1. Why this exists
1.1.  MUZE is an independent entertainment company. We release music, manage artists and creators, produce film and audio, build campaigns for brands, and stage concerts for audiences of several thousand people. That work puts us in rooms where one side has more power than the other — a studio at two in the morning, a backstage corridor, a first contract offered to a nineteen-year-old, a festival field with teenagers in it.
1.2.  Our industry has not always handled those rooms well. This Code is our statement of how MUZE handles them, written so that anyone who works with us knows what to expect from us and what we expect from them.
1.3.  We publish it because a commitment nobody can read is not a commitment. If we fall short of what is written here, we would rather be held to it than quietly excused from it.
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2. Who this Code applies to
2.1.  This Code applies to everyone acting for or on behalf of MUZE: our employees; freelancers and contractors; artists, performers, producers and songwriters we work with; creators and influencers we represent; crew, technicians and event staff; suppliers and subcontractors; and anyone else engaged on a MUZE project.
2.2.  The Code is incorporated by reference into MUZE's contracts. A breach is not only a values matter — it is a contractual matter, and it is dealt with under the relevant agreement.
2.3.  Where a person is engaged through their own company, that company is responsible for the conduct of the individuals it puts on a MUZE engagement.
2.4.  Where this Code sets a standard higher than the law requires, the higher standard applies. Where the law requires more than this Code, the law applies.
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3. What we hold ourselves to
3.1.  MUZE's working culture is stated in eight lines, and they are not decoration:
Solutions seeking
Full transparency
Relentless focus on detail
The value of art is the right to it
Premium sophistication
Find a way or make one
Amplify the artist
Offense all the time
3.2.  Two of those carry weight in this Code specifically. Full transparency means we do not hide what a deal is worth from the person whose work created the value. Amplify the artist means the artist is the point of the exercise, not a resource to be spent.
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4. Respect
4.1.  Everyone is entitled to work free of harassment, discrimination and bullying. This is not aspirational. It is a condition of working with MUZE.
4.2.  Discrimination. We do not treat anyone less favourably because of sex, race, ethnicity, nationality, origin, religion or belief, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status, pregnancy, political opinion, or any other protected characteristic under the Protection Against Discrimination Act (Закон за защита от дискриминация). This applies to hiring, casting, booking, promotion, pay, contracting and every other decision we make.
4.3.  Harassment is unwanted conduct that violates a person's dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. It includes conduct online and in messaging groups. It does not require intent — what matters is the effect on the person experiencing it.
4.4.  Sexual harassment is any unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that violates a person's dignity. It includes unwanted comments about a person's body or appearance, persistent invitations after a refusal, sexual images or messages, unnecessary physical contact, and any suggestion that a professional opportunity depends on a personal or sexual relationship.
4.5.  Quid pro quo is absolutely prohibited. Nobody at MUZE may offer, imply or withhold a booking, a release, a campaign, a contract, a credit, a payment or any other opportunity in connection with a personal or sexual relationship. There is no version of this that is acceptable, and no seniority that excuses it.
4.6.  Bullying includes persistent belittling, public humiliation, deliberate exclusion, shouting, threats, and setting a person up to fail. Working hard and holding a high standard is not bullying. Demanding excellence does not require contempt.
4.7.  Relationships and power. A personal relationship between two adults is their own business. It stops being only their business when one of them has influence over the other's work, money, casting, credit or career. In that situation the person with the influence discloses it in confidence (§12), and MUZE removes them from decisions affecting the other. Non-disclosure is the breach, not the relationship.
4.8.  Substances. Alcohol and drugs are part of the environment our industry operates in. Nobody is required to drink. Nobody is pressured to. Nobody is excluded for not drinking. Being impaired while responsible for safety, driving, operating equipment, handling money or supervising minors is a serious breach.
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5. Children and young people
5.1.  MUZE stages events attended by minors, works with young artists and creators, and produces content featuring children. This section is the part of the Code we treat as non-negotiable.
5.2.  Legal duty to report. Under Article 7(1) of the Child Protection Act (Закон за закрила на детето), any person who becomes aware that a child needs protection must immediately notify the Social Support Directorate, the State Agency for Child Protection (ДАЗД) or the Ministry of the Interior. Under Article 7(2) that duty applies even where the person is bound by professional secrecy. Everyone working on a MUZE project is told this, and MUZE will support anyone who acts on it. Reporting to MUZE does not replace this duty.
5.3.  Never delay a report to check with someone first. If a child is at immediate risk, call the authorities. Tell MUZE afterwards.
5.4.  Accompaniment at night. Article 8(3) of the Child Protection Act requires a child under 14 to be accompanied in public places after 20:00, and a child aged 14 to 18 to be accompanied after 22:00. Our events are planned around this. Where an event runs past those hours and minors may be present, MUZE states the age policy and the accompaniment requirement clearly in the published event terms before tickets or entry are offered.
5.5.  Consent and presence. A person under 18 does not participate in a MUZE production, performance, campaign, competition or prize activity without the informed written consent of a parent or guardian. Where a prize or activity involves backstage or restricted access, a parent or guardian is present.
5.6.  No unsupervised one-to-one contact. Adults working on MUZE projects do not place themselves alone with a child who is not their own. This covers dressing rooms, vehicles, hotel rooms and private messaging. Communication with a minor about a MUZE project goes through the parent or guardian, on company channels.
5.7.  Images of children. We do not photograph, film or publish an identifiable image of a minor without the consent of a parent or guardian, obtained for the specific use. Consent to be filmed at an event is not consent to be used in an advertisement.
5.8.  Working conditions. Where a minor performs or appears, their schedule, breaks, rest and schooling take precedence over the production. A young person is never asked to do something an adult in the same role would refuse.
5.9.  Grooming behaviour. Gifts, private contact, secrets, favouritism and boundary-testing directed at a minor are treated as serious misconduct in their own right, whether or not anything further occurred.
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6. Artists, creators and the people whose work this is built on
6.1.  MUZE's business is other people's talent. The imbalance in that relationship is real, and pretending otherwise is how the industry gets into trouble.
6.2.  Clear terms before work starts. Nobody works for MUZE on a handshake. Before work begins there is a written agreement stating what is being delivered, what is being paid, when it is paid, what rights transfer, for how long and where.
6.3.  Honest money. We tell an artist or creator the basis on which they are paid, and we account for it accurately. We do not conceal deductions, invent costs, or take a share we did not disclose. Where we act as an intermediary, the person knows they are being represented and on what terms.
6.4.  We pay on time. Late payment to a self-employed creative is not an administrative detail. It is someone's rent. Our payment terms are in our contracts and we hold to them.
6.5.  Credit. We credit the people who made the work, accurately and in the customary form. Ghost credit and credit-stripping are misconduct.
6.6.  The right to refuse. An artist or creator may decline a piece of work, a brand association, a lyric, an image, an outfit, an appearance or a public statement they are not comfortable with. Declining is not disloyalty and does not carry a penalty beyond the commercial consequences that would follow for anyone.
6.7.  Young and inexperienced signings. Where someone signing with MUZE is under 25, new to the industry, or without a manager or lawyer, we tell them plainly to take independent advice, we allow reasonable time for it, and we do not present a first contract as a now-or-never decision.
6.8.  Health and workload. Release schedules, touring and content quotas take a real toll. We plan for rest, we do not treat exhaustion as commitment, and if someone tells us they are struggling we treat it as information to act on rather than a problem to manage.
6.9.  No retaliation for a commercial disagreement. Renegotiating, querying an accounting statement, or choosing not to renew is a normal part of business. It is never punished with reduced promotion, withheld payment or informal blacklisting.
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7. Safety on site, on set and at events
7.1.  The safety of audiences, performers, crew and the public comes before the schedule, the shot and the budget. Anyone may stop work they reasonably believe is unsafe, and nobody is penalised for doing so.
7.2.  We comply with occupational health and safety, fire safety and public event requirements, obtain the permits our events require, and provide the security our events require.
7.3.  Crowd safety at concerts is planned, not improvised: capacity, entry and exit, barriers, stage access, medical provision, water and weather contingency.
7.4.  Working hours on productions and events are planned so that people can do their jobs safely, including travel time and rest between calls.
7.5.  Equipment is operated by people competent to operate it. Rigging, electrical and working-at-height tasks go to qualified crew.
7.6.  Incidents and near-misses are reported to MUZE, recorded, and used to change how we work.
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8. Honest business
8.1.  Bribery. MUZE does not offer, give, request or accept a bribe, a kickback or an improper payment, directly or through anyone acting for us. This includes facilitation payments. It applies to public officials and to private counterparties equally.
8.2.  Gifts and hospitality. Modest, occasional and transparent hospitality is a normal part of commercial life. Anything intended to influence a decision, anything that would embarrass us if it were published, and anything given in secret is not. If in doubt, decline it or declare it.
8.3.  Chart, streaming and audience integrity. We do not buy fake streams, plays, followers, views or engagement, and we do not work with anyone who does on our behalf. Manipulating a chart position or an audience metric is fraud against the client, the platform and the artist.
8.4.  Advertising honestly. Commercial content is disclosed as commercial content, clearly and in the manner the platform and the law require. We do not present paid promotion as an independent opinion, and we do not ask a creator to conceal a commercial relationship.
8.5.  Truthful claims. What we say about a client's product, our own results, our reach and our credentials is accurate and capable of being substantiated.
8.6.  Fair competition. We compete on quality and price. We do not fix prices, rig bids, or divide markets with competitors, and we do not obtain a competitor's confidential information improperly.
8.7.  Money laundering and sanctions. We check who we are dealing with, we do not accept funds we have reason to believe are of criminal origin, we observe the statutory restrictions on cash payments, and we do not deal with sanctioned parties.
8.8.  Conflicts of interest. Anyone with a personal, family or financial interest in a MUZE transaction discloses it before the decision is taken and steps out of that decision.
8.9.  Accurate records. Our books, invoices, contracts, reports and statements reflect what actually happened. Nobody is asked to record something that is not true, and nobody may act on such an instruction if it is given.
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9. Confidentiality, data and privacy
9.1.  Unreleased music, release plans, artist negotiations, client briefs and budgets, and the terms of our commercial arrangements are confidential. A leaked master can destroy a campaign that took a year and money that was not ours to lose.
9.2.  Confidential information stays confidential during an engagement and after it ends.
9.3.  We handle personal data — of employees, freelancers, artists, creators, event attendees and competition entrants — in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and Bulgarian data protection law. We collect what we need, use it for the purpose we collected it for, keep it only as long as we must, and protect it.
9.4.  Confidentiality is never a reason to stay silent about harassment, abuse, danger to a child, or a crime. No MUZE contract, settlement or non-disclosure agreement is used to prevent a person from reporting such matters to the authorities, and any clause purporting to do so is void as far as MUZE is concerned.
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10. Content and creative responsibility
10.1.  We make work that is bold. Boldness is not an excuse for content that demeans people on the basis of who they are.
10.2.  We respect other people's intellectual property. Samples, interpolations, footage, images and fonts are cleared before release.
10.3.  Where we use artificial intelligence in producing content, we do so lawfully and transparently. We do not synthesise a person's voice, face or likeness without their consent. We do not represent AI-generated material as a named artist's performance without disclosure.
10.4.  We do not paste unreleased masters, unpublished client material, personal data or contract drafts into consumer AI tools.
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11. Company property and resources
11.1.  MUZE's equipment, studios, instruments, vehicles, accounts, footage and archives are used for MUZE work and looked after.
11.2.  Expenses claimed are real, incurred for MUZE, evidenced and approved.
11.3.  Company channels and accounts are used for company business. Personal accounts are not used to commit MUZE to anything.
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12. Speaking up
12.1.  The channel is `music@muzecorp.com`. It is monitored by enough people: including the CEO and the Head of Finance & Administration.
12.2.  If your concern involves one of them, address it to the other and say so. That person is then walled off from the matter entirely — they do not see the report, are not consulted on it, and take no part in the outcome.
12.3.  If your concern involves the CEO, you may send it to the other named holder, or directly to MUZE's external legal counsel, whose contact details are published alongside this Code. A company this size cannot investigate its own owner credibly on its own, and we would rather say that plainly than pretend otherwise. In such an event, please contact the attorney Lubomir Sirakov at: lyubomir@sirakov.biz
12.4.  You can always go outside MUZE. Nothing in this Code, and nothing in any MUZE contract, requires you to come to us first. You may go directly to:
12.5.  You may report anonymously. We will act on an anonymous report. We can do less with it, because we cannot come back to you with questions, but "anonymous" is not a reason to ignore something.
12.6.  Whistleblower protection. The Protection of Persons Reporting or Publicly Disclosing Information on Breaches Act requires employers with 50 or more employees to operate an internal reporting channel. MUZE is below that threshold and is not legally required to have one. We operate this channel voluntarily and apply the same protections against retaliation that the Act provides. [TO CONFIRM with counsel: whether any sector-specific obligation applies to MUZE regardless of headcount.]
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13. What happens when you report
13.1.  Acknowledgement within 7 days. You are told your report has been received and who is handling it.
13.2.  Assessment. We decide what the matter needs: an informal resolution, a formal investigation, immediate protective measures, an external investigator, or a referral to the authorities. Where there is a risk to a person, protective measures come first and are not delayed by the investigation.
13.3.  Investigation. Conducted fairly and without pre-judgement. The person raising the concern and the person the concern is about are both treated with respect, and both are told what is happening. Where the matter is serious, or where an internal investigator could not be seen as impartial, we appoint someone external.
13.4.  Feedback within 3 months of the acknowledgement, on the outcome and any action taken, so far as confidentiality and the rights of others allow.
13.5.  Confidentiality. We keep the identity of a reporter confidential, disclosing it only where we are legally required to or where the person agrees. We tell you if that becomes necessary.
13.6.  Absolutely no retaliation. Nobody who raises a concern honestly is dismissed, demoted, dropped from a project, denied work, paid late, excluded, or treated worse in any way — and that protection covers freelancers, artists and creators, not only employees. Retaliation is itself a serious breach of this Code and is treated as one. It applies even if the concern turns out to be mistaken.
13.7.  Deliberately false reports. A concern raised honestly but wrongly is protected. A report fabricated to damage someone is not, and is misconduct.
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14. Consequences
14.1.  A breach of this Code is dealt with proportionately: guidance and training at one end, and at the other, dismissal, termination of a contract, removal from a project or roster, withdrawal of accreditation, recovery of losses, and referral to the authorities.
14.2.  Seniority, commercial value and reputation are not mitigating factors. Somebody being important to a project does not buy them a different standard, and any organisation that says otherwise has already decided what it is.
14.3.  Where a breach involves a criminal offence, MUZE reports it.
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15. Ownership and review
15.1.  This Code is owned by the CEO and reviewed annually, or sooner on a change of law or following a serious incident.
15.2.  It is issued to everyone who works with MUZE at the start of their engagement, and it sits as an annex to MUZE's contract templates.
15.3.  Questions about how to apply it go to music@muzecorp.com.
15.4.  This Code sets out standards of conduct. It is not a contract of employment and does not create employment rights. Where it is incorporated into a commercial contract, it takes effect on the terms of that contract.
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16. Contact
„МЮУЗ КАНСЪЛТИНГ" ЕООД (MUZE CONSULTING EOOD)
UIC 205705144 · VAT BG205705144
Registered seat: 28 Han Presiyan St., Fl. 2, Ap. 3, 4700 Smolyan, Bulgaria
Office: 6, Nikola Vaptsarov blvd. Sofia, Bulgaria
Conduct and ethics: music@muzecorp.com
General enquiries: music@muzecorp.com
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17. Version history
18. Language versions
18.1.  This Code is published in Bulgarian and English. Both are official versions.
18.2.  In the event of a discrepancy between them, the Bulgarian version prevails.