From pirates to privateers: a musician’s take on the digital market

• Author: Bendik Hofseth
• Position: Musician

A global network built on more than technology

Static fiber-optic cables are forming a new, global neural network that circulates human impulses made up not only of bits and bytes but also messages sent from heart to heart. Our ability to link together through the Internet makes us feel safer, freer, and more comfortable and open.

While technology underpins this global neural network, technology alone cannot create the social and cultural heartbeats that bring it alive. Softer and more universal devices are needed for us to be and stay attracted to the network. International brands and celebrities help – they have become an integral part of our common narrative. But the creative forms of expression and artworks that humans have developed over millennia to communicate with each other and spark our imaginations are the lifeblood of the network.

Music has the power to surpass the confines of language and to break down cultural barriers by stimulating a shared fascination with rhythms and sounds. A picture can convey meaning in a playful and quirky way that goes directly to the heart of the viewer. A poem or a piece of literature can capture a moment in a way that allows each reader to interpret it in line with their own individual experience. These artistic creations have proven invaluable in establishing bonds, opening minds and hearts and building trust and confidence among different social and cultural groups across time.

Established arrangements are under pressure

But as the digital transition progresses established arrangements that for many years have allowed artists and creators to receive payment for their work are increasingly under attack. The current relationship between the arts, copyright law and platform services illustrates this very clearly.

Platform services typically include search engines, social networks and other types of content aggregators. They are sometimes also called technical intermediaries and include companies such as Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud, TuneIn and others. At present, these entities either underpay or do not pay those who generate the cultural content that they have made it their role to distribute.

The value-generation gap

A simple comparison of the amounts these platforms pay to rights holders and the profits they generate points to a distinct “value-generation gap”. How much of what these platform services do – and how much of the money they make – is actually related to giving access to art and other works that are protected by copyright? Identifying these percentages, for example on the basis of the way these platforms generate income through advertising, would make it possible to get an idea of what a “reasonable” licensing fee might be.

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