For some time now streaming has been the biggest generator of revenue for the music rights industry. In 2023 streaming accounted for 67.3% of global recorded music revenues.
Streaming evolved quickly, and artists and songwriters were not involved in developing the streaming business model – partly because they do not generally have direct relationships with digital platforms. As streaming became an increasingly significant revenue stream from the mid-2010s, artists, writers and their managers started to scrutinise the business model and raised a number of issues with the way streaming works.
Addressing those issues requires the input of all the key stakeholders in digital music – including artists, musicians, writers, producers and managers, but also record labels, music distributors, music publishers, collecting societies and the streaming services themselves.
In the UK, following Parliament’s Economics Of Music Streaming inquiry in 2021, the government convened a number of working groups to bring all those stakeholders together to discuss and identify solutions to some of the issues with the streaming business model.
That work has led to industry codes on data and transparency, and now a new group is starting work on discussions relating to issues around how streaming money is shared out.
Implementing the solutions needs to involve everyone working in music rights and digital music
Everyone working in digital music should have a grasp of the streaming business model, the various issues and viewpoints that have been raised, and the pros and cons of the solutions that have been proposed. Whether that’s because you work on the label or publishing side and need to understand the potential impacts on your business, or because you work with artists and songwriters, and need to discuss the issues with them.
Whatever your role, CMU’s Economics Of Streaming Masterclass series gets you up to speed with the key issues, and gives you the knowledge you need to be able to understand and discuss those issues.
With the latest working group starting this week, we’re making our Economics Of Streaming Masterclasses available at a discount – get instant access to all four on-demand sessions for just £129 rather than £199 – a considerable saving over the individual Masterclass price of £79.
Included in the CMU Masterclass Economics Of Streaming series:
Economics Of Streaming: Debates & Controversies
This masterclass will help you understand the big debate about the economics of music streaming. We will identify and explain each specific issue that has been raised about the streaming business model, and outline the positions taken by the different stakeholder groups in the music industry. You’ll also get a complete update on the ongoing economics of streaming work that is being led by the UK government.
The evolution of music streamingKey issues with the business modelThe UK streaming inquiry and government-led projectsOther initiatives to address streaming issues
Economics Of Streaming: Money & Allocation
In this masterclass we will explore the controversies over the way streaming revenues are shared out between artists, songwriters, record labels, music publishers and the streaming services. There is a three-step process to getting artists and writers paid, and there are issues at each step. We will explain the process, tell you what the issues are, and run through all the changes that have been made or proposed.
How the digital pie is currently slicedProposed changes to track allocationProposed changes to revenue share splitsProposed changes to artist remuneration
Economics Of Streaming: Data & Transparency
In this masterclass we will explain why bad metadata and a lack of transparency have created significant issues in the music streaming business. We will then run through various initiatives that seek to solve these problems – and explain the role artists, songwriters, studio producers, record labels, music distributors, music publishers, collecting societies and streaming services need to play in delivering the solutions.
Metadata: Getting people credited and paidTransparency: Understanding the modelThe UK data and transparency codesThe role of copyright law
Economics Of Streaming: Rights & Innovation
In this masterclass we will run you through the key innovations occurring in the digital music market right now – and consider the role played by digital platforms beyond subscription streaming services. As the digital market becomes more sophisticated and diverse, the artist/label relationship will change again – we’ll explain how, and then outline what artists, managers, labels, lawyers and other music industry people need to do to prepare.
Innovations in the digital music marketLicensing challenges and opportunitiesRights and revenues on UGC platformsThe impact on the artist/label relationship