A2IM: American Association of Independent Music

Posted in News by A2IM

Billboard.biz: “Q&A: A2IM President Rich Bengloff Talks Export Mission to Brazil“
Reggie Ugwu
April 29, 2013

With an eye toward nurturing new revenue streams and increasing their share of the global music market, representatives from 11 independent record labels headed to beautiful Brazil last week to meet with their South American counterparts. The trip was organized by A2IM and funded in part by a federal grant from the International Trade Administration. Delegates from labels including Naxos, Dead Oceans, Yep Roc and VP went looking for new partners in distribution, licensing, touring, performance rights and more. Read the Q & A with Rich Bengloff HERE.

Posted in News by A2IM

A2IM’s annual Board of Directors election opens for voting on Wednesday, May 1^st.  A2IM’s board is elected by a vote of the A2IM label membership with every label member’s primary contact for A2IM possessing the right to vote on behalf of her or his company.  Once again our voting members have an exciting (and large) list of member executives who have stepped up or accepted nomination to run for election to the A2IM board of directors. A2IM’s voting members will be voting to fill four (4) seats from the below list of candidates (alphabetical by first name). Voting closes on Friday, May 24.

The nominees are:

-Alan Galbraith (Wind-up Records)

-Cory Robbins (Robbins Entertainment)

-Damon Sgobbo (Allegro Media Group)

-Denny Stilwell (Mack Avenue Records)

-EJ Johantgen (Prosthetic Records)

-Fabio Acosta (Akela Family Music)

-Glen Barros (Concord Music Group)

-Jamar Chess (Sunflower Entertainment)

-Jeff Waye (Ninja Tune Records)

-Jim Selby (Naxos)

-Josh Norek (Nacional Records)

-Jurgen Korduletsch (Radikal Records/Gummybear International)

-Linda Lucchesi (Simply Grand Music)

-Louis Posen (Hopeless Records)

-Matt Lunsford (Polyvinyl Records)

-Portia Sabin (Kill Rock Stars)

-Richard Burgess (Smithsonian Folkways)

-Robert Williams (335 Records)

-Tim Lee (Tummy Touch Records)

-Todd McCarty (Fearless Records)

A2IM expresses our gratitude to the three board members who, due to term limits, must step down at the end of this term:  Eric Brown (Sub Pop), Dave Hansen (Epitaph) and Tom Silverman (Tommy Boy).  We also thank Jim Selby (Naxos) who will appear on this year’s ballot as an incumbent seeking re-election.  Jim is eligible to run without sitting out a year because he didn’t serve a full 3 year term.  We thank each of these board members for their leadership and commitment to this organization and to the A2IM membership. We look forward to ongoing contributions from each.

Posted in Chapters, News by A2IM

With sincere gratitude for the volunteerism, engagement and support demonstrated by the entire A2IM member community, we’re pleased to announce Naxos’ Randall Foster as the new A2IM chapter chair in Nashville.

Randall will be taking over the duties that have been so marvelously handled for years by A2IM Nashville stalwart, Al McCree (Comedy String Entertainment and formerly Altissimo Recordings).  There is simply no way to aptly express the deep gratitude and affection that A2IM feels for Al.

Randall has been involved in organizing several Nashville chapter events, most recently bringing a number of A2IM members into the Nashville Film-Com Synchs & Drinks cocktail mixer.  We look forward to announcing the next A2IM Nashville chapter event shortly.

Posted in News by A2IM

As we have reported previously, A2IM’s second International Trade Administration (ITA)-funded trade mission went south of the border with 12 independent U.S. music delegates traveling to Brazil from April 18-22. The trade mission continues A2IM’s crusade to bolster the presence of independent music exports abroad.

U.S. delegates traveling to Brazil include: Rich Bengloff (A2IM),  Robert Williams (335 Records), Paul Dryden (ATO Records), Seymour Stein (Blue Horizon Records), Alec Bemis (Brassland), Bruce McIntosh (Codigo/Fania), Phil Waldorf (Dead Oceans/JagJaguar/Secretly Canadian), Jurgen Korduletsch (Lollipop/Radikal), Jim Selby (Naxos USA), Randy Chin (VP Records), Tor Hansen (Yep Roc/Redeye), Jochen Becker (ZOHO Music) and Rich Bengloff (A2Im)

A2IM member Alec Bemis (Brassland) noted, “The internet has been creating a smaller, more connected world for over a decade — and I can attest that A2IM has been doing an amazing job of making that world smaller and more connected for its members as it has begun its program of trade missions over the past year.”

The pictures below were submitted by the trade mission delegates. They continue for several pages.

Posted in News by A2IM

A2IM and representatives from 11 indie labels are headed south of the border this week. VP Records, Dead Oceans, Naxos, Yep Roc and more will join American Association for Independent Music president Rich Bengloff on a mission to Brazil April 18 – April 22.

The trip, which will include stops in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, is being funded in part by the U.S. Department of Commerce in a new attempt to do business in one of the world’s most important emerging music markets. ATO Records, Brassland Records, Blue Horizon Records, Lollipop/Radikal Records, 335 Records, Codigo/Fania and ZOHO Music will also send envoys.

In January, A2IM-sponsored trips to MIDEM in France were similarly subsidized by the Department of Commerce ITA, which has awarded the trade organization a grant designed to stimulate export sale increases by small businesses to improve America’s balance of trade under President Obama’s “National Export Initiative” program

Posted in News, Press Releases by A2IM

A2IM
For Immediate Release
April 12, 2013

A2IM’s (American Association of Independent Music) second International Trade Administration (ITA)-funded trade mission will take 11 independent U.S. music delegates to Brazil April 18-22, continuing the organization’s crusade to bolster the presence of independent music exports abroad. The mission will introduce A2IM members to potential buyers including distributors, mobile carriers and third-party licensing agents in Rio de Janeiro and San Paulo.

In Rio, delegates will attend the Worldwide Independent Network’s Brazilian Independent Music Association (ABMI) conference and meet with their independent music-label counterparts, representatives from the UBC and Abramus performance rights societies, media giant Som Livre, iMusica, and local representatives from services such as Rdio and YouTube, among many others.

U.S. delegates traveling to Brazil include: Rich Bengloff (A2IM), Andrea DaSilva (ITA), Robert Williams (335 Records), Paul Dryden (ATO Records), Seymour Stein (Blue Horizon Records), Alec Bemis (Brassland), Bruce McIntosh (Codigo/Fania), Phil Waldorf (Dead Oceans/JagJaguar/Secretly Canadian), Jurgen Korduletsch (Lollipop/Radikal), Jim Selby (Naxos USA), Randy Chin (VP Records), Tor Hansen (Yep Roc/Redeye) and Jochen Becker (ZOHO Music).

Anticipation for the trip is high:

Randy Chin, VP Records: “Brazil is one of the key international markets for VP Records.  Reggae is a growing genre in Brazil, and throughout South America, and many of our acts are touring there.  The timing of the A2IM trip to Brazil is perfect with the upcoming World Cup and Olympics games scheduled in Brazil.”

Robert Williams, 335 Records: “I found the Asian trip to be very fruitful. It was well planned, and executed from beginning to end by the A2IM executives, and the wonderful team from the commerce department. We have already experienced positive results. Based on that we look forward to the trip to Brazil, and the possibilities it represents.”

Jim Selby, Naxos of America: “I am extremely excited to be a part of the upcoming trade mission to Brazil.  Brazil is important economy and export market for Naxos.  I look forward to meeting current and potential new business partners during our visit.”

Tor Hansen, Redeye Distribution: “I am very excited learn more about Brazil’s thriving music market.  This trade mission to Brazil will provide a great opportunity to develop further relations and partnerships for Yep Roc and Redeye.’

The A2IM label members on this Brazil trade mission reflect the genre, label size and geographic diversity of A2IM’s membership, including businesses that are minority and woman owned.

ABMI Managing Director and Merlin board member Luciana Pegorer said “Our ABMI members look forward to meeting with our Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) A2IM label member colleagues at our ABMI conference to find ways to collectively move ahead our common business interests, including introducing them to our local Brasilian service providers in Rio and Sao Paulo.” Luciana’s own music label, Delira Musica, was founded to develop the Brazilian instrumental music scene and already represents A2IM members Alligator Records and Soundbrush Records in Brazil.

With financial assistance from ITA through the music industry’s first-ever Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) award, half or more of each participant’s trip will be reimbursed.  Part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, ITA selected A2IM to receive MDCP financial assistance as part of a partnership to support the industry’s growth in emerging foreign music markets. A2IM’s objective is to obtain tangible economic gains abroad for its members, helping improve the balance of trade and underscoring the Obama administration’s initiatives to invest in small- and medium-sized businesses creating intellectual property.

In 2012, A2IM’s pilot STEP trade mission took delegates to Asia with stops in Seoul, Shanghai, and Hong Kong and the first MDCP funded event took delegates to Midem in January.