Lower than a fortnight after a Chappell Roan Grammys speech sparked a dialog about psychological healthcare in music, Universal Music Group (UMG) has partnered with the Music Health Alliance to launch the Music Business Psychological Well being Fund. The key-label group and music nonprofit say the initiative will present “complete, high-quality outpatient psychological well being assets for music business professionals nationwide,” together with those that have left the business. The fund seems to primarily present assist with assets and suggestions, but in addition affords “grants to assist offset prices,” in keeping with a press launch.
The initiative is being marketed as an growth upon a earlier partnership between the 2 corporations, the Priority Healthcare Advocacy Program, which was mentioned to offer free, confidential healthcare assets to UMG artists.
In her Finest New Artist Grammys speech, Roan, who has mentioned she struggled to afford healthcare after being dropped by her label in 2020, urged document labels and the business “profiting tens of millions of {dollars} off of artists” to “supply a livable wage and healthcare, particularly to growing artists.” She added, “Document labels have to deal with their artists as helpful workers with a livable wage and medical insurance and safety. Labels, we acquired you, however do you bought us?”
Music entrepreneur Jeff Rabhan subsequently printed a contentious column in The Hollywood Reporter, apparently arguing that labels have been neither chargeable for, nor competent sufficient to ship, Roan’s reforms. In addition to letting labels off the hook, Rabhan advised Roan ought to “put [her] cash the place [her] mouth is.” She did, pledging $25,000 to a fund for rising artists, and a number of other fellow artists—together with Charli XCX and Noah Kahan—adopted go well with. On the WTF With Marc Maron podcast, Ariana Grande additionally pushed for labels to incorporate free remedy periods in younger artists’ contracts.
