A Covid-19 briefing by Koda’s CEO

Dear members.

Like so many workplaces in Denmark, the Koda offices have shut down and all employees have been sent home. Until the authorities issue new directives, we will keep Koda running remotely from our workplaces at home. Apart from temporarily closing down our office location, you will see no changes in our operation or service. We are still available via email and on the phone, just as always.

Having said that, nothing is as it used to be. With Covid-19 we have a worldwide problem with huge consequences for our health, economy, business communities and cultural scenes – consequences we cannot yet fully foresee.

Right now, the many cancelled concerts this spring have essentially put many members out of work for the moment, with great financial consequences for concert organisers and musicians alike. We at Koda are very much aware that many people will be affected here. The revenue lost will not only hit the artists performing the music, who stand to lose their fees, but also the composers and songwriters who lose Koda revenues.

However, other revenue-generating areas besides concerts will also be affected. When cafés, bars and restaurants close down, they also shut down their music – meaning that they pay no fees to Koda. And when the ad market takes a hit, commercial TV and radio stations suffer. All this will inevitably affect our revenue generated from these areas, but we cannot yet say how much, because we do not know how long this situation will last.

In the past week, the Danish music trade unions – Dansk Artist Forbund and Dansk Musikerforbund – have worked hard to push for political solutions to alleviate the economic crisis among the thousands of performers and artists whose personal finances are at risk of being severely hit by the projected number of cancellations within the concert area, both at home and abroad. Dansk Live is working very hard right now, and DJBFA, DPA, DKF and Musikforlæggerne (the Danish MPA) are also all active in the political work that can hopefully mitigate the consequences of the crisis for those who create music.

The Danish Minister of Culture Joy Mogensen has stated that she is aware that the current wage compensation scheme does not solve everyone's problems and that independent artists find themselves in a very precarious situation right now. She invites a close dialogue with the trade unions representing the cultural scene, which is a good thing. This means that efforts are being made on several fronts to ensure that the cultural sector is on the radar when defining the criteria for the current relief packages and compensation schemes. At the same time, work is being done under the auspices of trade unions to ease the current rules on unemployment benefit, sickness benefit and cash benefits.

The rules and guidelines issued by the authorities are subject to change all the time, and of course we will keep you informed of any initiatives that directly affect our ability to keep our operations running.

As yet, the upcoming general meeting is scheduled to be held on 28 April  That may change, but until you hear otherwise, that’s still the plan.

• Read more about the general meeting

Let me end by sending you our warmest thoughts – take good care of yourself and each other.

Gorm Arildsen

CEO