EU targets music streaming platforms to ensure fair pay and visibility

The EU has proposed sweeping changes within the music streaming industry to promote smaller artists and ensure underpaid artists receive fair compensation.

A resolution was introduced to address concerns about inadequate streaming royalties for artists and biased recommendation algorithms. adopted by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on Wednesdayhighlighting that no EU rules currently apply to music streaming services, despite being the most popular way to consume audio.

The proposal was made to ensure that European musical works are accessible and prevent them from being overshadowed by the “overwhelming amount” of content continually added to streaming platforms such as Spotify. MEPs also called for a review of outdated “pre-digital” royalty rates, pointing out that some schemes force artists to accept little or no income in exchange for greater exposure. Imposing quotas on European musical works is being considered to help promote artists in the EU.

Streaming companies are also urged to disclose whether AI has been used to create the tracks they host, address «deepfake» music that imitates human artists without their permission, and be transparent about their recommendation algorithms to prevent major players. record labels and popular artists are disproportionately. favored (and therefore better compensated) than smaller players in the industry.

«Parliament is giving voice to the concerns of European creators, who are at the heart of the streaming music market,» said rapporteur Ibán García del Blanco in the EU press release. “Cultural diversity and ensuring authors are credited and paid fairly has always been our priority; “That is why we are calling for rules that ensure that the algorithms and recommendation tools used by music streaming services are transparent, as well as the use of artificial intelligence tools, putting European authors at the center.”

While MEPs have overwhelmingly accepted that these issues need to be addressed, the resolution itself is not legislative. Rather, it is a call for the European Commission to recognize the concerns and initiate legislation to improve things, which could take several years to come into force even if the appeal is successful.