IAO AND THE FEATURED ARTIST DECLARATION
IAO, International Artist Organisation, is the umbrella association for national organisations representing the rights and interests of Featured Artists in the Music Industry. IAO was established to represent featured artists and lobby both for fair and balanced rights, and also for a fair share of all value stemming from the artists’ works. We are the only truly legitimate international voice for artists, and we believe passionately in the value of music, both culturally and financially.
Whilst artists are by definition at the very heart of the music industry, their works are in many cases controlled by third parties. The artists often receive little or nothing of revenues created through the value chain. Moreover, in some areas of the exploitation of their works, the artists have little or no influence.
Artists wanting to understand the value of their works face a wall of non-disclosure agreements, and incomprehensible revenue statements. To make matters worse, a lot of value created will never show in reports because deals have been designed to divert revenues to the corporations, without legal obligation to share the benefits with the artists on whose catalogues that value has been created.
We have especially identified the following issues of concern(in no particular order):
1. Fair remuneration throughout the value chain
We need fair pay for all use of artist’s material, regardless of context.
2. End the value gaps
We need to address the value gaps,
which occur for example when big
platforms claim that responsibility for
uploaded material lies with the user, or
when producers negotiate favourable
deals at the expense of artist’s royalties.
3. Fair distribution models
We want a system where money is
distributed per song users choose.
4. Efficient, correct, comprehensive
and modernised accounting
Immediate, understandable, transparent
reporting of usage and pay. No double
dipping for doing the same job, for
example a manager should not double
charge for doing agent work or label
management, and to make things easy
to follow we want automatized, tagged
payment systems.
5. Full transparency throughout
the value chain without unreasonable
terms of non-disclosure
Artists need access to, and correct
information about, how their material
is used, accounted and payed for in all
steps from the source to the artist.
6. Accurate registration of credits
and global database
Artists should be credited for their
work every time it’s used, and we want
to see a global and transparent data
base for this.
7. A Duty of Care from artists’
intermediaries through
the value chain
All intermediaries need to secure artists
rights and fair pay, and to guarantee
no one- sided agreements which means
for example a record company entering
into a licensing deal with terms that will
benefit them, but be in disadvantage
to artist.
8. A balanced and vibrant
live market
To ensure a healthy live market we
want to see a general practice of fair
commission rates between artists,
agents, venues and promotors and on
sale of merchandise. We suggest that
ending of tour taxation and skipping
age restrictions will support cultural
diversity and promote music.