When I stepped into the role of president of Artisti, I felt that it was time to stoke the debate on various aspects of our craft. As you may already be aware, there are several negotiations currently underway at the UDA,* and the issues and challenges they face are intersecting more and more frequently with ours here at Artisti, as questions related to copyright management emerge. Now that we represent over 3,300 members, it seemed clear to me that we needed two extra seats on the board, taking our total number of directors to 11, in an effort to bring different perspectives to our discussions and stir up some new ideas.
The board plays a decisive role in the strategic management of Artisti. We are also the voice of our members — your voice. The board is here to listen, and we need your input from the front lines. By welcoming two new directors, we also hope to increase our diversity and expand our reach.

You probably noticed that we are now using a call for nominations process, adapted from the UDA model, to recruit board members. In so doing, we hope to be as transparent and democratic as possible and open the door to all those who would like to get involved. Although our directors are not elected, as they are at the UDA, their nominations are reviewed carefully in line with the board’s needs. We strive to ensure that the board composition is representative of our membership and contributes complementary experience. It is not always an easy task, as there are many excellent candidates and only a limited number of slots to fill. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our nominees for their outstanding submissions. Your ever-growing interest makes me believe that even more people will step up in the future and offer to do their part.

As we all know, the choices available to today’s music consumers are broader than ever, although the corresponding revenues are increasingly diluted and dispersed. With all the new trends out there for listening to and consuming music, we have to be even more vigilant and ready to engage in conversations about our positions as artists and creators, as well as about the role of Artisti in managing our royalties and revenues.

Simply put, it is high time that we as a community talk, artist to artist, so we can get a better handle on the issues confronting us. I extend a warm welcome to our two other new board members who I’m sure will bring novel ideas to the table and further enrich this dialogue.