Labels unter Druck – wie sichern wir Vielfalt?

Maurice Summen, Sera Kalo, Melanie Gollin (Mod.)

Labels discover artists, develop careers, finance recordings, build visibility, and play a defining role in shaping the cultural diversity of the music landscape. Yet this work is coming under increasing pressure. Rising production costs, unequal revenue models in streaming, legal frameworks, and a rapidly changing market pose major challenges, particularly for independent labels. This panel asks what role labels still play today, why they remain essential to a diverse music culture, and which political and economic changes are needed to secure their future. Rather than looking back nostalgically, the discussion focuses on how independent label work can remain viable in the future.

Sera Kalo is a singer, producer, label founder, and interdisciplinary artist. Born in the US, raised in a Caribbean family, and now based in Berlin, she combines musical openness with a strong social and political awareness. Through Blume Box Records, she has created a platform that brings together artistic independence and collective practice. Her perspective connects creative work with the structural challenges facing independent labels.

Maurice Summen is a musician, author, and founder of the Berlin independent label staatsakt, which has been one of the defining voices in Germany’s independent music scene for two decades. As frontman of the band Die Türen, organiser of the outer national platform Fun in The Church, and a writer for publications including taz and Kaput – Magazin für Insolvenz & Pop, he has long moved between pop, literature, and cultural politics. His work exemplifies an independent music practice that combines artistic conviction with entrepreneurial thinking.

The panel is moderated by freelance music journalist Melanie Gollin, who has spent many years examining the economic conditions that shape music culture. Through her newsletter and podcast ZWISCHEN ZWEI UND VIER, she focuses on financial flows, power structures, and the deeper workings of the music industry: Who earns what? Who carries the risk? And which models can sustain cultural diversity in the long term?

In cooperation with VUT