Seven principles for a music industry that serves the people who make it and the people who love it. Read it. Sign it. Share it.
We, the undersigned — artists, fans, technologists, and citizens — declare that the music industry must be rebuilt on the principles of ownership, transparency, and human dignity. We reject the premise that convenience justifies exploitation, that scale excuses opacity, or that progress requires surrender.
Every artist has the inalienable right to own, control, and profit from their creative output. No platform, label, or technology company may use, reproduce, or train systems on an artist's work without explicit, informed, and revocable consent — and fair compensation.
Every listener, concertgoer, and supporter has the right to know what data is collected about them, how it is used, and by whom. They have the right to access, correct, and delete that data. The relationship between artist and fan should be direct and consensual — never intermediated by opaque algorithms.
Royalty calculations, streaming payouts, algorithmic recommendations, and AI training datasets must be auditable and understandable. Opacity in the value chain is a form of theft. Every participant in the music ecosystem deserves to see how value flows.
Artificial intelligence in the music industry must be a tool that amplifies human creativity — never a replacement for it. AI-generated content must be clearly labeled. Training data sources must be disclosed. Artists whose work trains AI systems must be compensated.
The connection between an artist and their audience is the foundation of all musical culture. Any business model, technology, or policy that weakens that direct relationship — by capturing data, inserting intermediaries, or replacing genuine connection with algorithmic approximation — must be challenged.
Individual resistance is noble but insufficient. Systemic problems require organized response. This charter exists because twenty million voices are louder than any lobby, any board room, any algorithm. We commit to showing up — at concerts, in policy discussions, and at the ballot box.
Data ownership and creative rights are not privileges for the successful. They apply equally to the arena headliner and the bedroom producer, to the lifelong fan and the first-time listener. This movement succeeds only if it includes everyone.