The Value of Music campaign made history – and got Finns thinking about what music truly means
Gramex and JVG launched the Value of Music campaign in October 2025. At the heart of the campaign was an unprecedented stunt: for the first time in Finnish history, a new track by an artist was sold exclusively as a single vinyl record to anyone who wanted to buy it.
In other words, the song could only be heard by purchasing it – except for a few music industry professionals who got an early taste of the unique track in advance:
If you want to watch the video with English subtitles, turn on captions (Finnish) in the settings.
Anyone had the opportunity to make an offer for the track and claim a piece of Finnish music history.
There was, however, a twist. The bidding process was not a simple money‑based auction; buyers were also required to explain what they believed gives music its value and to present a purpose for the track that extends beyond its financial worth.
At the core of the campaign was a question that the entire music industry has been reflecting on in recent years: what defines the value of music?
A much‑needed spark for discussion
The purpose of the Value of Music campaign was to highlight the importance of human‑made music and creative work in a time filled with change and challenges – wars, technological upheavals, financial pressures, extreme poverty and growing uncertainty.
We need the comfort, hope and sense of community that music provides more than ever, yet people are increasingly willing to pay less for music – in some cases, nothing at all.
The campaign aimed to shed light on the enormous – and often partly invisible – amount of work required to complete a single track. Behind one song is often a long list of people and hundreds of hours of work: composers, lyricists, vocalists, musicians, recording engineers, producers and mixing engineers.
The campaign’s mission was to remind people that fair compensation for music and creative work is a sign of respect for the human labour and professional skill behind it – something we want to protect now and in the future.
If you want to watch the video with English subtitles, turn on captions (Finnish) in the settings.
A bidding process grew into an emotional and widely followed phenomenon
Because nothing like this had ever been seen in Finland before, the unique idea behind the Value of Music campaign quickly sparked nationwide interest among both the media and the general public.
The campaign was prominently covered across national media, including Huomenta Suomi, Yle’s Puoli seitsemän, Iltalehti, Anna, various music media outlets and radio stations, as well as local newspapers such as Länsi-Savo.
In addition, journalists Aleksi Korpijaakko and Ville Tanskanen followed the campaign’s progress week by week on Thursday mornings on Radio Suomiräp. Radio Suomiräp took part in the campaign as a commercial collaboration partner.
The campaign successfully reached its target audience: as many as 78% of 16–24‑year‑olds recall having seen some form of communication from the Value of Music campaign. On social media alone, the campaign reached a total of 2.37 million people.
Jokerit selected as the winner – the first performance created an unforgettable moment at Veikkaus Arena
Both private individuals and well‑known companies took part in the bidding process. Among the bidders was Liikku, Finland’s largest gym chain, which briefly pushed the competition into a tight lead during the early stages of the campaign. Fazerin Sininen also expressed its interest in the campaign.
In the close contest, a total of 35 bids were submitted, amounting to 46,245.11 euros. The winning bid reached 15,500 euros. It was submitted by Helsingin Jokerit, whose offer and its reasoning seamlessly combined music and sports.
If you want to watch the video with English subtitles, turn on captions (Finnish) in the settings.
“The choice wasn’t easy! For us, it was important that the track encourages people to move and creates a sense of community at games and beyond. In addition, Jokerit as the buyer shows in practice that setting music, culture and sports – or really anything else – against each other is unnecessary in today’s world: through collaboration, you achieve more. Without music, the atmosphere in the arena would be only half of what it is,” Jare from JVG explained.
JVG’s track premiered at Jokerit’s home game on 20 December 2025 on the ice of Veikkaus Arena, in front of thousands of spectators. The moment became a touching and unique highlight of the campaign – a gesture underscoring the power of music and community, one that left a lasting impression on many.
The proceeds were donated to RockCamp ry – the good circulation of music continued as a concrete act
The aim of the Value of Music campaign was not only to spark a broad societal discussion about the status and appreciation of music creators, but also to provide concrete support for young people’s music hobbies.
The proceeds of the campaign were donated in full to RockCamp ry, which offers young people a safe, bullying‑free environment for band activities and music making across Finland. The donation was handed over during the song’s premiere at Veikkaus Arena.
In this way, the campaign not only sparked a conversation about the value of music, but also turned words into action and enabled new musical beginnings for young creators.
The value of music theme continues
The Value of Music campaign was a historic initiative that sparked discussion, introduced a new way of looking at music and brought the significance of copyright, creative work and performing artists into clear focus. The campaign encouraged Finns to reflect on the value of music on a more personal level than perhaps ever before.
The theme will continue strongly in the work carried out in 2026. In this way, the legacy of the campaign lives on – and the value of music remains where it belongs: visibly present in Finnish society.
“The value of music is difficult to define in general terms. Yet the foundations for defining that value do exist. When a human creates music for other humans, there is always a background, a history, a story. The very process of making music is a story in itself,” summarizes Ilmo Laevuo, Managing Director of Gramex.
