You know that feeling when you’re scrolling through your streaming royalty statements and thinking “this can’t be right”? Well, things might actually be looking up.
The UK government just dropped some news that’s got the music community buzzing-and for once, it’s actually good news. Major labels have agreed to new measures that could put real money back in creators’ pockets. About time, right?
Legacy Artists: Your Old Deal Might Not Be Set in Stone
Remember when streaming was just a wild idea and physical sales ruled the world? If you signed your deal back then, you’re probably getting pennies from Spotify while your label rakes it in.
Here’s the thing though—you don’t have to just accept that anymore. These new agreements mean you can actually walk up to your label and say “hey, this deal doesn’t make sense in 2025.” They legally have to respond within 60 days and tell you what they’re willing to do about it.
Will every label suddenly become generous? Probably not. But at least now there’s a formal process, and some leverage you didn’t have before. Plus, they might help get your catalog properly optimised for streaming-because let’s face it, half the music from the pre-digital era is barely discoverable online.
Session Musicians: Finally Getting What You’re Worth
If you’re a session player, you’ve probably been underpaid for years. We all know it, you know it, the labels definitely know it. But now there’s actually something being done about it.
The BPI and Musicians’ Union hammered out new minimum rates that are genuinely significant—we’re talking up to 40% more for pop sessions and 15% more for classical work. It’s wild that it took this long, but better late than never.
Songwriters: No More Writing for Free (Finally!)
This one really gets me. How many times have you been invited to a writing session, spent your whole day crafting something amazing, only to walk away with nothing because the song didn’t get placed? It’s been the industry standard for way too long.
Now labels are starting to offer either daily payments (around £75) or at least covering your expenses when they invite you to write. It’s not life-changing money, but it’s respect for your time and creativity.
The Big Picture: Real Money is Coming
The government reckons these changes will pump tens of millions of pounds into creators’ pockets by 2030.
They’re planning to check back in a year to see how it’s working. And if it’s not? Well, there’s already talk about what comes next.
What This Actually Means for You
Look, I’m not saying this fixes everything overnight. The music industry still has plenty of problems, and streaming payouts are still pretty terrible across the board. But these changes give you some actual tools to work with.
If you’ve got old deals gathering dust, now’s the time to dust them off. If you’re heading into writing sessions, start asking about payment upfront. If you’re hiring session players, make sure you’re paying them properly-because they deserve it, and because it’s just good business.
The landscape is shifting, and the creators who understand these changes first are going to be the ones who benefit most.
The Bottom Line
This isn’t a complete revolution, but it’s progress. Real, tangible progress that puts money in creators’ pockets and gives you more power in negotiations.
Stay curious, keep asking questions, and don’t undersell yourself. You’ve got more leverage now than you did last month, and that’s worth celebrating.