November 26th, 2021, Frances Johnson
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Business challenge
Record labels are making more money than ever with the success of streaming platforms, but the majority of artists are making less, aside from the top 1%. Tom Gray founded the #BrokenRecord Campaign, and wanted to use data intelligence to demonstrate flaws in the current distribution of streaming fees.
The campaign goal is to get record labels to change how royalties are divided, implementing a fairer remuneration formula. This will be achieved through industry pressure and lobbying parliament, supported by responses from the public on an equitable model.
Solution
An Omnibus survey was conducted using YouGov Surveys: Serviced, asking questions to a nationally representative sample of over 2,000 British adults.
The survey explained how revenue is currently proportioned, asking respondents what they thought was fair. Fieldwork was carried out in two days, with the below headline results:
- 77% said artists aren’t paid enough
- 76% believe songwriters are underpaid
- 83% are of the opinion that most record labels are paid too much
- 81% would like session musicians to get some share of streaming revenue
- 68% say the streaming platforms are overpaid
- 69% would not pay more for their subscription under the current distribution model
- Of the 69% who said no, half would pay more if their subscription went directly to the artists and songwriters they listened to
Results showed that consumers would prefer their subscription fees to be distributed differently, with an increasing amount of those respondents willing to pay more for the service if payments were reformed.
Results
The #BrokenRecord campaign picked up coverage in the mainstream UK press and music press, including Sky News, BBC, iNews, Music Week, NME and the New Statesmen, using results from the YouGov survey. US audiences also expressed interest in the campaign, with a dedicated hashtag #BrokenRecord used across social media.
Over 200 well-known UK music artists backed the campaign and called on the Prime Minister to take action over streaming rights. The Rolling Stones, the estate of John Lennon, Annie Lennox, Paloma Faith, Chris Martin, Gary Barlow, Paul McCartney, Rebecca Ferguson, Bob Geldof, Boy George, Noel Gallagher and Kate Bush are among the musicians to sign the letter addressed to Boris Johnson, written ‘on behalf of today’s generation of artists, musicians and songwriters here in the UK’.
YouGov data was presented to government officials working in The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). As a result of the #BrokenRecord campaign, the DCMS Select Committee published a report which was critical of the music sector, stating it needed a ‘complete reset’. The Competitions & Markets Authority are now beginning a full market study and the government have begun a process with the Intellectual Property Office with stakeholders to investigate the report’s suggested solutions. The Labour MP, Kevin Brennan, is bringing his own Private Members’ Bill to address musicians’ rights in December.
Backed by robust, reliable results that demonstrate public sentiment, The #BrokenRecord campaign has started the biggest policy movement in music in the last 20 years.
Client testimonial
"Working with YouGov not only provided #BrokenRecord with incredibly useful data about consumer experience of streaming and their awareness of the issues around artist and songwriter remuneration, but it also gave kudos and legitimacy to our fledgling campaign. It helped to establish the campaign as a grassroots movement that needed to be taken seriously."
- Tom Gray, Founder of the #BrokenRecord campaign