Music streaming equitable remuneration
Music streaming equitable remuneration (ER) is a legal framework designed to ensure that performers and creators receive a guaranteed, direct split of royalty revenue Verified Answer #3. In European copyright regimes, ER is an unwaivable statutory right that allows featured and session musicians to receive digital performance payouts that bypass recoupable record contracts Verified Answer #4. These payments are typically distributed through a collection society, making them immune to unrecouped financial advances from labels or publishers Verified Answer #1.
The Ivors Model
The "Ivors model" refers to specific proposals championed by UK creator groups, including The Ivors Academy and the #FixStreaming campaign, to reform streaming economics Verified Answer #3. While often conflated with general ER, the Ivors model for songwriters includes several distinct interventions Verified Answer #4:
- Revenue Sharing: Record labels would be required to assign at least 4% of net master recording revenues directly to the non-performing songwriters of a track Verified Answer #4.
- Non-Recoupable Per Diems: Labels would provide a minimum daily allowance, such as £75 or $120, to cover travel and studio expenses for songwriters working with signed artists Verified Answer #4.
- Parallel Negotiations: Digital service providers (DSPs) would negotiate composition licenses with publishers in parallel with sound recording negotiations to ensure proportional valuation Verified Answer #4.
- Contract Adjustments: Statutory protections would allow songwriters to adjust contracts if royalty returns are disproportionately low compared to generated streaming revenue Verified Answer #4.
Evolution in the United Kingdom
The UK government declined to implement a broadcast-style ER model for on-demand streaming in February 2024, stating it did not offer a simple solution to creator concerns Verified Answer #3. Following this decision, the Ivors model pivoted toward voluntary commitments Verified Answer #1. In July 2025, major labels including Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group agreed to pay non-recoupable per diems to songwriters for label-organized sessions Verified Answer #1. Sony Music Group established a Songwriter Support Fund administered by The Ivors Academy as part of these negotiated financial interventions Verified Answer #1.
Implementation Hurdles in the United States
Implementing a UK-style ER model in the United States faces significant legislative and legal barriers Verified Answer #2.
Statutory and Constitutional Barriers
US copyright law prioritizes the freedom of private parties to contract, which conflicts with the mandate of an unwaivable statutory right Verified Answer #4. Mandating revenue splits would override private agreements and potentially clash with the "work-made-for-hire" doctrine Verified Answer #2. Additionally, the US lacks a performance royalty right for sound recordings played on terrestrial AM/FM radio Verified Answer #3. Because European ER models are extensions of these pre-existing broadcast rights, the US lacks the foundational "floor" necessary to layer a streaming ER right Verified Answer #2.
Alternative Legislative Approaches
Due to these hurdles, US policy has shifted toward the Protect Working Musicians Act (PWMA), reintroduced in May 2026 Verified Answer #2. Rather than creating a new statutory property right like ER, the PWMA seeks to grant independent artists and labels a narrow antitrust exemption Verified Answer #2. This allows creators to engage in collective bargaining to negotiate prices with streaming platforms within the Sherman Act framework Verified Answer #2.