Leading independent music labels worldwide have united to launch the Organization for Recorded Culture and Arts (ORCA), a think tank that seeks to develop and promote research underscoring music’s significant economic, social, and cultural value.
ORCA’s founding members include some of the most recognized independent music labels responsible for discovering and nurturing the careers of global music icons such as Adele, Nirvana, Christine and the Queens, The National, Mitski, and ODESZA.
They 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), and Sub Pop (Seattle, WA).
ORCA’s vision extends beyond the music industry itself. The organization is dedicated to promoting a thriving music ecosystem that enriches communities and fuels economic growth.
Music’s ability to create long-term, well-paying jobs is a crucial aspect that ORCA aims to highlight. From engineers and producers to marketing teams, venue staff, and ticketing services, music creates a vast network of opportunities that extend far beyond the artist and producer, ORCA said in a press release on July 17.
“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.”
Martin Mills, Beggars Group
Through research, ORCA strives to equip policymakers, business leaders, and communities with a deeper understanding of music’s significance as a distinct economic ecosystem. The think tank’s evidence-based approach aims to help stakeholders create a more inclusive music environment.
“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, 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.”
To mark its official launch, ORCA presented its first research report: Setting the Stage: How Music Works. This report, available as both an interactive website and a downloadable PDF, serves as an introduction to the music industry for non-experts. It delves into the complexities of the industry’s stakeholders and activities, highlighting the vast economic, cultural, and community-based benefits music generates.
ORCA plans to release a series of reports exploring the music ecosystem’s impact on local economies, workforce development, and social issues.
“By nurturing artists and investing in diverse services and businesses, independent labels build vibrant communities and sustainable economic ecosystems.”
Nathan Ohle, IEDC
“The music industry is constantly evolving, but one thing remains vital: the need to invest in artist careers and to support their work,” said Darius Van Arman, Co-CEO, Secretly Group. “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.”
Nathan Ohle, President and CEO, International Economic Development Council (IEDC), added: “Independent labels play a crucial role in fostering economic development and growth, not just within the music industry but across a wide array of sectors. Their investments and activities create jobs, support small businesses, and drive local economies.
“By nurturing artists and investing in diverse services and businesses, independent labels build vibrant communities and sustainable economic ecosystems. The Organization for Recorded Culture and Arts report underscores the vital importance of supporting these independent entities for the continued prosperity and diversity of the music industry.”
ORCA 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.
Music Business Worldwide