Media composers, please answer the Fair Score's survey!
Fair Score is a joint campaign between the Musicians’ Union and The Ivors Academy, which seeks to ensure fair commissioning in media composition. It fights against coercive buyouts, opaque pitching processes, and deals that violate composers’ rights.
In a first survey conducted during 2019, the predecessor of Fair Score found that 35% of the surveyed media composers had accepted buyouts or work-for-hire deals. This means that, instead of receiving a commissioning fee upfront and royalties over time, they got a one-off fee and nothing else. This endangers the livelihood of composers, as they are deprived of long term income sources.
The same survey revealed that 41% of the surveyed composers gave up more mechanical rights than they wanted to, and 64% affirmed they believed the commissioning environment is coercive. This is unsustainable and harmful for the industry, even more now that commissioners count on the threat of generative AI to put pressure on media composers.
It’s important that Fair Score has up-to-date information about the experiences and needs of media composers. With that purpose, they have released a new survey to assess the state of the industry. If you are a media composer who works in or for the UK, your opinion and perspective are very much appreciated.
The survey takes roughly 20 minutes to complete, and it closes on 6 November 2025. Your information will be protected, and by completing the survey, you’ll be entered into a £100 gift voucher prize draw, with one winner from the MU and another from The Ivors Academy.
Please spread the word around your colleagues to give Fair Score as much information as possible. That’s the best way to help them help us!