UMG/Downtown – comments from AIM Chair, Ruth Barlow

Ruth Barlow, Chair of AIM and Director of Live Licensing at Beggars Group

4 November 2025

...Now, let's turn to the issue that has dominated much of the conversation this year — consolidation, and more specifically, the proposed acquisition of Downtown by Universal Music Group.

It's an important moment for the industry — one that has prompted a range of views across our community.

Some AIM members — including those in joint ventures with majors, those working with major-owned distributors, and some within the independent distribution community — see potential benefits in this deal.

Others have raised concerns about the longer-term impact of consolidation on competition, access, and the notion of independence itself.

That mix of perspectives is healthy, and it reflects the diversity of AIM's membership.

But as the body representing the majority of the independent sector, AIM is opposing this acquisition — not because of who's involved, but because of what's at stake.

When the world's largest music company seeks to acquire both the infrastructure independents depend on and the data that flows through it, it raises serious questions about competition, transparency, and market balance.

It has the potential to alter how our industry functions — changes that may be difficult to rewind. And let's not forget they already own a pretty decent pipeline.

AIM's responsibility is to ensure questions are asked clearly and publicly. We wouldn't be fulfilling our mission if we simply accepted the market dynamics of big business without scrutiny.

This opposition isn't about hostility toward Universal. We welcome the opportunity to work with them on the shared challenges our sector faces: AI, fraud, sustainability, and whatever else lies ahead.

But that doesn't mean we should be silent. Our focus isn't on blame, but on balance.

A balanced marketplace drives opportunity, creativity, diversity, competition, and choice — outcomes that benefit everyone

But when a handful of companies control both the pipes and the insights flowing through them, that visibility could turn independent success into a kind of scouting system, where creativity is harvested, not nurtured. That's the risk we're highlighting.

And it's why AIM will continue to call for transparency, fairness, and a marketplace where independent music can continue to exist and grow on its own terms.

I also want to take a moment to venture into a slightly sensitive area – but I feel it's important to address. It's been particularly disappointing to see advocates on behalf of Universal attempt to reframe our opposition, and make repeated efforts to undermine what AIM and our sister organisations stand for, to discredit the work of our leaders, and to question the integrity of those who have simply spoken up or shared their experience.

Some of the opinions shared connected to the acquisition have drifted beyond healthy debate. We've seen language suggesting that independent voices are "fear-mongering", "misrepresenting truths," or even "extremist" in our opposition.

That kind of talk isn't just unhelpful — it's unworthy of the level of discussion our industry deserves.

Healthy disagreement is part of any functioning market. But professionalism and respect must remain the baseline.

And it's been especially disappointing to see women leading independent trade bodies singled out by name for personal criticism, exclusively by men.

Our industry is still working to correct historic imbalances, and behaviour that undermines that progress, however small or subtle holds everyone back.

We can disagree without diminishing one another, and that's the standard AIM will continue to uphold.

Every one of us - big or small, label, distributor, manager, and artists – plays a part in keeping this industry open, fair and forwarding looking, and through collaboration, transparency and balance, we can keep it strong. 

So let's remind ourselves what independence really means.

It's about ownership, control, and choice — the freedom to decide who you want to work with, and how.

It's about the freedom to say no when it matters.

It's about investing in artists for the long term. And building partnerships that last.

It's about creativity before scale, people before profit.

And it's about respect — for each other, for our differences, and for the idea that there is no single person or entity that sits above the community we've all built. 

Our strength comes from difference— in the messy, brilliant mix of people who make up this independent world. As Darius Van Arman reminded us at AIM Connected this year, we in the independent community don't always agree, and that's fine. It's what makes our ecosystem more interesting, more human, and more honest.

And as we look ahead, it's possible the Downtown decision won't go our way.

But AIM's work doesn't begin or end with any single outcome.

Our purpose is to stay constant: to represent you the independent community, to connect the people and ideas that shape it, and to make sure independence always has a voice. 

Because community isn't just what we do. It's who we are.

And that hopefully - is what will carry us forward.