This submission responds to the consultation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) as part of its proposed market study on the ‘music and streaming market’. Three key areas are identified by the PEC team that require particular attention:

1. The definition of ‘music streaming market’, in particular understanding audio in a wider context, and where music streaming is a complementary but secondary component of business models; 
2. The relationships between self-release creators/micro-producers and music streaming services, in particular the role of established and new-entrant gatekeeping intermediaries such as collective management organisations (CMOs) and artist and label (A&L) services;
3. The control, interoperability and portability of data.

This submission draws on empirical research from legal and socio-cultural perspectives examining Intellectual Property issues in artist labour markets, along with research in the field of Competition Law in the context of multisided platforms.

Please reference this paper as: Barr, K., Eben, M. and Kretschmer, M. (2022). Response to the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) proposed market study on the ‘Music and streaming market’. Various: CREATe Centre, University of Glasgow and Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre. 

Available from: https://www.pec.ac.uk/government-submissions/pec-response-to-the-competition-and-markets-authoritys-proposed-study-music-and-streaming-market