Fair Score builds on the success of Composers Against Buyouts, creating a stronger platform for composers and allies to unite and secure better standards across the industry.
In 2019, we surveyed media composers and found:
- 35% have accepted buyouts or work-for-hire deals
- 41% gave up more mechanical rights than they wanted to
- 64% believe the commissioning environment is coercive
What are buyouts?
There’s already a fair way to pay composers: a commissioning fee upfront and royalties over time.
Buyouts replace this with a one-off fee, and nothing more. They strip composers of rights that could generate income for years.
If you’re offered a buyout, you should have the freedom and information to negotiate a deal that works for you. That’s what we’re fighting for.
Tools to help you
Fair Score specimen agreement
We’ve worked with legal experts to create a specimen commissioning agreement for TV. It shows what a fair contract can look like, whether you’re dealing with an independent production company or a global broadcaster.
The agreement includes detailed notes to explain each clause, helping you understand and negotiate with confidence.
Fair Commissioning Manifesto
Together with the MU, we’ve set out a vision for change in our Fair Commissioning Manifesto. It calls for an end to coercive buyouts and a commissioning process that works for everyone.
Our vision is built on three principles:
- Copyright rests with the author: This is the law and the moral foundation of every deal.
- Music adds emotional and financial value: Composers deserve a fair share.
- Composers control their rights: The Exclusive Assignment of Performing Rights helps safeguard value long-term.
Read the Fair Commissioning Manifesto as a web page, PDF or plain text version
Your music your future international
Your Music Your Future International is a global campaign helping media composers understand their rights, options and the long-term impact of buyouts.
Created by composers in the US and supported by CISAC, it’s part of a growing international movement to inform and empower music creators everywhere.
