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LONDON — Some of the largest names within the music trade have referred to as on the U.Ok. authorities to alter the best way musicians receives a commission when their songs are streamed on-line over platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
The Rolling Stones and Tom Jones are amongst 75 artists who’ve added their names to a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, urging him to alter the legislation concerning the royalties paid from streaming.
Other new signatories embrace Pet Shop Boys, Yoko Ono, Van Morrison, Barry Gibb, Emeli Sandé and Jarvis Cocker. The complete variety of signatures now stands at 227.
“Streaming is quickly replacing radio as our main means of music communication. However, the law has 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 reads.
“Today’s musicians receive very little income from their performances — most featured artists receive tiny fractions of a U.S. cent per stream and session musicians receive nothing at all.”
The campaigners — led by the Musicians’ Union, Music Producers Guild, Ivors Academy and the #BrokenRecord initiative — argue that songwriters are struggling because of the “extraordinary power” being wielded by multinational firms.
The tech giants that function and make billions of kilos in income from the streaming platforms at present dictate how a lot artists and their report labels receives a commission when their customers stream songs.
But the campaigners need the U.Ok. authorities to amend the 1988 Copyright Act in order that streaming companies pay artists roughly the identical as radio stations do. They’re mainly asking for a clause within the act to be rewritten in order that equitable remuneration — a determine that’s owed to artists at any time when a sound recording of their efficiency is broadcast to the general public — would apply to streaming.
“Songwriters earn 50% of radio revenues, but only 15% in streaming,” the letter reads. “We believe that in a truly free market the song will achieve greater value.”
Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Paloma Faith, Jessie Ware, Boy George, Bob Geldof, Kate Nash and Noel Gallagher have additionally signed the letter.
The U.Ok.’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport has been investigating how music streaming revenues are distributed and whether or not that is accomplished in a good method. Mercury Prize nominee Nadine Shah stated she was compelled to maneuver again in along with her mother and father as a result of she could not help herself financially on the cash she constituted of streaming.
Apple, Amazon, Google and Spotify didn’t instantly reply to CNBC’s request for remark.
