The Case to Define our Industry: Fighting for a Better Economy

You may have heard the news spreading regarding the fight for a more equitable music economy with a greater emphasis on the economy of music streaming to artists…

.. aaand another one has been added to the roster. A UK artist, who goes by the name of Kieran Hebden (artist alias of Four Tet) has instigated legal action against his record label, Domino Records for 20 years. Many contracts associated with music artists often precede streaming services and – more importantly, the power role they’ve come into the 21st Century.

According to Hebden’s 2001 contact agreements, Hebden is entitled to an 18% royalty rate from physical sales and a 50% cut from licensing income. However, the music streaming moguls of our Internet bonanza have become ambiguous and less considered to their artists whom they “provide” for and as such, has allowed record labels to apply the same 18% rate as their physical counterparts in sales. But, like many, artists simply don’t believe that physical sales and streaming are one and the same and should be placed in the licensing income bracket – worthy of a 50% cut.

While many other artists before Tet have brought forward the case of music moguls tearing the legalities of artistry independence – the likes of Ye and Taylor Swift to name a few – it may be the first discussion that brings it forward to a full public hearing, which is a huge development in changing the course of royalty revenue on streaming platforms.

As such, after Hebden’s litigation, Domino records have responded. The declaration of what he owes transpires to the albums that Domino own the rights to, which is another 50 years or so. With that in mind, the record label have simply removed three of his most popular albums from streaming services altogether thus giving him no royalties in streams .. and no leg to stand on. Their recent move has solidified what we already know about the monopoly of record label in our industry – callous and greedy.

But it has also widened the scope into the survival of the music industry and whether or we not we can simply do without these record labels with their outdated and out of touch legally-binding contracts: which do nothing but bind the artist to the industry devil.

Hopefully, we’ll hear more about this as news progresses into the Spring of 2022.

4 responses to “The Case to Define our Industry: Fighting for a Better Economy”

EclecticMusicLover

Jan 11, 2022 at 5:38 am

Many record labels (as well as management companies) are greedy, villainous bloodsuckers, consequently, more and more artists like my beloved Two Feet to name just one, are severing their contracts and going their own way.

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1. manvmusic
  
  Jan 11, 2022 at 6:37 pm
  
  haha you love your Two Feet, don’t you? Rightly so, too! Yeah, sooo many artists either parting ways to join independent indies of the like or simply going their own way which is fab to see. I feel like the major record labels is such an old-fashioned method for stardom now, and they’re still in their bigoted, self-righteous ways. It either needs to change or we scrap ’em.
  
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  1. EclecticMusicLover
    
    Jan 11, 2022 at 7:12 pm
    
    Yeah, I’m a huge fangirl! And you’re right, the big music labels may well become obsolete one day, and not a minute too soon. There are lots of small, independent labels that are more fair and equitable for artists. No one should own the rights to songs but the artists who write them!
    
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  2. manvmusic
    
    Jan 12, 2022 at 7:51 pm
    
    Damn right, spoken like a true advocate for the artists! Here’s to a brighter 2022 for all of ‘em 💪
    
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