GESAC has welcomed a vote in the European Parliament today adopting a report published last year by its culture committee that calls for reforms in the music streaming market. Gernot Graninger, President of the pan-European grouping for song right collecting societies, says the vote “sends a strong signal of recognition and understanding of the needs of creators".
The report, spearheaded by MEP Ibán García Del Blanco, reviews the various issues that have been raised by artists and songwriters with the music streaming business model. That includes how streaming revenues are shared between different stakeholders, as well issues around data and transparency, and concerns about algorithms and stream manipulation.
It calls on the European Commission to assess the impact of the music streaming business model - and contractual practices in the music industry - on “cultural diversity and the principle of appropriate and proportionate remuneration for authors and performers".
That demand could result in initiatives being set up at an EU level similar to those instigated by the French and UK governments, seeking industry-led voluntary agreements to address the concerns and grievances of artists and songwriters. Or, if no such agreements can be reached, copyright law reforms might be considered to strengthen creator rights.
Indeed, the report outright states that the Commission should "monitor and encourage progress in this regard and consider appropriate policy proposals should voluntary stakeholder initiatives fail to produce meaningful solutions".
GESAC's General Manager Véronique Desbrosses adds: "The European Parliament clearly stands on the side of authors by showing its support to their legitimate request for fairness. The music streaming market needs to properly reward those who are at the core of its success and reach the high standards of cultural diversity that Europe expects”.