New label-led measures to boost income for UK music creators
Source: gov.uk (2025-10-23)

Driven by the government’s work on streaming, UK record companies agree new Principles  to help deliver real benefits for creators

As set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/creative-industries-sector-plan), this government is committed to supporting a thriving music sector where creators can build sustainable careers and are fairly rewarded for their work.

The government has been convening stakeholders from across the music industry through the Creator Remuneration Working Group to address concerns over low creator earnings, as raised in the DCMS Select Committee’s 2021 report into music streaming.

The outcome of this process is a set of measures that are designed to deliver real benefits for UK creators. This takes the form of a set of Principles created by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), as well as individual commitments made by major labels. Together, these measures seek to support fair remuneration for the creators that form the bedrock of the industry, as well as enhancing the growth of the overall UK music sector.

The agreed Principles, which have been adopted by the BPI and the Association of Independent Music (AIM) and recommended to their UK members, will provide targeted support for legacy artists, songwriters and session musicians. The UK divisions of the world’s largest three labels, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group, have each committed to delivering on the Principles and have developed their own tailored programmes to do so:
- Universal Music Group UK – Boost (https://boostuk.umusic.com/hc/en-gb)
- Sony Music Entertainment UK – Artists Forward
- Warner Music Group UK – Leg Up
These packages are estimated by labels to deliver tens of millions of pounds to creators by 2030. This marks a further step towards improving terms and practices in relation to music streaming and ensuring the market works for everyone. Crucially, they are also committing to far greater clarity on how legacy artists can seek renegotiation of their contracts.

The government is committed to ensuring that these measures are delivered in full, in order to improve conditions for UK music makers. To track progress and measure success, the government will work with industry to implement a robust process to monitor and review the impact of the Principles in a year’s time. Working closely with members of the Working Group, including the Council of Music Makers, to consider and implement this evaluation and understand the extent to which the Principles have improved earnings as intended, the government will then assess the need for further intervention to ensure this package delivers on its objective to bring about real change. The Principles announced today will complement the industry Code of Good Practice on Transparency and the Industry Agreement on Metadata published in 2024 and mark a major milestone in the government’s work with the music industry in response to the Culture Media Sport Select Committee’s 2021 Report on the Economics of Music Streaming.

Label-led Principles

The Principles will be recommended by BPI and AIM to their many UK label members to deliver meaningful action to support creators across the music sector.

BPI’s 3 largest members, Universal Music Group UK, Sony Music Entertainment UK and Warner Music UK, are introducing company programmes to implement the Principles. For those labels already demonstrating best practice, particularly many independent labels, these Principles will augment their existing practices. Another key benefit of the Principles is educational, helping to ensure new labels and music entrepreneurs can operate fairly from their inception.

Due to the array of different business models in the independent music sector, smaller labels are encouraged to introduce similar targeted support in a manner that is proportionate and fitting with the specifics of their businesses.

The Principles recommend that labels introduce or extend the following targeted support for the UK:

Support for legacy artists

Programmes to disregard unrecouped advances

Bespoke marketing tools and support to drive increased streaming engagement for legacy artists

Clarity about how legacy artists can seek and obtain contract renegotiation that appropriately remunerates them, together with an instruction to contact their trade organisation to escalate discussions with the label if needed

Support for songwriters and composers

The payment of per diems at label-organised sessions, with major labels Warner UK and Universal UK committing to a payment of £75 per day, in addition to expenses. Sony UK will fund a bespoke new Songwriter Support Programme, in partnership with the Ivors Academy, to provide financial support and assistance to songwriters.

These payments will not be charged as a recoupable cost to their advance

Support for session musicians

As previously agreed to in late 2024, BPI and the Musicians’ Union will increase session fees

A commitment to regularly review musicians’ income from broadcast and public performance

The government has also committed to continue looking at the issue of streaming remuneration for session musicians and has convened a meeting in September 2025 with industry representatives, including BPI, AIM, Musicians’ Union, FAC and ERA.

The full Principles (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/music-streaming-new-label-led-measures-to-boost-income-for-uk-music-creators#the-principles-a-new-deal-for-legacy-artists-songwriters-and-session-musicians-in-the-modern-music-streaming-economy) are included at the bottom of this page.

Government response

The government warmly welcomes these label-led actions and recognises their potential to improve incomes and working conditions for UK artists, songwriters and composers, studio producers and session musicians.

We are pleased to note that the three major UK record labels have each launched new packages to provide bespoke marketing, administrative and educational support for legacy artists still actively pursuing a music career, as well as support for new and emerging songwriter talent and higher fees for session musicians.

These measures are unique to the UK and distinguish us from global competitors. We expect them to deliver meaningful benefits - particularly for those legacy artists whose music continues to be enjoyed via streaming but who have yet to see the best financial outcome from streaming.

This agreement will sit alongside our Music Growth Package, announced as part of the Creative Industries Sector Plan. The package will see government funding for the industry more than doubled up to £10 million a year for the next three years, helping UK artists achieve domestic and international success, while nurturing the growth of the grassroots music scene.

This government looks forward to the music industry advancing this work on music streaming and delivering on our objectives of promoting a sustainable music ecosystem that truly supports its creators.

Background

In May 2023, the previous government announced plans to convene the Creator Remuneration Working Group as part of its response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s inquiry into the economics of music streaming.

As a forum to advance industry-led dialogue, the group has been meeting regularly since 2024. Chaired by Minister Bryant, the group comprises representatives of the music creator community, major and independent record labels, music publishers, streaming platforms and collective management organisations.

The Working Group’s Terms of Reference and membership list can be found below:
- Creator remuneration working group terms of reference (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65d37f420f4eb10064a98169/Creator_Remuneration_Working_Group_-_ToR.pdf)
- Creator remuneration working group membership (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/662fc9df8cf6065df2e3cbbd/Creator_Remuneration_Working_Group_Membership__29_05_24___1_.pdf)
The Working Group met 6 times, 4 of which were held under the current government. DCMS Ministers have attended the majority of the Working Group meetings, and have met regularly with key members of the Group to drive progress.

The Principles: A new deal for legacy artists, songwriters and session musicians in the modern music streaming economy.

Principle 1: Royalties and commercial support for legacy artists

BPI recommends all UK labels provide bespoke financial support for legacy artists designed to improve their streaming outcomes by:

Disregarding unrecouped advances on contracts signed before 1 January 2000 for artists who have not received additional advances since that date and paying royalties to legacy artists at their contractual royalty rate.

And putting in place company initiatives that either: roll forward the cut-off dates for these policies on an annual basis.

Or

provide a programme of bespoke support to revitalise legacy catalogues with the aim to generate ongoing income for artists. Participants will receive support which may include but is not limited to digitisation of deep catalogues, catalogue & artist marketing initiatives & spend and non-recoupable grants/funding.

Principle 2: Technical and marketing support for legacy artists

BPI recommends all UK labels provide bespoke support for legacy artists designed to improve their streaming outcomes by:

Digitalising previously unexploited works from legacy artists’ deeper catalogues that are artistically and commercially viable so they can be distributed on DSPs.

Providing bespoke marketing and administrative support so legacy artists can cultivate a modern-day audience with a focus on social platforms.

Advising legacy artists on how to reactivate their full catalogues.

Reserving marketing budget and other funding specifically for legacy artists if needed.

Principle 3: Contract renegotiation for legacy artists

BPI recommends all UK labels provide bespoke support for legacy artists designed to improve their streaming outcomes by:

Responding meaningfully to initial queries and requests to renegotiate legacy contracts within 60 days from the date of receipt, although the actual renegotiations may take longer.

Advising legacy artists who are seeking to renegotiate legacy contracts on key elements, including clear information on who to contact and factors the label may consider during a negotiation.

Acting reasonably and in good faith in response to requests to renegotiate.

Taking a bespoke approach to each individual contract renegotiation and in coming to a determination consider holistically all elements of the contract and the context of the commercial history between the artist and the label. By way of example this may include:
- The label’s investment to date in the artist’s career including by way of personal advances, recording costs, marketing and promotional support and tour support;
- The nature of the artist’s musical genre (e.g. classical or pop)
- The level of sales of the artist’s recordings
- The artist’s existing royalty rates
- The artist’s unrecouped balance (if any)
If a renegotiation is appropriate then the outcomes of such a renegotiation may include some of the following:
- For artists whose royalty accounts remain unrecouped, disregarding some (or all) of any unrecouped balance or paying through a proportion of the artist’s royalties without regard to any unrecouped balance
- Adjusting artists’ royalty rates on some formats and/or in some territories
- The artist and label agreeing to new product and/or promotional commitments
- Where an artist considers that a label has not engaged meaningfully in responding to a request to renegotiate within the 60-day timeframe, they should contact their most relevant trade organisation to escalate further dialogue with the label in question.
Principle 4 : Supporting new and emerging songwriters

BPI recommends all UK labels ensure emerging songwriters are not out of pocket when invited by a label to attend a songwriter session or camp, by acting in accordance with the following:

UK labels should create and communicate a clear policy to provide at least one of the following means of supporting songwriters on a case-by-case basis when they participate in a label hosted session:
- Reimbursing a songwriter’s reasonable expenses and/or
- Providing songwriters with a fixed per diem payment and/or
- Providing other forms of financial support to upcoming songwriters
Labels should be transparent with featured artists as to whether the support provided to songwriters under this principle is a recoupable recording cost.

*Major labels have committed to the payment of per-diems or songwriter support that is non-recoupable to artists.

Principle 5: Increasing session fees for pop and classical session musicians

Labels should pay session musicians who perform on recordings upfront fees of at least the minimum rates set by the most recent agreement between BPI and the Musicians’ Union (MU)*.

BPI commits to continue monitoring trends and fluctuations in combined broadcasting and public performance revenues and reviewing BPI/MU Agreement accordingly.

*The new BPI/MU Agreement increases session fees by 40% for pop and 15% for classical sessions.