WHERE MONEY IS MADE, ARTISTS SHOULD BE PAID

PROTECT YOUR COPYRIGHTS AND EARN FROM THEM

WIN BACK YOUR BACK CATALOGUE

HAVE A SAY IN SHAPING THE NEW DIGITAL MUSIC INDUSTRY

JOIN THE FEATURED ARTISTS COALITION


The Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) is a new non-profit organisation for those of us whose names, as individuals or bands, appear on the front of our albums. It is not owned or operated by any other representative body - the FAC is wholly independent and open to all UK featured artists. We have come together to campaign for artists’ rights in the new digital environment at a time when governments are acting to frame laws on copyright that will affect our industry for years to come.

Ownership – we believe that all artists should own their own work and only sign licensing deals with labels. Since its inception less than a month ago, the FAC has already argued our case at the highest levels, gaining a seat at the table alongside the BPI, AIM, PPL and MU to discuss with government ministers the planned extension of copyright in recordings from 50 to 70 years. We are arguing for all rights in recordings to return to the artists 50 years after their initial release.

Monetisation – we believe that the music industry is wrong to prosecute those who download music for personal use. We argue that, so long as they do not profit from this practice, they should be left in peace. We do not wish to encourage illegal downloading, but seek instead to monetise it, either through a blanket license which allows a user to access as much music as they want or by taking a fair cut from the advertising revenue of a music or video website. It is those who are making money exploiting our work without paying us a fair royalty who should be the target of industry anger. Where money is made, artists should be paid.

Transparency – we believe that deals recently signed between major labels and internet platforms have not been done in the best interests of artists. Most are covered by non-disclosure agreements that make it impossible to find out where the money is going. The evidence we have so far is that although millions of dollars have changed hands, none of this has been paid to artists. We are campaigning for a more transparent industry, discussing with government the possibility of introducing into law a fiduciary duty on rights owners to notify artists when they monetise catalogue.

Digital royalties - we are deeply concerned that many of us are still being paid royalty rates left over from a time when the record companies had to physically manufacture and distribute our material. Now, our music can be sent around the world by the click of a mouse. We demand royalty rates that reflect the true cost of digital distribution.

It is time to flex our collective muscle and let the industry know that we are no longer prepared to allow them to own forever the recordings that we ourselves paid for; that we will not stand idly by while they criminalise our audience; that we will not accept being paid analogue royalties on digital sales; that they can no longer get away with doing under-the-table deals with internet platforms.

To have influence within the industry, we need artists of all genres and ages to join with us to help ensure that the new digital environment is one in which we can benefit from the incredible potential that the internet offers. Our vision is one of artists owning, controlling and earning directly from their own material.

To join us, simply click here

The fee for membership is 5% of your UK PPL Performer income. This amount, which is fully tax deductible, will vary depending on how many times your recordings have been played in public. Hugely successful artists will pay more, while those who have yet to make their mark will pay next to nothing. We expect the average member to pay no more than a few hundred pounds a year. 

We need these funds to pay our staff, to finance lobbying at both national and international levels, to pay lawyers to draw up standard contracts for record deals that reflect our priorities and to begin a mentoring and education programme for fledgling artists.

We hope you will join us, 

Chair: Dave Rowntree (Blur)

Board members: Ed O’Brien (Radiohead), Kate Nash, Howard Jones, Billy Bragg, Hal Ritson (The Young Punx) & Mark Kelly (Marillion).


OUR MUSIC, OUR RIGHTS, OUR FUTURE