BLACKOUT: Music Industry Blackout Announced in Protest Over Death of George Floyd

Stop the Music.

The music industry will unite in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement on Tuesday, June 2, as music industry figures and record label employees will take the day to disconnect from work and reconnect with communities.

Warner Music Group, Sony Music, Columbia Records, Def Jam Recording, Interscope Geffen A&M, Capitol Music Group, and more are set to suspend business tomorrow (June 2) and work with communities to fight racial inequality.

Many music companies have turned to Twitter and spoken out on the matter. “We stand with the black community,” Universal Music said on Twitter, using the hashtag #TheShowMustbePaused. Warner Records stated that “[t]he music business as WMG will not go on as usual,” and Sony Music made a similar statement.

Interscope Records turned to Instagram to share that it “will not release new music the week of June 1st. Instead, IGA will contribute to organizations that help to bail out protestors exercising their right to peaceably assemble, aid lawyers working for systematic change and provide assistance to charities focused on creating economic empowerment in the Black community.”

Atlantic Records made a statement saying that the label will be working towards making future changes within Warner Music Group and the industry as a whole. In the statement, Atlantic Records stated that it is committed to continuing this fight for real change, and will be taking further steps in the coming weeks and months.

The ‘Tuesday Blackout’ has even gone beyond national borders. In the UK, music licensing company PPL said it would also be observing the blackout, and announced that its virtual office will be closed for 24 hours and would reopen on June 3.

The music industry-wide response follows statements made by streaming companies such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon, and Paramount, who have all made commitments to align their companies with the Black Live Matter movement.

Let’s all unite on June 2, and perhaps with the music off, we can truly listen.

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