It used to be that landing a blockbuster record deal with a major label was the be-all and end-all for young bands, but as anyone who’s kept half an eye on the changing music industry landscape in the last decade or so will have probably noticed, there’s plenty of other ways for emerging musicians to get their big break.
But there’s still a lot to be said for the support, exposure, and sheer clout that a record company can offer artists, which is where the army of independent labels comes in; intending to offer a more personal touch and less commercialised approach than the big corporates of the music world.
Now some of the biggest names in the independent sector are drawing a line in the sand that will further define the divide between them and the ‘Big Three’ – Sony, Warner, and Universal – with news that a large coalition of indie labels are putting their moralistic ideals down on paper with the intention of fighting the good fight on behalf of bands and artists in the ever-expanding and increasingly important field of digital music.
Having spearheaded the battle against YouTube and their attempts to shaft the indie sector on licensing deals on their upcoming music streaming service, the World Independent Network (WIN) is taking the next logical step in their opposition, by launching the ‘Fair Digital Deals Declaration’. “Why wouldn’t we treat artists fairly? It seems so obvious… but let’s say it, loud and proud.”
According to Billboard, the declaration has already seen over 600 indie labels from more than 21 countries signing on to the Fair Digital Deals Declaration, pledging to treat their signed acts and bands fairly; taking a stand against the exploitative measures of major labels in their dealings with streaming and download services (eg. Spotify, iTunes, Pandora) that tend to shaft the artist with poor royalties and bad licensing deals.
Among the long list of labels that have already signed on to the Fair Digital Deals Declaration are six Australian representatives: The Mushroom Group, We Are Unified, Cooking Vinyl, Future Classic, Head Records, and The Orchard.
Others that have joined the declaration, which officially launches tomorrow, are Sub Pop, Domino, XL, 4AD, Matador, Jagjaguwar, Merge, Capture Tracks, Mute, Brainfeeder, Anti-, Secretly Canadian, and many more (read the full list of signatories here).
Labels that have signed the declaration have agreed that they will adhere to the following five key principles of the Fair Digital Deals Declaration:
- We will ensure that artists’ share of download and streaming revenues is clearly explained in recording agreements and royalty statements in reasonable summary form.
- We will account to artists a good-faith pro-rata share of any revenues and other compensation from digital services that stem from the monetization of recordings but are not attributed to specific recordings or performances.
- We will encourage better standards of information from digital services on the usage and monetisation of music.
- We will support artists who choose to oppose, including publicly, unauthorized uses of their music.
- We will support the collective position of the global independent record company sector as outlined in the Global Independent Manifesto.
That second point is of particular emphasis given the catalyst for the Fair Digital Deals Declaration – the dispute with YouTube that’s even roped in the EU commission over sour negotiations in deals that reportedly favour major labels (via guaranteed payment amounts, equity shares, and money that finds its way into the profits of record companies rather than their artists).
In addition to the declaration, which officially launches tomorrow, WIN have also shared the ‘Global Independent Manifesto’, arguing that the indie music sector deserves “equal market access and parity of terms with Universal, Sony, and Warner, and and independent copyright copyright should be valued and remunerated at the same level as a major company copyright.”
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As well as calling for transparency in the digital music market and negotiations of licensing terms and royalties, the manifesto also opposes “further consolidation in the recorded music, publishing and radio sectors since this is bad for independent music companies, their artists and fans.”
Commenting on the new declaration and manifesto, Martin Mills of the Beggars Group (which reps labels such as 4AD, Matador, Rough Trade, XL, and Young Turks) tells Billboard, “Why wouldn’t we treat artists fairly? It seems so obvious that we shouldn’t have to say it, but let’s say it, loud and proud.”
WIN chairman Alison Wenham adds: “We invite companies – majors and indies – to join the hundreds of companies who have already signed and put a stop to the practise of diverting revenues from the artists without whom we would not have a business.”
