This may be the biggest opportunity we will collectively get to make the case for a fairer deal for songwriters, composers and performers.
MPs on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee want to know how the economics of music streaming are affecting you.
They’ve launched an inquiry to investigate the issue following months of campaigning by the Ivors Academy and the MU. This may be the biggest opportunity we will collectively get to make the case for a fairer deal for songwriters, composers and performers.
Wherever you are in your career, and however much time you have to respond, the inquiry wants to hear from you.
Got five minutes?
Email the DCMS Select Committee at cmscom@parliament.uk in support of the Musicians’ Union submission.
You can take a look at a summary of our key points in our guide to giving evidence (more on that later).
If you’re not sure what to say, here’s a template you can use as a starting point. Remember to add how the economics of music streaming affect your personally – it could make all the difference.
I am writing to support the Musicians’ Union submission to the DCMS Select Committee inquiry into the economics of music streaming.
They make six key points:
1. The streaming model must be equitable, fair, transparent, efficient, and pro-creator.
2. It must value the songwriter and performer contribution to streaming more highly.
3. It must include checks on the dominance of major music corporations on streaming marketing, licensing and distribution of streaming royalties.
4. It must stop information being hidden that enables conflicts of interest and prevents creators and performers understanding what they’re being paid and why.
5. It must include modernised royalty distribution systems to stop bad and missing metadata, and mis-allocated payments.
6. It must create the strongest environment for UK creators and ensuring UK songwriters, composers and performers do not fall behind on basic rights and protections.
[Use this space to explain who you are, what you do, how the economics of music streaming affect you, and how the six points above would help you]
Got thirty minutes or more?
Give your own evidence to the inquiry via the DCMS Select Committee website.
If you’re not sure what to say, take a look at our guide to giving evidence for tips on what the inquiry is looking for, how to make your case as strong as possible, and ideas that we think will fix streaming.
The more people who write in, the more chance we have of our collective voice being heard.
Spread the word
We’re up against some powerful interest groups who will argue that streaming is working– but we have the community of music and fans on our side.
If you’re not sure what to say, here are some ideas to get you started:
- I’ve written to the @CommonsDCMS inquiry into music streaming. Have you? Answer their five questions before 6pm on Friday 11 December #FixStreaming #KeepMusicAlive
- Please give evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee inquiry. Together we can #FixStreaming and #KeepMusicAlive!
- Are you thinking about sending something in to the Select Committee inquiry on music streaming? The Ivors Academy and Musicians’ Union have released a guide to answering the questions and key asks to #FixStreaming and #KeepMusicAlive
Remember to use the hashtags #FixStreaming and #KeepMusicAlive.