News

Brief · Work & money

For musicians, MinimumPay remains a recommendation, not a minimum fee

If you negotiate with Sonart's fee recommendations, you do not hold a binding minimum fee. Sonart is asking funding bodies to put money behind those fees.

Ana Kovač · Editorial profile Sources: 2

Fri, 16 October

• Report · Work & money · German-speaking Switzerland

  Schaffhausen ties funded organisers to the associations' fee guidelines

  The city and canton of Schaffhausen are writing the professional associations' fee guidelines into new service agreements. For music, that means 600 to 800 francs per person per evening, while several venues currently pay far less.

  Ana Kovač Sources: 3

Sat, 10 October

• Brief · Work & money · French-speaking Switzerland

  Action Intermittence explains artists' right to unemployment benefit in Neuchâtel

  The training session on 14 October 2026 at Case à Chocs is explicitly aimed at musicians too.

  Ana Kovač Sources: 1

Tue, 6 October

• Report · Work & money · Italian-speaking Switzerland

  Two independent cultural venues in Ticino close on the same day

  Spazio L'Ove in Viganello and Casa Azul in Gordola announced their closure on 30 September. The canton funds new spaces, but only through the municipalities.

  Ana Kovač Sources: 3

Sat, 3 October

• Brief · Work & money · German-speaking Switzerland

  Musik Hug moves its Zurich shop to Talacker

  Since 3 October 2026, the music shop has been at Talacker 21. For musicians, the workshops, test rooms and rental storage are what count.

  Ana Kovač Sources: 1

Fri, 2 October

• Brief · Work & money

  A National Council interpellation proposes sales promotion for Swiss music modelled on agriculture

  Ueli Schmezer asks the Federal Council whether the Confederation could help fund joint promotion of Swiss music. The model is the roughly CHF 66 million spent on agricultural products.

  Ana Kovač Sources: 1

• Brief · Work & money

  From 2027, self-employed people pay at least CHF 541 into AHV, IV and EO

  The Federal Council is raising AHV pensions and the occupational pension thresholds from 1 January 2027. The minimum contribution for the self-employed is going up.

  Ana Kovač Sources: 1

Fri, 18 September

• Report · Work & money

  Music graduates are more often unemployed than average one year after their studies

  Among UAS bachelor's graduates, the field of music, theatre and other arts has the highest unemployment rate. At the same time, rural music schools are struggling to find teachers.

  Ana Kovač Sources: 2

Tue, 15 September

• Brief · Work & money · German-speaking Switzerland · French-speaking Switzerland

  A symposium in Biel/Bienne focuses on the health of musicians' hands

  On 7 November 2026, Swissmedmusica is holding a bilingual event at the Farelsaal in Biel/Bienne. Sonart members pay CHF 30.

  Ana Kovač Sources: 2

Fri, 11 September

• Brief · Work & money

  Switzerland has more cultural businesses than ever, but fewer people work in them

  In 2024 there were 69,441 cultural businesses, more than at any time since 2011. Employment, by contrast, fell for the first time since 2020.

  Ana Kovač Sources: 2