tiffany red
Musician advocacy group 100 Percenters announced Wednesday (24 April) that several music organizations have signed a pledge aimed at holding companies accountable for workplace safety.
Developed by the 100 Percenters, signatories include the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), BMI, Recording Academy, Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), EVEN, Artistry Group, and Eat. Includes Predators, HRDRV, and Industry. Blackout, LVRN, Love Pulse Music.
The agreement, called the Safe Music Business Pledge, requires signatories to adhere to the following rules:
Committed to keeping artists, songwriters, producers, and staff safe in the workplace and studio sessions Commitment to report sexual harassment, intimidation, and violence to the appropriate parties and take action in the workplace and studio sessions Do not tolerate inappropriate behavior in sessions or create a safe space to support artists, songwriters, producers, and staff who do not feel safe. Have or hire a safe space leader to support you
The organization hopes this pledge will help protect artists, songwriters, producers, and staff members who work for or with these organizations. Safety is a particularly pressing concern for women and non-binary creatives working in male-dominated spaces in the industry. Founded by songwriter Tiffany Red, her 100 Percenters primarily focuses on efforts to protect music's most marginalized creators and professionals.
If the signatories violate the pledge, 100 Percenters representatives said they will speak privately with company executives to hold them accountable and take meaningful steps to make their workplaces safer in the future. Ta. Such cases will be handled on a case-by-case basis, and organizations that violate the pledge may be excluded from the pledge, and such exclusion may be publicly announced.
The organization announced the signatories of the pledge with a corresponding open letter from Red, which pointed to recent abuse allegations by music professionals like Sean “Diddy” Combs and Russell Simmons. “The truth must be revealed in court,” the letter makes clear. “But can we not acknowledge the problematic pattern of alleged abuse of power in music?”
The letter continues: “Despite finding allies within these companies who recognize the need for initiatives like the Safe Music Business Pledge, the response has been discouragingly silent. Throughout the process, there was considerable resistance to securing commitments for companies to be more transparent and proactive in addressing sexual misconduct and violence in the music industry. It shouldn't be that difficult of a task.”
“We are extremely grateful to the businesses and organizations that have endorsed the Small Business Pledge,” the letter added. “Their commitment to creating a safer working environment within the music industry is commendable and represents an important step towards positive change. These companies have pledged to prioritize workplace safety. By doing so, they demonstrate leadership and a true dedication to the well-being of music creators and professionals. Their actions set an example for others to emulate, making our industry respectful and safe. We sincerely appreciate their efforts to foster a culture of gender and inclusion.”
To read the full letter, visit the 100 Percenters website.