Yesterday was clearly the day for giving governments a kick up the backside when it comes to AI regulation.
While AIM boss Gee Davy was addressing the UK government in London, global labels body the IFPI was holding an event in Brussels to launch the 2026 edition of its ‘Music in the EU’ report. CEO Victoria Oakley’s introduction zeroed in on the EU’s AI Act.
“The implementation of new AI Act transparency obligations, including requirements to label certain AI-generated content, marks a further step towards fostering trust, accountability and responsible innovation in the digital ecosystem,” wrote Oakley.
“The strategic priority today must be the absolute, uncompromising implementation and enforcement of these rules, including ensuring that right holders have the practical and effective means to exercise and enforce them.”
The backdrop here is past examples of legislation in Europe that the music industry liked, which was then watered down and/or delayed in its implementation by individual countries. The IFPI is clearly keen to step up pressure to avoid that happening with the AI Act.
Part of that persuasion is, as usual, big numbers. The report noted that recorded-music revenues in the EU grew by 5.1% to €6bn in 2025, with nine of the world’s top 20 recorded-music markets located in the bloc.
The IFPI noted that streaming is now 66% of European recorded-music revenues, but pointed to more room for growth in revenues from that “with paid music streaming subscriber penetration in the EU standing at 27%, compared to 54% in the US and 47% in the UK”.