The new BPI and MU agreement

We have received a new info pack from the BPI (British Parlophonic Industry) and the Musicians Union today regarding the new agreement between these two parties relating to the standard fees and charged for session musicians and performers.

Until now the UK record industry has legal arrangements in place, governed by three separate documents governing how session musicians are commissioned.

These documents have now been reviewed, updated to suit the digital age and consolidated into one document.

The document is quite extensive but here are the highlights:

Audio Visual or Audio Session Fees

Standard Length Session (up to 3 hours session length/20 minutes track(s) duration) – £120

Long Session (up to 4 hours session length/30 minutes track(s) duration) – £180

Short Length Session (up to 2 hours session length/10 minutes track(s) duration) – £90

Live recording session fees

Where a commissioning record label engages a musician for a live audio/audiovisual recording session the label shall pay the musician a recording session fee of £45

Doubling and Trebling

If a musician is requested to play two or three instruments in connection with a single section the fees shall be adjusted as follows:

(a) 25% of the otherwise applicable session fee for one additional instrument and;

(b) 40% of the otherwise applicable session fee for two additional instrument

There are clauses to this element, so please check the full agreement for clarification

these are the main points to the extensive new agreement, so please check out www.bpi.co.uk for full details

Thank for reading!