Sir Paul McCartney, Chris Martin and 156 others have written and signed a letter directed to Boris Johnson, which calls for reform within the streaming industry. The call for action sees musicians and supporters work together with the Musicians’ Union, the UK’s independent association for music creators, The Ivors Academy and the #BrokenRecord campaign, ran by The Ivors Academy director Tom Gray.
Through the #BrokenRecord campaign, Gray took to Twitter to share the news and the letter in full.
Over 150 artists and songwriters, including @PaulMcCartney are calling on @BorisJohnson to put the value of music back in the hands of music makers.
The letter, backed by @wearetheMU + @IvorsAcademy with @TomGray‘s #BrokenRecord campaign. #FixStreaming. https://t.co/1PhMy1SxUI pic.twitter.com/1BPx4xiX4B— Kim Johnson MP (@KimJohnsonMP) April 21, 2021
The letter has arisen during an inquiry into the financial impact in which the current rules currently have on artists, record labels and other industry professionals. The ‘Economics of Music Streaming’ inquiry was made by the UK committee for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The committee, chaired by Julian Knight MP, is tasked with the responsibility of examining work within the relevant departments and their associated public bodies which include the BBC.
The letter calls for a change that will enable a power shift within the industry to enable the value of music to be put in the hands of creators. The change will see an amendment to an Act of the Parliament, the 1998 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, which gives artists the rights to say how their work is used and distributed. Forms of media covered within this copyright act include Music, books, videos, games and software.
Amongst the full contents of the letter, it states that streaming platforms have “not kept up with the pace of technological change and, as a result, performers and songwriters do not enjoy the same protections as they do in radio.” The letter also confirms that the amendment will be small “only two words need to change in the 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act…so that today’s performers receive a share of revenues, just like they enjoy in radio.” And ensures that the requested change “won’t cost the taxpayer a penny but will put more money in the pockets of UK taxpayers and raise revenues for public services like the NHS.”
The General Secretary of the Musicians’ Union, Horace Trubridge has provided a comment, stating his support as well as explaining the impact which COVID has had on artists, “As the whole world has moved online during the pandemic, musicians who write, record and perform for a living have been let down by a law that simply hasn’t kept up with the pace of technological change.”
Many other big musical names have also signed the letter and some have also voiced their opinion on the matter, such artists include Wolf Alice, Kate Bush, Tim Burgess, Ed O’Brien, Brit-pop legend Damon Albarn and Mod icon, Paul Weller. Weller has been extremely vocal in his disgust with the streaming conglomerate, Spotify. He has stated that he will never support the service due to the unfairness shown to artists financially, he has also voiced his concern over the apparent low pay made to artists based on their streams.
