UMG MOBILIZES
TO FIGHT PANDEMIC
Universal Music Group has spelled out its approach to supporting employees, artists, songwriters and partners during the coronavirus pandemic.
Among the initiatives detailed on UMG’s website are the newly created UMG All Together Now Foundation, launched to support employees who face extraordinary needs, and the philanthropic program All Together Now: Stay Connected to assist organizations helping musicians. The company is also backing numerous artist and songwriter initiatives to help those in need.
Through the Foundation, UMG is protecting workers’ pay and enhanced benefits through 6/30 regardless of whether an employee can handle their duties remotely. It is also offering financial help to employees in need due to spouse/partner layoffs, extra medical, etc. On the benefits front, the company is emphasizing already existing services such as telemedicine and prescriptions by mail.
For artists and songwriters, the company has been active in creating special arrangements to offer financial resources such as advances.
On the philanthropic side, the company has been matching employees’ donations to charities as well as making direct contributions to as MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund and Help Musicians UK. UMG made the largest contribution of any music company to the MusiCares fund.
UMG is also supporting artists and partnering on benefits/initiatives. Among the efforts: OneRepublic and Interscope are providing a portion of the proceeds from the streaming of “Better Days” through September; Selena Gomez and Bravado donating a portion of the proceeds from her new “Dance Again” merchandise; Bravado is providing merchandise for the iHeart Living Room Concert for America; Billie Eilish created a coloring book to raise funds for UNICEF; and in Spain, UMG partnered with La Liga to host a “living-room” benefit on Saturday to raise money for hospitals.
