Rethinking Music Streaming: Algorithms, AI, and Allocation

In recent years, the number of subscribers as well as the revenues from music streaming have been steadily growing. But while streaming is booming, those who deliver the core product - the songwriters - are often left behind with low levels of remuneration. At the same time, streaming platforms’ policies around playlists and algorithms are often opaque and can heavily impact cultural diversity. Meanwhile, the rapid surge of AI-generated music supercharges streaming fraud and diminishes the potential revenues for actual creators. What do new players in the game do differently? How fair is the current pro-rata payment model and what benefits can alternative, user-centric models bring? In other words: how should we shape the future of music streaming to ensure that everyone benefits equally?

This panel is organised by ECSA as part of the Creators’ Talks series, and co-funded by Creative Europe.