News from ECSA: June 2025

On 4 June, the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs (JURI) Committee organised a workshop on Generative AI and Copyright, where ECSA was represented by our Secretary General Marc du Moulin. Marc expressed ECSA’s main concerns and priorities, reiterating that generative AI models have already exploited massive amounts of copyright works. Marc emphasised the points underlined above while stressing that we must also consider effective and enforceable mechanisms to remunerate authors for the AI-generated output. Last but not least, he also warned that any licensing agreement made exclusively between large and dominant players runs the risk of sidelining creators and threatening both fair competition and cultural diversity. We thank the JURI Committee for hosting this important workshop.

On 23 June, ECSA President Helienne Lindvall was invited to a roundtable with music professionals in Biarritz, France, organised by Creative Wave, a think tank designed to unite artists, music professionals, and technologists, aiming to set new standards for innovation in music. The roundtable consisted of various sessions. Helienne provided opening remarks for the session “Public policy: how will certain copyright law and policy decisions made today impact the music market in 10 years?”, together with Gadi Oron (Director General, CISAC). Other sessions focused on the future of creativity and on value creation. The roundtable was also joined by Jeff van Driel (Concord), Richard James Burgess (A2IM), Romain Vivien (Believe), Stefan Lattner (SonyCSL), Tanguy Giraud (Marathon Music Group), Gadi Oron (CISAC), Dan Rowe (Firebird Music), Daniel Fletcher (IE School of Design), DeLaurentis (musician, producer), Agnes Bliah (Deezer), Ami Kay Spishock (Fort William Management), Benjamin Geyre (Lissen), Caroline Champarnaud (SACEM), Chris McMurtry (OpenPlay), and Daan Archer (Copyright Delta). We thank all participants and Creative Wave for the many inspiring exchanges.

On 11 and 12 June, the European Music Council (EMC) hosted its European Forum on Music (EFM) in Brussels. The EFM started off on 11 June with its lab sessions and the panel “Musical Diversity as a Cornerstone for EU Cultural Policies” with Susanne Hollmann (DG EAC, European Commission), MEP Hannes Heide (S&D - Austria), Lodovico Folin-Calabi (UNESCO), Christoph Degen (Hessian Ministry for Science, Research, Arts and Culture) and moderator Audrey Guerre (EMC). On 12 June, EMC members exchanged in various keynotes and panel sessions, including the panel "AI and musical diversity: opportunity or threat?". During this discussion, ECSA Secretary General Marc du Moulin, Carole Tongue (European Coalitions for Cultural Diversity), Oriol Freixa Matalonga (UNESCO) and moderator Guillermo Rodríguez (cultural policy adviser) shared their views on the risks that generative AI poses to the livelihoods of music creators, as well as to musical diversity. As generative AI models are trained on massive quantities of copyright-protected content in complete opacity and without any consent nor remuneration of music creators, the panelists discussed which fundamental questions about the ethics of such technologies should be addressed, and how we can protect the diversity of our musical landscape in light of these developments. We warmly thank EMC for two inspiring days!

Creative Europe is the EU’s only programme fully dedicated to culture and the creative sectors. In a statement published yesterday, a wide group of cultural and audiovisual networks and organisations working at the European level, including ECSA, call on the European Parliament, the European Commission, and Member States to preserve Creative Europe as a stand-alone programme in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), to double its budget, and to raise the overall budget for culture to 2% of the MFF. In an era marked by geopolitical instability, economic pressure, and weakened alliances, it is more important than ever to connect Europeans in trust, empathy, and a shared cultural horizon. Culture fosters these human ties and functions as the bridge between peoples and the foundation of a meaningful European project. The letter is initiated by IETM, Liveurope, EDN, EFA, Circostrada and ASSITEJ International. Find the full letter below.

On 1 July, Denmark takes over the rotating Presidency of the EU for the coming six months. Last week, the Danish Presidency of the EU unveiled its programme and priorities. Among them, the Presidency will support efforts to address challenges related to copyright and AI, stating that copyright law must “ensure clear rules and a fair, efficient market” that encourages both creativity and innovation. In this regard, the Presidency will hold a conference on copyright and AI in Copenhagen on 18 September. In the area of culture, the Presidency announced that it will initiate negotiations on possible proposals for legislation on culture and media in the context of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (the EU’s long-term budget, spanning from 2028 - 2034) and that it will facilitate discussions on updating certain EU frameworks, such as the Audiovisual Media Services Directive. ECSA looks forward to the start of the Presidency and to working with Denmark on tackling important challenges facing European music creators.

On 6 June, ECSA Secretary General Marc du Moulin participated in the Sabam Academy Day in Brussels, bringing in ECSA's perspectives on key European policies and the challenges facing music creators in the digital age. During his presentation, Marc highlighted the importance of respecting the rights of creators while generative AI is on the rise, the imbalances in the music streaming economy, unfair contractual practices, and the EU legislative landscape in relation to these fundamental issues and beyond. These policy priorities are also outlined in our Manifesto. We’re grateful to Sabam for providing a platform for creators to learn about their rights.

On 1-3 July, the French Ministry of Culture organises the 11th edition of the Forum Entreprendre dans la Culture (Entrepreneurship in Culture Forum) at the École nationale supérieure d'architecture de Paris-Belleville in Paris, France. On 1 July, ECSA Secretary General Marc du Moulin will speak at the roundtable discussion Union européenne : quel soutien pour la musique ? (“European Union: What support for music?”), together with Corinne Sadki (Centre national de la musique), Stéphane Segreto-Aguilar (Relais Culture Europe) and Judith Videcoq (European Commission). During the roundtable, they will share their views on the main challenges and opportunities for the European music sector in the coming years, while focusing on the role of music in the next Creative Europe programme as well as on current and future support mechanisms at EU level, such as Music Moves Europe. The roundtable will be moderated by European Affairs and Music Policy Consultant Fabien Miclet. Find more info on this link.

On 9 July, ECSA Secretary General Marc du Moulin will deliver a keynote speech at the opening of the AI Music Conference (AI MusicCon) of SoundTrack_Cologne. SoundTrack_Cologne, taking place from 8 to 11 July in Cologne, Germany, is Europe's leading congress for music and sound in film, games and media, and includes over 40 round tables, panels, workshops and networking events. The AI MusicCon is a specific part of the programme which will focus on the challenges and chances of AI in music. Find the full programme via SoundTrack_Cologne below.

In the frame of France Music Week, the French Centre national de la musique (CNM) published a study on AI in the music industry, titled “Etude sur l’IA dans la filière musicale : Etat des lieux et perspectives du déploiement de l’intelligence artificielle dans la filière et analyse des impacts pressentis sur ses métiers” (“AI in the Music Industry: Status and Prospects for the Deployment of AI in the Industry and Analysis of the Anticipated Impacts on its Professions”. The aim of the study, which is conducted by CNM and BearingPoint, is to provide a snapshot of the use cases for AI in music and the anticipated impact on the industry's professions. The full study is available in French and English via the link below.

Last month, CISAC, the world’s leading network of Collective Management Organisations, published its Annual Report. The report outlines CISAC’s key priorities on copyright and the global copyright infrastructure. Among other things, the report provides evidence, at a global level, of the losses that poor regulation of AI will cause to music and audiovisual creators, projecting losses of up to 24% for music creators and 21% for audiovisual creators in the absence of adequate regulation. The report is available in English, French and Spanish via CISAC’s page below.

The fourth Dutch Day of the Composer , organised by network and platform New Music NOW (of which ECSA member Nieuw Geneco is a collaborative partner), took place in the Netherlands on and around Saturday, 21 June 2025. Dutch composers took centre stage through over 200 live events across more than 20 cities, seven train stations and aboard the bright red New Music NOW Express. Eight city composers were appointed. The New Music NOW Express travelled across the country, connecting local programmes and audiences throughout the day. Esther Gottschalk, founder and director of New Music NOW and the Day of the Composer, stated: “We can look back on a highly successful Day of the Composer. This event highlights the importance of new music and the individuals who create it. Composers enrich our musical lives through their talent and dedication. By celebrating them, we acknowledge the impact, versatility and inspiration of their work.” The next edition will take place on Saturday, 20 June 2026.

ECSA Member SONART, Switzerland’s largest professional association for musicians, has published standardised fee recommendations for self-employed individuals across all music genres. These recommendations—developed in collaboration with expert groups and partner organisations—take into account the diverse conditions within the music scene and offer a certain range. The goal is to improve the income of professional musicians. SONART proposes hourly, daily, and weekly flat rates for all key activities of professional music creators. These include creation (composition, improvisation, songwriting), performance (concerts and rehearsals), and other tasks such as project management or music production. The SONART recommendations make no distinction between musical genres such as classical, jazz, rock/pop, or film- and media music. Find more info via SONART below (available in FR, DE, IT).

On 10 May, ECSA member Austrian Composers Association (ACOM) hosted the Austrian Composers Day for the 12th time at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. This year’s theme, "Artificial Intelligence & Music – between Panic and Euphoria", reflected both the challenges and opportunities currently facing music creators. The event featured a wide range of lectures and presentations, covering technical foundations and applications of AI, legal and author rights issues, and practical approaches for integrating AI-based tools into composition and production workflows. Renowned experts such as Prof. Christine Bauer (Paris Lodron University Salzburg), Matthias Hornschuh (Film composer, GEMA), Christoph Sandholzer (AKM), Victor Gangl (film composer, ACOM), and Wolfgang Schlögl (artist, composer) provided attendees with up-to-date insights and critical perspectives on the role of AI in music. Find the full programme (in German) via ACOM.

HARPA Nordic Film Composers Award and Nordic Film Music Days 2026 will take place at Nordische Botschaften in Berlin, Germany, on 14 and 15 February 2026. Since 2010, Nordic Film Music Days has been the place where composers, musicians, producers and directors within the film and music industry communicate, start future collaborations, educate, and network. For anybody visiting the Berlinale and having an interest in the process, the work, and the art of scoring for film- and tv productions, the event offers a great opportunity to be a part of the community, to meet and to discuss the future of film composing. The event is supported by Nordisk Film & TV Fond and Nordische Botschaften.

World Soundtrack Awards (WSA) Ghent has opened the call for its Third Character project, which aims to facilitate meetings between film composers, directors and producers. Selected composers are invited to meet duos of producers and directors working on a film project in development during the WSA Film Music Days in Ghent. Collaborations born out of these meetings have the opportunity to apply for financial support for the score through Sabam, Sacem and Buma Music in Motion (BMIM). Registrations for film projects and composers are now open. The deadline for composers is 7 August 2025. Find more info via WSA below.

Last month, film music conference SoundTrack_Cologne announced the nominees of the Peer Raben Music Award. The award honors the best original music in a short film. First presented in 2009, the award commemorates the great German film composer Peer Raben. The competition screening will take place during SoundTrack_Cologne on 9 July. Find the full list of nominees below.