News from ECSA: October 2026

On 27 October, a coalition of 20 European music organisations, including ECSA, published a statement to oppose the proposed 30% cut to the budget of AgoraEU, the main EU programme for culture in 2028-2034. In the statement, we urge Member States and the Irish Presidency to restore at a minimum the Commission’s proposed budget, work towards Parliament’s higher ambition, and secure dedicated, ring-fenced funding for music in the EU’s 2028–2034 budget. The proposed cut would place a disproportionate burden on culture, media and democracy and would come at a dramatic cost to Europe’s ambition and capacity to support a strong European music ecosystem within a competitive and diverse cultural sector. Find our full statement below.

On 19 November, ECSA and Linecheck Milan co-organise the panel “When AI Tops the Charts: Working Together Towards a Fair and Transparent Streaming Ecosystem”. During the panel, Yvan Boudillet (Music Tech Europe), Tom Hugo Hermansen (NOPA, TONO) and moderator Helienne Lindvall (ECSA President) will discuss the profound impact of AI-generated music on creators and the entire music streaming value chain. Every day, large volumes of unlicensed AI-generated music flood streaming platforms, diluting the royalty pool for actual music creators and other rightsholders. Moreover, AI-generated music is still often not labelled as such, and is even pushed algorithmically by certain platforms. This supercharges streaming fraud, with Deezer reporting that 85% of streams from AI tracks are fraudulent. In this context, our panellists will discuss what measures streaming platforms and industry stakeholders can take to tackle these challenges and to ensure a fair and transparent use of AI across the streaming value chain. The panel is co-funded by Creative Europe.

From 6 to 8 October, the Independent Music Publishers International Forum (IMPF) organised its yearly Global Music Summit in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, gathering IMPF’s music publisher members, music creators, and other music industry professionals for talks, panels, and networking activities. On 7 October, ECSA President Helienne Lindvall joined the panel “Collective and rights management in transition”. Together with Christian Baierle (ROBA Music Verlag), Karin de Groot (BumaStemra), Kensuke Shimoda, (JASRAC) Hussain Yoosuf (ESMAA, PopArabia) and Jules Parker (MusicInfra), she discussed how collective management organisations can modernise their licensing and data capabilities, strengthen cross-border cooperation and meet the new demands in a fast-changing music market while responding to the needs of independent creators and music publishers. 

On 2 October, ECSA’s Working Group on Technology and AI had the pleasure to host Dr. Kai Welp, General Counsel of German Collective Management Organisation GEMA, for a presentation on GEMA’s ongoing lawsuit against generative AI service provider Suno. On 31 July, the Munich Regional Court sided with GEMA in its case against Suno, ruling that the AI company is in breach of both US and German copyright law for using songs from GEMA’s repertoire to train its AI systems, including by storing and reproducing those songs in its servers. The presentation, which came one year after a presentation on GEMA’s lawsuit against OpenAI, was followed by a Q&A with ECSA members. Our sincere thanks to Dr. Welp for his time and the excellent presentation and work.

From mid November 2026, 40 independent music creators from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands take part in Drivkraft – Take the Lead, a 12-week international online programme designed to help artists develop their careers on their own terms. The programme combines practical tools for project planning, release strategies and communication with a focus on personal leadership, motivation and artistic development. Through weekly sessions, participants work on their own projects while exchanging experiences, providing feedback and building connections with fellow music creators across Europe. The programme concludes with a two-day live camp in Copenhagen on 29–30 January 2027. The initiative is organised by Autor in collaboration with fellow ECSA members NOPA (Norway), SKAP (Sweden) and BAM! Popauteurs (the Netherlands). If you are interested in participating in next year’s Drivkraft as an organisation, please contact Autor.

Earlier this month, the Finnish Music Creators’ Association (FMC) won the Organisation of the Year award at the Finnish Industry Awards 2026, held as part of Music x Media. Community Manager Jojo von Hertzen also won Pillar of Support of the Year (left). The jury praised FMC’s long-term work for music creators, including advocacy, training and mentoring, and its stance on copyright and AI. Von Hertzen, who also co-chairs ECSA’s Diversity and Inclusion Working Group, was recognised for supporting and encouraging others, especially emerging creators. “The music industry doesn’t run without new songs,” says Executive Director Aku Toivonen. He accepted the award on behalf of all Finnish music creators together with chair Pauliina Lerche (second from the left). Also in the photo: Communications and Organisation Manager Nina Lith and Lawyer Lumi Ollila (right).