ECSA - CMU | the music business explained

European Commission must tackle “coercive buy-out practices” when US video streamers commission music, says MEP

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Buy-Outs • 2 min read

European Commission must tackle “coercive buy-out practices” when US video streamers commission music, says MEP

“Coercive buy-out practices” were in the spotlight in the European Parliament today as composers campaign against US studios and streamers seeking to control all the rights in music they commission for film and TV. MEP Leire Pajín called on the European Commission to “tackle these abusive practices”…

Chris Cooke • 03 Feb 2026

ECSA calls for transparency over the major’s AI deals - and confirmation songs and recordings will have parity

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ECSA • 3 min read

ECSA calls for transparency over the major’s AI deals - and confirmation songs and recordings will have parity

ECSA, representing songwriters and composers across Europe, has called for more transparency about the big AI deals now being announced by the majors. Writers need to know various things about those deals, but especially how income will be split between the recording rights and the song rights…

Chris Cooke • 28 Nov 2025

EU needs “ambitious report” on copyright and AI to address unresolved issues around creator and performer consent

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Artificial Intelligence • 7 min read

EU needs “ambitious report” on copyright and AI to address unresolved issues around creator and performer consent

The European Parliament’s JURI Committee is currently working on a report about copyright and AI. Groups representing creators and performers have written to MEPs urging them to make it an ambitious report that addresses issues including copyright exceptions, transparency and creator consent…

Chris Cooke • 19 Jun 2025

Composers “negotiating in the dark” for “meagre” royalties from TV and movie producers says new ECSA report

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ECSA • 3 min read

Composers “negotiating in the dark” for “meagre” royalties from TV and movie producers says new ECSA report

NDAs, buy-outs and ‘pseudo publishing deals’ are in conflict with key principles in the 2019 European Copyright Directive and are being used by video streaming platforms, and TV and movie producers, to drive down royalties to audiovisual composers, says a new report from ECSA…

Chris Cooke • 28 Jan 2025

Songwriter group sets out policy priorities of EU law-makers

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ECSA • 4 min read

Songwriter group sets out policy priorities of EU law-makers

Clarity on how EU law helps creators protect their rights in the context of AI and new laws to stop buy-out contracts are among the requests of pan-European songwriter and composer group ECSA, in a new manifesto setting out it current policy priorities…

Chris Cooke • 21 Oct 2024

European Parliament committee calls for new EU rules to regulate streaming

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European Parliament • 2 min read

European Parliament committee calls for new EU rules to regulate streaming

The Culture Committee in the European Parliament has called for new rules in the European Union in relation to music streaming, seeking more transparency about streaming service algorithms and forcing platforms to better credit music-makers and rightsholders…

Chris Cooke • 29 Nov 2023

Creator groups call for EU AI Act to retain strong transparency obligations

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EU AI Act • 2 min read

Creator groups call for EU AI Act to retain strong transparency obligations

A number of groups representing creators from various art forms have called on lawmakers in Europe to ensure that the EU AI Act - now in the final phase of being negotiated - retains strong transparency obligations for AI companies…

Chris Cooke • 24 Nov 2023