Four Music Organizations Call For Better Digital Attribution, Credits System

Four music organizations have revealed a new collaboration to support building a “more robust and effective system of digital attribution and credits.”

The RIAA, SAG-AFTRA, A2IM, and Artist Rights Alliance released a joint statement regarding working together to build a more efficient credits system for artists, songwriters and publishers. The statement reads, in part:

“As music has shifted online, systems of attribution have become less robust and consistent. Where once cover art and liner notes often reflected who contributed to each specific musical recording, including producers, songwriters, and side players, attribution today is often less extensive, sometimes identifying only the featured artist or band, and the track and album name.

“Credits are a creator’s resume. Knowing what music an artist or songwriter has made or contributed to can help them find more fans and build and sustain their careers over time. Credits are also a learning tool and ‘map’ to the music ecosystem for fans, creating a more educated music audience to the benefit of the music business as a whole…we welcome collaborating with everyone in the music ecosystem to develop and implement a more robust and effective system of digital attribution and credits to the benefit of creators and consumers alike.”

Some digital services have made efforts to increase the attention to writer and publisher credits listed alongside music featured on those services.

In 2018, YouTube began featuring credits for artists, songwriters, as well as labels or publishers involved in the songs heard in a range of its video clips, from official artist videos to fan-developed videos. Last year, Spotify also announced that users can view songwriter and producer credits on the service’s desktop platform. Tidal also offers writer and publisher information.