UK labels agree to ‘landmark’ move of covering per diem payments for songwriters
The new move has been negotiated by the Ivors Academy
By Nick Reilly
Major UK record labels have committed to introducing a £75 per diem and expenses payments for songwriters attending writing sessions.
The move has been spearheaded by the Ivors Academy, which described it as a “landmark step to help sustain and support songwriters” after securing the move through its participation in the UK government’s Creator Remuneration Working Group.
It marks the first time that per diems have been agreed with major labels anywhere in the world and it will be non-recoupable from featured artists. Before this agreement, many songwriters working at label writing sessions were held individually responsible for negotiating terms of travel costs and expenses.
According to the BBC, Warner Music and Universal – have agreed to introduce the per diem payments for writers, while Sony Music has established a £100,000 fund, managed by The Ivors Academy, to cover per diems. The new fund will also provide “broader support” to writers to increase opportunities and industry access.
The new deal will also see session musicians receiving a pay increase of up to 40 per cent when they attend recording sessions. Pop musicians will see their standard fee increase from £130 to £182. Orchestral musicians will receive a smaller 15 per cent increase – rising from £92.96 to £106.90.
The unfairness of the previous arrangements was highlighted by the UK Parliament’s Economics of Music Streaming report, which previously criticised low streaming payments and the risk that songwriters from lower-income backgrounds could be priced out of the profession.
RAYE has been one of the biggest voices to back such a move, calling for it when she triumphed at the BRITS in 2024.
Tom Gray, Chair of The Ivors Academy, said: “Songwriters finally receiving per diems is hugely personally rewarding for me after developing the idea and pushing it forward as a policy for many years. No one should provide their craft and labour for free, especially when there’s simply no guarantee of liveable income from streaming royalties. This is an important and long-overdue step that protects the dignity of working songwriters.”
Roberto Neri, Chief Executive Officer of The Ivors Academy, added: “We welcome and wish to thank Minister Bryant for the introduction of per diems for songwriters and his support in securing this agreement. There is no music industry without songwriters and these payments will ensure that songwriters are not out of pocket when turning up to work. We look forward to working together over the next 12 months to assess how this package benefits music makers and ensuring that all creators share in the success of streaming remuneration.
“While securing per diems is a major win and a world first, there is still much to do. These standards need to be adopted globally. We need to see the streaming economy actually value the song, so its creators receive an appropriate share of revenues.”
The Ivors Academy added: “Songwriters will be able to claim per diems from the UK’s major record labels. The Ivors Academy is working with representatives from major record labels to develop a simple and easy-to-use form that will be hosted within The Ivors Academy website.
“In the meantime, songwriters should contact the person who invited them to attend the writing session and request that they are put in contact with an appropriate party at the label who can pay their per diem and appropriate expenses.”
“In addition to per diem payments, a new the package of reforms agreed by UK labels includes commitments to”:
- Disregard unrecouped advances on contracts signed before 1 January 2000, with this rolling forward on an annual basis or bespoke support being offered.
- Provide tailored support to legacy artists to improve streaming outcomes.
- Respond to requests to renegotiate legacy contracts within 60 days, taking a holistic view of each agreement’s history and context.
- Increase session fees for pop and classical musicians.
These reforms follow growing scrutiny of streaming economics. Last month, research from the UK’s Intellectual Property Office found that a songwriter whose work achieves 1 million streams per month – a threshold which is met by only 0.026% of tracks – can expect to earn just £15,288 per year, less than full-time minimum wage.