News from ECSA: February 2025

On 17 February, 15 authors' and performers' organisations, including ECSA, sent a joint letter to the European Commission's Executive Vice-President Virkkunen and Commissioner Micallef to address the shortcomings of the second draft of the General-Purpose AI Code of Practice. As it currently stands, the draft of the Code of Practice does not show sufficient progress and fails to take into account the comments expressed by our organisations. In fact, when it comes to transparency and respect for copyright, it even appears to be taking several steps backwards. As the European Commission's AI Office is now tasked with the critical responsibility of finalising the Code of Practice, we urge the two Commissioners to ensure that authors' and performers' rights and remuneration are respected.

On 15 February, Nordic Film Music Days (NFMD) and ECSA co-organised the seminar “Breaking Down the Contract in the Era of Streaming” at the European Film Market in Berlin, held alongside Berlinale. During the seminar, Pär Frid (Composer, SKAP), Wendi Pendeza Kazonza (GILT), Barbara Persyn (Strike A Score), and moderator Jesper Hansen (Composer, ECSA Vice-President) focused on the most vital issues audiovisual composers should be aware of when signing contracts with the big streamers. The speakers touched upon various crucial contractual elements, as also outlined in ECSA’s recently published report on audiovisual composers’ contracts. The seminar was co-funded by Creative Europe. We thank all panelists as well as NFMD for an inspiring conference.

On 13 February, the Screen Composers Guild of Canada (SCGC) and ECSA co-organised our latest International Creators Dialogue panel, titled “Artificial Intelligence: Mapping the Future for Screen Composers" at the Embassy of Canada in Berlin, Germany. Moderated by Marc Ouellette (Chairman of the Board, SOCAN), the discussion focused on the legal implications the rapid developments in AI will have for screen composers around the world. Panellists included Anna Jahn (Senior Policy Director, Mila - Institut québécois d’intelligence artificelle), Andrea Kokonis (Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, SOCAN), Micki Meuser (President, DEFKOM, Board Member, GEMA) and Marc du Moulin (Secretary-General, ECSA). The panel was organised in the frame of SCGC’s International Screen Composer Leadership Summit, which brought together various Canadian and international screen music experts, and featured discussions on AI in screen composing, composer rights, and more. We warmly thank SCGC for a great summit!

On 18 February, ECSA Secretary General Marc du Moulin participated in the panel “How Music Composers Can Find Their Voice And Their Paycheck in the Film Industry” at Afro Film Music Days in Berlin. The panel focused on the monetization opportunities that recent developments in film music, such as the rise of digital distribution, streaming platforms, and new technological avenues bring for composers. The panel also featured Godwin Tom (Sony Music Publishing Nigeria), Keziah Myers (Advance Music Canada), and Gitte Bendzulla (Deezer). Afro Film Music Days showcases the business of music in the film industry across the African diaspora. Created by SydneysBuzz and its founder Sydney Levine, and organised by Yanibes Foundation in association with the European Film Market, the conference connects composers, publishers, producers, and stakeholders from the entire film ecosystem.

On the occasion of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, which took place on 10 and 11 February, 38 international organisations representing all sectors of the creative and cultural industries, including ECSA, have signed the International Charter on Culture and Innovation. The charter calls to build a future that reconciles the development of AI with respect for copyright and related rights. The signatories emphasize that there will be no trustworthy, human-centered AI that respects intellectual property rights if transparency, authorisation and remuneration are not ensured. Read the full charter below.

Earlier this month, the European Copyright Society (ECS), an independent group of leading copyright and intellectual property experts, published its Opinion on generative AI and copyright. In the document, the ECS urges the European Union to address “legal uncertainties and several open questions” left by the current development of generative AI under the framework of the 2019 Copyright Directive and the 2024 AI Act. These urgent issues include determining the scope of the text and data mining (TDM) exception, which the ECS states cannot cover all aspects of the development of generative AI, as well as clarifying the opt-out (reservation of rights) and the transparency obligations for AI providers under the AI Act. Importantly, the ECS also calls for the fair remuneration of authors and performers for all uses of their works in the development of generative AI to be reaffirmed as a fundamental principle of EU law.

We are pleased to announce that SPACe (Society of Polish Audiovisual Composers) is joining ECSA as new Polish members in our FFACE Committee. SPACe supports audiovisual composers in Poland by protecting their rights, promoting their work, and fostering professional growth. It emphasises community integration, intergenerational collaboration, and addressing digital challenges. Additionally, SPACe engages in legislative processes, international cooperation, and cultural initiatives, aiming to become a leading voice for Polish audiovisual composers. We warmly welcome SPACe and look forward to many fruitful collaborations. 

On 15 February, as part of the Nordic Film Music Days (NFMD), the HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award ceremony took place at the Nordic Embassies in Berlin, Germany. The HARPA was awarded to a Norwegian collaborative group consisting of Kåre Christoffer Vestrheim, Andréa Louise Horstad, Kristoffer Lo and Eivind Helgerød for their score for the series “Makta”. Each year, the HARPA Award celebrates outstanding Nordic composers and  puts spotlight on Nordic talent and craftsmanship. Read more in NFMD's press release below.

ECSA member NOPA (Norwegian Society of Composers and Lyricists) has developed a digital handbook for its representatives. In 2024, 93 of NOPA’s members held positions on behalf of NOPA across 159 different roles in the Norwegian music industry. As NOPA aims to provide training and knowledge to those stepping into these positions, ensuring they are well-equipped and confident in their roles, the handbook serves as a guide, offering insight, support, and inspiration for those in representative roles. The handbook is a result of NOPA’s diversity efforts and a diversity assessment conducted among representatives and staff. While created for NOPA’s representatives, it is equally useful for others in the music and cultural sectors. The handbook is available (in Norwegian) below.

ECSA member the Film Scoring Academy of Europe in Sofia is pleased to welcome accomplished game music composer/producer Jack Wall as course leader for the 2025 edition of its three-week intensive module in Scoring for Games and Adaptive Media, running March 3-23. Jack has created music for over twenty games, and is most closely associated with the Myst and Call of Duty franchises. He is also co-founder of the Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) and a co-producer with Tommy Tallarico of the Video Games Live concert series. He has been nominee or winner of numerous awards from G.A.N.G. and the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.

This year’s edition of “Spot the Composer” takes place from 16-19 May in Cannes, France. The program is part of the Marché du Film - Festival de Cannes, supported by SACEM, and aims to connect film composers with film directors and producers participating in the Festival de Cannes. 10 selected international composers will participate in a case study on the world of film scoring, one-to-one meetings to match them up with current or future films looking for their next score, and a masterclass on film music, presented by SACEM. Applications are open until 15 March. Find more info below.

Earlier this month, ECSA joined social media platform Bluesky. We are happy to connect with you to continue defending and promoting the rights of music authors. Find our profile via the link below.