Advocacy

AI and emerging technologies are already reshaping the music sector. Innovation must be built with artists, songwriters, performers and their representatives, not imposed on them through unclear contracts, default opt-ins or unauthorised uses of their work and identity.

• Require explicit artist opt-in for AI-related uses, including the use of works, recordings, performances, voice, likeness, image, style or identity in AI training, synthetic outputs, cloning, impersonation and commercial licensing.
• End default opt-ins and broad rights grabs, including contract clauses that pressure artists into accepting future AI uses they do not understand, cannot meaningfully refuse, or are not fairly paid for.
• Guarantee transparency, credit and fair remuneration whenever artists’ rights, works, data or creative identities are used in AI systems, datasets, outputs, licensing deals or other technology-related products.
• Strengthen enforcement against unauthorised AI uses, including effective penalties for infringement, protection against deepfakes and impersonation, and mechanisms to reinvest value into artists, music skills, jobs and culture.

Music makers and the managers who develop their careers need a music economy where value is more fairly shared, contracts are fit for digital explotation, and creators can understand, verify and challenge how they are paid. Fair remuneration for music makers and their teams must apply across streaming, live performance, licensing, data-driven uses and new technologies.

• Increase transparency across the music value chain, including streaming, licensing, royalties, live income, deductions and payment flows, so artists and managers can clearly see how income is generated, calculated and distributed.
• A modern digital royalty minimum for artists, including a fair minimum share of streaming income and meaningful access to renegotiation ensuring artists can renegotiate unfair or outdated terms without needing the same financial resources or legal power as major corporations.
• Stronger protections against unfair contract terms, excessive rights grabs and buyouts that remove long-term value from performers and authors.
• Improved royalty attribution and data accuracy across the full music value chain, including better metadata standards and cooperation between DSPs, CMOs, PROs, labels, publishers and distributors.
• Support for reinvestment mechanisms, including ticket levy models, streaming taxes and targeted public support, to strengthen grassroots and mid-level music makers development.

Touring and live performance, both domestic and international are essential to artist development, audience growth and sustainable careers. However, artists and managers face rising costs, tax barriers, visa and carnet complexity, fragmented rules and increasingly difficult market conditions. These barriers particularly affect emerging, independent and mid-level artists trying to build careers across borders.

• Remove double taxation and disproportionate withholding tax burdens on international performances, especially where shows are loss-making or only marginally profitable.
• Reduce bureaucracy and costs for international touring, including clearer, simpler and more affordable visa, carnet, work permit and social security processes for artists touring in the UK, USA and other key markets.
• Support artist-led touring, export and audience development, including targeted funding for international showcasing, cross-border circulation, manager capacity and sustainable career development.
• Address market concentration where it limits artist opportunity, ensuring competition policy considers artists’ access to stages, audiences, ticketing, data, fair deals and international routes to market.

Music is one of Europe’s most dynamic cultural strengths and an important economic sector. Yet music is still too often under-recognised in policy, funding, data, competition analysis and digital regulation. Europe needs music-specific policy tools shaped with artists, managers and the organisations that understand how music careers are built in practice.

• Establish dedicated music funding in EU culture programmes, supporting artist development, management capacity, export, circulation, skills, innovation and cross-border collaboration.
• Improve the discoverability of diverse European music, including across streaming platforms, social platforms, media, radio, live circuits and cultural programming.
• Create a European Music Observatory, with shared data and research to support evidence-based policy, fairer markets, transparency, audience development and long-term sector planning.
• Develop a stronger EU policy framework for music, such as a Music Directive, Music Act or equivalent strategic instrument, recognising music as a core European cultural asset and setting clear measures to protect, develop and sustain the sector.