The European Composer and Songwriter Alliance’s (ECSA) presents a report with a detailed overview of the results of their survey on fair practice, which was launched in September 2022. Gathering over 200 responses from all across Europe, the survey shed light on the post-pandemic economic, social, and working conditions of European music creators. This companion document constitutes an expansion of the ECSA Report ‘Navigating the Path to Fair Practice’, which outlined the survey’s key findings and was published by our Alliance in November 2023.
Referring to the 2019 Dutch Fair Practice Code, the ECSA decided to approach the notion of fair practice as the protection of a “fair, sustainable and transparent operational management” which guarantees that all stakeholders’ interests are equally acknowledged and considered “with respect, solidarity and trust, in the service of a strong sector that fully utilises and makes profitable the potential and opportunities of creative professionals and artists.
Building upon these principles, they further defined the notion of fair practice based on the core values of Solidarity, Transparency, Sustainability, Diversity, and Trust (as identified in the Dutch Fair Practice Code).
This online survey targeted individuals both within and outside the ECSA network. It aimed to gather data on a broad spectrum of issues impacting music creators, including fair remuneration, harmful or unfair contractual practices, working and employment conditions, social protection, funding opportunities, and the potential for collective actions and agreements in the music industry. The term “music creators” is used here as an umbrella term that encompasses composers, songwriters, performers, music producers, and conductors.
Featuring a combination of closed-ended and open-ended questions, the survey was open from 8 September 2022 to 12 May 2023, running for a period of nine months. It gathered a total of 247 responses from music creators across 24 different European countries. This document presents and analyses the responses to 38 of the most relevant questions from the 40 originally included in the survey.
The feedback from music creators indicates that they often experience unstable economic and social circumstances. This includes having uncertain working conditions, receiving low and inconsistent income, and having little bargaining power when working with others on contracts. For example, our survey showed that just 26.7% of music creators are able to earn enough money solely through composing or songwriting.
Composers in the crosshairs of our attention