SACEM wants additional relief for songwriters, composers and publishers

By Emmanuel Legrand

French right society SACEM  organised on December 7 a Day of Solidarity to raise awareness on the situation of creators impacted by the pandemic. "Today, music needs everyone's help. This is the message we want to get across with this Day of Solidarity,” said SACEM CEO Jean-Noël Tronc (pictured, below).

 

 On this occasion, SACEM called upon public authorities "to extend measures designed to help the music sector." SACEM acknowledged that government measures "have already provided unprecedented support to the sector," in particular through the cultural recovery plan, with €432 million in direct aid for the performing arts, and €210 million for music via the National Music Center.

  However, the society believes that more should be done to support authors, composers and music publishers who have "so far benefited from hardly any of the programmes set up for the cultural sectors." SACEM estimates that to date, its collections have declined by €280 million for 2020-2021.  

A twofold penalty due to Covid

  "To date, state measures to support the music sector, while indispensable, have not gone far enough," explained Bruno Lion, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SACEM. "Everyone must bear in mind that authors, composers and publishers are only compensated when their works are disseminated or, in very rare cases, when they receive a commission. Since the beginning of the lockdown measures, opportunities to work have melted like snow in the sun."

  He continued: "From now on, the penalty is twofold: works that could not be created will not be paid for, and the authors' rights for those that have been less widely disseminated are in freefall. For the sake of our musical diversity, we must at all costs allow our creators to continue to create. We must spark a collective awareness so that together, we may preserve an essential part of our culture." 

Support local songwriters

  SACEM recommends the implementation of the following measures be implemented:   
  > A fund to compensate for the losses of music-industry professionals (€30 million), run by collective management bodies;
  > A raft of measures aimed at better compensating creation in the context of lockdowns and restrictions on gatherings such as contributions for online broadcasts, even free of charge; 
  > Co-financing of concerts in real-world venues, but without an audience; 
  > Financing of a local e-commerce solution for cultural actors; 
  > The creation of a tax credit for music publishers (voted by the Senate but waiting for the vote of the National Assembly).

  SACEM also invited broadcasters to play more French music. "As media outlets and platforms broadcast more tracks or playlists from the French music scene, and as French fans increase the number of French songs they listen to, royalty payments to creators will rise," said SACEM. "Playing as much French music as possible won't cost broadcasters any more. Indeed, whether you play tracks from the French or international repertoire, the amount paid for authors’ rights is the same, it is just the beneficiaries who change."