Björn Ulvaeus: "We may miss the next Paul McCartney"

Every day, composers, painters, screenwriters, directors, photographers and songwriters see their talent wasted because their work is not properly valued. The key words are insignificant royalties, “buy outs” imposed on creators by digital platforms and flawed computer systems. The people CISAC works for are creators who are struggling to make a living and who all too often have to give up their creative work. Among them may be the next Paul McCartney. The question is whether the “streaming world” we are building today will help cultivate him to success, or whether it will trample on his dreams.

When I took on the role of CISAC President, I had two ambitions. I wanted to be a voice for my fellow creators on the global stage and I wanted to help the network of collective management societies improve the services they offer to their members. This is a very challenging task, but I believe we are making progress. On the lobbying side, our message has been heard, and in meetings this year I have seen the respect CISAC and its members have with high-ranking government representatives.

It is important to understand where this respect comes from. CISAC and its member organisations are the only bodies that work exclusively to protect creators. Companies come and go, catalogues are acquired, and professionals with whom you have a relationship move on, but there is one constant – the collective management societies. Their main task is to be a loyal and transparent partner to the creator at all times.

Today, CISAC is working to address the unique challenges that creators face in the streaming economy. First and foremost, we need to accelerate work on resolving the metadata issue, so that works can be properly identified and creators can be fairly paid. We have now made significant progress in this area. CISAC’s upgraded ISWC (International Standard Work Code) has been adopted by an increasing number of music publishers and digital streaming services. New collaborative projects have also been initiated, such as JASRAC’s recent initiatives in Asia.

Second, the discussion about fairness in the streaming economy has gained momentum. We must continue to examine why music and creative works are systematically undervalued. We see this in the lack of recognition of songwriters, the overwhelming influence of digital platforms, the gradual reductions in subscription prices over many years, unclear algorithms that influence our choices, and the lopsided distribution of the digital pie that largely goes to people other than songwriters.

Finally, the huge impact of artificial intelligence comes. I am a supporter of AI-powered tools myself, and I use them myself. I am convinced that they will help creators improve their works. However, AI brings its own challenges, especially when it comes to copyright of works created by AI. I believe this needs to be addressed at the highest level, for example through an arena like the United Nations.

These priorities are crucial to the future well-being of creators. How we handle them will, in my view, shape our future cultural landscape. Can we have a new Paul McCartney? I hope so, but that will only happen if we make the streaming economy a fairer place for creators today. There is a lot that needs to be fixed. Let’s all come together and do it.

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