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By Chris Cooke | Posted on Friday, October 1, 2021

Sony Music announced a new program yesterday that gives artists working with the mainstream access to free consulting services, through which they can organize confidential sessions with a licensed therapist to discuss topics such as stress, anxiety and depression. .

The new program, called Artist Assistance, is part of Sony Music’s larger Artists Forward program, which aims to position the music company as an artist-friendly major. It is under the same program that Sony has committed to pay royalties to artists on contracts prior to 2000 who have not yet recovered their old recording contracts.

The mental well-being of artists in the music community has of course become a much more important topic of discussion in recent years. Part of the challenge is how artists – who are typically mostly self-employed – can access the support they need in this area, especially artists operating at a level where cash flow is often a challenge.

There are large charity programs in some countries offering this support, of course, although for many artists, having access to a service like Sony Artist Support can be of tremendous benefit.

In a letter to artists, Sony said the Artist Assistance program will provide “free and confidential counseling services to address stress, anxiety, depression, bereavement, family and relationship issues and more.” Active List artists from all over the world can connect for free with a licensed and dedicated therapist and the use of the program is completely confidential ”.

Many artists in the United States, he adds, are also “eligible to access eligible health and retirement services available through Sony Music’s affiliations with major artist organizations, such as unions representing artists. Americans “. The new regime will also provide advice on how to access these services.

Along with the new Wellness program, Sony also announced that Susan Moultrie has been appointed Senior Vice President of Art Initiatives and Business Administration, and in this capacity, she will coordinate the broader Artists Forward program at the to come up. This will also include providing artists with more information on how the business works.