A new fund has been set-up to assist Irish music creators currently experiencing financial need. The fund set-up by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO), the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and First Music Contact (FMC) is open to songwriters, composers, performers, session musicians and arrangers in response to hardships faced by individual members of the industry.
Coordinated by First Music Contact (FMC) successful applicants will receive a once-off emergency relief payment to the value of €750. Applications will be reviewed by a committee of music industry professionals from a wide spectrum of industry sectors and organisations.
In addition to the financial contributions by these groups Spotify is making a donation and is also matching donations made to the Irish Music Industry COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund via it’s Spotify COVID-19 Music Relief page, dollar-for-dollar, up to a total Spotify contribution of $10 million for the collective verified organisations worldwide.
The organisers said “The livelihoods of music creators, many of whom are freelancers or small businesses themselves, are at significant risk during this crisis, as traditional revenue streams dry up.”