CMU TIMELINE
DCMS Economics Of Streaming Inquiry
Tracking the DCMS select committee’s Economics Of Music Streaming Inquiry
In October 2020 the Digital Culture Media & Sport Select Committee in the UK Parliament announced an inquiry into the economics of music streaming. You can access official committee posts and CMU resources relevant to this inquiry – and follow our coverage of it – via this CMU timeline.
The Music Managers Forum in the UK and CMU Insights have been investigating and debating the economics of music streaming through the ‘Dissecting The Digital Dollar’ project for the last five years. You can access some key outputs from that work here…
Dissecting The Digital Dollar: Executive Summary
Dissecting The Digital Dollar: The Book
Digital Dollar Guide: Deals Guide
Digital Dollar Guide: Transparency Guide
Digital Dollar Guide: Song Royalties Guide
Fully get to grips with the complexities of digital licensing and the various digital dollar debates with these guides from CMU Trends and two recent special editions of the Setlist podcast…
CMU Trends: Digital Music Market In Ten Steps
CMU Trends: Digital Dollar In Ten Steps
CMU Trends: Streaming Challenges In Ten Step
Setlist: Things people get wrong about streaming – Part One
Setlist: Things people get wrong about streaming – Part Two
Announcements from the select committee in relation to this inquiry and recordings of the oral hearings – check out more here.
October 2020
• DCMS Committee examine impact of streaming on future of the music industry
November 2020
• Radiohead and Elbow members to give evidence to MPs on the impact of streaming
• First oral hearing on Tuesday 24 Nov 2020
December 2020
• Statement from Chair Julian Knight: Economics of music streaming inquiry
• Singer-songwriter Nile Rodgers to give evidence to MPs on impact of music streaming
• Second oral hearing on Tuesday 8 Dec 2020
January 2021
• MPs call in top record labels Sony, Warner and Universal in music streaming inquiry
• Third oral hearing on Tuesday 19 Jan 2021
• Committee publishes industry-wide evidence in music streaming inquiry
• Independent record sector questioned on impact of streaming
February 2021
• Fourth oral hearing on Thursday 4 Feb 2021
• Committee to question online platforms as part of their inquiry on the economics of music streaming
• Fifth oral hearing on Wednesday 10 Feb 2021
• Spotify, Apple and Amazon to face questions from MPs in music streaming inquiry
• Sixth oral hearing on Tuesday 23 Feb 2021
Updates on the inquiry and its hearings from CMU – sign to the CMU Daily and Setlist podcast for all the latest news.
May 2020
• Musicians’ Union and Ivors Academy call for government intervention to “fix streaming”
October 2020
• Parliament’s culture select committee to investigate the economics of music streaming
• Setlist: Parliament probes the economics of streaming
November 2020
• Performer ER in the spotlight at first parliamentary hearing on the economics of music streaming
• Setlist: Artists tell MPs streaming is “threatening the future of music”
December 2020
• Performer ER certain to be debated once again at second parliamentary hearing on streaming
January 2021
• Labels expected to argue against ER on streams at tomorrow’s select committee hearing
• BPI cautions against radically changing a streaming model that is “working well for so many”
• Artist and songwriter groups respond to major label statements at select committee streaming inquiry
February 2021
• Indie labels in the spotlight as Parliament’s economics of streaming inquiry continues
• MU and Ivors say they are optimistic of “fairer deal” as Parliament’s streaming inquiry proceeds
• Safe harbour in the spotlight as tech platforms questioned as part of Parliament’s streaming inquiry
• Spotify, Apple and Amazon face MPs in Parliament’s ongoing inquiry into streaming
We have reviewed and dissected written submissions made to the inquiry, breaking everything down into the ten key topics and issues covered. You can check our overview of those topics here. Below we review in more detail what key submissions said about each of those issues.
#01: The big picture view
• Submission: CMU
#02: The artist / label split
• Submission: BPI
• Submission: IFPI
• Submission: MMF/FAC
• Submission: BMG
#03: The recording / song split
• Submission: IMRO
• Submission: IMPF
• Submission: BMG
• Submission: The Ivors Academy
• Submission: Hipgnosis Songs Fund
#04: Equitable remuneration
• Submission: #brokenrecord
• Submission: MU
• Submission: MMF/FAC
#05: User-centric royalty distribution
• Submission: Hipgnosis Songs Fund
• Submission: BMG
• Submission: MU
• Submission: AIM
• Submission: AIM supplementary
• Submission: ERA
#06: Transparency
• Submission: Ivors Academy
• Submission: ISM
• Submission: MU
• Submission: MMF/FAC
#07: Music rights data
• Submission: Ivors Academy
• Submission: YouTube
#08: Royalty chains
• Submission: MMF/FAC
#09: Safe harbour
• Submission: BPI
• Submission: IFPI
• Submission: AIM
• Submission: IMPF
• Submission: Ivors Academy
• Submission: YouTube
• Submission: Council Of Music Makers
#10: Curation and algorithms
• Submission: Beggars Group
• Submission: state51
• Submission: NMC
• Submission: BMG
• Submission: Ivors Academy
Extra: More from the majors
• Submission: Universal Music
• Submission: Sony Music
• Submission: Warner Music
Last updated: March 2021
