SXSW Music, which lands in Austin March 13-18, has long offered artists either an official wristband to attend the festival, or $250 payment. This morning, the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) launched their Fair Pay at SXSW campaign requesting $750 payment to all artists. Artists signed onto the effort include Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto, Eve 6, Zola Jesus, Speedy Ortiz, Downtown Boys, Half Waif, and Illuminati Hotties.
The group doesn’t appear to include any Austin artists, but the letter will be “continuously updated with new signatures.” Launched in 2020 to advocate for government aid for music workers who lost work during the pandemic, UMAW’s past efforts include a Justice at Spotify campaign, which included protests at the company’s offices worldwide last March. The nonprofit, which is not a formalized labor union, is open to “all music workers, including musicians, DJs, producers, road crew, and others.”
In addition to the increase to $750, the letter’s other demands include a provided wristband to the festival alongside payment, removal of the application fee, and the same compensation to international artists.
UMAW digs into the details of SXSW offers made to performing artists, which are currently rolling out as the festival continues to add artists to the March lineup. The press release says: “For solo artists and duos, the offer is only $100. For non-US artists, there is no financial compensation offered at all.” The letter adds that the application fee paid by artists applying to SXSW has increased from $40 in 2012 to a current fee of $55.
The letter also highlights SXSW’s 2021 partnership with a media venture operated by Penske Media Corp., which handles publishing operations for brands like Rolling Stone, Billboard, Variety, Vibe, and the Hollywood Reporter. P-MRC (a joint venture between MRC Media & Info and Penske Media) purchased a 50% stake in the festival last April, in a deal that then-CEO Roland Swenson called “a true lifeline” following major pandemic financial losses. The Chronicle’s publisher and owner, Nick Barbaro, is also a founding partner of SXSW.
Since then, the festival has also launched its first international expansion, SXSW Sydney, scheduled for October 2023.
UMAW’s letter concludes: “The corporation’s CEO Jay Penske is the son of billionaire Roger Penske, and is himself worth roughly a quarter of a billion dollars. The festival brings high profile politicians and business people from all over the world for high level speeches, panels, and networking. Yet SXSW continues to severely mistreat the artists who are the backbone of the enterprise.”
This article appears in February 3 • 2023.