Client: Sabam, PlayRight+, GALM vzw, FACIR
Product: Belgian Music Fund
Title: Songs without Music
Media: Radio, Digital
Country: Belgium
Date Of Campaign: June 23, 2020

Background: The covid-19 crisis made the situation for Belgian musicians – which were already fragile to begin with, even more precarious because they could no longer rely their biggest source of income: live shows. To create new music, rehearsing, recording and releasing new material requires a large investment. So a lack of funding prohibits musicians from doing what they do best: make new music. The unions for authors, musicians and composers, Sabam, Playright+, Facir and Galm founded Belgian Music Fund. The challenge was to launch this fund with a campaign that raises awareness for musicians’ lack of funding and raise funds to record new music.

Idea: We asked the country's most popular musicians and bands, such as Clouseau, Willy Sommers, K's Choice, Eurosong participant Blanche, Cargo Mas and Sttellla to re-record their most iconic hit. And asked radio stations to play these re-recorded hits.What changed? After a short intro, just the lyric of the verse is heard. No melody. No instruments. No music. Just the words, spoken by the lead singer. The first verse is followed by a heartfelt message: "a song lyric is not music yet. Many musicians don't have the funds to rehearse, play, record or produce. Support them on belgianmusicfund.be. Don't do it for me, but for the K's choice of tomorrow." After this, the song continued as normal from the second verse on. Creating a hidden message within the hits played on national radio.The Belgian Music Fund was launched on June 23, 2020. That day, 8 Belgian Radio stations (Joe FM, NRJ, Classic 21, la première, Studio Brussel, Radio 1, Willy Radio, Radio 2) integrated and played at least one of the hits in their programming. Combining a reach of 3.702.000 listeners, which is 40% of the country’s population.

Results: 8 Belgian Radio stations (Joe FM, NRJ, Classic 21, la première, Studio Brussel, Radio 1, Willy Radio, Radio 2) integrated and played at least one of the hits in their programming. Combining a reach of 3.702.000 listeners, which is 40% of the country’s population.So far, they donated over 210.000 euro via belgianmusicfund.be, enabling the fund to support numerous musicians to rehearse, record, produce and record their material