It’s time for government and industry to step up, fix streaming and keep music alive. Image credit: © The MU.
MU General Secretary Naomi Pohl called for major changes to fix streaming at the first meeting of the Creator Remuneration Group.
The group brings together government, music industry, the Musicians’ Union and Council of Music Makers to come to a better deal for musicians and music creators.
We are calling for:
- A modern digital royalty rate for all featured artists from music streaming, no matter when their original deal was signed
- Guaranteed royalties for session players from music streaming for the first time ever, known as equitable remuneration
- Rights of contract adjustment and rights reversion, so that music creators can renegotiate old deals after an agreed period instead of being tied to the same terms for life.
It’s time put the value of music back where it belongs – in the hands of music makers
The meeting follows extensive campaigning since 2020 by the MU and The Ivors Academy under the Fix Streaming banner, and by musician and activist Tom Gray who started the Broken Record movement. Together, we called for a government review into streaming.
As a result, the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee launched the music streaming inquiry, and their revolutionary report called for specific measures to ensure a better deal for musicians and music creators.
That forced government to act. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport announced working groups on transparency, metadata and creator remuneration.
The transparency and metadata work streams have resulted in codes of practice, signed by the MU and the other industry trade bodies including the BPI on behalf of the major record labels.
Now the focus is on creator remuneration. This is expected to be a six-month process. There is no doubt that it will be a challenge; over half of the group is taken up by record labels and music publishers who don't want to see a fair reapportioning of revenue.
Legislation is still on the cards if the Creator Remuneration Group can’t agree a better deal, and we know from the Brennan Bill that the fixing streaming has wide cross-party support.
It’s time for government and industry to step up, fix streaming and keep music alive.