Universal Music Group Expands Mental Health Initiatives

UMG announces partnership with Amber Health to deliver 24/7, industry-specific mental health support for artists and songwriters

Advances industry wellbeing as a founding member of Project Healthy Minds' workforce mental health research initiative

SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, today announced the expansion of its mental health and wellbeing strategy with the announcement of two new partnerships with Amber Health and Project Healthy Minds.  Building on UMG's existing initiatives, these moves underscore its commitment to advancing industry standards and supporting artists and songwriters, employees and the broader industry.

Through a combination of partnerships and programs, the company is improving access to care within its creative community. These services now include:

• UMG is partnering with Amber Health to provide mental health services to its North American artists and songwriters. Amber Health specializes in delivering research-backed, gold-standard mental health care for music industry professionals through clinicians who understand the unique pressures and challenges of the entertainment industry. This partnership enables 24/7 access to clinical expertise, including crisis response, care planning, and specialized referrals. UMG will also work with Amber Health to provide additional behavioral health support to UMG employees in the U.S. and Canada, which will include access to expanded mental health support and resources.
• Since February 2025, a cornerstone of UMG's strategy has been partnering with Music Health Alliance on their groundbreaking Music Industry Mental Health Fund. UMG has made a long-term commitment to support the Fund, which provides end-to-end mental health navigation services, including care coordination, resource identification, and ongoing support, ensuring continuity of care across all career stages within the music industry.

UMG continues to deepen its collaboration with leading organizations to broaden the delivery of practical tools and educational initiatives aimed at improving mental health literacy and reducing stigma.

• UMG has been named as a founding member of Project Healthy Minds' workforce mental health research initiative, becoming the first music company committed to the development of a standardized framework to measure workforce mental health and its correlation with organizational performance. In collaboration with academic partners, including Harvard Business School, this initiative is intended to establish data-driven benchmarks and inform best practices across industries. UMG continues to work with existing longstanding partners including Mental Health Coalition (MHC) to highlight the resources and research-backed ways that music can support mental health. 

Susan Mazo, Chief Impact Officer, Universal Music Group said, "Through our strategic partnerships with organizations like Amber Health and Project Healthy Minds— and our continued investment in groundbreaking programs like Music Health Alliance's Music Industry Mental Health Fund, we are working to redesign how our industry supports wellbeing. Our focus is on expanding access to care, reducing stigma, and ensuring that our artists and songwriters, employees, and the broader music community have the resources they need to thrive."

Dr. Chayim Newman & Zack Borer, Co-Founders, Amber Health said, "Our partnership with UMG marks a real shift in how labels support their artists. Together with UMG's corporate and label leadership, we're embedding quick access to specialized mental health care directly into the labels' infrastructure, making it proactive rather than an afterthought. We couldn't be prouder of this work, or the message it sends to the rest of the music industry." 

"Music has always been a vehicle for mental health conversations and now Universal Music Group is bringing that same honesty inside its own walls," comments Phil Schermer, Founder and CEO, Project Healthy Minds. "When a company of UMG's reach commits to this, the whole industry pays attention."

In addition, UMG continues to enhance its employee wellbeing offerings through expanded access to therapy, virtual care solutions, and Employee Assistance Program services, with additional programming, including targeted workshops.   

About Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group exists to shape culture through the power of artistry. UMG is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content. Featuring the most comprehensive catalogue of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans. For more information, visit www.universalmusic.com

About Amber Health
Amber Health is the only full-service mental health and wellness solution for the music industry. Established in 2020 by Dr. Chayim Newman and Zack Borer, LMFT, Amber Health is grounded in the belief that mental and emotional well-being are not just important but essential for the survival and evolution of the music industry. Supporting artists, tours, events, and music companies, Amber Health's innovative approach shifts the focus from reactive to proactive care. They offer tailored programs, delivered by their team of clinicians with extensive music industry backgrounds, built to sustain career longevity in an industry challenged by stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, and substance use. Amber Health has supported tours and teams behind artists including Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, and Shakira, and has partnered with leading organizations including MusiCares and the Country Music Association, to provide mental health services at scale across the industry.

About Project Healthy Minds
Project Healthy Minds is a Millennial & Gen Z-driven mental health tech non-profit dedicated to expanding access to mental health services across the United States for every community. Project Healthy Minds focuses on three programmatic areas: (1) destigmatizing mental health by mobilizing culture-makers; (2) expanding access to mental health services through the world's first free digital mental health marketplace; and (3) advocating for innovative workplace investments in employee mental health. Project Healthy Minds' programmatic initiatives have served more than 500,000 people to-date.

SOURCE Universal Music Group