Sound Business is a newsletter for people working in music: label managers, booking agents, venue programmers, artists, managers, and anyone else trying to understand where the Swiss music industry is headed.
Every month: the stories that matter, what they mean, and one deeper dive into a topic worth your full attention.
What’s inside each edition
Headlines: the most critical industry stories of the month, with context. Not just what happened, but why it matters and what needs to happen next.
Noteworthy: a curated list of shorter news items from reports, appointments, policy moves to things you might have missed.
Parliament Watch: When Swiss music policy reaches the Federal Council or National Council, we track it. Most industry newsletters don’t. We do.
Deep Dive: One topic per month gets extended treatment. Recent examples: the grassroots levy debate in Switzerland, PETZI’s manifesto, the WEMUSIC apprenticeship model.
Why it’s different
English-language coverage of the Swiss music industry is sparse. Most of what exists is either press releases or is not covered at all.
Sound Business is written by someone who covers this beat full-time and has done so since 2010. It’s analytical, independent, and unafraid to say when something isn’t working.
From a recent edition:
In 2025, events hosted by SMPA members generated approximately CHF 311 million. Recorded music brought in CHF 259 million. Combined, half a billion Swiss Francs in revenue, yet the grassroots are drying up and dying. The money mainly flows upwards or outwards. So, it’s all fine if you’re at the top. Nothing to worry about.
Read a sample edition here or browse the full archive.
The details
- When: Monthly
- Format: Email newsletter + archived on the site
- Access: Professional membership ($15/month, 30 days free)
- Includes: Full Supporter access (Weekly5 + all exclusive content)
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Negative White is an independent Swiss music magazine since 2010. Picked up by Tages-Anzeiger, SRF, and Radio X. No shareholders, no advertisers.