Your Music Your Future partners with CISAC to educate creators globally on royalties and copyright buyouts
Paris – 18th February 2021 – An education campaign created in the United States to inform creators on the growing practice of copyright buyouts is being extended globally with a new online resource, “Your Music Your Future International”
Composers and songwriters for film, television and other audiovisual media have depended for more than a century on a ‘typical deal’ which allows them to collect royalty income in exchange for granting their copyrights to broadcasters, digital streaming services and other users of their works.
Today, across the globe, that 100-year precedent is increasingly being challenged by companies who insist that composers accept buyouts of their rights (including performing rights) as a condition of being employed or commissioned for a project. In this scenario, composers are expected to create music in exchange for a one-time fee instead of receiving continuing income for their work.
The works of songwriters and composers (just as of screenwriters and directors) are an invaluable and inextricable part of the storytelling in film, TV and all other audiovisual media. Traditionally, royalty income has been the only dependable source of earnings for these creators. The growing practice of buying out their rights (including performing rights) changes the remuneration equation with important implications for creators’ careers.
To raise awareness of this global issue for creators, a new international education resource is now being made available, bringing together the US music creators’ movement Your Music Your Future and CISAC, the global confederation of authors societies with 230 members in over 120 countries and territories.
Your Music Your Future was founded by composers, for composers in the US in 2019 and is dedicated to educating fellow creators about their options for compensation and the ramifications of their choices, including accepting total buyouts of their work. The campaign is strictly educational, taking no sides in the debate, and has built a community of more than 15,000 members.
With the help of CISAC, the campaign is now being extended to help educate composers and songwriters across the world. A new website, Your Music Your Future International, covers topics including the options of royalties vs buyouts, the typical use of buyout clauses in contracts and the different laws governing buyouts internationally. The initiative is also supported by CIAM, the International Council of Music Creators.
CISAC President, Abba co-founder, Björn Ulvaeus says:
“In the post-COVID world, the issue of copyright buyouts matters more to creators than ever before. Artists, composers and authors have to be aware of their rights, understand their options and make informed choices on the way they are paid. Their future livelihoods depend on it”.
Your Music Your Future founder, composer Joel Beckerman said:
“This is a movement, for composers by composers, to educate our community on the choices with respect to performing royalties. The aim is to bring this vital educational message to all music creators everywhere. As music creators we are all in this together, and education is the key to ensuring their ability to support their families and put food on the table”.
CISAC Director-General Gadi Oron said:
“Copyright buyouts are a growing concern for creators and for CISAC societies which represent them and protect their interests. By partnering with Your Music Your Future, CISAC helps fill the information gap and provide a practical and useful educational resource about buy-out contracts and creators remuneration. This should assist creators in making an informed decision about contracts they’re offered and their options”.
Key topics on the website include:
- what are total buyouts?
- why buyouts are becoming more prevalent
- how “buyout clauses” work in contracts
- royalties vs lump sum: weighing up the options
- varying laws surrounding total buyouts in different regions and territories
- how creators can raise awareness for greater legal protection of their work
Your Music Your Future International social media accounts : Twitter @YMYFIntl and Facebook @ymyfinternational
More Quotes
Eddie Schwartz, President of International Council of Music Creators (CIAM):
“Ongoing royalty streams from the uses of my songs, and performing rights revenues in particular, are a mainstay of my livelihood. I certainly understand the attraction of accepting a lump sum payment instead of any future royalty income, but it is a decision creators must consider very carefully. Your Music Your Future is a great place to gather the crucial information that will allow music creators to make an informed choice, and one that may well affect them profoundly for years to come.”
Alfons Karabuda, President of the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA):
“Your Music Your Future is more than a campaign. It’s an enabler giving us and the next generation necessary tools via education to ensure creators know the value of their music. Only with that knowledge will we be able to counter negative (buy-out) trends in our musical ecosystem and advocate for a sustainable future of music that is bright, diverse and accessible to all.”
Annette Barrett, President of Independent Music Publishers International Forum (IMPF):
“The new global educational initiative from Your Music Your Future and CISAC is very welcome. Educating composers and songwriters on their rights, what they’re due, how the payment system of royalties works, and how changes to a once-off payment model can be detrimental to their entire career, and remuneration, is vitally important; IMPF fully supports CISAC and any such effort in this regard.”
Antony Partos, Composer and President of the Australian Guild of Screen Composers:
“The historical acknowledgment that artists simply do not just generate work, but create intellectual property, has been universally recognized for hundreds of years. Composers must fully understand that their creations are worth more than simply billing time for work done. If composers are willing to work with companies that demand buyouts, they should be fully cognisant that this comes at a cost and should be factored in to all negotiations. This site is an excellent resource to better understand those inherent rights”
Caitlin Yeo, APRA Award winning Australian screen composer:
“With the onslaught of digital media, now, more than ever screen composers all over the world must make sustainable career choices and retain their rights. The terminology around buyouts and composer agreements can often be convoluted and unclear. To have the global educational Your Music Your Future International site available will be a godsend for all composers, to help us advocate for each other, and build a stronger more connected industry”
Crispin Hunt, Chair of The Ivors Academy of Music Creators:
“We strongly welcome the joint Your Music Your Future and CISAC initiative to educate and inform composers on what they need to know to make their career viable. At a time when a career in music creation is undergoing challenges on many fronts, initiatives such as this one are all the more important. Anything that helps composers understand how to be paid what they're owed, what they are entitled to ask for in a negotiation and how to hold onto royalties which are rightfully theirs is always welcome at the Academy.”
Dru Masters, Deputy Chair of the PRS Members' Council:
“I welcome the launch of ‘Your Music Your Future International’ and CISAC’s ongoing commitment to educating composers around the world about the practice of buyouts across film, TV and video games. It is important that music creators can make informed decisions about their rights, and understand clearly how to balance possible short term benefits against the long term disadvantages. This resource will be invaluable for anyone looking to better understand how to secure the best value for their work.”
Shunichi Tokura, Chairman of Asia-Pacific Music Creators Alliance (APMA):
“Understanding about copyright buyout is important for all creators in the world, especially for those who want music creation to be their profession. That is exactly what APMA is actively working on, working together with fellow music creators of the region, sharing experiences that differ in each country. The launch of “Your Music Your Future international” fits perfectly to our needs, not only to learn but to bring further awareness of this vital issue.”