Spanish Day Without Music

The head of Barcelona-based Doctor Music and vice president of Spain’s promoters’ association put forward the idea of a day without music as a 24-hour protest at the rising taxes squeezing the live business.

A Day Without Music is to protest the 21 percent VAT charged on tickets and a performance royalty charge of 10 percent.

“We think the government will feel too much pressure and will change when it hears how miserable life is without music,” Sala explained. In November, Spanish promoters won a ruling that should herald a cut in what they’re paying for performance royalties, although they’re not expecting it will be any time soon.

The National Commission of the Markets and Competition fined royalty collection agency SGAE euro 3.1 million (then $3.9 million) and ordered it to review the 10 percent it charges for concerts and other music events.

It also ordered the Office of Competition to oversee the fulfillment of the ruling.