14 September 2012

Music online. Good for music fans; good for creators?

Online services like streaming can offer much to both creators and music fans – if users appreciate the importance of using legal sites. Koda – alongside all author societies – welcomes legitimate music sites, and fights against illegal sites that deprive creators of fair payment.

Understanding changes in the way people experience music helps author societies monitor and adapt to the needs of both rights holders (creators) and users (music lovers) to make sure their work and function remains invaluable to their members – and to the European single market as a whole.

Koda, the Danish author society, rigorously tracks how Danes’ listening habits are changing. The society’s latest survey, conducted in January 2012, demonstrates how the digital market-place is growing in Denmark. And that’s something that Koda welcomes.

Music online – more choice for fans

Music streaming – a relatively niche pastime two years ago is now very much in the mainstream, with nearly a quarter of Danish people listening to songs off the Internet every day. As a result, the number of people actually buying music (a CD, for example) has plummeted – access is now more important than ownership, where music is concerned.

A fair deal for creators?

Providing access to an ever-wider range of music for an increasing number of people is a big priority for author societies, and we’re pleased that streaming has bought music closer to fans. Music lovers report that streaming enables them to discover new music and sounds and – crucially – listen to less music illegally.

But that’s not the case for everyone. A worrying trend that emerged from the study is that – although many people are delighted to be able to access music for free – they are often less concerned about, or are unaware of, whether the site they are using is legal. Yet illegal sites do not pay for the rights to use music, undercutting the musicians (composers, lyrists) who feature on their service.

Koda is taking action against a leading perpetrator, Grooveshark, showing it’s serious about defending its members’ rights.

Author societies everywhere join hands with musicians to convince music fans, especially young people, that sticking to legal sites means the musicians they love and respect get a fair deal.

Policies

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence brings about many new opportunities for our lives, including in the field of culture and creativity, but its applications also raise a number of ethical and legal questions due to their wide-spread uncontrolled and unchecked usage.

Policies

Music Streaming

Music streaming has unquestionably become the predominant means of enjoying music, replacing traditional physical media and expanded far beyond the live sector by providing user-friendly, high quality, and affordable access to the largest possible repertoire anytime, anywhere, online, or offline.

Songs and compositions are at the heart of this thriving market, which counts 524 million users on subscription-based music services globally, reaches more than 2 billion users including the streaming on UGC platforms, and offers more than 70 million tracks from approximately 8 million artists.

Yet, the authors and composers cannot benefit adequately from this success, and the debate over unfairness of this market is gaining traction across Europe and around the world.

There is a need to look more closely at how songwriters and composers are connected to this thriving economy and what can be done to improve their currently neglected situation.

Read below to find out more about the Music Streaming market.

Policies

Buy-out contracts: a dangerous threat to European creators

European music creators (composers, lyricists etc.) are being forced to forsake thousands of euros in future earnings by draconian ‘work made for hire’ (WMH) and buy-out contracts.

Online audiovisual services and broadcasters that are mainly US-based are forcing music creators to accept such contracts, which enforce a one-time payment in exchange for their rights.

Given the worldwide popularity of shows and series on platforms like Netflix, Amazon, Disney etc., and their replay value, the audiovisual market represents an important revenue stream for creators. Soundtracks alone are part and parcel of series and often attract a similar amount of popularity, massively boosting sales, streams and the worldwide fanbase of their authors.

Read below to find out how video on demand (VOD) platforms and broadcasters are circumventing EU law and what can be done about it.

Policies

Authors’ societies & the collective management model

Authors’ societies are hugely beneficial to both authors (creators), users (platforms and services), and the broader public.

Beyond benefiting these different groups, authors’ societies also support the broader cultural ecosystem by funding and promoting cultural and creative initiatives.

Below are five key benefits to authors’ societies and the collective management model.

Policies

The Copyright Directive

In April 2019, the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market was formally adopted, a change that will positively transform authors’ rights throughout the EU. Each member state now has until 7 June 2021 to transpose the Directive into their respective national law.

This reform is an opportunity to address pressing issues for authors in the Digital Single Market and will promote the growth of Europe’s creative and cultural industries (CCIs) – a major driver of Europe’s economy.

One of the biggest achievements of this new piece of legislation was to address the
‘Transfer of Value’ problem, a priority issue for all European creators.

Below are some of the Directive’s key areas that will affect creators and those who profit from their work.