Thread by @WeAreTheMU

Really great that the #MusicStreamingInquiry is hearing how fair remuneration for musicians from streaming could work in practice - NP

https://twitter.com/CommonsDCMS/status/1336262966669357059

A final question in the first session on the impact of Brexit on music. Maria Forte says "Brexit is bad for musicians if there's no deal and if there's a deal then who knows". @kwamekwaten agrees: "as there is currently no deal I can only see it being bad". #WorkingintheEU

Second oral evidence session in #MusicStreamingInquiry about to begin featuring @nilerodgers @fionabevan and @sowetokinch #FixStreaming #KeepMusicAlive

.@fionabevan tells @CommonsDCMS that "the lack of transparency is a really, really big problem" and "most songwriters make less than £200 a year from streaming" #MusicStreamingInquiry #FixStreaming

.@sowetokinch says "you have been asking if the lack of transparency is by accident or design, well it is definitely by design"; there are corporations benefitting from the lack of transparency. He also refers to record profits for labels and says "it is market failure".

.@nilerodgers says "I have been doing this all my life and I look at the record labels as my partners and the interesting thing about my partners is that every time I audit them I find money. We absolutely must have transparency".

This evidence direct from songwriters and artists is gold dust. They can talk from personal experience about the lack of transparency. Nile says "can any of you learned people tell me what a stream is worth? You can't". He says "a partnership works when both partners are happy"

.@nilerodgers said the Covid crisis has given him an opportunity to drill down into the numbers and he has been shocked by what he's found. "Now is the perfect time to fix this stuff!" #FixStreaming #MusicStreamingInquiry

.@nilerodgers says "Streaming is an incredibly effective way to distribute the product" "When you have exponetial growth, you know what's coming next - explosive growth, why not fix these problems now? Because the labels know what's coming is explosive growth."

He's bang on; streaming is a very efficient and cost effective way of distributing music. Much more so than distribution of physical product. So artists and songwriters should be getting a better deal on streaming than on physical but in most cases they are not! - NP

.@sowetokinch says "if we're in a relationship with labels then its an abusive relationship". He talks about the lack of streaming revenue going to jazz artists. "The top ten streaming artists get all of the money." He favours user centric royalty distribution.

User-centric would mean an individual user's payment for streaming would be distributed to the artists they personally listen to. This could benefit niche and independent artists, for example jazz musicians who have a dedicated fanbase. #FixStreaming #MusicStreamingInquiry - NP

.@fionabevan talks about low streaming royalties for writers; "Songwriters are these invisible people behind the scenes". "The most successful songwriters in the world can't pay their rent". Our colleagues at @IvorsAcademy will agree - this needs fixing urgently.

The song gets about 10-15% of streaming revenue and this is split 80/20 in favour of the writer. However, this is a small revenue share compared to the 55% (at least) going to the labels. - NP

.@nilerodgers tells @CommonsDCMS "The system is unfair. We need transparency. If you can help us... I can tell you that in two years' time everyone will be happy as we are about to see explosive growth". #MusicStreamingInquiry #FixStreaming

.@fionabevan says nobody wants to walk down the aisle to a beat alone "It's the lyrics, the melody, the beautiful song". She says platforms are benefitting from the song and songwriters should be fairly paid. #FixStreaming #MusicStreamingInquiry

.@nilerodgers is super cool. "The future is so bright that I have to wear shades". It is so brilliant that he's doing this; giving evidence to @CommonsDCMS in order to get a fairer deal for musicians across the board. - NP

.@nilerodgers: "auditing has always been our wonderful mechanism where we can go in and look at the end of the year and say wow I really made that much money, I had no idea!"

.@nilerodgers tells @CommonsDCMS "It's the labels that are perpetrating this and if you have the power [to fix streaming] we would be so grateful". He is asked if the major labels are the issue and Nile says "unequivocably".

.@fionabevan says there is a lot of anger and sadness and depression among musicians this year. @sowetokinch calls for a "fair split", "more of a level playing field" & "a base rate for being treated fairer as a creator". #FixStreaming

.@sowetokinch talks about algorithmic playlisting and says "it doesn't reward people taking a risk". #MusicStreamingInquiry

I think this is a really interesting point and something that should come out in written evidence to the inquiry. Certain genres of music are favoured in the streaming market and this could potentially impact on what choices creators make, or have to make, when making music. - NP

.@nilerodgers says "there has never been a better time" to #FixStreaming. The situation now is "so crazy and so unfair". "I want to know what the hell a stream is worth!" #MusicStreamingInquiry

The #MusicStreamingInquiry looks at the impact of algorithms; @sowetokinch says "music requires risk, certainly the type of music I'm involved in" and @fionabevan says creativity is being clamped down on.

.@fionabevan highlights that "songwriters are paid solely through royalties" and so they are taking a risk upfront working with artists, it isn't just labels who invest upfront in music.

This is a key point; it isn't just labels who invest upfront these days as artists develop their fanbase, may make the recording, songwriters invest time and effort and often money in writing the song.

.@fionabevan says the UK has an opportunity to improve on the principles of the European Copyright Directive and be a great place for creators to live and work. This was in our written submission to the #MusicStreamingInquiry - NP

The #MusicStreamingInquiry sessions today have been fantastic. Thanks to @nilerodgers @fionabevan & @sowetokinch for speaking out on behalf of musicians & songwriters who all deserve a better deal. Together we can #FixStreaming - NP (@NaomiPohl )