News from ECSA - January edition

On 21 March, the Creators Conference 2023 takes place in Cinema Palace in Brussels. Registrations are now open via this link. The event will provide a high-level forum to discuss key issues for music authors, including music streaming, new technologies, contractual practices, as well as the EU strategy for the music sector (CCS). Find more information on the programme of the event here.

On Tuesday 28 February 2023 at 14:00, ECSA organises a Capacity Triangle webinar for music creators: "The Importance of Managing your Metadata: How to Get Paid and Credited Correctly". During the webinar, several experts will show how to correctly transmit metadata to eventually be credited and paid correctly for the music you create. You can register for free via this link, and find more info on the programme and speakers here. 

Earlier this month, ECSA was present at ESNS in Groningen, Netherlands, and presented two panels that featured among others ECSA President Helienne Lindvall, board member Aafke Romeijn, and ECSA members Arriën Molema (BAM! Popauteurs, NL), Sarah Glennane (Screen Composers Guild of Ireland), and Delphine Ciampi-Ellis (Union Nationale des Auteurs Compositeurs, FR). Read more about our panel on buy-outs and other unfair contractual practices and our panel on creating a safer work environment in the music industry. ECSA President Helienne Lindvall also participated in a panel on the streaming economy and on a panel on fairer remuneration for streaming.

Last week, ECSA Board member Anselm Kreuzer, ECSA Secretary General Marc du Moulin, and Koda Senior Legal Advisor Kasper Lindhardt featured on a seminar about what buy-out contracts are and how they affect composers. More information on the seminar, organised in the frame of Nordic Film Music Days 365, here.

Earlier this month, CNM published a detailed report on the issue of fraudulent streams. More and more often, streams are artificially increased to generate more income. The report identifies different types of stream manipulation, and mentions several associated risks, including a decrease of the unit value of streams, a decrease of consumers trust, disruption of artists' algorithmic profiles, and a lack of trust in the platform-distributor relationship as well as in the market. Read more about CNM’s in-depth analysis (in French) on their website and in their press release (in English).

The UK House of Lords published a report that takes a critical stance on the UK Government’s proposed changes to IP law, which includes a new text and data mining exception for commercial purposes. Read the full report here. 

On the same topic,, UK Music Chief Executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin wrote in an opinion piece for the Musicians' Union magazine that “potential changes could have a devastating impact on creators”. In the magazine, Njoku-Goodwin expresses his concerns about how UK copyright legislation does not sufficiently take recent developments in AI into account. Read the full piece here.

On 13 January, the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the UK House of Commons published a report in which they call for the establishment of a wide-ranging national strategy for music, in particular music streaming. The publication follows after an initial report of the same Committee on the economics of music streaming, published in 2021. Read the new report on the UK Parliament website.

CNM is organising its second edition of the Conference of gender equality in music. The event takes place on 9 February 2023 at the Pierre Barbizet Conservatory in Marseille, France. The conference will be held in French. More information and registration for the livestream can be found on CNM’s website.

The Nordic Film Music Days, taking place on 18 and 19 February 2023 in Berlin, Germany, have announced its programme. The event celebrates the Nordic Artistry of Nordic Film composition, and includes several screenings and seminars. Have a look at the programme and register here.

In its last trimestrial bulletin, French ECSA member SNAC (Syndicat national des auteurs et des compositeurs) included an interview with ECSA Secretary General Marc du Moulin, in which Marc presents ECSA’s future priorities and the challenges of composers and songwriters across Europe. Read the bulletin (in French) here.

From 26 to 29 January, the Festival Internacional de Música de Cine took place in Sevilla, Spain. ECSA board member Luís Ivars (Musimagen, ES) participated in the festival and underlined the threats related to buy-out contracts. More information on the programme, in Spanish, can be found here.

ECSA and AEC (European Association of Conservatoires) are happy to announce the selected mentors and mentees for the ECSA-AEC 2023 Mentorship programme. The programme serves as an introduction to the music industry for young female (identifying) composers and songwriters who are in the starting phase of their career. The ultimate goal is to enhance gender equality within the sector. Find out who the selected mentees and mentors are here.

On February 1, The WOMEX 23 Call for Proposals for WOMEX Showcases, Conference and Film opens. WOMEX is an international music meeting, taking place in A Coruña, Spain from 25 to 29 October 2023. The event features a trade fair, talks, films and showcase concerts. More info on how to submit your proposal here.