Archive:

Songwriters

Indie music creators led by SGA, SCL and MCNA demand fairness in generative AI industry negotiations

10 Jun 2025

Music week in NYC kicks off with a bang. The Songwriters Guild of America, the Society of Composers & Lyricists, and Music Creators North America (led respectively by music creators Rick Carnes, Ashley Irwin and Eddie Schwartz), have released a…

Op-ed: What could the Bern Convention’s “Three-Step Test” mean for GenAI music?

15 Jan 2025

The three-step test is an important legal doctrine established in 1967 under the Bern Convention. It helps the 181 parties to this treaty to standardise any copyright limitations or exceptions that they wish to add to their respective national copyright…

Op-ed: My favourite album now costs me half a penny and that’s a problem

07 Jan 2025

Like many music lovers, I also enjoy learning about the equipment we use to listen to it. John Darko is perhaps my favourite voice in this space and regularly produces excellent opinion pieces. Below, he works out the cost of…

Upcoming S.A.C. educational seminar explains “Who Gets What”

29 Aug 2024

Our colleagues at the Songwriters Association of Canada are holding a seminar on music creator remuneration on the 18 September. Enrollment is free to S.A.C. members but the session is also open to non-members for a small ticket fee. The…

African songwriter and recording artist Solange Cesarovna joins FTMI advisory board

12 Mar 2024

Appointment strengthens African representation and expertise on advisory team. We are honoured to announce that accomplished artist, lyricist and songwriter, Solange Cesarovna, has joined the Fair Trade Music International advisory board. Solange has played a pivotal role in establishing a…

FTMI welcomes Uruguayan songwriter Diego Drexler to advisory board

05 Mar 2024

Appointment adds Latin America expertise to international team. Fair Trade Music International is delighted to announce that renowned Uruguayan songwriter and recording artist Diego Drexler has joined its advisory board. Diego is a songwriter, recording artist, secretary general of the…

Grammy-winning songwriter Tiffany Red on the battle for equitable publishing

21 Feb 2024

“There are people with Grammys and plaques that can’t pay their rent … it means nothing.” In a video released on 19 February, Grammy-winning songwriter Tiffany Red laid out yet another challenge facing independent music creators today. During the 15…

NMC Statement on the burning of musical instruments in Afghanistan

06 Aug 2023

Our colleagues at the National Music Council of the United States recently released the following statement. It follows BBC news reports of the Taliban burning musical instruments after claiming music “causes moral corruption”. We believe that the freedom to create…

Independent music creator groups alert US congress to “black box” royalty issue

18 Jul 2023

Fair Trade Music International has joined with MusicAnswers and eight other international music creator groups to alert the US Congress to the hundreds of millions of dollars in the The Mechanical Licensing Collective’s “Black Box”. Most of this was earned…

Fair Trade Music International signs on to Human Artistry Campaign

12 May 2023

Fair Trade Music International has signed on as an official supporter of the Human Artistry Campaign, the international initiative advocating for AI use that empowers and supports human creativity and accomplishment. The campaign lays out seven core principles for artificial…