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After serving the music community for over 50 years, the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) has announced a name change. The organization and its digital industry hub, digitalmusic.org, will now be collectively known as the Music Business Association in an effort to better reflect the diversity of those involved in music commerce.
“The music industry has changed dramatically over the past decade, and NARM has been evolving along with those changes,” president Jim Donio said in an announcement. The Music Business Association will continue to be headed by Donio, headquartered in Marlton, NJ, but the announcement did include descriptions of six additional sectors in specific areas of interest as well as six new director positions to the Board of the trade organization added to represent the broader membership base.
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Donio commented on recent trends within the industry, clarifying that the new name corresponds with the continuous changes of the music trade. “More segments of the business than ever before now play an active role in the commerce side of the business,” Donio said. The old name “no longer reflected everyone who can participate in the organization,” and, with this change, “the ‘M’ stands for music.”
For the initial stages of transition, the organization will focus on its Digital, Information Technology, Physical, and Knowledge sectors, which are said to structurally resemble the established Work Groups. “Each group will work directly with the Music Biz team… to determine their priorities and deliver results that move the needle for their area of the industry,” Wilson added. The remaining sectors — Artists, Management, Touring and Legal & Business Affairs — represent the expansion of specific segments of music commerce and furthering the organization’s representation of members who operate within those areas.
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And while the current members of the Board of Directors will remain in place, the Music Business Association has welcomed six new seats, four of which come from the former NARM Music Industry Advisory Council. Brad Navin of The Orchard, Darren Stupak of Sony Music Entertainment, Matt Signore of Warner Music Group, and Jim Urie of Universal Music Group will work with standing Board members to create a diversified committee whose combined interests contribute to the organization’s membership outreach and overall success. Two other directors from music content companies are set for appointment by the year’s end.
contributing meaningfully to the industry’s growing digital music revenues,” said the NARM president, who celebrates 25 years with the organization.”]
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