50,000 francs for independent labels

In autumn 2016, Migros Culture Percentage launched its twelfth call for applications to support pop music labels. Eighteen labels and artist management agencies from all over Switzerland submitted their applications. The 2017 winners of the support for pop labels and artist management agencies are: Irascible Music, Lausanne & Zurich, Radicalis Music Management, Aesch (BL), Cheptel Records, Geneva, Danse Noire, Geneva, and HRD Records, Bern.

According to jury president and m4music festival manager Philipp Schnyder, "the labels supported reflect the great diversity of independent labels in Switzerland. In recent years, we've noticed not only a professionalization of labels, but also an increasingly marked international orientation." This is to the benefit of Swiss artists, as labels and managements are doing important work in developing their careers, marketing and exporting. With Irascible Music, the jury is first and foremost recognizing an independent company which, through its work as a label, but also thanks to its promotion and distribution services, has become a real driving force for independent music in Switzerland. There are few players in the Swiss popular music scene who have not worked with Irascible, either directly or indirectly.

As a reminder, the Migros Culture Percentage launched its label support program in 2006, with the aim of strengthening the autonomy and professionalism of independent Swiss labels. From this pioneering act grew a sustainable program that has distributed over a million francs in structural support to the Swiss music scene over the last twelve years. This initiative has met with great success in the milieu. 2017 marks the final year of the support program for labels and artist management. Next June, Migros Culture Percentage will announce a new project in the field of structural support for Swiss pop music.