Chain table Pop musicians at ESNS24: what are the possibilities for structural funding of fair pay for pop musicians?

Once again this year, on Jan. 19, the chain table Popmusicians attended Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS). In the panel ‘Fair pay at VNPF venues, the next step’, fairPACCT program manager Noud van de Rhee, Jolanda Beyer of Patronaat, Rita Zipora of BAM! Pop Authors, Pien Feith of Friendly Fire led by Bastiaan Vinkenburg (Berenschot) to discuss the search for structural means to enable fair pay for pop musicians.

Exploration of additional revenue sources

Last year, at ESNS23, the Pop Musicians Chain Table presented another analysis of the income gap between current fees and an appropriate and fair fee for pop musicians. This analysis showed that € 7.8 million more per year is needed to realize fair pay for pop musicians affiliated with VNPF venues. The analysis and accompanying report, De kloof tussen inzet en inkomsten van popmuzikanten, were carried out by consultancy firm Berenschot. This fee table, which is part of the advisory report, shows what fair pay fees mean. After this, it was up to the chain table to answer the following question: how can this € 7.8 million be structurally financed? And: who will pay for this € 7.8 million structurally? The subsequent exploration of additional sources of income was outlined at ESNS24. The possibilities for gifts, the National Stage Plan and a surcharge on tickets through service charges were explored. The budgets of private funds, municipalities and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science were also scrutinized. The question ‘How can this € 7.8 million be financed structurally?’ remains unanswered for the time being, but the Pop Musicians Chain Table is determined to continue the exploration.

Plans for test phase Calculator Tool Pop Musicians

In addition to the results of the exploration, the Pop Musicians chain table also presented the Pop Musicians Calculation Tool. With the Pop Musicians Calculation Tool, 11 objective criteria can be used to determine to which career stage an artist or act belongs: starting, upcoming, developing, mid-career, arrived. Based on the relevant career stage an artist or act is in, the tool indicates the minimum fee for a live performance on stage. The Pop Musicians Calculation Tool is ready and already in use! The aim of the chain table is to start a trial period in which the calculation tool is applied by pop venues; the Fair Pop Pilot. In this way, not only workers, but also workers, will learn to use the calculation tool in practice and various administrative aspects can be tested. An important step in the implementation.

Read more about the Fair Pop Pilot in the ESNS PowerPoint.