"We are delighted that the Government and IPO have now instigated a working group to look at creator remuneration".
The UK Council Of Music Makers (CMM), made up of the Musicians' Union, the Ivors Academy, the FAC, MMF and MPG, has welcomed today's announcement that a voluntary pan-industry code on metadata has been agreed.
It follows yesterday's confirmation from the Government, accepting recommendations made by the Culture Media and Sport select committee, that an industry remuneration working group is to be established, bringing together representatives and experts from across the music sector. It sets out to “explore and develop industry-led actions that support fair remuneration for existing and future music creators as part of a successful and globally competitive music industry”.
The metadata code will help to ensure that music creators are paid fairly
The metadata code is a crucial first step to ensure that the entire UK music industry comes together to set new standards and processes on how vital song, composition and recording data is collated, ingested and distributed. This will ensure that songwriters, composers, artists, musicians and producers are paid with greater accuracy and efficiency.
Both work streams will continue to be led by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) alongside a separate working group on transparency.
By addressing these fundamental and interconnected areas - metadata, transparency and remuneration - and by working collegiately and on a pan-industry basis, the CMM remains positive that the UK industry can accelerate towards the five foundational changes they set out in March 2023 to deliver a new "artist-and-creator-centric" future.
Much more still needs to be done
A significant amount of work has already gone into these IPO-led projects, not least from the IPO itself - however, much more still needs to be done.
This week's announcements constitute some important steps in the right direction - but they are small steps on a longer journey. We encourage everyone in the music industry to join the CMM in committing to continue that journey until we reach our destination.
MU General Secretary Naomi Pohl said:
"Data has been a problem in the music industry for as long as royalties have existed. Accurate data will mean more money in music maker pockets and less getting lost in the system or mis-allocated. This can only be a good thing and is extremely welcome.
“However, our members also need to be paid more; the metadata issue isn't the only issue and we are delighted that the Government and IPO have now instigated a working group to look at creator remuneration. We look forward to advancing the complete reset of music streaming that the DCMS Select Committee called for."