Music Creators Across the World Demand Transparency regarding Deals Between Record Labels and AI Companies

CIAM partner alliances, representing songwriters, composers and music creators throughout the world, have collectively called for transparency from major record labels and AI companies in recently announced and future deals. Details have not been disclosed on how these agreements will impact the use of copyrighted works or the fair remuneration of creators whose works are being ingested by AI companies. 

The following statements have been released:

Music Creators North America (MCNA)

"From the beginning of the music industry’s response to GenAI, all rights holders have insisted that transparency is at the heart of any fair and equitable system of remuneration for songwriters, composers, artists and all rights holders. Now we are faced with announcements of deals to license GenAI platforms built on our music that are almost completely opaque, offering few of the details crucial to our understanding of how such purported deals will affect our lives, creativity and future earnings.

MCNA joins with our fellow music creator alliances around the world in calling for complete transparency in these arrangements, so music creators can fully understand and evaluate the terms and conditions that will affect us so profoundly.”

Eddie Schwartz C.M.
President, Music Creators North America

Latin American Alliance of Music Creators (ALCAM)

“ALCAM demands transparency from the major record companies Universal and Warner regarding their announced agreement with the AI companies Udo, Suno, and Klay. The rights of creators must be protected, with fair compensation for the use of their works as a basis for the generation of AI-generated content. Latin American creators do not want the AI remuneration model to repeat the unfair scenario of streaming.”

Juca Novaes
President of ALCAM

African Music Academy (AMA)

"The deals recently struck between the major record labels and the leaders of the AI industry is a clear acknowledgement that Gen-AI is using the works embodied in the masters, and yet once again, the creators have been left out of the bargaining table.

Therefore, we at the African Music Academy demand that full transparency in the value chain be applied, starting with the terms of the deals, as it should have been applied in the realm of streaming, to ensure that fair compensation can be negotiated for the creators worldwide, and for the African creators in particular.”

Wally Badarou
President, AMA

European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA)

“ECSA urges major labels to provide full transparency on their AI licensing deals, warning that they risk repeating the streaming-era model that severely undervalued composers and songwriters.

To safeguard fair remuneration and cultural diversity, we call on UMG, WMG and SMG—as well as European policymakers—to ensure true parity between publishing and master rights and to protect the creators whose work fuels the music industry.”

Marc du Moulin
Secretary General, ECSA

Fair Trade Music International (FTMI)

“Fair Trade Music International is disappointed to see major record labels announcing agreements with GenAI companies whilst allowing no transparency or disclosure of
the legal detail within them.

The unregulated use of copyrighted musical works by GenAI corporations is the most existential challenge to have faced creators. Finding a solution will require the entire industry to work together in an open and collaborative environment. For this reason, we join music creators around the world in calling for a transparent discussion on precisely how these opaque deals will affect their economic equity, cultural contribution, rights and livelihoods.”

Marco Foley
Chair, FTMI