on major albums, shows and films on :NEXT, the Recording Academy's new digital series on the future of the music industry
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Nov 4, 2019 - 11:57 am

You might not know his name, but he's behind some of your favorite records, TV shows and movies. Los Angeles-based producer/mixer Scott Michael Smith has turned his passion and talent for music into a booming studio career—but he hasn't done it alone. As part of GRAMMYNext, Smith's circle is full of both support and inspiration from the industry around him.

Producer/Mixer Scott Michael Smith Is :NEXT

Music grabbed Smith early in life. His parents raised him on a healthy dose of Beach Boys and the Beatles. Smith's career ascent began at the world-famous Village Studios in Los Angeles, where he started as a runner and worked his way through the ranks to become a staff engineer. 

Today, Smith's work can be heard all over. He is currently wrapping up work on Season 3 of "The Handmaid's Tale" and IT Chapter Two. His past credits include films such as The Revenant, Transformers: Age Of Extinction and music by John Mayer, Nelly, Carole King and many more. His versatility across medium and genre speaks to his appetite for innovation in the studio, an approach that has made him fearless and allowed him to turn mistakes into knowledge.

"I really like working with people that take risks and try to do something that's going to last, and something original," Smith said. "It's cliché, but this idea that you learn from your mistakes is absolutely true, especially in an industry as hard as ours. If you learn from it, you can bounce back from it, so I'm thankful for each [mistake] I've made."

Inspiration comes to Smith from so many sources, especially when bouncing from project to project, but he names Steve Reich's 1978 minimalist masterpiece Reich: Music For 18 Musicians, which won for Best Small Ensemble Performance (With or Without Conductor) at the 41st GRAMMY Awards, as a latest favorite over the past couple years.

"It's just kind of blowing my mind a little bit and shown me how you can make an album with super-high production value, but just do it with orchestral musicians, no tricks, nothing, just the way it's written and arranged," Smith said of the album. 

At this exciting time in his career, Smith credits the Recording Academy for building up his network and Village CEO Jeff Greenberg from initially recommending GRAMMY :NEXT to him.

"The best part about being a GRAMMYNexter has been the camaraderie and meeting the other people in the program," Smith said. "We all do different things. We're all in the same industry, but we come at it from different angles and that melting pot is really a nice thing to be a part of."

Smith's mentor is Mike Todd, AVP of Film/TV Music, who he credits with encouraging him to be social and build connections. "Mike's been amazing as far as giving me a perspective on our industry from a different angle, from a more writing-oriented side, from a business side, whereas, for me, I'd just be stuck in a studio," he said. "So he's been really great and introduced me to a lot of people, and we're still very close friends."

For more GRAMMY :NEXT, check out the premier episode with Alex Ritchie and stay tuned for more right here on GRAMMY.com. 

:NEXT With Alex Ritchie: The Musical Triple Threat On Her New EP, Drawing Inspiration From Imagine Dragons & More

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Hero The Band perform at the Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter Annual Membership Celebration
Photo: Marcus Ingram/WireImage

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Report: Music & Culture Infrastructure Can Create Better "Future Cities"

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How sound planning for a creative future in our urban areas makes all the difference for artists and musicians
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Oct 23, 2019 - 2:27 pm

The future, as they say, is now. And for music makers around the world, building a future for themselves often starts at home, in their local creative community and in the city where they live. While technology has expanded communication and made the world smaller, cities continue to grow, making planning for the future a critical cultural mission of the present.

To that end, a new report by global organization Sound Diplomacy titled "This Must Be The Place" examines, "The role of music and cultural infrastructure in creating better future cities for all of us." The 37-page deep dive into community planning and development highlights the importance of creative culture in what it calls "Future Cities."

"The government defines ‘Future Cities’ as 'a term used to imagine what cities themselves will be like," the report states, "how they will operate, what systems will orchestrate them and how they will relate to their stakeholders (citizens, governments, businesses, investors, and others),'"

According to the report, only three global cities or states currently have cultural infrastructure plans: London, Amsterdam and New South Wales. This fact may be surprising considering how city planning and sustainability have become part of the discussion on development of urban areas, where the UN estimates 68 percent of people will live by 2050.

"Our future places must look at music and culture ecologically. Much like the way a building is an ecosystem, so is a community of creators, makers, consumers and disseminators," the report says. "The manner in which we understand how to maintain a building is not translated to protecting, preserving and promoting music and culture in communities."

The comparison and interaction between the intangibility of culture and the presence of physical space is an ongoing theme throughout the report. For instance, one section of the report outlines how buildings can and should be designed to fit the cultural needs of the neighborhoods they populate, as too often, use of a commercial space is considered during the leasing process, not the construction process, leading to costly renovations.

"All future cities are creative cities. All future cities are music cities."

On the residential side, as cities grow denser, the need increases for thoughtful acoustic design and sufficient sound isolation. Future cities can and should be places where people congregate

"If we don’t design and build our future cities to facilitate and welcome music and experience, we lose what makes them worth living in."

For musicians and artists of all mediums, the answer to making—and keeping—their cities worth living in boils down to considering their needs, impact and value more carefully and sooner in the planning process.

"The report argues that property is no longer an asset business, but one built on facilitating platforms for congregation, community and cohesion," it says. "By using music and culture at the beginning of the development process and incorporating it across the value chain from bid to design, meanwhile to construction, activation to commercialisation, this thinking and practice will result in better places."

The report offers examples of how planners and leaders are handling this from around the world. For instance, the Mayor Of London Night Czar, who helps ensure safety and nighttime infrastructure for venues toward the Mayor's Vision for London as a 24-hour city. Stateside, Pittsburgh, Penn., also has a Night Mayor in place to support and inform the growth of its creative class.

Diversity, inclusion, health and well-being also factor into the reports comprehensive look at how music and culture are every bit as important as conventional business, ergonomic and environmental considerations in Future Cites. Using the Queensland Chamber of Arts and Culture as a reference, it declared, "A Chamber of Culture is as important as a Chamber of Commerce."

In the end, the report serves as a beacon of light for governments, organizations, businesses and individuals involved in planning and developing future cities. Its core principals lay out guideposts for building friendly places to music and culture and are backed with case studies and recommendations. But perhaps the key to this progress is in changing how we approach the use of space itself, as the answer to supporting music may be found in how we look at the spaces we inhabit.

"To develop better cities, towns and places, we must alter the way we think about development, and place music and culture alongside design, viability, construction and customer experience," it says. "Buildings must be treated as platforms, not assets. We must explore mixed‑use within mixed‑use, so a floor of a building, or a lesser‑value ground floor unit can have multiple solutions for multiple communities."

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Be Like Björk: Iceland Unveils New 'Record In Iceland' Initiative

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Behind The Record

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Behind The Record Returns To #GiveCredit To The Behind-The-Scenes Music Creators

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The Recording Academy's global social media initiative to celebrate the music makers behind the records you love is back to give credit where credit is due
GRAMMYs
Oct 14, 2020 - 10:11 am

On Oct. 15, join the Recording Academy for Behind The Record, a global social media initiative celebrating the producers, mixers, engineers, songwriters, composers and all the creators across all music genres who work tirelessly to make the songs and albums you love. This year's launch is marked by a new animated film narrated by spoken word artist and Recording Academy Chicago Chapter President J. Ivy highlighting 33 album titles to help tell the story about everyone who works Behind the Record.

Behind the Record’s mission is to inspire a conversation around the importance of credits, while giving credit where credit is due, especially during a time when the music community needs it the most.

Launched in 2019, Behind the Record returns this year to honor the work of all music creators by highlighting their contributions through album credits. Last year’s campaign featured more than 3,000 credit covers created and shared by artists, reaching hundreds of millions of fans around the world.

To participate, artists can create a custom Credit Cover to post on Instagram and other social networks, using the hashtags #BehindTheRecord and #GiveCredit, on Oct. 15 where they can tag all the creators who worked on their record and invite other artists to do the same. The Credit Covers, which can be created for a single track or a full album, will live in a gallery on the Behind the Record website where music fans can view and discover the roles of creatives behind some of their favorite records.

New for this year, artists participating in Behind the Record can sign the #GiveCredit petition, an official artist petition urging all digital music streaming services to display complete credits for songwriters, producers, engineers and non-featured performers on albums and tracks, the same way lyrics are available to those seeking them. Sadly, liner notes were largely left behind in the evolution of digital streaming. As a result, artists haven’t had a platform to publicly recognize the incredibly talented musicians and creators behind the music we love. By signing this petition, we hope to change that for future music-makers.

Behind the Record is supported by the Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing®. Jaxsta, the world's largest public-facing, dedicated database of official music credits, provided credits for Warner Music, Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Merlin releases.

Look for your favorite artists' Credit Covers on Oct. 15, and be sure to follow and join the global conversation on social media using the hashtags #BehindTheRecord #GiveCredit and #WeAreMusic. Together, we can ensure that all creators are recognized for their work and contributions Behind the Record.

Learn More About The Recording Academy's Behind The Record

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Gold-Diggers in Los Angeles

Photo by Farah Sosa

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Capturing Los Angeles' COVID-Closed Venues

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With clubs closed until at least next year, photographer Farah Sosa spends her nights documenting L.A.'s shuttered venues—many of which may not reopen without federal support
Jessica Lipsky
Farah Sosa
GRAMMYs
Aug 5, 2020 - 1:33 pm

There has been shockingly little pit hospitality for the entertainment industry during the coronavirus pandemic. As live music venues around the country — D.I.Y., independent, corporate and mid-sized holdings – settle into the fifth month of closures, many are waiting with baited breath for the passage of federal funding packages that could be the difference between life or death for American music.

Over the past several weeks, Congress has introduced bills that would alleviate some financial burden for small businesses such as music venues, recording studios and self-employed creators. The bipartistan RESTART Act would establish a loan program for, and offer loan forgiveness to, music creators through the rest of 2020. On July 22, the Senate introduced the $10 billion Save Our Stages Act — a Small Business Administration grant program that would provide six months of support for independent live music venues, which could use funds to pay for capital expenses associated with social distancing, COVID-incurred costs, as well as regular operation.

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The Regent Theater in Downtown L.A. was originally a cinema built in 1914.
Photo by Farah Sosa

The proposed legislation is the result of months-long lobbying efforts from industry advocates like The Recording Academy and the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), as well as musicians themselves, but must be voted into law before Congress goes into August recess. According to a press release from Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who co-introduced the Save Our Stages act, independent venues expect to lose $9 billion before 2021. In a letter to Congressional leadership, NIVA noted that the majority of its 800-plus members are in dire straits: "With zero revenue and the overwhelming overhead of rent, mortgage, utilities, taxes and insurance, 90% of independent venues report that if the shutdown lasts six months and there’s no federal assistance, they will never reopen again."

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Many iconic musicians — including Elton John and Joni Mitchell — got their start at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. "The last show I saw there was Café Tacuba and they were outstanding!" Sosa said.
Photo by Farah Sosa

In Southern California – the epicenter of pop music and an important incubator for up-and-coming artists as well as those in sprawling underground scenes — venues have been shut down since March and will be among the last businesses to reopen. Los Angeles is now a tableau of shuttered venues and hopeful marquees encouraging people to hang in – though no one knows for how long. Industry analysts are looking toward spring 2021 for the return of live music, though Lollapalooza co-founder Marc Geiger recently said he didn’t expect concerts or festivals to return until 2022. In the meantime, Los Angeles nightlife photographer Farah Sosa – who also co-founded popular global bass crew Subsuelo – has been documenting this hopefully temporary absence of industry.

"I am predominantly a music photographer and when the pandemic started, of course all the venues shut down. And as much as I wanted to try to document COVID moments, it just seemed unsafe," Sosa said. “Instead of shooting people with masks, I thought that I would start documenting things that mattered to me the most — the places where all the magic happened. I started looking for venues where I had documented music before. We do not know if these venues are going to survive, so I wanted to make sure that the history remained somewhere." Since May, Sosa has documented approximately 40 venues around Los Angeles, working on dark, empty and often eerie streets.

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The AEG-owned El Rey Theatre in L.A.'s Miracle Mile was the first Farah Sosa shot. "It was very shocking. Everything was dark — never in my life of living in Los Angeles had I seen that before."
Photo by Farah Sosa

Carl Lofgren owns three venues in L.A. – bar/nightclub La Cita, recording studio-hotel-bar Gold-Diggers and the nightclub El Dorado – all of which closed and furloughed employees. "We've shut everything down; we've minimized all of our expenses as best as we can. It's just a matter of us trying to make what little money we have stretch through until we can reopen," Lofgren said, adding that he is fortunate to own the buildings housing two of his businesses. "We felt that our needs and our businesses were pretty much being ignored [by the government]. When the protocols came out about how to reopen, they kind of just lumped us in with restaurants. So it's really difficult for us to get enthusiastic about reopening; we really need [legislators] to step it up, do what they do for other businesses and really come to our aid. I mean, look how much money they're willing to pump into the airline industry or the oil and gas industry."

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Gold-Diggers on Santa Monica Boulevard was previously a bikini bar before being reincarnated in 2018.
Photo by Farah Sosa

Even with federal funding from RESTART and Save Our Stages legislation, it’s possible that the reality Sosa’s photos depict will stick around for the time being. Brett Powell, who co-owns 1720 LA, a 3-year-old all-ages venue in Los Angeles’ warehouse district, wishes independent venues had received money earlier. "Now we're crossing our fingers and hoping that in the next few weeks we hear good news. But if we are just a percentage of venues that are still clinging on to hope, there are many that have lost hope."

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1720 LA was financially healthy prior to COVID — which may make the all-ages venue one of the lucky post-pandemic survivors.
Photo by Farah Sosa

Independent venues – even those that own their buildings or have sympathetic landlords – have exceedingly high overhead and thin profit margins. Sources for this article said they had received no relief for the cost of city permits, insurance or high taxes. Yet the venue itself is just the tip of the iceberg; the network of businesses contracted through venues – from security companies to backline, food vendors and liquor distributors – as well as surrounding businesses that depend on pre- and post-show crowds have all suffered. "For every person you see on a stage, there's like 100 people behind them supporting," said Matthew Himes, director of programming and production for Levitt Los Angeles, a nonprofit that hosts 50 free and sonically diverse concerts in MacArthur Park throughout the summer.

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"Levitt Pavilion is one of my favorite outdoor venues. They really worked hard to bring quality music to MacArthur Park, which was historically not known for being the best place to hang out," Sosa said. "Because of the music, it became a special place for the community."
Photo by Farah Sosa

Levitt relies on sponsorship and federal, state and local grants to fund its programming, though much of that has dried up as budgets shrink or are redirected to COVID safety. "The PPP loan was just a Band-Aid. We understand that this is gonna be at least another year for venues. A whole year is a long time to be able to fund every single person to at least pay their bills. People are getting other jobs, but L.A. has a 20 percent unemployment rate — I can't even get a job at Home Depot right now,” said Himes, who would normally be working six or seven days a week on Levitt programming.

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The intimate Mint on W. Pico Boulevard has been in business since the late 1930s and for decades was a renowned blues venue.
Photo by Farah Sosa

Owners and promoters such as Live Nation, Goldenvoice and AEG are also suffering without revenue from festivals like Coachella and midsized spaces like The Wiltern and The Palladium – though those corporations are more likely to have the financial means to survive COVID closures. Goldenvoice and AEG declined to comment, though several people interviewed for this article expressed concern that corporations' smaller venues will suffer the most in the wake of COVID.

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The Bootleg Theater in Filipinotown is an inclusive art space that hosts independent bands, theater, spoken-word and dance events.
Photo by Farah Sosa

"I don’t have anything against Live Nation or AEG, but I just don't think that them having a monopoly on music or the arts is going to be conducive. We need diversity; there needs to be some sort of competition amongst the arts," Himes said, adding that independent venues are where the majority of artists cut their teeth. "The whole L.A. jazz scene, like Kamasi Washington and Thundercat, 10 years ago they were at some bar in College Park in front of like, 20 to 40 people. There’s a progression that needs to happen for musicians to be able to get their name out there, and that requires all the people behind the scenes that elevate and curate that experience."

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The Echo and nearby Echoplex are run by Spaceland Presents, which hosts punk shows, dance nights and the hugely popular Funky Sole DJ party.
Photo by Farah Sosa

"Bands like Chicano Batman, La Santa Cecilia, Las Cafeteras — 5 to 10 years ago when they started out, they couldn't even find a place to play. We were very proud to put them on our stage and now they're headlining festivals, and they're GRAMMY award winners," said Lofgren, who moved from Maryland to Los Angeles in the early 1990s for the city's iconic nightlife. "This is where we make the dreams; that's irreplaceable. Music is a cultural thing; are we gonna start giving up on our culture?"

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A legendary Sunset Strip venue, The Roxy has hosted everyone from Bruce Springsteen and The Temptations to punk band The Germs and Pee Wee Herman. Its building is leased by Goldenvoice-AEG.
Photo by Farah Sosa

Without federal support, venues have had to find new ways to monetize their spaces. Some have turned to live streaming and other promoters have held drive-in concerts. Historic spaces like Silverlake's The Satellite are converting to restaurants. "We use GoFundMe and I know a number of other venues have as well," Lofgren said. "What does that say about our country when the only route that we have to save ourselves is by begging people to support us? It's not that I don't appreciate those people, because I certainly do. But it just doesn't seem right to me that we should expect other people, fans and customers, to be the ones to save us." The owner suggested streaming services like iTunes and Spotify offer some sort of financial support, adding, "I think it really needs to be a combination of government and private industry helping venues. I just don't know if that falls in line with the capitalist aspect of our world."

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On July 17, The Satellite announced it would reopen as a restaurant. The Silverlake venue could "no longer afford to wait for the day we will be allowed to have shows again.”
Photo by Farah Sosa

Even after a COVID vaccine is developed, 1720 owner Brett Powell expects it will be difficult to convince people to go back out to concerts. "It’s tough to think about the next 3, 5, 10 years, especially not knowing how much longer this goes on. So of course, this could lead to venues not being able to operate anymore, be insolvent, but we like to stay positive," he said. Questioned Himes, "How is the audience going to come back? Do they have extra money for an extracurricular activity if everyone’s been out of work? If people don't feel safe and feel comfortable, that's going to affect us as well."

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The Teragram Ballroom opened in May of 2015. It launched a GoFundMe page in March.
Photo by Farah Sosa

While the live music industry collectively holds its breath waiting for legislation to pass through Congress, there is hope in the bipartisan support for the RESTART and Save Our Stages bills. "Across all political beliefs, across all people, one thing is universal and that is music. It soothes the savage beast and it's something that we all agree brings joy to our lives," Lofgren said. "Supporting music and art culture should be universal. And I think if we don't do this, we're really turning down the wrong road for our country. The height of culture and civilization is when you're focused on creativity and artistic development."

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Sosa was looking forward to shooting Finnish cello metal band Apocalyptica at The Mayan — a stunning DTLA movie palace built in 1927 which now hosts a variety of bands.
Photo by Farah Sosa

"The United States' music scene is extremely strong and dominates globally, and has for a long time. Not to be so grandiose, but a huge part of what makes up Los Angeles is our music," Himes said. "It’s not speaking in hyperbole or being overdramatic to say if we don't do anything, a year from now, you're not gonna have the culture that you use to have, that you grew up talking about."

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The Theatre at Ace Hotel is a 1,600-seat Spanish-Gothic movie palace built in 1927.
Photo by Farah Sosa

Although photographing now quiet places that were once responsible for so much joy is emotionally exhausting, Farah Sosa remains committed to Los Angeles’ nightlife. "I do have a lot of hope that the people that come after me, younger generations of photographers, will be able to understand what a thrill it is to be on stage, in the first row, taking photos and documenting history," she said.

How The Global Coronavirus Pandemic Is Directly Impacting Songwriters, Musicians And Artists

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Rome, Italy

Photo by: Giuseppe Greco/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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Resources for Music Creators & Professionals Affected By COVID-19: Asia, Europe & The U.K.

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The Recording Academy is committed to sharing resources to the global community of music creators and professionals affected by the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic
GRAMMYs
Mar 23, 2020 - 5:11 pm

In the current coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, music creators and many of the professionals who support them have been greatly affected. The Recording Academy is committed to creating, amplifying, and sharing resources that will provide some form of comfort.

While The Academy’s MusiCares has set up a COVID-19 Relief Fund available as a safety net for music creators in need, below you will find resources available to those in the music community who live in Asia, Europe and United Kingdom.
 

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ASIA

Hong Kong Arts Development Council
The organization has increased its support for the Arts & Cultural Sector to HK$55 million to help relieve the financial burden of the arts sector during this difficult period. Information on how to apply is on the org’s website.

Singapore Sets up Funding for Arts and Culture Sector amid COVID-19 Outbreak 
About S$1.6 million will be set aside for the arts and culture sector as part of support for the community amid the COVID-19 outbreak, and to prepare the sector for “post-disease recovery.”

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EUROPE

BELGIUM

Flanders Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Self-employed persons and assistants in the main occupation and assisting spouses who have to stop their activity due to the corona virus can receive financial benefits.

Wallonia-Brussels Federation
Information on aid for artists negatively impacted by event and job cancellations and/or postponements related to COVID-19.

FINLAND

Finnish Foundations and Ministry Provide Millions In Emergency Aid For Cultural Sector in Distress
A number of large Finnish foundations, the Ministry of Education and Culture, and Arts Promotion Centre Finland (Taike) are working together to grant swift assistance to arts and culture professionals who have been hard hit by the coronavirus outbreak. Funding totaling approximately EUR 1.5 million will be apportioned during April via the Arts Promotion Centre (Taike). Foundations will also grant significant sums in aid through their own channels.

FRANCE

Institut Français COVID-19 Resources
This French institute, that promotes French culture abroad, while promoting artistic exchanges and dialogue between cultures, has compiled several available resources for French artists and those employed in cultural sectors.

French Government’s Measures for Temporary Workers and Employees in the Cultural Sector
Muriel Pénicaud, Minister of Labor, and Franck Riester, Minister of Culture, have announced exceptional measures to support intermittent workers and employees in the cultural sector in the context of the health crisis.

Pays de la Loire Region Coronavirus Emergency Plan
This €50 million plan would be devoted to supporting the local economy --- €25 million in immediately available credits in the form of existing support systems and €25 million in new measures and credits, including €2 million in support of cultural and sports associations. The Pays de la Loire covers the area to the south of Brittany and Normandy, along the lower stretches of the river Loire.

French Government Containment System Certifications
On March 16, 2020, the French Government decided to take measures to minimize contact and travel. “A containment system has been in place since Tuesday, March 17 at 12:00 p.m., for a minimum of fifteen days. Travel is prohibited except in the following cases and only if you have a certificate for: 1.) Move from home to work when telework is not possible 2.) Make essential purchases in authorized local shops 3.) Go to a health professional 4.) Travel for child care or to help vulnerable people, or for a compelling family reason, duly justified, on the strict condition of respecting barrier gestures 5.) Exercise only on an individual basis, around the home and without any gathering. Violations of these rules without a certificate will be punished with a fine of 135 euros.”

GERMANY

GEMA Corona Aid Fund
The German performance rights organization has created a $43 million fund for composers, lyricists, music publishers and songwriter members negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Depending on how one is personally affected, members can apply for transitional aid of up to EUR 5,000.

The Luxembourg Government – COVID-19 Efforts
The Ministry of The Economy has established a website and hotline for information and recommendations for businesses

Queer Relief (Berlin) 
Created by the queer community in Berlin, this application was created to help offer support for those who are vulnerable to COVID-19. Applicants who are on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, womxn, sex workers, refugees, and other marginalized individuals (i.e. BiPoC) will receive priority.

Petition: Help for Freelancer and Artists during the Corona Shutdown
This petition seeks to urge Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz immediate financial help for freelancers and people from the creative scene, for example in the form of “1.) Non-bureaucratic bridging money, for example in the form of a temporary (unconditional) basic income 2.) Aid fund to quickly compensate for lost income, e.g. connected to the artists' social security fund (but expressly NOT limited to its members, since all freelancers are equally affected) and 3.) A short-time work benefit, in which the net income from the last available tax assessment is based on a monthly support payment by the tax offices.”

ITALY

Petition: Appeal for Urgent Support For Show Business Workers
Fondazione Centro Studi Doc has set up this Change.org petition advocating Italy’s President and government to extend immediate emergency relief to the artistic community

POLAND

Poland’s Culture Promotion Fund
Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage is offering social assistance from The Culture Promotion Fund can be obtained by artists who are in a difficult financial situation.

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UNITED KINGDOM

Coronavirus (COVID-19): What You Need To Do
The UK Government has set up a webpage offering information on financial support, school and business closures, small business support, and health related updates.

UK Tax Helpline for Businesses
New Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) helpline launched to help businesses concerned about paying their tax due to coronavirus (COVID-19)

Help Musicians Health and Welfare Support
Help Musicians’ Health and Welfare team offers structured support to professional musicians in times of personal crisis. Their approach is “person-centered; building tailored support around an individual’s specific needs.” Help Musicians is unable to replace lost earnings. But they are able to provide financial support in cases of significant financial hardship as well as signposting for debt/welfare-related issues. The organization also provides financial assistance for health interventions and access to music specialist health assessments for performance-related health issues. Applicants who live in the United Kingdom who have savings that do not exceed £16,000 (rare exceptions may be made; for example, the limit is a higher £20,000 for retirees) should apply.

Music Venue Trust
Emergency legal advice for music venues. The organization allows every venue in the country to access free legal and expert advice on licensing, planning, development, noise, and even tenancy issues.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for Musicians
Incorporated Society of Musicians has compiled an online resource hub for performers, music professionals, private and employed music teachers.

Musicians’ Union Coronavirus (COVID-19) Advice
Find advice and read latest news on Coronavirus for musicians

Association of Independent Promoters
The Association of Independent Promoters (AIP) is a new not for profit trade association bringing together independent promoters from across the UK. Our aim is to represent, empower and provide a vital support network to promoters.

Petition: UK Government to offer economic assistance to the events industry during COVID-19
For the UK government to provide economic assistance to businesses and staff employed in the events industry, who are suffering unforeseen financial challenges that could have a profound effect on hundreds of thousands of people employed in the sector.

Petition: Temporary Income Protection Fund
This Change.org petition is asking the government to create a Temporary Income Protection Fund to support freelancers through the Coronavirus crisis. The idea is for a time-limited, targeted injection of funds to keep businesses afloat over the coming months and cover basic income costs like food and rent.

Scottish Government COVID-19 Relief Efforts
The Scottish government has announced a £350m fund for councils, charities, businesses and community groups. Roughly £45 million will be added to the existing Scottish Welfare Fund which makes community grants and crisis grants to those in immediate need. In addition, £20 million will be allocated to a Third Sector Resilience Fund, £40 million to the Supporting Communities Fund to support the rapidly growing and inspiring community efforts at a local level; £70m will be allocated to a Food Fund and £50 million will be given to the Wellbeing Fund which will help charities and others who require additional capacity to work with at-risk people.

Ireland Artist Emergency Relief Fund
The Civic Theatre in Dublin has created this fund to provide financial relief to Irish artists experiencing lost income related to COVID-19. Small grants of up to €500 will be paid rapidly on a first-come, first-served basis to affected artists and groups.
 

GENERAL RESOURCES

MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund
The Recording Academy and its affiliated charitable foundation MusiCares have established the COVID-19 Relief Fund to help people in the music industry affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and subsequent cancellation of multiple music events. From hotel and bar gigs to major music festivals, COVID-19 is deeply impacting live music events, and the creative community behind it all. Administered through MusiCares, the COVID-19 Fund will be used to directly support those in the music community with the greatest need. To establish the fund, both the Recording Academy and MusiCares have contributed an initial donation of $1 million each, totaling $2 million. Additionally, all Recording Academy Chapters have committed to fundraising in their local communities. Further updates and announcements will be made in the coming days.