Easy WIN for Digital Deals Declaration

The Worldwide Independent Network (WIN) this morning launched a new ‘Fair Digital Deals Declaration’ for artists, with over 750 indie labels already signed up.

The new initiative is essentially a commitment to treat artists fairly in agreements relating to digital exploitation of their work. WIN outlined five measures that should be taken during negotiations with third parties to ensure a fair deal, which can be seen here.

WIN Chairman Alison Wenham said: “A healthy commercial relationship based on mutual trust and partnership between artists and labels is critical to the long term financial health of our industry”.

Wenham continued: “We believe that this new initiative, which seeks to put in place simple, fair and transparent guidelines for labels dealing with third party digital partners is a template for best practice. We invite companies – majors and indies – to join the hundreds of companies who have already signed and put a stop to the practise of diverting revenues from the artists without whom we would not have a business”.

With clear reference to the recent YouTube furore around proposed terms to independent labels, WIN are highlighting an apparent growing concern from artists over large lump sum payments from digital services to labels. By engaging labels with the declaration WIN aims to “amplify commitment to fairness and transparency” between the independent sector and artists. Labels already signed up include Domino, Secretly Canadian, Cooking Vinyl and Beggars Group labels.

WIN is a network uniting Indie trade associations from across the globe and you can find out more here.