Reclaiming fairness in Europe’s digital music ecosystem: Fair MusE final conference
After three years of research, dialogue and experimentation at the intersection of music, data and law, the Fair MusE project will conclude with its Final Conference, taking place on 18 February 2026, from 9:00 to 13:45, in Brussels.
Titled “Reclaiming fairness in Europe’s digital music ecosystem: creators, platforms, and policy solutions”, the event will bring together researchers, policymakers, creators’ representatives, industry stakeholders and digital experts to reflect on the project’s findings and discuss concrete pathways towards a fairer and more transparent music streaming ecosystem.
The conference will be held at Mundo Madou (Avenue des Arts 7/8, Brussels) and marks the final public moment of a project that has investigated how copyright, data infrastructures and platform governance shape fairness in today’s music economy .
A project addressing structural imbalances in music streaming
Over the course of its implementation, Fair MusE has explored some of the most pressing challenges facing the European music sector: from opacity in music data flows and uneven remuneration mechanisms, to limitations in existing copyright infrastructures and imbalances of power between platforms and creators.
Through interdisciplinary research, stakeholder engagement and policy-oriented outputs the project has aimed to move beyond diagnosis, proposing practical, evidence-based solutions to support fairer outcomes for music creators across Europe.
The final conference represents a moment to consolidate this work, situate it within the broader EU policy landscape, and discuss how Fair MusE’s results can inform future regulatory and industry developments.
Conference programme highlights
Opening the discussion: Fair MusE in context
The event will open with welcoming remarks and an introduction to the Fair MusE project by Giuseppe Mazziotti, Project Coordinator, alongside Willy Kokolo, Cultural Policy Officer at the European Commission (DG EAC).
This opening session will frame the project’s objectives, its policy relevance and its contribution to current European discussions on culture, creativity and the digital transformation of music.
Session 1 – Creators’ rights and copyright infrastructures
The first thematic session will focus on the evolution of creators’ rights in the European Union and on the strengths and weaknesses of existing copyright infrastructures.
Following a presentation of the Music Copyright Infrastructure by Giuseppe Mazziotti (Católica Global School of Law), the discussion will involve experts from the music industry and EU institutions, including:
- Scott Farrant (Musaxia) – Music Industry Expert
- Åsa Enström (Ex-Head of Legal at Polaris Hub AB) – Music Industry Expert
- Emmanuelle Du Chalard (European Commission, DG Connect, Copyright Unit)
- Ioan Kaes (AEPO ARTIS) – General Secretary
The session will be moderated by Alain Strowel (UC Louvain), Professor of Law, and will address how the EU legal framework and music copyright infrastructures interoperate within contemporary streaming and social media markets.
Session 2 – Transparency, data and algorithmic assessment
The second session will be dedicated to two of Fair MusE’s core analytical tools: the Music Data Dashboard and the Fairness Score.
These tools, presented respectively by Jannick Kirk Sørensen (Aalborg University) and Daniel Bedoya (University of Lille), aim to support greater transparency and evidence-based assessment of fairness in music streaming environments.
The panel discussion will feature contributions from:
- Marta Cantero Gamito (University of Tartu) – Professor of Information Technology Law
- Lorenzo Porcaro (Sapienza University of Rome) – Research scientist
- Kristian Mortensen (DataMosaik) – Music and digital rights expert
Moderated by Adelaida Afilipoaie (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Senior Researcher on Media Policy, the session will explore how data, algorithms and governance mechanisms can be assessed and improved from a public-interest perspective.
Session 3 – Looking ahead: from research to action
The final thematic session will focus on the future of music policy in Europe.
Giuseppe Mazziotti and Maria-Jose Schmidt-Kessen (Central European University) will present the Fair MusE White Paper, which synthesises the project’s research findings and formulates strategic policy recommendations for the digital music ecosystem.
A high-level roundtable discussion will follow, bringing together representatives from European institutions, creators’ organisations and industry bodies, including:
- Willy Kokolo (European Commission, DG EAC) – Cultural Policy Officer
- Benoit Machuel (International Federation of Musicians) – General Secretary
- Matthieu Philibert (IMPALA, Independent Music Companies Association) – Public Affairs Director
- Natasha Mangal (CISAC) – Legal and Policy Advisor
- Kristina Janušauskaitė (IFPI European Office) – Executive Director
Moderated by Marta Cantero Gamito, the discussion will reflect on how Fair MusE’s recommendations can inform future regulatory approaches and stakeholder practices.
Closing the Fair MusE journey
The conference will conclude with final remarks by Giuseppe Mazziotti, followed by a light lunch and networking moment among participants.
While marking the end of the project, the Final Conference is intended as a starting point for continued dialogue, ensuring that the evidence, tools and policy recommendations developed within Fair MusE remain active within European discussions on music, culture and digital platforms.
*Photo by Dušan Cvetanović
