The UK trade union representing musicians recently made headlines after rejecting an almost 40% pay rise offered by the BPI, which includes Universal Music, Sony, and Warner Music labels. The rate hike was part of the new set of recording session rates presented by the BPI, featuring a nearly 40% pay increase for rock and pop artists and a 15% rise for classical music sessions. However, the Musicians’ Union turned down the offer and decided not to disclose details to its members, raising concerns about its approach among record label bosses.
According to insiders, the proposed pay rise reflects changes in the market due to the growth in streaming, as well as AI-generated music, which some see as a significant threat to session players’ livelihoods. However, the union believes royalties for all musicians on streaming revenues are more crucial. MU general secretary, Naomi Pohl, defended the decision, stating that “even with a 38% increase, the session rate has barely increased in 15 years and would remain lower than other equivalent Musicians’ Union recording rates.”
While paying royalties on streaming revenues was deemed unreasonable by the BPI, who called the union’s demands unviable, the union’s perspective is that “an uplift on the session fee would not help the thousands of musicians who receive nothing at all.” With streaming revenues on the rise, record labels are enjoying significant profits while session musicians continue to receive no royalties. Though the BPI offer was deemed generous by some, the union believes it falls short in addressing the musicians’ needs.
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