An association of musicians has called on the Government to introduce tougher regulations on how record labels manage their artists on streaming platforms.
The Ivors Academy of Music Creators said copyright laws should be changed to ensure writers and performers are paid more for their work.
The academy’s intervention coincides with the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee inquiry into music streaming platforms, which featured contributions from Chic frontman Nile Rodgers on Tuesday.
The Ivors Academy has called for there to be reform of how data relating to music is recorded, with the aim of ensuring that it is easy to identify who royalty payments should be made to.
Chief executive Graham Davies said: “UK songwriters are the best in the world.
Our member poll with @WeAreTheMU exposes the shockingly inadequate earnings of many music creators from streaming while major music groups enjoy record revenues.
👉https://t.co/KiglcaQhbB#FixStreaming and #KeepMusicAlive pic.twitter.com/fYrVa2mNqC
— The Ivors Academy (@IvorsAcademy) December 7, 2020
“To remain a world leader, to recover from Covid and power the future UK economy, we need songwriters and their publishers to get a higher value from streaming.”
He added: “Streaming has the potential to support the wonderful diversity of music that is being created in the UK.
“But currently the majority of the value is going to a concentrated number of players.
“The Ivors Academy has campaigned for a government review of streaming with The Musicians’ Union and we thank the MPs on the DCMS Select Committee for taking this important opportunity to explore how streaming affects all parties, and how it can play a role generating equitable value for creators and businesses.”
The inquiry comes after the Musicians’ Union and The Ivors Academy launched the Keep Music Alive campaign, calling streaming royalties “woefully insufficient” and urging the Government to undertake a review.