News from ECSA: September 2026

On 28 September, Member of the European Parliament Hélder Sousa Silva (Portugal - EPP) presented the draft report “on the cultural and creative sectors in the age of AI”, for which he is rapporteur in the Culture and Education (CULT) Committee. The report will also contribute to shaping the upcoming European Commission Strategy for the CCS (see related following news item). Although ECSA welcomes the calls for fair remuneration of rightsholders, “meaningful transparency” in AI training data, and ambitious action against AI streaming fraud, our alliance will continue to engage with MEPs in the CULT Committee to ensure the report adequately reflects other ongoing challenges of music creators, in particular substitution effects and contractual imbalances.

Earlier this month, ECSA provided its response to a European Commission call for evidence on an AI Strategy for the CCS. The Strategy is part of a broader EU roadmap to promote the uptake of AI, and will be presented in early 2027. ECSA’s contribution focussed on five key points: (1) ensuring the principles of consent, transparency, and remuneration of authors; (2) ensuring clear labelling of AI-generated outputs and tackling AI streaming fraud; (3) making EU funding conditional on the fair remuneration of authors and giving priority to human-created works; (4) promoting the discoverability of European works online; (5) launching and supporting initiatives to educate creators about their rights in the context of AI. ECSA will continue its engagement with the European Commission to ensure the Strategy adequately addresses the specific needs of music authors in the context of AI.

On 11 September 2026, Dutch ECSA Member Nieuw Geneco, ECSA, Creatieve Coalitie, Platform ACCT and Gaudeamus organised a panel on fair practice in today’s music sector titled “Mapping Fair Practice Across Europe: What Works for New Music?”. The session took place during the Gaudeamus Festival at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and was co-funded by Creative Europe. During the session, Nadia Feldkircher (Basic Income for the Arts, Ireland), Eva-Maria Bauer (Österreichischer Musikrat), Sine Tofte Hannibal (Dansk Komponistforening), and Thomas Drissen (Creatieve Coalitie) exchanged on how we can safeguard the conditions that make artistic creation possible, highlighting different approaches and initiatives from across Europe, including Basic Income for the Arts in Ireland, Fairness Fair Pay in Austria, and the Dutch Fair Practice Code. After the panel, Nieuw Geneco presented the seventh edition of its Fair Practice Awards. Find more info in Nieuw Geneco’s press release (in Dutch) below.

On 18 September, ECSA Board Member and songwriter Aafke Romeijn (BAM Popauteurs) joined the European Streaming Economy Summit panel "Regulation, Revenue, Repertoire – How To Be A Fair And Truly Global One-Billion-Subscriber Business" at Reeperbahn festival in Hamburg, Germany. During the panel, Aafke, Helen Smith (IMPALA), Kristina Janušauskaitė (IFPI), and Marc Zisman (Qobuz) exchanged views on the current music streaming ecosystem. They discussed the imbalance in revenue distributions on digital streaming platforms, their often opaque policies around playlists and algorithms and how this impacts cultural diversity, and the increased volume of AI-generated music flooding those platforms. We warmly thank Reeperbahn festival for providing a stage for these vital discussions.

On 6 September, ECSA Board Member Johan van der Voet (BCMM) took part in the Paradisodebat, organised by Kunsten ’92, Akademie van Kunsten, ACI and Paradiso. The debate focused on the position of the cultural and creative sector in the era of generative AI. Johan participated in round 1 of the debate, titled “Makers & the Conscience”, alongside Hans van Houwelingen (Academy of Arts), Jean Charles Counet (cameraman and film director), Nanet Beumer (Rijksmuseum), Stefan Heijdendael (NDP Nieuwsmedia), and Tim Schoot Uiterkamp (Foundation for Democracy and Media). A recording of the debate is available on this link.

On 15 and 16 September, ECSA’s European Affairs Officer Giacomo Bonetti participated in the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) annual Observatory plenary meeting in Alicante, Spain. Bringing together several private and public sector stakeholders, the Observatory gathers, monitors and reports relevant information to assist policymakers and authorities in enforcing IP rights, including copyright. The two-day session provided updates on the Observatory’s activities in the area of copyright, panel discussions on ongoing challenges in IP enforcement, and meaningful exchanges with policymakers. ECSA thanks the EUIPO for having us and looks forward to continuing our collaboration.

As part of this year’s Palma Summit organised by the Independent Music Publishers International Forum (IMPF), ECSA and IMPF bring 20 talented songwriters from across the world together for a dedicated songcamp. Over the course of the camp, participants will work together in creative sessions, fostering international collaboration and building new connections across the global songwriting community. On 8 October, the songcamp will culminate in a listening session, where Palma Summit participants will get a chance to hear the songs created during the camp and discover the collaborations that have emerged. Find all participants via the songcamp’s Instagram page. This year’s songcamp, co-funded by Creative Europe, marks the beginning of a new collaboration between ECSA and IMPF.

On 10 October, the next European Contemporary Composers Orchestra (ECCO) Concert will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, at Koncertkirken Blågårds Plads. For this edition, the wonderful Athelas Sinfonietta, under the direction of Susanne Blumenthal, will perform six works, carefully selected by the ECCO Steering Committee out of 146 applications for the ECCO call for works. The concert will feature works from Anna Arkushyna (Ukraine), Adrian Mocanu (Ukraine), Balázs Horváth (Hungary), Sophie Lacaze (France), Otto Nuoranne (Finland) and Joss Smith (Denmark), offering a unique insight into today’s international contemporary music scene. This edition is organised by ECSA with the support of Creative Europe, in partnership with Kyiv Contemporary Music Days and Art Music Denmark. Find the full programme and link to buy tickets below.

Earlier this month, ECSA published a special Camille Awards-themed episode of its Tune in Dialogues podcast. The episode puts the nominated composers of the Camille Awards in the spotlight. In nine different interviews, the nominees discuss their scores, their creative processes, and the ideas behind their music. The episode is available on all platforms via the link below.

Last summer, the International Music Council (IMC) and New Internet Media (NIM) launched the beta version of Fair Music, a new streaming platform built around fairness, transparency, and artist empowerment. The goal of the platform is to create a better way for artists to earn, connect with fans, and retain control over their work - while giving listeners a more personal and rewarding experience. You can now help shape the future of the platform by testing it and providing your feedback. The beta version tests whether the welcome message communicates what Fair Music is, whether the guided tour runs from start to finish on your device, whether the tour matches what you actually see on the platform, and whether anything looks wrong, broken, or confusing. Test the platform and share your feedback via the link below.