The European Parliament passed a resolution on Wednesday (January 17) calling for the creation of a new legal framework to address the unequal distribution of income among artists, who often receive only a small fraction of what platforms earn from streaming.
The ruling criticizes “pre-digital royalties” imposed on streaming services that do not reflect the value of the music or the popularity of the artists. He also condemns systems that force musicians to accept lower or no income in exchange for greater visibility on platforms.
Music streaming platforms will have to pay artists better
The non-binding resolution calls on the European Commission to take action and To propose legislation that would protect the rights and interests of European creators “at the heart of the music streaming market”.
Spanish MP Ibán García del Blanco, who prepared the decision, said in his statement that the European Parliament ” Voiced concerns of European creators “. gave the following assurance: ” Cultural diversity and ensuring authors are fairly cited and compensated have always been our priority. “.
The decision also requires: More transparency and accountability from streaming platformsparticularly in relation to algorithms and recommendation tools that impact music consumption and discovery. It also asks platforms to disclose whether they use AI to create or manipulate music, such as “deepfake” music that imitates real artists without their consent.
This decision comes amid growing dissatisfaction among artists and fans over the low and inconsistent fees paid by streaming services. In recent years, music has become the main source of income.
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Some of the most popular platforms, such as Spotify and Deezer, have faced criticism and protests over their payment policies, which rely on a “pro-rata” model that distributes revenue based on each artist’s market share.
While this model supports the most popular artists, it leaves the majority of independent and niche artists with inadequate income. According to some estimates, Artists need to create thousands of streams to earn a single euro from streaming platforms.
Some platforms have attempted to offer alternative models, such as “user-centric” or “fan-supported” models that would distribute revenue based on each user’s viewing habits rather than each artist’s overall popularity. But, these models have not been widely adopted or tested, and their impact on the music industry and artists remains unclear.
This proposal ultimately aims, above all, to guarantee the accessibility of European musical works and to ensure their ” overwhelming amount » Content constantly added to streaming platforms like Spotify.
Although the decision was accepted by an overwhelming majority of MPs, it retains its legislative nature. This is a call for the European Commission to recognize these problems and introduce legislation to solve them. But, Even if the objection is accepted, it may take several years for possible legislative changes to be implemented. What is certain is that if a law were to come into force, it could lead to price increases on different platforms that would likely want to protect their margins.
