Campaigning and support to protect the rights and earnings of songwriters and composers.
The most prestigious celebrations of songwriters, composers and their champions.
Part of Intellectual Property, copyright protection is automatic the moment your work is created and captured, whether that’s written, recorded or saved digitally. It gives you the exclusive right to decide how your music is used: from reproduction and performance to streaming, adaptation and more.
In the UK, copyright in a musical work or lyric lasts for 70 years after the creator’s death. These rights sit at the heart of your career. They’re how you’re credited, how you control your music and how you get paid.
In the UK, moral rights give you the power to be recognised as the author of your music and to protect it from being used in a derogatory way.
Unlike economic rights, which relate to earning money from your work, moral rights protect your personal connection to it. They include the right of attribution – to be named as the creator, the right of integrity – to prevent distortion or harmful use, and the right not to have your work falsely attributed.
We work to ensure that you retain these rights and that the industry fully acknowledges your creative ownership.
They are one of the most important income streams for songwriters and composers. These payments are made through Collective Management Organisations, and in most cases you do not need to take legal action to receive them, just the right registrations and good metadata.
We educate songwriters and composers on how royalties work and push for systems that are fair, transparent and future-proof.
Our member resources include guides to royalties and data.
You’re entitled to a written agreement that sets out what’s expected of you and how you’ll be paid. We always recommend working with clear and unambiguous contracts. Members can access industry contract templates and a legal referral service.
As a freelancer, you’re protected against unlawful discrimination. You have the right to a safe and respectful working environment.
Freelancers can also access some benefits and tax relief, such as the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) if you have a disability or health condition that affects how much you can work, Universal Credit and claiming allowable expenses on certain business costs.
