Music Union Calls for Change at SXSW

The Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) recently published an open letter to SXSW, the annual music and entertainment conference in Austin, Texas, demanding that all performers be compensated fairly for their time and work while at the 7+ day creative entertainment expo. They state that as a union-represented organization, they are advocating for equitable compensation of musicians performing at SXSW, as well as pushing for transparency when it comes to payment policies so that artists can make informed decisions about whether or not they wish to participate in the future

“Since SXSW launched in 1987, musicians have been the festival’s backbone and main draw. Yet despite SXSW’s consistently growing profits and ever-expanding programming over the past 30+ years, the musicians performing at the festival have been exploited with low pay, high application fees, and other insults.”

In April 2021, SXSW was bought by P-MRC Holdings, a holding company of Penske Media, owners of fan favorites such as Rolling Stone, Billboard, Variety, and the Hollywood trade publications.

Boolah’s Corner - It’s a tale as old as time. Big corporate holding company buys up small groups or sets of niches, to become the holder of that niche. Living in Nashville, and I bet this as well for other places, you see this in the housing markets. Big groups buying up buildings, who don’t even live in the same state, or even the same country. Honestly, that’s business and I can’t get upset at it, but it makes me want to work harder. Find the ways, as David, to defeat Goliath.

Read and sign the full letter here - https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-our-demands-fair-pay-at-sxsw/

Source - The UAW Publishes Open Letter to SXSW Demanding Fair Pay for Musicians