Committees

Economics of music streaming

Inquiry

MPs will examine what economic impact music streaming is having on artists, record labels and the sustainability of the wider music industry.

With streaming currently accounting for more than half of the global music industry’s revenue, this inquiry will look at the business models operated by platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Google Play. Music streaming in the UK brings in more than £1 billion in revenue with 114 billion music streams in the last year, however artists can be paid as little as 13% of the income generated.

The Committee will also consider whether the government should be taking action to protect the industry from piracy in the wake of steps taken by the EU on copyright and intellectual property rights. The inquiry is seeking the perspectives of industry experts, artists and record labels as well as streaming platforms themselves.

Read the key points in an interactive summary of the report.

Reports, special reports and government responses

View all reports and responses
Second Report - Economics of music streaming
Inquiry Economics of music streaming
Open PDF
6MB
Open HTML
Opens in new window
HC 50
Report
Response to this report
Second Special Report - Economics of music streaming: Government and Competition and Markets Authority Responses to Committee’s Second Report
Open PDF
214KB
Open HTML
Opens in new window
HC 719
Special Report
Second Special Report - Economics of music streaming: Government and Competition and Markets Authority Responses to Committee’s Second Report
Inquiry Economics of music streaming
Open PDF
214KB
Open HTML
Opens in new window
HC 719
Special Report

Correspondence

View all correspondence
Letter from Julia Lopez MP, Minister for Media, Data and Digital Infrastructure, and George Freeman MP, Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, relating to music streaming, 18 May 2022
Inquiry Economics of music streaming
Open PDF
115KB
Correspondence
Correspondence between the Government and the Competition and Markets Authority, relating to music streaming, 15-20 September 2021
Inquiry Economics of music streaming
Open PDF
256KB
Correspondence
Letter from the Chair to Andrea Coscelli CBE, Chief Executive, CMA, relating to music streaming, 22 September 2021
Inquiry Economics of music streaming
Open PDF
69KB
Correspondence

Oral evidence transcripts

View all oral evidence transcripts
22 March 2021
Inquiry Economics of music streaming
Witnesses Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and Intellectual Property Office
Open PDF
236KB
Open HTML
206KB
Oral Evidence
23 February 2021
Inquiry Economics of music streaming
Witnesses Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Inc
Open PDF
326KB
Open HTML
241KB
Oral Evidence
10 February 2021
Inquiry Economics of music streaming
Witnesses YouTube, Soundcloud, and Twitch
Open PDF
426KB
Open HTML
299KB
Oral Evidence

Written evidence

View all written evidence
UK Music (EMS0188)
Open PDF
340KB
Open HTML
14KB
Transcripts of roundtables with emerging artists (EMS0293)
Open PDF
129KB
Open HTML
81KB
Phonographic Performance Ltd (EMS0292)
Open PDF
165KB
Open HTML
128KB

Other publications

No other publications published.

Contact us

We can't usually help you with an individual problem or a specific complaint.

  • Email: CommonsCMS@parliament.uk
  • Phone: 020 7219 6188 (general enquiries) | 020 7219 1679 (media enquiries)
  • Address: CMS Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA