Industry News and Updates: September 2026

Subvert launches community-owned music platform

SoundCloud has announced the trial of a new service that will allow artists to sell tracks directly, and commission-free, from their profiles, with the proceeds going directly to the artist.. The service is currently only avaialble to a select group fo Artist Pro creators in the US, though if the trial is successful this will be expanded later this year. Read more here.
 

Applications for the 2026 Oram Awards now open

Sound and Music have published a new research paper in their Curating Composer series, discussing what happens to the 'research, ideas, experiments and creative potential left behind by a system that prioritises constant production and continual novelty?'. The paper proposes frameworks that will allow for the continued life of creative work through the concepts of Creative Waste and Dimensioning, in which the process of creating work to become as much part of the artistic ecosystem as finished work - read the research here.

Arvo Pärt awarded the annual Goethe Medal

Estonian composer Arvo Pärt is one of three artists who have been awarded the 2026 Goethe Medal. The medal acknowledges innovative cultural work and contribution to international cultural exchange, with a focus on promoting German language and culture. Pärt, who lived in Berlin for almost 30 years, is the first Estonian recipient of the award. Read more here.

IAMIC Annual Conference 2026, Dublin

The Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland hosts the annual conference and meeting of the International Association of Music Centres (IAMIC), 8-11 September, with the topic of 'the future of music in a changing world'. The event features a public conference day of talks, performances and panel sessions. See the full schedule here.