Thread by @CommonsCMS

In our #MusicStreamingInquiry session, we're questioning:

🎵Geoff Taylor, @bpi_music
🎵Roberto Neri, @the_MPA
🎵Horace Trubridge, @WeAreTheMU
🎵Graham Davies, @IvorsAcademy

🎵Katherine Oyama, YouTube
🎵Raoul Chatterjee, SoundCloud
🎵Steve Bené, Twitch twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

Geoff Taylor @BPI says YouTube's ratio of risk and reward for its part in music streaming is "out of kilter" in response to Chair @julianknight15. While they are growing their business, they are only paying a tiny fraction of income generated to the music industry.

Is songwriting devalued by getting only 15% of streaming revenues asks @DamianGreen? Roberto Neri from @the_MPA says this has grown from 8-10% over past 10 years so it is "moving in the right direction". But yes, they will keep pushing for songwriters to get more.

In response to @KevinBrennanMP on lobbying firms, Geoff Taylor acknowledges that BPI spoke to the majors' representatives before their appearance before our session about issues that might come up & that BPI has instructed a firm to advise them on media & this particular inquiry

Geoff Taylor @bpi_music says to @BrineMP we are "not on track" for YouTube to become the music industry's main source of income as they have suggested, but would love to see it happen. Acknowledged the growth of YouTube premium could change this.

In response to a question from @MrJohnNicolson, Geoff Taylor admits the BPI paid in the region of £20,000-£30,000 to a lobbyist firm to prepare for appearances before MPs on our inquiry

In response to @DamianHinds, Horace Trubridge (@WeAreTheMU) and Graham Davies (@IvorsAcademy) emphasise that the song copyright should be valued equal to the recording - once that has been addressed, they can tackle whether the streaming services' 30% is fair.

Horace Trubridge @WeAreTheMU says that while radio pays equitable remuneration to session musicians, “streaming doesn’t pay anything to studio musicians”. Yet as streaming replaces radio, this “lifeline” for session musicians will dwindle.

Horace Trubridge, General Secretary of @WeAreTheMU, tells @MrJohnNicolson that the MU paid a lobbying firm to work on the inquiry and that they paid about the same as the BPI.

Horace @WeAreTheMU explains legacy artists "don't see a bean" of income but are still streamed - an awful lot of money flowing into record labels for older music on legacy contracts that they're not paying out because the artists aren't recouped or they 'can't find' artists.

In the response to @KevinBrennanMP, Katherine Oyama says @YouTube would support inclusion of safe harbour in a potential UK/US trade deal - injecting significant uncertainty by eroding safe harbour would have a counterproductive effect on the growth in the music industry.

What reforms would get more streaming money in artists’ pockets? YouTube suggests a copyright database, more transparency about where revenue goes & diversifying (e.g. livestream concerts). SoundCloud suggests equitable remuneration and fixing gaps in copyright data.

Questioned by @julianknight15 about YouTube's dominance, Katherine Oyama described criticisms of the platform earlier in the session as a distraction and says it has given artists the ability to upload and become successful in reaching global audiences.

That concludes our penultimate session - thank you to all our witnesses for their participation.