In a giant showing of good faith from independent labels around the globe, over 700 have signed the Worldwide Independent Network’s ‘Fair Digital Deals Declaration’. As well as promising more transparent contracts that make digital royalties clear, the signatories will also aim to support artists who choose to "oppose, including publicly, unauthorized uses of their music."
Furthermore, the long-running debate over the deals cut by record labels in which they receive equity or money in return for catalogue access to streaming services, such as Spotify and YouTube, has been addressed. These deals are often not tied to any particular artist and, therefore, musicians often do not receive a cut. The second part of the declaration tackles this issue, stating that labels will: "Account to artists a good-faith pro-rata share of any revenues and other compensation from digital services that stem from the monetization of recordings." Signatories include the likes of Sub Pop, XL, 4AD, Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, Saddle Creek and Ninja Tune. You can find the full list here.
