AMP call for a fair share for artists

The newly formed Artists, Mangers & Performers coalition - AMP - an alliance between the Musicians' Union, the Music Managers' Forum and the Featured Artists Coalition, has confirmed that it is pushing for all streaming income from the digital sphere to be shared by labels with their artists on a 50/50, rather than paid over on standard terms for manufactured record sales and download revenue. Justifying that argument, MU General Secretary John Smith said "It is no longer necessary for a record company to pay to manufacture, store and distribute physical product. In the pre-digital era, artists understood that these costs went some way to justifying the low royalty rate. There are none of these costs associated with streaming, so why are the labels paying a royalty based on a physical sale?" AMP has been mainly formed so that the MU, FAC and MMF can present a united front on royalty issues in the European Commission's latest review of the EU Copyright Directive, the public consultation for which has just reached its conclusion. The three trade groups have submitted a joint statement on the digital income debate to European officials.