Lost in the fire: Industry unites

The music industry is united in its efforts to help indie labels in the aftermath of the PIAS fire, with the BPI, MCPS and NME all weighing in with support this week.

As previously reported, PIAS Entertainment Group and the Association of Independent Music (AIM), have created a shared fund to support labels that were affected by the Sony DADC warehouse fire in Enfield during the riots in London. It has been revealed that 1.5 million discs were destroyed in the blaze, with Beggars Group alone estimating that 750,000 units of their releases were destroyed.

Following on from this, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), has announced a separate pot of £100,000 available, comprised of individual donations from BPI members and the organisation’s commercial revenues.

BPI Chief Executive Geoff Taylor said: “I am delighted that independent and major members of BPI are showing their solidarity by creating a growing fund to assist indie labels that experience financial difficulties as a result of destruction of stock in the Sony DADC warehouse".

MCPS also announced that no further mechanical royalties would be due from labels for stick previously licensed but lost in the fire. MCPS is the part of the PRS for Music responsible for licensing mechanical rights and paying mechanical royalties.

The NME this week urged its readers to make donations to emergency funds or buy music from the labels affected, running an eight-page cover feature on the impact that the fire had on the indie community.

As previously reported, a ‘Label Love’ campaign has also been set up to raise awareness and organise fundraising events for the affected labels. Find out more about what they have planned at their website and on the tweets.