International Music Managers Forum (IMMF)

What International Music Managers Forum (IMMF) does

The International Music Managers Forum (IMMF) is a Luxembourg-registered non-profit association (IMMF a.s.b.l., founded 2013) that functions as the international umbrella organization for national and regional associations of music managers and self-managed artists. It coordinates a federated network of MMF chapters covering 50+ countries across six continents, with formalized European (22 countries) and Latin American (14 countries) regional structures plus individual country chapters in Africa, Asia, North America, and Oceania. The organization is governed by a board of officers and management board — most recently refreshed in July 2024 — and operates from a 1-10 employee lean staff structure.

IMMF's core service pillars are networking, training and education, and lobbying. The networking function connects managers and artists across borders to share opportunities, information, and resources, delivered primarily through event participation at major industry conferences (ILMC, Reeperbahn, Midem, Tallinn Music Week, Eurosonic, Vienna Music Business Research Days, FIMPRO). The training and education pillar addresses knowledge gaps in a competitive, rapidly changing industry. The lobbying pillar is concentrated at the EU level, where IMMF has engaged on copyright directives, EU culture budget advocacy (including a €1.85bn sectoral funding proposal and a 99-signatory cultural investment letter), and COVID-19 sector relief measures.

IMMF is not a technology product company. It does not sell software, operate a platform, or employ AI/ML systems. The business model is a subscription/membership-fee structure paid by national and regional MMF associations, supplemented by partnership-driven event co-programming and bursary funding (notably with ILMC for young professionals). Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and there is no external equity investment, parent company, or funding round data on record. Strategic partnerships include DOMUS e.V. (co-founding member, 2013), Women in Music (diversity), Reeperbahn Festival (Reeperbahn NYC), ILMC (bursary programs), and Beloud/Ascora (digital management tool). In 2025, IMMF extended its geographic footprint by hosting the IMMF Awards at Riyadh Music Week, signaling a strategic move into the Middle East.

Name

International Music Managers Forum (IMMF)

Legal name

IMMF a.s.b.l. International Music Managers Forum association sans but lucratif

Website

https://immf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IMMF is the Luxembourg-based international umbrella association for national and regional music manager organizations across 50+ countries, providing networking, training, and EU-level policy advocacy on behalf of featured artist managers and the artists they represent.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Industry Trade Association

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (71141), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Artist Management (MPAIAGAA)

Keywords

• Music manager association
• Artist representation advocacy
• Music industry networking
• Music rights lobbying
• Music business education

Headquarters

HQ city

Luxembourg

HQ country

Luxembourg

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: IMMF operates as a membership-based international umbrella organization connecting national and regional associations of music managers. Revenue appears to come from membership fees, though specific pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IMMF operates as an international umbrella association connecting national and regional associations of self-managed artists and music managers from 50+ countries across six continents. Its core offerings are membership-based services: facilitating global networking among music managers, delivering training and education programs for the profession, and conducting lobbying and advocacy on behalf of artists and managers — particularly at the European Union level on copyright, fair compensation, and cultural funding.

Product overview

The International Music Managers Forum (IMMF) is not a technology product company but rather a global professional association and advocacy organization. IMMF serves as the international umbrella organization for national and regional associations of self-managed artists and music managers from 50+ countries across six continents. The organization does not offer a commercial software product or technology platform; instead, it provides member services including networking, training and education, and lobbying/advocacy for music managers and the artists they represent. IMMF facilitates connections between music managers globally, supports professional development, and advocates for the interests of featured artists and their managers in policy discussions, particularly with European Union institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership in the international MMF network Federated membership for national and regional associations of self-managed artists and music managers (22 European countries via MMF EU, 14 Latin American countries via MMF LATAM, plus individual country chapters), providing access to global networking, education, and policy representation.
• Networking programs Programs that connect artists and their representatives globally to share experiences, opportunities, information, and resources, delivered through conferences and direct peer exchange.
• Training & Education programs Educational programming that delivers industry knowledge, contacts, and learning resources to music managers and self-managed artists in a competitive and rapidly changing music business.
• Lobbying & Advocacy Representation of featured artist music managers and the featured artists (performers and authors) themselves in policy and regulatory forums, particularly at the European Union level on copyright, fair compensation, and cultural funding.
• Reeperbahn NYC delegation event Annual international delegation event in New York City, delivered with Reeperbahn Festival, providing networking and market access for music managers and self-managed artists (over 820 industry executives attended in 2016).
• ILMC bursary program Bursary scheme in partnership with ILMC providing full delegate passes and networking access for young professionals and first-time attendees to the ILMC gathering.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DOMUS e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2013IMMF is a founding member of DOMUS e.V., the German umbrella association for music creatives. DOMUS represents all who expect to make a living from their creative works and participates in designing the future of digital income allocation and administration. DOMUS aims to produce a counterbalance to global players exploiting artists' rights internationally and fights for artists to receive a reasonable share of income when their intellectual property is used.
• Women in MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to advance diversity and equality in the music industry. IMMF collaborates with Women in Music on initiatives supporting underrepresented groups in music management and artist representation.
• Reeperbahn FestivalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIMMF partners with Reeperbahn Festival for Reeperbahn NYC, an annual event bringing international delegates to New York City for networking and market access. The 2016 edition attracted over 820 independent music executives, labels, and service providers from 15 countries. IMMF facilitates member participation and early bird registration.
• International Live Music Conference (ILMC)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerILMC is the leading annual gathering of professionals involved in the global touring, festival, and live entertainment industries. IMMF partners with ILMC to provide bursary schemes for young professionals and first-time attendees who would otherwise be unable to attend, including full delegate passes and networking opportunities.
• Music Moves EuropeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIMMF supports Music Moves Europe initiatives and talent awards, promoting European artists and music professionals on the international stage.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Music Managers Forum (MMF) UK: The UK Music Managers Forum is the original and most prominent national MMF chapter, with which IMMF shares direct membership ties. It serves the same constituency (featured-artist music managers) at national level and provides the foundational model for IMMF's international umbrella structure.
• IMPALA (Independent Music Companies Association): IMPALA is a European trade association advocating for independent music companies, with similar EU-level lobbying focus on copyright, cultural funding, and market access. It operates a comparable international umbrella structure representing a related (though different) constituency within the music value chain.
• ECSA (European Composer & Songwriter Alliance): ECSA is a European alliance representing composer and songwriter organizations across the continent. It mirrors IMMF's advocacy-driven, EU-policy-engaged model but serves creators rather than their managers, making it a structurally and operationally comparable peer.
• AEPO-ARTIS (Association of European Performers' Organisations): AEPO-ARTIS is a European-level umbrella for performers' collective management organizations. It is structurally analogous to IMMF: an international federation representing a specific music-industry constituency, engaging in EU policy advocacy and cross-border cooperation.
• International Live Music Conference (ILMC): ILMC is an annual gathering of global live music professionals and a close IMMF partner (bursary schemes, joint programming). It serves a closely overlapping constituency and shares IMMF's focus on international networking, professional education, and live-industry advocacy.
• WOMEX (World Music Expo): WOMEX is an international networking platform for world music professionals, combining a conference, expo, and festival. It is comparable to IMMF in its focus on international music-industry professional networking, education, and market-access facilitation.

Broad incumbents

• IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry): IFPI is the global trade body representing the recording industry. It is comparable to IMMF as a music-industry-focused international umbrella engaging in policy and market advocacy, but its constituency (record labels) is broader and more commercially powerful than IMMF's music-manager focus.
• FIM (International Federation of Musicians): FIM is the international federation of musicians' unions, representing performers globally. It shares IMMF's structure as an international umbrella organization with EU and global policy engagement, but represents musicians directly rather than via their managers.
• CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers): CISAC is the global umbrella for authors' and composers' societies, operating in music rights and copyright policy at international level. It is comparable to IMMF as a federation coordinating national member organizations and engaging in cross-border rights advocacy.

Regional players

• A2IM (American Association of Independent Music): A2IM is the US trade body for independent music, providing advocacy, networking, and education to its members. It is structurally analogous to IMMF and its regional chapters, but operates as a national (US) association rather than a global umbrella.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/the_immf
• Facebookfacebook.com/theimmf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-music-managers-forum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Music Managers Forum (IMMF)