Photo Credit: Cytonn Photography
Independent music labels unite to launch ‘music industry think tank’ ORCA, a global research hub for music’s economic, social, and cultural impact.
The Organization for Recorded Culture and Arts (ORCA) has officially launched today (July 17), marking the beginning of a first-of-its-kind “think tank” for the global music ecosystem. ORCA comprises leading independent music labels from around the world, with a mission to develop and promote research, data, and qualitative evidence that underscore the significant economic, social, and cultural value of music.
ORCA’s founding members include a diverse array of the most influential independent music labels worldwide, having discovered and developed the careers of artists like Adele, Nirvana, Christine and the Queens, The National, Mitski, ODESZA, among others.
The founding labels of ORCA include:
- Because Music (Paris, France)
- Beggars Group (London, UK)
- City Slang (Berlin, Germany)
- Domino Recording Company (New York, NY)
- Everlasting Records (Madrid, Spain)
- Exceleration Music (Nashville, TN)
- Hopeless Records (Los Angeles, CA)
- !K7 Music (Berlin, Germany)
- Ninja Tune Records (London, UK)
- Partisan Records (New York, NY)
- Playground Music (Stockholm, Sweden)
- Secret City Records (Montreal, Canada)
- Secretly Group (Bloomington, IN)
- Sub Pop (Seattle, WA)
“This is a concept long in the making, arising from a realization of shared values above and beyond our existing collective independent activities,” said Martin Mills, Founder and Chairman of Beggars Group. “Music is an undervalued asset in the daily round, and we seek to translate the motivations underlying its production into an appreciation that art and commerce can live as one.”
“The music industry is constantly evolving, but one thing remains vital: the need to invest in artist careers and to support their work. We are excited that ORCA now exists to help independents build up collective intelligence on how best to sustain and protect cultural investments, so we can share their economic benefits as broadly and as equitably as possible,” adds Darius Van Arman, Co-CEO at Secretly Group.
Through its research, ORCA invites policymakers, business leaders, and communities to understand deeply why music matters and should be recognized as its own economic ecosystem. By providing evidence-based research, the think tank aims to arm stakeholders with tools to make music more inclusive and leverage music ecosystems to build collective value.
As part of the official launch, ORCA has released its inaugural research report, “Setting the Stage: How Music Works.” This report, presented as both an interactive website and a standalone PDF, provides an in-depth introduction to the music industry, especially for non-music policymakers and community leaders, detailing the complexity of its stakeholders and activities, and highlighting the extensive benefits it generates. This ranges from economic and cultural to community-based impacts.
ORCA will release a series of reports that will include research and data on the benefits of the music ecosystem for local economies, workforce development, and job creation, and social issues spanning equity, sustainability, and more. The think tank is coordinated by the Center for Music Ecosystems, a nonprofit that advances research, policy, and global thought leadership on how music best catalyzes economic, social, and human development.
