American consumers benefit tremendously from exposure to music through a variety of platforms and in any venue—whether at home, in the car, walking the dog, shopping in a store, or at a hotel, restaurant or bar. For this music ecosystem to continue to grow and thrive, we must create a predictable, balanced and transparent music marketplace.

The entire music industry—from artists to distribution services to fans—benefits from greater transparency. To create a more vibrant and open marketplace, greater transparency is needed in the following areas:

1. Who Owns What: Readily available ownership information is critical to facilitate more efficient licensing and accuracy in payment. Artists cannot be paid if users and distributors do not know who owns what or who should be paid. This up-to-date information should be available to the public in an easily accessible format.
2. Where the Money Goes: Music users and distributors have paid, and continue to pay, to perform or provide music publicly. But clear information on where that money goes, how it is split and distributed and why, needs to be made available to recording artists and songwriters in an easily trackable format.
3. Billing Practices: Clarity on what music users are required to pay creates healthy business relationships. Licenses with retail establishments and other venues, in particular, should appropriately reflect actual usage, identify the space in which the music is heard by the public, and disclose the frequency that music is played by a venue. An invoice should clearly state what a venue is required to pay by law or contract, and when they are exempt.

The opaqueness of the current music marketplace creates uncertainty that disproportionally harms small artists and independent publishers, stifles innovation and contributes to piracy. We join together with a collective voice because all stakeholders in the music marketplace benefit when current and accurate information about copyright ownership and payment to artists is easily accessible. Although a more transparent structure in itself does not guarantee fairer treatment, we believe this transparency is a necessary baseline in creating a more sustainable and equitable system.

MIC is the go-to informational resource for the media, policymakers, music lovers and creators who want to understand how changes to copyright and competition laws will impact the growing and vibrant digital music economy. Our members have united to be a powerful voice for positive change and greater balance and transparency in the music world.