
When the Indian Ocean tsunami devastated Southeast Asia in 2004, rap-rockers Linkin Park endeavored to leverage their international fanbase to assist. Shortly thereafter, they founded Music for Relief: a charity that helps artists and fans connect to provide relief for natural disasters around the world. The organization's vital mission is to mitigate and prevent the damaging effects of these disasters through environmental initiatives including forest preservation and tree planting. Linkin Park has remained instrumental in raising funds for Music for Relief, and recently worked with Sennheiser to provide several SKM 2000 wireless handheld transmitters with MME 865-1 capsules for an auction fundraiser - including some autographed by the band.
When a natural disaster occurs, many people out there want to help in some way but don't know how, says Kimberly Hurtarte, Advancement Associate for Music for Relief. Linkin Park knew they were in a position to mobilize not only their fans but also other bands to get involved. Since 2005, Music for Relief has raised over $7 million for survivors of multiple disasters across four continents including Hurricane Katrina, China's Wenchuan earthquake, a cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe, earthquakes in Haiti and Japan in 2010 and Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. More recently their ecology and prevention efforts have taken center stage in places like Baja California, where the organization has been working to protect mangrove forests, which serve a critical role in protecting the coastline from deforestation and development.
Coming Together for Relief
Companies like Sennheiser are part of the enthusiastic network of friends and sponsors that Linkin Park and their compatriots are able to call upon to further their fundraising efforts. Recently, when the call went out for items to offer at an auction benefitting Music for Relief, Linkin Park reached out to Sennheiser, which assisted in providing several SKM 2000 handheld transmitters coupled with MME 865-1 capsules: the choice mic and capsule configuration of Linkin Park vocalists Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda. The auction was further enhanced by Linkin Park's donation of their very own tour-utilized SKM 2000 microphones signed by the band.
Sennheiser is proud to play a role in a caring musical community, particularly one that is able to mobilize relief efforts for those impacted by natural disasters, commented Pierre Morant, Sennheiser's Manager, Music Collaborations. We could not be more pleased to play a role in such an important endeavor.
A Cut Above
Linkin Park began using the Sennheiser SKM 2000 with MME 865-1 capsule in 2010 after monitor engineer Kevin McCarthy conducted a shootout of 10 transmitter and capsule configurations from major manufacturers. The SKM 2000 with 865 capsule was the clear winner, McCarthy says. The sound quality is amazing and wireless functionality is extremely reliable. McCarthy also noted that the capsule performed evenly even when Bennington and Shinoda were wrapping their hand directly around the capsule, a common microphone technique during energetic live performances. A lot of the mics we tried sounded completely different when they wrapped their hand around the capsule, but the 865 sounded exactly the same, which makes it much easier to get an even sound throughout the performance, he says. Linkin Park have been touring with six sets ever since. These mics include a main and back up for each lead vocalist as well as two sets for any guest vocalists that might join them on stage. Three of these road-used mics were donated to Music for Relief for the charity auction. These are really popular with fans so they usually bring in a significant contribution, says Hurtarte.
Music for Relief distributes the funds they raise to organizations and individuals working on the ground around the world. Our supporters like that we're less bureaucratic than many humanitarian aid organizations, it's more of a hands-on operation, notes Hurtarte. The fans and artists we work with are very much a part of the process and they always want to know exactly who we're working with and how the funds are being utilized. We can provide a level of transparency that's not usually available in larger-scale organizations.
A Growing Effort
Humbarte is quick to point out that Music for Relief now incorporates many artists beyond Linkin Park, though the band remains active on the board of the organization and contributes a dollar for every ticket of every show to the organization. We're grateful to be able to empower all kinds of different artists and their fans to make a difference globally, and we couldn't do it without the support of sponsors like Sennheiser who help keep our operations funded year-round, Hurtarte concludes.
About Music for Relief
Founded by two-time Grammy winning/multi-platinum rock band Linkin Park, Music for Relief is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing aid to survivors of natural disasters and the prevention of such disasters. Since its inception in 2005, Music for Relief has raised over $7 million for survivors of multiple disasters across four continents. Music for Relief also supports environmental programs as a means of disaster risk mitigation including the planting of over 1 million trees to help reduce global warming and Power the World, a program bringing clean energy solutions to the 1.3 billion people worldwide without electricity. The organization was recently recognized by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon for the Download to Donate program to raise funds and awareness in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake. For more information visit www.musicforrelief.org.
Download full press release
Link to document
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...