In a resolution adopted by 23 votes to 3 and 1 abstentions, MEPs in the Culture and Education Committee urge for imbalances in the sector to be addressed, as they currently leave a majority of authors receiving very low revenues. The “pre-digital royalty rates” currently applied must be revised, they say, condemning the payola schemes that force authors to accept lower or no revenues in exchange for greater visibility.

EU legislation to support authors

Even though streaming platforms dominate the music market and have been growing steadily for the last eight years, there are no EU rules regulating the sector, MEPs stress. The situation is aggravated by the decline in the overall value of music products, with revenues concentrated in the hands of major labels and the most popular artists, the rise of AI-generated content and, according to studies, streaming fraud (i.e. bots manipulating streaming figures), and manipulation and illegal use of music content by platforms.

MEPs…