Future of Music Coalition supports equitable and transparent compensation for creators, wherever and however their music is used. We think that artists should have the ability to exploit their copyrights in the ways that make the most sense for them. We believe that artists must have leverage on current and future music platforms. We believe that information about artists revenue streams are best arrived at by asking artists themselves. We support the congressionally-established right for musicians to have their copyrights revert to them after a set term. We support mechanisms that compensate artists directly.

For all of these reasons and more, we support Fair Trade Music, a new initiative that includes more than 25,000 songwriters and composers from nearly fifty countries throughout Europe, North America, South America, and Africa.

Here are the Fair Trade Music principles:

1. FAIR COMPENSATION—Music business models must be built on principles of fair and sustainable compensation for music creators.

2. TRANSPARENCY—International standards must be developed and adopted that ensure efficient and transparent management of rights and revenues derived from the use of our works. These standards must apply to all entities that license such rights, and which collect and/or distribute such revenues.

3. RECAPTURE OF OUR RIGHTS—Music Creators must have the ability to recapture the rights to their works in a time frame no greater than 35 years, as is currently available to songwriters, composers and artists in the United States. The effect of recapture of rights must apply globally.

4. INDEPENDENT MUSIC CREATOR ORGANIZATIONS—Music Creators must have their own independent entities that advocate for, educate and provide knowledgeable support for members of their community, including aspiring songwriters, composers and artists. Music Creators speak for themselves, not through those with interests in conflict with them.

5. FREEDOM OF SPEECH—Music Creators must be free to speak, write and communicate without fear of censorship, retaliation or repression in a manner consistent with basic human rights and constitutional principles.