Composers Fight UK Broadcasters Over Royalties

British composers are complaining that UK broadcasters are taking royalties away from them. “Composers receive a single fee for their music to be used on television but they currently also have to sign a contract with a music publisher, representing the broadcaster, agreeing that a percentage of the royalties will go back to the channel commissioning the piece. Artists can lose as much as 35% of their royalties. The practice, dubbed ‘coercion’ in the music industry, can mean that if a composer does not sign the agreement they may find it difficult to secure future work.”