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Last year, 17 author societies from 14 European Union countries alone spent three times the European Union culture budget on cultural and social initiatives. Without their support, European culture would be less vibrant, and Europe’s creators less secure.

Sometimes, author societies talk too much about their role as rights managers (tracking and re-distributing funds that are owed to their members) and not enough about their broader work as cultural and social partners to European creators – their members – everywhere.

Today, we’ll set that record straight.

Most author societies – with the consent of their members – have voluntarily expanded their role to include various activities that protect the social welfare of their members and promote cultural activities where they are based.

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.

‘The creative sector is what we’re good at in Europe – something that could really help us grow in the future, economically and culturally.’

The above quotation by European Commissioner Neelie Kroes is something that we as author societies whole-heartedly believe in. And helping the European cultural sector grow is something we are committed to.

Sometimes, there’s misunderstanding about the role of author societies – often we talk uniquely about our primary function of administering author rights. Now, that’s an important job, but it’s far from all we do.

Author societies work hard to promote and encourage talent where they are based, promoting cultural diversity as we go.  Take PRS for Music , the UK-based author society, for example. Music Makeover 2012 demonstrates PRS for Music’s commitment to live music and shows how this society is successfully adapting to changes in the UK’s cultural landscape.

This short extract is taken from a full-length article in the European Voice by Xavier Blanc (AEPO-ARTIS); Véronique Debrosses (GESAC); Helen Smith (IMPALA) andCécile Despringre (Society of Audiovisual Authors).

 The portrayal of collective rights-management organisations (CMOs) in your editorial from 12-18 July is a caricature (“Copyright rules must keep up with digital world”, 12-18 July), and, as organisations representing authors, performers and music producers, we would like to correct that picture.

CMOs are non-profit organisations created for, and most often run by, the artists and creators themselves. They ensure remuneration is paid to right-holders, who individually would in most cases not be able to or, in other cases, would struggle to manage their rights and obtain the appropriate remuneration for the use of their creative works.

As a vital link between individual right-holders and the users of creative works, CMOs stop users from needing to obtain authorisations from thousands of individual right-holders. CMOs are a useful counterweight to increasingly powerful and dominant media and technology companies, whose business is based on consumer demand for films, music and books anywhere, anytime. At the same time, they allow authors and artists to continue creating their works and performances, while driving the growth of the digital single market.

Click here to read full article on the European Voice.