By José Gandue @Gandour
Since 2013, the Chilean Independent Music Industry Association, IMICHILE, It has been one of the main driving forces of the Chilean music industry. This organization currently brings together more than fifty companies, including record labels, promoters, communications agencies, online stores, and digital distribution platforms, encompassing more than 600 artists from the South American country. Through collaborative work and cooperation to promote the production, promotion, marketing and export of Chilean artists and their phonographic productions, They have managed to expand their work and, in recent years, have been present as an institution at the world's leading fairs and markets. Upon entering their official website, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the organization of their projects and the record of their activities, which, although some may find it overly corporate, is extremely well-organized and very focused on its objectives.
That's why we've been trying to talk to them for several days now. Oliver Knust, founder and director of said entity, also creator of the label Río Bueno Records, who, after an intense promotional tour of Europe, now back in Santiago, has been able to answer our questions:
Where did the idea to create IMIChile come from?
It emerged from international examples we began to see at trade fairs and industry events. The closest reference point was the UFI in Spain, as we were able to access the association's documents and statutes, which we later used to create our own legal documents.
What was the first thing you did as an institution?
Gathering the number of companies willing to form the board of directors of the guild was no easy task.
What profile should those companies have?
They should work with the national catalog and not have a formal link with a multinational record label, basically.
At that time, how many such companies were there in Chile?
Several, I wouldn't know exactly, but there were 7 who signed at that time.
From there, what was the idea for developing the issue?
What the guild's statutes dictated was basically the development of the sector, based on the training of members at the local level and the promotion of exports, through financing mechanisms that the government could provide.
Also, in 2013, there was already experience in exporting independent Chilean talent, right? What was missing?
It needed to be accompanied by industry support. The incentives were only for the artists; there was a lack of a medium- and long-term strategy and support for the companies managing the bands.
Now that you have more partners in your association, did these companies originate from IMIChile or did you have anything to do with their development?
IMICHILE now has 55 members. Many of them are existing companies that joined later, while others were formed in recent years and have since become members. IMICHILE supports the development of the music industry sector and provides ongoing information; many companies have taken advantage of these opportunities.
What kind of relationship have they had with the Chilean state? Have they received any kind of government support?
We have established a good relationship with the various state institutions that work with the creative industries. We have received considerable support; there are many sector-specific grant programs that support guilds and other types of associations.
I see that you have formed delegations to different fairs and festivals around the world, how has everything worked, and what have you achieved from those trips?
We've gained mostly experience and an important network of contacts. We've seen that the Chilean industry is identified as a collaborative sector, with artistic backing and a certain character, haha.
Let's talk now about the domestic market, but let's start with a specific fact: What is Fluvial?
River It's an event that promotes the Chilean music industry, primarily training and exports. It's an idea we gleaned from the various conferences and events we attended. We held it in Valdivia to showcase Chile's unique climate, music, and culture. It was made possible through the collaboration of several private and public entities, with the participation of the Austral University, which has a campus in that city.
Fluvial became a landmark for the industry because it's about bringing everyone out of Santiago and into a beautiful city. Everyone expects to be there not only to do business but also to have a very entertaining weekend, and that's why we've received very positive feedback from all sectors and friends.
As a result of these activities, have they been able to strongly stimulate the domestic market?
Something has been activated, but it has served more to characterize it.
How much of a share does independent music have in the Chilean market?
It depends on the location. On commercial radio, from the Ibero-American holding company, it's 20% by law. In rights sales, very little, around 2%. In live shows, quite a lot, since that's where everything happens, and Santiago has a very active circuit of live music clubs. Touring internationally, too. Many, even emerging ones, tour quite a bit. It has to do with government incentive programs.
And how are they doing in the streaming market?
He also walks, but that pie is shared with those who have crossed the barrier of "popularity," like Gepe, Javeria Mena, Fran Valenzuela And all of them have gone to bigger labels in the last year.
Two closely related questions: Can a Chilean independent record label be profitable? Can a Chilean independent musician make a living from their art?
Opportunities exist, but they must be supported by artistic quality and organic development, coupled with talent. From there, companies can take risks, relying on their intelligence and intuition. From then on, the industry's role is to manage the situation, primarily with the collaboration of the government and the copyright society, so that the sector can develop with opportunities like any other, taking advantage of existing support mechanisms. Now that there are established artists, the industry can support a small structure for emerging artists without losing sight of its independent vision.
