European programme: Music Moves Europe

Music Moves Europe is the overarching framework for the European Commission’s initiatives and actions in support of the European music sector. It provides financial support to a number of projects that corresponds to the themes and field of actions of their Preparatory Actions (2018, 2019 & 2020).

Starting in 2021, the sectorial strand Music Moves Europe will be included within the Creative Europe programme. Music Moves Europe calls for project will continue from 2021 to 2027.

Music Moves Europe’s specific objectives are to:

  • promote creativity and innovation
  • safeguard and expand the diversity of European music
  • help the sector adapt to and benefit from digitisation

Music Moves Europe has four dimensions:

Funding

More than 90 music projects (cooperation projects, platforms, networks) have so far received funding under the current Creative Europe programme (culture strand), with an approximate total budget of 57 million Euros.

In its proposal for the new Creative Europe programme after 2020, the European Commission introduced a sector-specific approach on music. According to the proposal, the support to the music sector would promote diversity, creativity and innovation in the field of music, in particular the distribution of musical repertoire in Europe and beyond. It would also promote training actions and audience development for European repertoire, as well as support for data gathering and analysis of the sector. In addition to the support of Creative Europe, the sector can benefit from an additional budget of 1.5 million Euros in 2018 and 3 million Euros in 2019 through the Preparatory Action “Music Moves Europe: Boosting European music diversity and talent”.

Policy

EU actions in support of Europe’s Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) are cross-sectoral, covering also the music sector. While this cross-sectoral approach to EU collaboration on culture remains a feature of the New European Agenda for Culture adopted by the Commission in May 2018, the Commission acknowledged the impossibility of having a one-size-fits-all approach for all CCI and announced sector-specific initiatives in the most mature cultural sectors, especially music.

Member States in the Council decided that Music Moves Europe should become part of their cooperation on culture at EU level; and therefore an action on music has been included in the new Council Work Plan for Culture 2019-22. Work will start with a conference under the Romanian Presidency of the Council in June 2019.

Dialogue

The dialogue with the sector started in late 2015 to identify the main challenges facing the sector. The outcomes of this dialogue were summarised in the AB Music Working Group report. Since then, the Commission has regularly attended European showcases, music fairs and festival to exchange information with the music sector.

The Commission launched the new Music Moves Europe dialogue with the sector in the spring 2019, to discuss the most topical issues related to musical diversity in Europe and the competitiveness of the industry. Read the MME structured dialogue report of spring 2019 and find Live DMA’s summary of the event here.

Music Moves Europe Talent Awards

The Music Moves Europe Talent Awards​ wishes to celebrate the emerging artists who represent the European sound of today and tomorrow. Every year, chosen artists will receive a Music Moves Europe Talent Award in recognition of their international success, as well as being rewarded with a performance at ESNS, a training programme and financial support for touring and promotion.

Live DMA is part of the advisory board to give feedback about the process and share professional recommendations, together with other representatives of the music sector in Europe (labels, managers, exports offices, festivals, streaming platforms, EU Commission)

The Music Moves Europe Talent Awards nominees are discovered through a dual ranking system. On one side, the artists are nominated based on available data streaming and airplay outside the artists’ home countries, as well as from professional recommendations. Out of the nominees, an international jury will select the winners in autumn. Alongside, music fans can vote online for their favorite nominee and this artist will receive a Public Choice Award at the award ceremony during ESNS.

Criteria to be eligible for a nomination:

  • artists reside in 1 of the 41 countries under the Creative Europe framework programme
  • artists first release is not older than 36 months before the end of the measuring period (for MMETA20, this is June 30th, 2019)
  • artists must be successfully performing outside their home country
  • artists must be able to perform live
  • artists show interest in an international career

More info: https://musicmoveseuropetalentawards.eu/


Music Moves Europe Preparatory Actions & Calls

Preparatory Actions 2018

Preparatory Actions 2019

Preparatory Actions 2020

Call 2021

  • The Creative Europe programme, of which Music Moves Europe is part of since 2021, has prepared a procurement of EUR 500 000 which would implement events, tools or other activities in support of the Music Moves Europe initiative.