As we have reported here the parent organization MMF which also funds the Featured Artist Coalition has reportedly been taking substantial funds from Google and the streaming service Spotify (according to some reports now 80% of its budget).   Since that time advocacy efforts by MMF and FAC have slanted towards the streaming service Spotify,  despite artists and songwriters continuing complaints of unsustainable rates.

In 2014 three highly regarded FAC artist executives Crispin Hunt ,Mark Kelly and Martyn Ware ( Human League/Heaven 17) resigned reportedly due to a lack of artist autonomy and concerns over the Google and Spotify funding. And now we have reports that MMF are trying to neutralize Hunt and Kelly by having MMF chief executive Jon Webster challenge them for a board seat at the PPL Director Elections. PPL is the UK organization that collects and distributes public performance royalties to performers and labels. Crispin and Mark currently occupy a board seat reserved for artists representatives.

So the managers are standing against the artists for a hard fought artists position? MMF want to remove an artist from the board and replace them with a pro Spotify manager/former record executive? How is that even allowed? In what capacity is he a performer or possibly represent performers? Manager? Give me a break. The history of pop music shows managers rarely have the long term interests of artists at heart. Why don’t we just go ahead and let the foxes guard the henhouse also?

This is a dick move.  Doesn’t MMF already have an attendee seat at PPL?  They want two?  But I doubt that MMF care about the optics.   This is the kind of thing that petty and small men are compelled to do. They can’t help it.

And this is why I officially declare the MMF  dead.  It is not that it is ineffective or failing to advocate for managers and artists. No, it is now actively fucking with two of the UK’s most outspoken advocates for artists rights.   Time to wind MMF down and put it out of its misery.  Featured Artists Coalition should go its own way.