News from ECSA: February 2026

In an open letter titled "Say No to Suno", published on 23 February on Music Tech Policy blog, seven signatories, including ECSA President Helienne Lindvall, call to take a stand against AI music generator Suno. In the letter, they state that the company "appropriates and plunders creative work while undermining the commercial ecosystem for artists". As the authors argue, AI companies trained on existing music enable the use of creators' works without their consent, and contribute to the creation of derivatives of those works with limited or no remuneration. It is therefore key to establish a framework that respects and remunerates creators. Read the full letter via the Music Tech Policy below, and find press coverage by Billboard, Complete Music Update,  Music Business Worldwide, and Hypebot.

On 3 February, European songwriters and composers as well as representatives of collective management organisations came together in the European Parliament with key EU policy makers to address harmful contractual practices and the long-standing and growing phenomenon of coercive buy-out practices affecting audiovisual composers, outlined in an ECSA report in January 2025. Jointly organised by ECSA and GESAC, and hosted by Member of the European Parliament Leire Pajín (S&D, Spain), the event provided a platform for authors to share their experiences and rally EU policy makers on the necessary measures against these harmful contractual practices. On behalf of ECSA, Helienne Lindvall, Jesper Hansen, Anselm Kreuzer, Johan van der Voet, Magdalena Sowul, Luis Ivars, and Pär Frid provided testimonies on this pressing issue. We warmly thank MEP Leire Pajín Iraola for hosting, as well as all composers, MEPs and representatives from Member States and the European Commission for their key contributions to this event.

In a joint letter published on 9 February, 23 organisations from across Europe's music sector, including ECSA, call for a strong budget and an ambitious sectoral approach for music within the future AgoraEU programme. The 23 organisations highlight that the proposed increased budget allocated to the programme offers a unique opportunity to reintroduce a sectoral approach to address the specific challenges of the European music sector. Such a sectoral approach is included in the current Creative Europe regulation but is now missing in the AgoraEU proposal as it stands. AgoraEU should play a vital role in helping the sector to address the many challenges it faces today. In particular, the letter calls for AgoraEU to secure earmarked funding for music; reintroduce a dedicated sectoral action for music; ensure a structured and regular dialogue between the European Commission and the music sector; and support sector-specific studies to analyse the sector's trends and challenges.

Last week, we published the third episode of our Tune in Dialogues podcast series. In this episode, ECSA President Helienne Lindvall speaks to Liz Pelly, author of the book "Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist". In her book, she explores Spotify’s influence on music creation and consumption, and examines how streaming services have reshaped the music industry as a whole. In our episode, Helienne and Liz talk about how Spotify’s increasing focus on algorithms, playlisting, and personalisation often comes at the expense of the majority of music creators. They also discuss the lack of transparency behind these practices, how Spotify's approach influences songwriting, how we should address the rise of AI-generated content on streaming platforms, and how we can work towards a fairer streaming ecosystem.

On 14 February, Nordic Film Music Days (NFMD) and ECSA co-organised the panel “The Dynamics of Composing for Film” at the European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin, organised in the frame of Berlinale. During the panel, Chiara Sambuchi (documentary filmmaker, FERA Board member), Matthew Whiteside (composer, sync agent), Andrea Berentsen Ottmar (producer of Oscar-nominated film “Sentimental Value”) and moderator Torgny Amdam (composer, artist) shared their perspectives on the complex set of relationships and collaborations between composer, director, and producer, and on how these processes are shaped by artistic vision, technological developments such as AI, time pressure, budgets, and shifting creative priorities. The panel was co-funded by Creative Europe. We warmly thank all panellists and NFMD for these fruitful exchanges!

On 13 February, the Screen Composers Guild of Canada (SCGC) and ECSA co-organised the International Creators Dialogue panel “The State of the Score: A Conversation With the Leadership of Screen Composer Associations Around The World”. During the panel,  ECSA Vice-President Jesper Hansen, ECSA Secretary General Marc du Moulin, Micki Meuser (DEFKOM), Amanda Brown (AGSC), David Das (SCL), and Halfdan E. (BFM) held an exchange on how collective action and strategic partnerships can shape a more sustainable future for screen composers worldwide. They specifically focused on working conditions and copyright integrity to AI, education, and government advocacy. The panel was co-funded by Creative Europe and part of SCGC’s second annual International Screen Composers Leadership Summit. We warmly thank SCGC for an inspiring conference, bringing together screen composers from all over the world.

On 14 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. Each year, the HARPA Award celebrates outstanding Nordic composers and  puts spotlight on Nordic talent and craftsmanship. This year, the HARPA was awarded to Finnish composer Panu Aaltio, for his score for the film “Little Siberia”. The jury praised his "imaginative and playful" score, which “masterfully blends electronic sound design with traditional Finnish folk music”. Little Siberia is currently available on Netflix. We warmly congratulate Panu, who is also a delegate in ECSA’s FFACE Committee on behalf of ECSA member Finnish Music Creators. Read NFMD’s press release below.

On 23 February, Rianne Letschert, the new Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, received a “musical mandate” from BumaStemra and New Music Now, of which ECSA member Nieuw Geneco is a collaborative partner. The mandate serves as a musical interpretation of the coalition agreement of the new Dutch government, which was inaugurated this week. The piece is composed by Camiel Jansen. With the composition, the organisations aim to create a musical moment for the new government's inauguration and demonstrate how music can connect people. Esther Gottschalk, director of Nieuw Geneco, states: “music connects, inspires, and sets the tone. And what better tone would you set on your first day than a positive one?”.

Late last year, audiovisual composer and ECSA Board Member Johan van der Voet was interviewed by Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant on how AI affects his work as a composer. The article explores how AI changes the Dutch cultural sector as a whole, while Johan zooms in specifically how the rise of AI companies like Suno and Udio affects the work and income of audiovisual composers. Find the full interview (in Dutch) via the link bio.

Earlier this month, Belgian ECSA member De Muziekgilde published a new episode of its monthly series, which dives into topics that deeply affect professional musicians in Flanders, focusing on practical, legal, and financial aspects of the music industry. Episodes cover current industry issues such as AI in music, copyright, royalties, streaming, taxation (VAT rules), and obtaining a "kunstwerkattest" (artwork certificate). The latest episode features an interview with SABAM CEO Steven de Keyser and is available on YouTube.

On 12 February, the kick-off meeting of the AEC–ECSA–EJN–JMI Mentorship Programme took place in the framework of AEC’s Pop and Jazz Platform in Helsinki, Finland. The session introduced the programme’s objectives and structure and provided a space for participants to share their expectations and needs. The programme, which is co-funded by Creative Europe, brings together 9 mentors and 9 mentees to focus on artistic exchange, professional growth and collaboration. It aims to foster exchange, guidance and long-term professional development, while actively promoting gender equality and non-binary visibility in the music industry. The programme will run from April to September 2026, with a dissemination event scheduled for early 2027.

This year’s edition of “Spot the Composer” takes place between 15-18 May in Cannes, France. The programme is part of the Marché du Film - Festival de Cannes, supported by SACEM, and aims to create collaborations between composers and filmmakers attending the festival. Selected composers will be attending masterclasses and talks on film music, as well as personalised one-on-one meetings with directors and producers looking for their next score. Applications are open until 15 March. Find more info via this link.