Meeting with independant labels

Joël Beyler heads Diese #14 Records, an independent label founded in 2014 in Strasbourg. To support artists supported by the label, #14 Records invests in several fields of activity: phonographic production, management, artist development, and booking. In line with an open-minded approach, mindful of not confining itself to a genre, the label's editorial line focuses on the genres of the major French pop and Anglophone folk-rock families. The label's goal is to defend musical diversity and the search for new talents by supporting projects that stay close to the musicians' approach and artistic identity.

Joël Beyler is also a member of the board of directors of Grabuge, the Grand Est's regional pop music network. 
ORBITE is a Grabuge program that encompasses actions for the economic structuring of artists and entrepreneurship in the contemporary music sector. ORBITE aims to guide, empower, and professionalize entrepreneurs in the music industry.

After starting her career in music journalism, Fabienne Schmuki began working as a public relations agent for Irascible Music in 2009. 
Since 2015, she has co-directed the company, which operates as an independent distributor, promotion agency, and label based in Zurich and Lausanne, Switzerland. 
Additionally, she is a founding member and board member of the Swiss association of independent labels, IndieSuisse, and a board member of the producers at Swissperform.IndieSuisse, the association of independent music labels and producers, was founded on 17 February 2014 at the Fri-Son in Fribourg. Since then, IndieSuisse has stood up for the interests of the Swiss recording industry. IndieSuisse has a dense network of music labels and maintains important contacts with politicians.

IndieSuisse is the first point of contact for issues relevant to independent labels. In addition, the association is an important authority in all matters concerning the music industry. Members of the IndieSuisse Board are represented in various bodies, such as Swissperform, SUISA or SRG SSR.

The membership of IndieSuisse in the partner organisations IMPALA and WIN allows the association to negotiate European and global issues nationally and close to the pulse, respectively, to bring local concerns to the attention of international players.

In addition to lobbying in the economic and political spheres, IndieSuisse presents the annual IndieSuisse Album of the Year Award, which honours and spotlights both the act and the label of the winning album or song.

As an independent producer and editor, Adeline Ferrante supports artist-songwriters, composers, and performers.

For the past 15 years, she has navigated between the realms of pop music and live performance, creating connections between artists and cultural stakeholders.

In 2023, she participated in the Mewem mentorship program and founded FOUGUE, a production house that encompasses the diversity of her activities: audio production, music publishing, live show production, and trans-media installations.

Additionally, she joined the board of directors of La FELIN.

La FELIN is the National Federation of Independent Labels and Distributors, established in 2009 with the mission to promote, represent, and support its members in the face of profound changes in the music industry. Labels, distributors, regional hubs, and networks—nearly 400 actors in independent creation and guardians of musical diversity—are united within the federation.

Recognizing that diversity should not only be musical, FELIN encourages women in the music industry to take initiative and launched the MEWEM mentorship program in 2019, which expanded to a European scale in 2021.
In 2020, FELIN joined IMPALA, the European federation of independent labels and publishers.
Photo © Orianne Robaldo

"Verena is co-owner of Dunstan Music / Dunstan Media. In 2011 she founded the company Dunstan Music together with Nicolaj Gruzdov. 

Through various artist management and music publishing and record label projects she gained broad experience in the music industry. Her current day-to-day business includes music publishing, artist management and the
planning und implementation of marketing strategies for artists and bands. As a mentor in various programs (including MEWEM, Zukunftsmusik, Keychange) and lecturer, she shares her experience with the next generation. In addition, Verena is a frequent guest at international music business conferences and provides insights into the latest industry dynamics (e.g. A2IM Music Week New York, Reeperbahn Festival Hamburg, SVMS Zurich).
Verena is a board member of the VUT (Verband unabhängiger Musikunternehmen e.V.) since 2021 The 

Association of Independent Musicians and Music Companies (German: Verband unabhängiger  Musikunternehmer*innen e. V. (VUT)) represents the interests of the independent entrepreneurs within the German music industry. Its members include, among others, around 1,200 artists who market themselves, labels, publishers, distributors and producers. Overall, independent music entrepreneurs account for a share of 35 percent of the recorded music market. Their share of annual new releases is over 80 percent, with which they make an essential contribution to the diverse cultural landscape in Germany. In addition to their willingness to innovate, VUT members are often characterised by a partnership-based understanding in a sector-based industry. VUT members often wear several hats and, for example, have their own label in addition to their own artist career.

At the regional, German, European and international level, the VUT is committed to the interests of the independent music industry, with its authors and performers at the core. As a service provider, the VUT offers its members a wide range of consulting, information and other services. These include, among others, membership and legal advice, education and training, framework agreements with service providers, discounts, the provision of sample contracts and regular industry newsletters.