An earlier version of this article appeared in the 2024 edition of The Musicians’ Union Journal: Amplify. Download your copy now or listen to the original audio version below.
It's been a big year for the campaign to fix streaming. April 2024 saw the first meeting of the Creator Remuneration Working Group. It doesn't have the catchiest title but don't let that fool you; this is a milestone moment for the Fix Streaming campaign and the music industry.
The group is convened by Government and is made up of major labels, trade bodies, royalties collection societies and creator representatives including the MU. Its purpose is to hammer out a better deal for musicians and music creators.
As a trade union we have three main asks:
- 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, also 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.
And if we don't get close enough through the Creator Remuneration Working Group then we will be pushing for legislation – something we know that MPs from all the major political parties’ support.
How did we get here?
Our story starts back in 2020 when two things happened. Firstly, songwriters, composers and performers started sharing how little they got from streaming using the hashtag #BrokenRecord.
Secondly, the pandemic demonstrated how delicate the music ecosystem is. Without income from live performance, many of the Union's members were struggling to survive. We heard from members selling their instruments, losing their homes and getting into debt because they couldn't work and Government support was too slow and too piecemeal to catch them.
That's when the Union joined together with The Ivors Academy, in an attempt to fix music streaming once and for all and keep music alive.
The campaign began with a call for a Government review; a tactic to get the issues with streaming out in the open, get the evidence in front of policy makers, and put the major labels on the defensive. Almost 18,000 of you backed the call.
Press picked it up, including the Guardian, Pitchfork, Wired, and BBC Radio 5 Live. MU member and #BrokenRecord movement founder Tom Gray, and then-MU Deputy General Secretary Naomi Pohl, also spoke to Ed Miliband and Geoff Lloyd on their Reasons to be Cheerful podcast.
Musicians sharing experiences
More people started speaking out. Tasmin Little OBE told BBC Radio 4's flagship's Today programme that she had 5 to 6 million streams over six months (plus 755,000 monthly listeners), but got paid just £12.34 for it.
KT Tunstall spoke about the role of streaming in the music economy and the exploitation of music by big tech. Social media was filled with individual musicians' experiences and audiences disappointed to learn that their money was not going to the musicians they love.
Meanwhile, a poll of MU and The Ivors Academy members revealed that 82% of respondents earned less than £200 from streaming, from all of their music across all platforms in 2019. This even included members with millions of streams. Moreover 92% told us less than 5% of their earnings came from streaming in the previous year, and 43% said that insufficient income from streaming caused them to get a job outside of music.
The Government review – a first win for members
Politicians were listening and the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select committee called for a Government review before launching their own in autumn that year.
It was a blockbuster by Select Committee standards. Many songwriters, composers, performers and industry organisations sent in written evidence. MPs heard from creators in person, including Nile Rodgers, Fiona Bevan, Tom Gray, Guy Garvey, and Nadine Shah. The Musicians' Union gave evidence as the only trade union for musicians in the UK.
The case to fix streaming was powerfully made. They explained how successful artists and creators are struggling to pay rent and backed equitable remuneration. They made the case for more transparency, improved use of metadata and increasing the value of the song. And the openness and preparedness of musicians and music creators stood in marked contrast to the major labels – who showed just how painfully out of touch with artists and audiences they are.
That first petition had achieved its goal, putting the spotlight on the impact of streaming on the musicians and music creators at the heart of it, and getting the evidence in front of Government so that they could take action. The next step was keeping the spotlight, and convincing policymakers to act.
Building momentum and not letting it go
Campaigns are won and lost on organising. As a trade union, the MU has the resources and mandate to do things individuals can't on their own. But our real power is you. That's where the role of Tom Gray and the Broken Record movement, and every member who read emails, signed petitions and made their voice heard, came in crucial.
An open letter signed by over 150 artists (including The Rolling Stones, Annie Lennox, Paloma Faith, Kano, Joan Armatrading, Chris Martin, Gary Barlow, Paul McCartney, Melanie C, Jimmy Page, Boy George, Noel Gallagher, and Kate Bush), called on the Prime Minister to update UK law to "put the value of music back where it belongs – in the hands of music makers." This was supported by a second petition with close to 15,000 signatures from musicians, music creators and fans.
National support was growing as the Labour Party and Trades Union Congress passed measures to fix streaming at their annual conferences. MU member (and then MP) Kevin Brennan introduced a Bill in Parliament, calling for a better deal from streaming.
The campaign picked up international support too. A report by the World Intellectual Property Organisation, looking at artists in the digital music marketplace, added weight to key asks in the Fix Streaming campaign. The world's eyes turned to the UK – and are still on us – to see what was coming next.

MU General Secretary Naomi Pohl and Alex Sobel MP, Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Music, at Labour Party Conference 2024 . Photo: ©The MU.
Forcing the Conservative Government's hand
When the music streaming inquiry published its report, it was nothing short of revolutionary. MPs on the cross-party Select Committee called for a "complete reset" of music streaming so that artists, performers and songwriters can be fairly rewarded for their work.
They took up the Union's recommendations for equitable remuneration and warned of "deep concerns" about the unassailable position of the major music companies. The report therefore included calls for greater transparency, for improved use of metadata and for the Competition and Markets Authority to examine whether competition in the recorded music market is being distorted.
The case was undeniable. Your power combined with the high- profile endorsements, the consistent media interest over two years, the volume of evidence and memory of lockdowns forced the Conservative Government's hand.
Not every step in our campaign was successful. The Competition and Markets Authority, taking a consumer-led approach, decided that they would not be doing a full market investigation into music streaming, and that low pay from music streaming is not being driven by the level of concentration of the recording market. We, taking a musician-led approach, strongly disagreed.
But progress is being made. The first step landed in spring 2023, when a voluntary pan-industry code on metadata was agreed. It establishes new standards and processes on how song, composition and recording data should be collated and distributed to ensure that people are paid and paid on time.
In January 2024, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) published a UK Code of Practice on Transparency in Music Streaming. The voluntary code was developed and agreed by 12 music industry bodies representing music creators, record labels, publishers, digital service providers, distributors and collecting societies. We'll be seeing how well these codes are working out in reviews with the IPO and other stakeholders.
Finally, we come to spring 2024 and the Creator Remuneration Working Group. Equitable remuneration – a guaranteed income stream for all musicians whose performances appear on streamed tracks – is our number one priority and we are hopeful for change. We're certainly giving it everything the Union has got – and MPs at Labour Party Conference lined up to show their support.
What can you expect in 2025?
As with this year, a lot of the in-depth discussions about equitable remuneration, a modern digital royalty rate and rights of contract adjustment, will be taking place in the Creator Remuneration Working Group. MU General Secretary Naomi Pohl will be negotiating on your behalf with the Government, major labels, trade bodies and creator organisations in the room.
The Union will also continue to raise it with MPs at every opportunity, with the goal of getting legislation if the negotiations don't give us concrete improvements for members. It is highly likely that the Union will need your support, and we'll be calling on you once again to help us take action.
Until then, keep talking about it. Keep the issue in people's minds and keep making the case undeniable. If you can, write to your MP and ask them to publicly back the Union's three key asks. Look out for more opportunities to get involved in the new year.
Fix Streaming: Make Your Voice Heard
Remind the major labels and the UK Government that this issue is widely felt, deeply felt and the public is on our side:
- Non-featured artists get paid £0 from music streaming. Watch and share this video featuring MU members Rachel Bolt on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube
- Lily Allen earns more from selling foot pics than 8m monthly listeners. Watch and share this explainer on TikTok or Instagram
- It affects every musician, including orchestras. Share this open letter from musicians in over 20 orchestras on WhatsApp or Instagram
- The public is on our side. Watch and share this video stunt featuring MU member Sherika Sherard on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.