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Can Policy Make Streaming Fairer?

UK inquiries and voluntary measures show how governments can pressure the music industry without fully redesigning it.

On this page

  • The call for a streaming reset
  • Transparency and remuneration measures
  • Limits of voluntary industry change
Preview for Can Policy Make Streaming Fairer?

Introduction

UK streaming policy tests a difficult question: can government make music streaming fairer without rewriting the whole music business? Since 2020, the UK has become one of the most visible test cases for this approach. Parliamentary committees pushed for a “complete reset” of streaming, creators argued that royalties were too low and too opaque, and government-backed workstreams produced voluntary agreements on metadata, transparency and creator remuneration rather than immediate sweeping legislation. [uk]committees.parliament.ukUK Parliament Committees Economics of music streamingUK Parliament CommitteesEconomics of music streaming - CommitteesMusic streaming in the UK brings in more than £1 billion in revenue with…

Overview image for UK Policy The result is a governance experiment. Instead of simply declaring streaming “broken” or leaving the market alone, UK policy has used inquiries, market studies, commissioned research and working groups to pressure labels, publishers, platforms and collecting societies into changing practice. That has produced some concrete measures, including a 2023 metadata agreement, a 2024 transparency code and 2025 label-led remuneration principles. But the same process also shows the limits of voluntary reform: many creator groups still argue that fair pay requires enforceable rights, not just better information and goodwill. [Featured Artists Coalition]thefac.orgSource details in endnotes. [3GOV.UK 3GOV.UK]

Why the UK became a streaming fairness test case

The UK debate began from a simple imbalance. Streaming had revived recorded music revenues and made catalogues instantly accessible, but many musicians and songwriters said the money reaching them did not match the value their work created. In 2020, the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee opened its economics of music streaming inquiry to examine creator remuneration, the role of major labels, platform practices and whether the system was sustainable for working musicians. [uk]committees.parliament.ukUK Parliament Committees Economics of music streamingUK Parliament CommitteesEconomics of music streaming - CommitteesMusic streaming in the UK brings in more than £1 billion in revenue with…

The inquiry mattered because it moved the argument from artist frustration into public governance. Musicians such as Nadine Shah gave evidence about struggling to make a living from streaming despite professional success, while campaigners such as Tom Gray’s Broken Record movement framed streaming pay as a structural problem rather than a matter of individual popularity. [The Guardian]theguardian.comSource details in endnotes.

The committee’s 2021 report called for a “complete reset” of the streaming market, including stronger rights for performers and creators. Its recommendations sat at the intersection of copyright law, competition policy and cultural labour: the issue was not just whether Spotify or another platform paid enough per stream, but how revenue moved through labels, publishers, distributors, collecting societies and contracts before reaching artists, songwriters, producers and session musicians. [CMU]cmulibrary.comSource details in endnotes. the music business explained

That framing made the UK unusual. It did not treat streaming fairness only as a consumer-price issue or a private contract dispute. It treated it as a public policy problem about how cultural markets are governed when digital distribution becomes the dominant route to income.

The call for a streaming reset

The phrase “reset” carried two meanings. For creator advocates, it meant changing the rules of the recorded music economy so performers and songwriters could receive more reliable and transparent income from streaming. For government and regulators, it raised a harder question: which part of the system should be changed, and by whom?

One major proposal was equitable remuneration, often shortened to ER. In this context, ER means a statutory right for performers to receive a share of streaming revenue, potentially paid through a collecting society, rather than depending entirely on individual label contracts. Supporters argue that this would particularly help performers whose contracts were signed before streaming became dominant, or whose royalties remain low because old advances have not recouped. [Lexology]lexology.comThe economics of Music StreamingThe economics of Music Streaming

Other proposed reforms focused on contract adjustment and rights reversion. A contract adjustment mechanism would let creators seek better terms when old agreements become disproportionately unfair in new market conditions. A reversion right would allow rights transferred to a company to return to the creator after a defined period or under certain conditions. The UK Intellectual Property Office commissioned research on these options, reflecting that the streaming debate had shifted from moral complaint to detailed copyright design. [GOV.UK]GOV.UKThe government's work on music streamingThe transparency work has also concluded, with the government publishing a UK industry code of pr…

The policy challenge is that each remedy helps a different group and creates different risks. ER could create a new income route for performers but might reduce the revenue available to labels for advances, marketing or artist development. Reversion could help creators trapped in outdated deals but might unsettle investment models built around long-term rights ownership. Contract adjustment sounds flexible, but it depends on who can afford to bring a claim and how “unfairness” is measured. The UK process therefore became less about finding one magic fix and more about testing which interventions could survive legal, economic and industry scrutiny.

UK Policy illustration 1

What the CMA did — and did not — find

The Competition and Markets Authority’s 2022 music and streaming market study changed the direction of the debate. Many artists hoped a competition investigation would identify market power as the cause of low creator pay. Instead, the CMA concluded that competition between streaming services was broadly delivering good outcomes for consumers and decided not to launch a full market investigation. [GOV.UK]GOV.UKU K industry agreement on music streaming metadataUK industry agreement on music streaming metadataMay 31, 2023 — 31 May 2023 — The UK industry agreement on music streaming metadata sets…Published: May 31, 2023

That conclusion did not mean the CMA thought musicians had no problem. It acknowledged creator concerns, but judged that the main fairness issues were not likely to be solved through competition enforcement alone. In other words, if musicians were receiving too little, the answer might lie in copyright, contract practice and industry revenue-sharing rather than in proving that platforms or labels were earning excessive profits through anti-competitive conduct. [The Guardian]theguardian.comSource details in endnotes.

This distinction matters. Competition law asks whether markets are functioning for competition and consumers; streaming fairness asks whether cultural workers receive a just share of value. Those questions overlap, but they are not identical. A streaming service can be cheap and attractive for listeners while still leaving many creators unable to earn meaningful income.

The CMA also highlighted concentration in listening. The Guardian’s coverage of the study reported that more than 60% of music streamed in the UK came from just 0.4% of artists, while fewer than 1% of artists reached the level of listening associated with about £12,000 in income. [The Guardian]theguardian.comSource details in endnotes. That does not prove every royalty split is unfair, but it shows why a “per stream” economy can feel brutal: the market rewards attention at vast scale, while the long tail of creators remains culturally active but financially fragile.

Transparency and remuneration measures

After the parliamentary inquiry and CMA study, the UK government moved towards targeted, industry-led interventions. These measures do not replace copyright law or directly set royalty rates. They try to improve the conditions under which creators understand, claim and negotiate their income.

The most important measures fall into three linked areas:

Metadata. In May 2023, the UK industry agreement on music streaming metadata set out commitments to improve the data that identifies who wrote, performed on and owns rights in a track. This sounds technical, but it is central to fair pay. Incomplete or inaccurate metadata can delay payment or mean that creators are not paid at all, especially songwriters and contributors whose credits are poorly captured when recordings move through the supply chain. [GOV.UK]GOV.UKuk voluntary code of good practice on transparency in music streamingUK Voluntary Code of Good Practice on Transparency in…31 Jan 2024 — This Voluntary Code is agreed by the trade body signatories on beh…

Transparency. In January 2024, the Intellectual Property Office published the UK Voluntary Code of Good Practice on Transparency in Music Streaming. The code was agreed by trade bodies and organisations across creators, labels, publishers, digital service providers, distributors and collecting societies. Its purpose is to raise minimum standards for information about licensing, royalties and payment processes in the UK streaming market. [GOV.UK]GOV.UKnew label led measures to boost income for uk music creatorsnew label led measures to boost income for uk music creators

Creator remuneration. In 2024, the government convened a Creator Remuneration Working Group to explore industry-led action on streaming income. In July 2025, the government announced label-led principles adopted by the British Phonographic Industry and the Association of Independent Music, with commitments from the UK divisions of Universal, Sony and Warner. These measures included targeted support for legacy artists, songwriters and session musicians, with the government saying it would monitor delivery and consider further intervention if the package failed to improve outcomes. [UK Parliament]committees.parliament.ukUK Parliament Committees Economics of music streamingUK Parliament CommitteesEconomics of music streaming - CommitteesMusic streaming in the UK brings in more than £1 billion in revenue with…

The 2025 package is especially revealing because it focuses on groups whose problems are easy to understand. Legacy artists may have signed contracts before streaming existed, meaning their old terms were not designed for today’s digital revenues. Songwriters may attend writing sessions without guaranteed payment while hoping a song is later placed and monetised. Session musicians often receive upfront fees rather than ongoing streaming royalties. The label-led principles try to address these pinch points without replacing the wider royalty system. [GOV.UK]GOV.UKRights reversion and contract adjustmentRights reversion and contract adjustment

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Why better information is not the same as fair pay

Transparency can help creators, but it is not identical to redistribution. A clearer royalty statement may show an artist what they are owed, why income is low, or where deductions apply. Better metadata may make payment more accurate. A code of practice may improve communication between companies and creators. But none of these automatically changes the underlying split of streaming revenue.

That is the central tension in the UK approach. The voluntary transparency code explicitly says that failure to abide by it does not itself breach legislation or existing contracts. [GOV.UK]GOV.UKMusic and streaming market study: final reportMusic and streaming market study: final report This makes it easier for a broad range of industry organisations to sign up, but it also limits enforcement. The code can create expectations and reputational pressure, not a direct legal remedy comparable to a statutory payment right.

The same problem appears in remuneration reform. The 2025 label-led principles include a framework for artists to seek renegotiation of outdated contracts, but creator organisations have criticised the absence of a guaranteed improved royalty outcome. The Featured Artists Coalition argued that labels may be required to respond within a set timeframe, but not necessarily to offer better terms. [Featured Artists Coalition]thefac.orgSource details in endnotes.

That does not make the measures worthless. Voluntary change can move faster than legislation and may deliver money to some creators sooner. It can also build a shared evidence base and expose where the industry agrees or refuses to move. But voluntary policy works best when there is credible pressure behind it. In the UK case, that pressure comes from parliamentary scrutiny, public campaigning, government monitoring and the possibility that ministers could return to stronger intervention if the industry does not deliver.

Algorithms, visibility and the hidden side of fairness

Fair streaming pay is not only about royalty rates. It is also about who gets heard. Recommendation algorithms, autoplay, editorial playlists and personalised feeds affect which tracks listeners encounter, and therefore which artists receive streams in the first place.

The UK government commissioned research into the impact of recommendation algorithms on the music industry, published in 2023. The report found that concerns about algorithmic bias were widely held, but that evidence proving or disproving unfair bias was mixed and sometimes inconclusive. It called for more research and transparency around how recommendation systems influence music consumption. [GOV.UK]GOV.UKunited kingdom industry agreement on music streaming metadataunited kingdom industry agreement on music streaming metadata

This is a different kind of fairness problem. A royalty reform asks how money should be divided after a stream happens. Algorithmic fairness asks how some artists become streamable, visible and recommended in the first place. If playlists and recommendation systems reinforce popularity, major-label marketing power or already successful artists, then payment reforms may still leave many creators outside the attention economy.

The CMA’s final report also described the importance of editorial, algorithmic and “algotorial” playlists in streaming services. [GOV.UK Assets]assets.publishing.service.gov.ukUK Assets Music and streamingUK Assets Music and streaming This matters because the modern music economy is not just a marketplace of tracks waiting to be chosen. It is a system of ranking, surfacing and nudging. Fair pay policy therefore has to look not only at contracts but also at discovery.

UK Policy illustration 2

Limits of voluntary industry change

The UK’s streaming policy experiment has produced more movement than a purely hands-off approach would have done. It has generated official research, forced industry actors into the same room, created public timelines and secured commitments that can be monitored. The government’s own streaming work page now records a sequence of milestones from the 2021 inquiry through metadata, algorithms, transparency, remuneration research and the 2025 label-led measures. [GOV.UK]GOV.UKindustry transparency code on music streaming announced by governmentindustry transparency code on music streaming announced by government

But the limits are equally clear. Voluntary codes depend on industry cooperation. They may leave the strongest parties with the greatest control over implementation. They often favour targeted fixes over structural redistribution. And they can create a sense of progress while postponing harder choices about statutory rights.

Creator groups have therefore split their response between cautious welcome and continued pressure. The Council of Music Makers welcomed parts of the 2025 package, including commitments around songwriter per diems, but continued to emphasise that creator interests must be protected as the measures are monitored. [councilmusicmakers.org]councilmusicmakers.orgcmm statement on creator remuneration working group outcomescmm statement on creator remuneration working group outcomes The Musicians’ Union has also continued to campaign for equitable remuneration, framing it as a way to guarantee royalties for performers on streamed tracks. [Musicians' Union]musiciansunion.org.ukSource details in endnotes.

The policy lesson is not that voluntary reform always fails. It is that voluntary reform tends to work on the problems the industry is willing to define narrowly: clearer data, better communication, targeted support for legacy cases, improved session terms. It struggles when the question is broader: should streaming revenue be redistributed by law, and should performers receive rights that override old contracts?

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What the UK case shows about governing music streaming

The UK has not fully redesigned streaming. It has tested how far public pressure can push a private music economy before legislation becomes unavoidable. That makes it a useful case for understanding modern music governance.

First, the UK process shows that “fair pay” is not one issue. It includes royalty splits, contract age, songwriter payment, session fees, metadata accuracy, platform visibility, recoupment, bargaining power and the concentration of listening. A policy that fixes one of these may leave the others untouched.

Second, it shows that evidence matters, but evidence does not end the argument. The CMA found that competition intervention was unlikely to solve creator pay concerns, while creator groups continued to argue for copyright-based reform. Both positions can be internally coherent because they answer different questions: whether competition is working, and whether creators are fairly rewarded. [GOV.UK]GOV.UKernment secures label-led measures to boost earningsernment secures label-led measures to boost earnings

Third, the UK case shows how government can shape industry behaviour without immediately legislating. By convening working groups, commissioning research, publishing codes and threatening further scrutiny, ministers can make inaction costly. The 2025 label-led measures are a direct example of this pressure model: not a new Act of Parliament, but not pure self-regulation either. [GOV.UK]GOV.UKThe impact of recommendation algorithms on the UK'sThe impact of recommendation algorithms on the UK's

The unresolved question is whether this pressure model can produce fair pay at scale. If metadata improves, transparency rises and targeted creator support reaches the people it is meant to help, the UK approach may be seen as a pragmatic route through a complex market. If income outcomes barely change, the same history will strengthen the case for statutory remuneration rights, contract adjustment or reversion rules.

For now, UK streaming policy is best understood as a stress test. It asks whether a powerful music industry can be nudged into fairer behaviour by public scrutiny, or whether streaming’s economics require law to step in where voluntary change stops.

UK Policy illustration 3

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Endnotes

  1. Source: committees.parliament.uk
    Title: UK Parliament Committees Economics of music streaming
    Link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/646/economics-of-music-streaming/publications/
    Source snippet

    UK Parliament CommitteesEconomics of music streaming - CommitteesMusic streaming in the UK brings in more than £1 billion in revenue with...

  2. Source: GOV.UK
    Link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-governments-work-on-music-streaming
    Source snippet

    The government's work on music streamingThe transparency work has also concluded, with the government publishing a UK industry code of pr...

  3. Source: GOV.UK
    Title: U K industry agreement on music streaming metadata
    Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-industry-agreement-on-music-streaming-metadata
    Source snippet

    UK industry agreement on music streaming metadataMay 31, 2023 — 31 May 2023 — The UK industry agreement on music streaming metadata sets...

    Published: May 31, 2023

  4. Source: GOV.UK
    Title: uk voluntary code of good practice on transparency in music streaming
    Link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-voluntary-code-of-good-practice-on-transparency-in-music-streaming
    Source snippet

    UK Voluntary Code of Good Practice on Transparency in...31 Jan 2024 — This Voluntary Code is agreed by the trade body signatories on beh...

  5. Source: GOV.UK
    Title: new label led measures to boost income for uk music creators
    Link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-label-led-measures-to-boost-income-for-uk-music-creators

  6. Source: cmulibrary.com
    Link: https://cmulibrary.com/timeline-dcmsstreaminginquiry/

  7. Source: lexology.com
    Title: The economics of Music Streaming
    Link: https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=1b0b0b65-5d9e-4dcb-9154-b095c0937b87

  8. Source: GOV.UK
    Title: Rights reversion and contract adjustment
    Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economics-of-streaming-contract-adjustment-and-rights-reversion/rights-reversion-and-contract-adjustment

  9. Source: GOV.UK
    Title: Music and streaming market study: final report
    Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/music-and-streaming-market-study-final-report

  10. Source: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Title: UK Assets Music and streaming
    Link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6384f43ee90e077898ccb48e/Music_and_streaming_final_report.pdf

  11. Source: GOV.UK
    Title: united kingdom industry agreement on music streaming metadata
    Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-industry-agreement-on-music-streaming-metadata/united-kingdom-industry-agreement-on-music-streaming-metadata

  12. Source: GOV.UK
    Title: industry transparency code on music streaming announced by government
    Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/industry-transparency-code-on-music-streaming-announced-by-government

  13. Source: questions-statements.parliament.uk
    Link: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-07-22/hcws887

  14. Source: GOV.UK
    Title: ernment secures label-led measures to boost earnings
    Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-secures-label-led-measures-to-boost-earnings-for-uk-artists

  15. Source: GOV.UK
    Title: The impact of recommendation algorithms on the UK’s
    Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/research-into-the-impact-of-streaming-services-algorithms-on-music-consumption/the-impact-of-recommendation-algorithms-on-the-uks-music-industry

  16. Source: councilmusicmakers.org
    Title: cmm statement on creator remuneration working group outcomes
    Link: https://councilmusicmakers.org/cmm-statement-on-creator-remuneration-working-group-outcomes/

  17. Source: publications.parliament.uk
    Title: uk Creator remuneration
    Link: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmselect/cmcumeds/293/report.html

  18. Source: publications.parliament.uk
    Link: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmcumeds/1245/report.html

  19. Source: publications.parliament.uk
    Title: uk Creator remuneration
    Link: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmcumeds/156/report.html

  20. Source: hansard.parliament.uk
    Title: Creator Remuneration From Music Streaming Label Led Principles
    Link: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025-07-22/debates/25072227000013/CreatorRemunerationFromMusicStreamingLabel-LedPrinciples

  21. Source: hansard.parliament.uk
    Title: uk Music Streaming: Label-led Principles
    Link: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025-07-22/debates/2AE64895-4624-4D42-ABD9-AEB41E257170/MusicStreamingLabel-LedPrinciples

  22. Source: GOV.UK
    Title: music and streaming market study
    Link: https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/music-and-streaming-market-study

  23. Source: GOV.UK
    Title: music creators earnings in the digital era
    Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/music-creators-earnings-in-the-digital-era

  24. Source: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Title: Music and streaming final report executive
    Link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6384edb7e90e07789ae1271c/Music_and_streaming_final_report_executive_summary.pdf

  25. Source: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Title: Creator Remuneration Working Group To R
    Link: [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65d37f420f4eb10064a98169/Creator_Remuneration_Working_Group_-ToR.pdf](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65d37f420f4eb10064a98169/Creator_Remuneration_Working_Group-_ToR.pdf)

  26. Source: ipo.blog.gov.uk
    Title: music metadata matters how to get paid and credited
    Link: https://ipo.blog.gov.uk/2025/04/26/music-metadata-matters-how-to-get-paid-and-credited/

  27. Source: councilmusicmakers.org
    Title: cmm statement on the ipo report on er and streaming
    Link: https://councilmusicmakers.org/cmm-statement-on-the-ipo-report-on-er-and-streaming/

  28. Source: councilmusicmakers.org
    Title: crwg outcomes statement
    Link: https://councilmusicmakers.org/crwg-outcomes-statement/

  29. Source: thefac.org
    Link: https://thefac.org/news-directory/governmentstreamingreforms

  30. Source: theguardian.com
    Link: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/24/nadine-shah-i-cant-pay-the-rent-on-unfair-music-streaming-revenues

  31. Source: musiciansunion.org.uk
    Link: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/news/fix-streaming-government-announces-equitable-remuneration-working-group-dominated-by-labels

  32. Source: theguardian.com
    Link: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/nov/29/uk-music-streaming-cma-artists

  33. Source: musiciansunion.org.uk
    Title: analysis of the competition and markets authority report on music streaming
    Link: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/news/analysis-of-the-competition-and-markets-authority-report-on-music-streaming

  34. Source: musiciansunion.org.uk
    Title: music streaming transparency code announced by government
    Link: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/news/music-streaming-transparency-code-announced-by-government

  35. Source: ukparliament.shorthandstories.com
    Link: https://ukparliament.shorthandstories.com/music-streaming-must-modernise-DCMS-report/index.html

Additional References

  1. Source: youtube.com
    Title: The Fight for Fair Pay in the UK Music Streaming Industry
    Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r06sJ_jZ5kU
    Source snippet

    Why UK Music Streaming Reform Faces Such Difficult Challenges...

  2. Source: youtube.com
    Title: Artists vs. Streaming: Inside the UK Parliamentary Debate
    Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2WpZ0g81-E
    Source snippet

    The Fight for Fair Pay in the UK Music Streaming Industry...

  3. Source: youtube.com
    Title: Fixing Streaming: Can UK Policy Make Music Fairer?
    Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk6W5zP-q-o
    Source snippet

    Artists vs. Streaming: Inside the UK Parliamentary Debate...

  4. Source: youtube.com
    Title: The UK Economics of Music Streaming Inquiry Explained
    Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm3X15rWl9w
    Source snippet

    Fixing Streaming: Can UK Policy Make Music Fairer?...

  5. Source: researchgate.net
    Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354995982_Music_Creators%27_Earnings_in_the_Digital_Era

  6. Source: impalamusic.org
    Link: https://impalamusic.org/artist-revenue-and-equitable-remuneration/

  7. Source: wipo.int
    Link: https://www.wipo.int/edocs/mdocs/copyright/en/sccr_43/sccr_43_equitable_remuneration_will_page.pdf

  8. Source: mpaonline.org.uk
    Link: https://mpaonline.org.uk/what-we-do/policy-outreach/economics-of-streaming/

  9. Source: digit-research.org
    Link: https://digit-research.org/projects/music-creators-earnings-in-the-streaming-era/

  10. Source: researchgate.net
    Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/368818373_The_Impact_of_Algorithmically_Driven_Recommendation_Systems_on_Music_Consumption_and_Production_A_Literature_Review

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