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Austin, United States – August 29th, 2014 /PressCable/ —
Over 800 record labels to date have joined in the effort for equal accounting for artists in digital music sales and streaming by signing the Fair Digital Deals Declaration according to WIN (Worldwide Independent Network.)
They describe this declaration as a statement intended to correct a habitual imbalance in compensation for and treatment of non-major label artists when it comes to licensing deals.
Carolyn Holzman of CDMaker, a duplication service in Austin TX confirmed, “Record labels previously made a large portion of their revenue based on physical sales – CDs and DVDs which they shared profits with artists. The indie labels are addressing the concept of it doesn't matter if a commercially popular artist creates music or one that is lessor known, if their creative content is used to make another company money, they need to be included in compensation at the same level.”
“Now with music streaming services even overtaking the digital download opportunities, less and less money is reaching the signed artists whose talents create the very product that these music services provide to the end users.”
WIN also claims that various online music services give preferential terms to major labels that they do not offer to indie labels. These perks include and may not be limited to upfront money or a stake in the digital services that isn't strictly related to licensing fees and thus is not shared with artists.
The document states that independent labels will not take and keep money for themselves but rather only for the artist benefit and any money received would be shared.
The Declaration has five pillars – 1) transparency in reporting royalty statements, 2) an accounting of money received unrelated to music sales, 3) better standards from digital music services as to how they will use and monetize the music, 4) supporting artists who oppose unauthorized use of their music and finally, 5) supporting the role of independent labels.
When Billboard Magazine reached out to representatives from some of the most vocal Indie labels, Darius Van Arman, co-founder of the Secretly Group (Dead Oceans/Jagjaguwar/Numero Group/Secretly Canadian) added:
“The bedrock of trust between artists and labels is artists receiving a fair share of the revenue that is earned from their work, where labels convey financial terms transparently and comprehensibly to artists. This is how the independents prefer to do business. Our signing of the Labels' Fair Digital Deals Declaration demonstrates our commitment to this ideal and is an invitation to all industry participants to make the same commitment.”
For a list of labels that have joined the initiative – http://www.a2im.org/
To sign the declaration – http://winformusic.org/fair-digital-deals-pledge/
About:
CDMaker is an advocate for the unsigned independent artist and supporter of indie music labels by providing physical retail ready CDs and DVDS. Services include graphic design, CD, DVD and Blu-ray duplication, CD, DVD and Blu-ray replication, printing and packaging, smartphone app development and DVD authoring.http://www.cdmaker.com
WIN (the Worldwide Independent Network) is a representative organization exclusively for the worldwide independent music community. It was founded in July 2006 in response to business, creative and market access issues faced by the independent sector everywhere. http://winformusic.org
Contact Info:
Name: Paula W. Smith
Organization: CDMaker
Website: http://www.cdmaker.com
Phone: (512) 388-1998
Address: 13581 Pond Springs Road, Suite 301, Austin, TX 78729 Williamson County
Release ID: 61196