Sony Music Publishing will provide its global roster of songwriters and composers with access to free, confidential counseling services and wellness resources, the company announced Monday (Jan. 31).
Starting Tuesday, the new Songwriter Assistance program will offer 24/7 counseling support via global hotlines, in addition to ongoing counseling services for emotional health issues including stress, anxiety, depression and family/relationship challenges. The company’s songwriters and composers will also be given unlimited access to customized resources for tackling responsibilities such as researching childcare and eldercare options, navigating life transitions, co-parenting and budgeting for major life events.
Songwriter Assistance is an expansion of SMP’s Songwriters Forward Legacy Unrecouped Balance Program, which was established last July to help create new earnings opportunities for the publisher’s legacy songwriters. The new initiative is also being billed as an extension of the company’s Soundtrack of Mental Health Program, which it launched in tandem with the mental health nonprofit Silence the Shame in March 2021.
“We are committed to providing you with services that matter,” said SMP chairman and CEO Jon Platt in announcing the program in a letter addressed to the company’s songwriters and composers. “The importance of wellness cannot be overstated, and with Songwriter Assistance, we look forward to offering you a new level of care and support.”
Added Amy Cranford, SMP senior vp, publishing administration, “We are passionate about taking care of Sony Music Publishing’s songwriters and composers and providing them with the best level of support. As we continue to expand our services with Songwriters Forward, we are proud to implement SMP’s Songwriter Assistance initiative.”
SMP songwriters and composers can learn more about Songwriter Assistance on the publisher’s website and by emailing SMPSongwriters@CCAinc.com.