The UK government has agreed to form a music industry working group to address musician payment in the streaming era.
This move follows previous efforts by the government to tackle transparency issues within the streaming business. The working group will specifically focus on remuneration concerns raised by music-makers.
The establishment of earlier working groups was a response to the 2021 inquiry into streaming conducted by the UK Parliament`s culture select committee.
In their report, MPs called for a “complete reset” of the digital music industry. Issues related to pricing, revenue allocation, and fairness in compensation were identified, affecting both the wider music industry and individual artists and songwriters.
One major concern is the subscription streaming price point, which has remained unchanged for Spotify since the late 2000s. This results in a smaller pool of money to be distributed across the music industry. There are also debates surrounding the allocation of streaming revenues between recordings and songs, as well as between labels and artists.
The government`s aim is to support a thriving music industry while ensuring fair remuneration for both existing and future creators.
The newly appointed Chair of the culture select committee, Caroline Dinenage MP (pictured), welcomes the working group as a step towards addressing musicians` frustrations and ensuring proper rewards for their contributions.
The Council Of Music Makers, comprising industry organizations, appreciates the government`s positive response and plans to publish a white paper outlining the remuneration debate. They emphasize the significance of musician payment in streaming and hope for concrete changes to benefit all those working in the creative industries.
