Music Votes: Major Industry Partners Join Coalition

Music Votes, the groundbreaking coalition of music voting and activism nonprofits, has announced a wave of major industry partners ranging from ASM Global to Wasserman and Bandsintown to the National Independent Talent Organization (NITO) pledging to support its three steps to solve obstacles to voting: voter registration, ensuring the correct voter ID, and voter turnout.

Music Votes coalition announces major industry partners

Leading the charge for Music Votes are Artist for Artist, Artist Rights Alliance, AEG Presents, ASM Global, Bandsintown, Downtown, ECHOETTE: Sound + Vision, Fenway Recordings, Fort William Artist Management, High Road Touring, Music Business Association, Music Managers Forum-US, National Independent Talent Organization (NITO), Redeye, Songwriters of North America (SONA), Vector Management, and Wasserman Music.

New non-profit members

Music Votes has also added new members that help the industry get involved with civic engagement, music policy, Disability Culture, gun violence prevention, and gender equity while providing additional options to support social and racial justice.

• DJ at the Polls, which hires DJs and musicians to spin their favorite tracks at polling places, leading to a proven increase in voter turnout.
• BallotReady helps constituents across the U.S. vote and vote informed on every race and measure on their ballot.
• Digital Democracy Project provides the legislative content for each ballot using nonpartisan information.
• Future of Music Coalition supports a musical ecosystem where artists flourish and are compensated fairly and transparently for their work.
• Disabled Music Fans Collective aims to foster support for, connection between, and education about the disabled community within the music industry.
• Artist For Action is a coalition of musicians who are taking action toward eliminating the epidemic of gun violence in America.
• Women in Music is a diverse global community that advances equality, visibility, and opportunities for women in the musical arts through education, support, empowerment, and recognition.
• Keychange U.S. additionally champions gender equity and inclusion within the music industry.
• SANKOFA, founded by icon Harry Belafonte, educates, motivates, and activates artists and allies to support grassroots movements and equitable change.
• The Equity Alliance is the leading Black-led organization in Tennessee that takes bold action to mobilize the Black electorate to be civically engaged, challenge systemic inequities rooted in white supremacy, and stand up against attacks on our democracy. 

A 3-Step Solution To Overcome Obstacles to Voting

The Music Votes coalition promotes a three-step solution to make voting more accessible while educating about various nonpartisan causes: climate, Disability Culture, eliminating gun violence, gender equity, LGBTQ+ rights, music policy, racial and reproductive justice, and more.

“We are honored to have such amazing support, both from our coalition members and our new partners,” says Eleanor Anderson, MSA Board Member,  “It is important for the music industry to present a unified front, and the support we have from labels, promoters, venues and more shows that the music industry is ready to mobilize and encourage everyone to exercise their right to vote.”

Music Votes Online Webinar This Thursday

Music Votes is hosting a webinar on Thursday, August 1st, at 2 PM ET, led by Bill Werde – Director of Syracuse University’s Bandier Program for Recording and Entertainment Industries, to share how artists and the music industry can take simple steps to increase civic engagement for this year’s election.

RSVP for Music Votes’ webinar HERE.

Non-Profit & Launch Members

Music Votes nonprofit and launch members include #iVoted Concerts, Black Voters Matter, Environmental Voter Project, Grounded, HeadCount, Hip Hop Caucus, Music Declares Emergency U.S., Music Sustainability Alliance, Noise for Now, Pizza to the Polls, Propeller, RAMPD, REVERB, Rock the Vote, ShowUp, Support + Feed, The Ally Coalition, TradesForce, VoteRiders, and Well Dunn.

Find more info and resources at www.music-votes.org.

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor.