Great report in the Guardian…..
John Nicolson responds to Universal Music UK chair after he says artists ‘very happy’ with payments
Here’s the intro
The boss of a major record label has been described as “living in cloud cuckoo land” after he claimed artists were happy with the music streaming model.
The heads of three major labels – Universal, Sony Music and Warner Music Group – gave evidence before the digital, culture, media and sport (DCMS) committee inquiry into the economics of music streaming, in often testy exchanges about whether the model was fair.
Universal Music UK’s chairman and chief executive, David Joseph, told the inquiry that artists were “very happy with the investment, very happy with advances” they currently received, before the SNP MP John Nicolson interrupted, saying: “I think you’re living in cloud cuckoo land here if you really believe that.”
Joseph also refused to answer a question about whether the lower royalty fees his label agreed with Spotify as part of a multi-year deal in 2017 had affected artists.
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