Fix Streaming: Authorities Proclaims New Measures for Legacy Artists, Songwriters and Session Musicia

The package covers three important teams: legacy artists, songwriters and composers, and session musicians.

For legacy artists, it contains programmes to ignore unrecouped advances, and bespoke advertising instruments and assist to assist them drive streaming engagement. It additionally commits report labels to offering “clarity” about the best way to “seek and obtain contract renegotiation” and signposting to commerce organisations such because the Union.

Minister Chris Bryant has said in Parliament that he’s “assured that if any legacy artist says to their label, ‘I want to renegotiate my contract,’ they are going to have an opportunity to renegotiate, though the exact phrases of that renegotiation will after all be a matter for the artist and the label.

“Some people who signed a contract before streaming came into existence might have been on a rate of something like 8%, 9%, 10% or 11%. They will be able to negotiate that up to a digital right, more like 20%, 25% or 30%. That will make a significant difference to legacy artists,” the Minister added.

For the Musicians’ Union and the Council of Music Makers, it’s essential that we maintain monitor of renegotiations that happen, and people the place artists request to renegotiate however are unable achieve this efficiently. We will feed this info again to the Minister and work with him to make sure that labels are held to account.

Per diems for songwriters and composers

For songwriters and composers, the package deal introduces per diems at label-organised periods. Some of the reporting has targeted on the determine of £75 – that is how a lot Warner UK and Universal UK have dedicated to per day. Sony UK has dedicated to a Songwriter Support Programme in partnership with The Ivors Academy.

While these are welcome commitments, we are going to monitor to make sure the per diems are paid in follow by labels and never charged to featured artists. We may also wish to see the per diem, which is a low minimal price, elevated over time.

Little change for non-featured artists

The package deal contains the rise in session musician charges agreed by the BPI and Musicians’ Union in late 2024. That improve brings the session charge up in step with inflation between 2011 and 2025 – which implies it’s not a pay improve, it’s what report labels ought to have been paying all alongside.

It additionally doesn’t do something to handle the difficulty with royalties. Session musicians can work on tracks with over 1 billion streams and nonetheless earn £0 in royalties from music streaming.

 

Ultimately, the package deal of rules and commitments is welcome nevertheless it doesn’t deal with the elemental issues with the economics of music streaming.

We need all musicians and music makers to obtain a far share of streaming income in order that being a musician stays a viable profession for musicians now and sooner or later.

All eyes on the foremost labels

It was nice to see a lot protection of the announcement – and the Union’s response to it – in locations like BBC News, Financial Times, Music Business Worldwide and Music Ally. It goes to indicate how essential this situation is to musicians and music followers alike. All eyes will now be on report labels to see in the event that they make good on their commitments.

What subsequent for the marketing campaign to repair streaming

We’ve managed to safe a gathering with Minister for Culture Chris Bryant on music streaming in September which is able to particularly take a look at session musician remuneration. He has rightly earned reward from all sides for his dedication to this situation and work to get negotiations this far, and we’re grateful for the chance to maintain negotiating to repair streaming for non-featured artists.

Speaking in Parliament, the Minister additionally dedicated to a assessment in 12 months, telling MPs in the House of Commons: “If the package has not delivered, we reserve the right to bring in legislation. I made this point several times. In the EU, there is an equitable remuneration clause in legislation, and if we felt the need for that, we could progress that.”

The MU will maintain pushing for equitable remuneration; a assured royalty for featured and non-featured performers supplied in legislation.

Show your assist!

Next yr’s synthetic intelligence (AI Bill) is a historic alternative to vary copyright legislation and be sure that musicians get a good deal from each AI and music streaming.

We’re calling on MPs to take advantage of it – and alter the legislation to repair streaming as soon as and for all.

Learn extra in regards to the marketing campaign to repair music streaming in our Fix Streaming hub.