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Statements on Kevin Brennan’s copyright reforming bill
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 24 November 2021
Statements on Kevin Brennan MP’s copyright reforming bill in response to Parliament’s economics of streaming inquiry – read the full story here.
Kevin Brennan MP: “More and more people are streaming music – heightened by the pandemic – yet, unlike for radio, there is no guaranteed royalty payment for all the musicians who have contributed to the recording being streamed. To redress this, my private member’s bill seeks to allow performers and composers to access means to ensure a fair sharing of revenues generated from their works. In particular, the bill will introduce a right to equitable remuneration for performers on musical works, where works that they have performed upon are made available to the public. These reforms would lead to more new music, the revival of recording studios, a boost to the UK session music scene, the unearthing of a new generation of British talent, and Britain becoming once again a world-leading cultural hub for the recorded music industry”.
Naomi Pohl, Deputy General Secretary of the Musicians’ Union: “The domination of the major music groups in the streaming market is clear. Musicians and songwriters are not getting a fair enough deal and legislative reform is overdue. Now is the time to address the imbalances in the music industry and in music streaming in particular. We are calling on the government to allow a free vote on the Brennan Bill on 3 Dec. Members across the House Of Commons have already voiced their support for the bill, showing the depth of bi-partisan commitment to fixing streaming to ensure performers are fairly paid for their streamed music”.
Graham Davies, CEO of The Ivors Academy: “On behalf of songwriters and composers our thanks go to Kevin Brennan and MPs from all parties who understand that Britain’s place as a cultural powerhouse rests on investing in people that actually make music. The growth of the streaming market has diverted too much wealth to multinational record labels at the expense of music makers. These market distortions must be fixed in order to grow Britain’s enviable music sector”.
Annabella Coldrick, Chief Executive, Music Managers Forum & David Martin, CEO, Featured Artists Coalition: “The MMF and FAC are pleased to see the publication of Kevin Brennan MP’s Private Members Bill this morning. We welcome provisions on rights revocation, greater transparency and contract adjustment and hope this proceeds to Report Stage for further debate. We also look forward to further discussion about the remuneration right, including its detail and practical implementation and we will actively support modelling of impacts. It is vital that all artists, songwriters and performers are empowered by greater transparency and flexibility in their contractual agreements, to ensure those agreements are fit for purpose in today’s streaming market and beyond”.
Association Of Independent Music: “We think the approach to streaming should be data first, discussion second, and law last – we have expressed our concerns and are open to reviewing and discussing them with all stakeholders to figure out the best way forward. Legislating before this is reckless”.
Record industry trade group BPI: “This bill would bind British music in red tape, reduce income for the most entrepreneurial artists, stifle investment and innovation by record labels, and disproportionately harm the independent sector. It would create huge uncertainty and deny many of the next generation of artists their shot to build a career. It completely misunderstands today’s music business, and the value that labels provide in finding and nurturing talent. Labels are committed to ensuring artists are rewarded in line with their success from streaming, but just as British music is finally climbing out of its long downturn, this misguided, outdated regulation would be a damaging step backwards, eroding the foundations of the UK’s extraordinary global success in music”.
