Brian Eno Names "The Earth" As a Songwriter

Legendary music artist Brian Eno has named "The Earth" as a song-writer in a revolutionary way to raise funds for environmental charities.

This marks an unprecedented step by the music industry to support songwriters who wish to identify our planet as a co-writer and EarthPercent as the rights-holder of musical content.
Through this innovation, EarthPercent.org is inviting musicians or bands to donate 1% (or the % of their choice) of one new composition, and contribute to raising funds for climate justice and environmental organisations.
Artists including AURORA, Rostam Batmanglij, Fraser T Smith, Mount Kimbie, Anna Calvi, Simón Mejía (Bomba Estéreo) and Jacob Collier have all agreed to name The Earth as a ‘co-writer’ on their work.

Full press release and all artist images download links are below - Embargoed till 12pm GMT, Thursday 2 March 2023

FULL PRESS RELEASE
UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 12pm GMT, Thursday 2 March 2023

The Earth To Get Its First Ever Song Credit

A pioneering group of songwriters including Brian Eno, AURORA, Rostam Batmanglij, Fraser T Smith, Mount Kimbie, Anna Calvi, Simón Mejía (Bomba Estéreo) and Jacob Collier name The Earth as a ‘co-writer’ in a radical new approach to climate action. 

EarthPercent (aka ‘The Earth’), the UK and US-based environmental charity co-founded by world-renowned music artist Brian Eno, today announced the pilot of a groundbreaking initiative to adopt the construct of the Earth as a songwriter and legal beneficiary of music royalties. This marks an unprecedented step by the music industry to support songwriters who wish to identify our planet as a co-writer and EarthPercent as the rights-holder of musical content. Through this innovation, EarthPercent.org is inviting musicians or bands to donate 1% (or the % of their choice) of one new composition, and contribute to raising funds for climate justice and environmental organisations.

Brian Eno, who appeared this week alongside Jacob Collier in a keynote conversation at the Green Events & Innovations Conference, said: "The Earth as Your Co-writer is a beautiful idea in which we harness the poetic construct of The Earth as a co-writer of music and direct some of the income from our compositions towards tackling the climate emergency. EarthPercent provides an easy way for the music industry to make a difference by asking artists to commit a small percentage of their songwriting revenue. All musicians are inspired by the precious planet we live on, so it's fitting that we are now able to name The Earth as our co-writer."

Fraser T Smith added: “I’ve been involved with EarthPercent from the beginning – it’s a brilliant initiative. The issue of climate change sadly isn’t going away, and so as creatives, to feel as though we’re able to give back, by adding The Earth as a beneficiary on projects is not only a choice, but a necessity.”

This revolutionary scheme has been co-designed over an 18-month period by a cross-industry advisory group working with EarthPercent. One of the advisors, Grammy Award-winning record producer Kevin Bacon, reached an agreement with Unison, an accredited rights management entity, who will be collecting the income for The Earth for all performing and mechanical rights’ income. 

The Earth’s Interested Party Information (IPI number) links to EarthPercent, and the money raised from The Earth’s share of songs will go into EarthPercent’s grant giving fund to be distributed to organisations identified by an advisory panel of climate scientists, legal and policy experts, and activists working in five Action Areas: Energy Transition; Climate Justice; Legal & Policy Change; Protecting & Restoring Nature; Greening Music.

Rostam Batmanglij said: "Brian Eno has always charted new waters. I’ve had the honour of being compared to him, and now I have the honour of joining him in the launch of EarthPercent's 'The Earth as Your Co-writer' initiative. What an intelligent use of the income our intellectual property generates. Let it go to these five great causes, and let it do so forever."

Jordi Puy, CEO of Unison said: "We are very excited to be part of this fantastic initiative intended to drive action for the planet. For a long time we have been thinking about what the role of music IP in the environmental crisis can be, and EarthPercent offers an answer to our concerns and hopes. This project unites the music IP ecosystem around a common objective, in order to raise awareness of the environmental crisis and also provide action tools for music creators and music rights actors, directing a small part of the economic resources generated by songs to fight climate change."

The initiative will launch with 23 songwriters on board. The full list of participating artists includes: Andre Corea; Anna Calvi; AURORA; Brian Eno; Cosmo Sheldrake; Donna Grantis; Erland Cooper; fer; FUTURE UTOPIA (Fraser T Smith); Helen Ganya; Housewife; Ichiko Aoba; Jacob Collier; Laura Misch; Love Ssega; Monte; Mount Kimbie; Rostam Batmanglij; Sam Lee; Seb Pringle (Crystal Fighters); Sophia La Mer; Turtle; Westerman.

AURORA said: “I am currently writing my next album – it’s an album about interconnectedness and the art of coexistence. There is no greater teacher than Mother Earth. There is no greater home, or provider. There is no better place than Earth. And that is why I want to co-write this whole album with Mother Earth as a co-writer, because without her there wouldn’t be any such thing as music.” 

During the pilot phase EarthPercent is collaborating with the music publishing community including the UK MPA on the structures and governance of this initiative -- and how it can be opened up across the songwriting community, in order to maximise the positive impact for the environment. Paul Clements, CEO of the MPA, said “Working with EarthPercent’s team, we are translating the poetry of the concept into a legal framework that can work smoothly for the songwriters who create the works and their publishing partners.”

Paul Clements, CEO of the MPA, said “Our music publisher members are very welcoming of and keen to support 'The Earth as Your Co-writer'. We are working with EarthPercent to translate the poetry of the concept into a legal framework, while hoping to contribute to the assurance of delivery of the all-important income donation model. It is paramount that the processes can work smoothly for the songwriters who create the works and their publishing partners who control, administer or own the works. We wish EarthPercent every success in this hugely important initiative”.

EarthPercent said: “Through this pilot we hope to establish this innovative means of long-term giving for the planet as a movement that any songwriter can be part of and inspired by, ensuring that the funds raised can be collected efficiently, and directed seamlessly to EarthPercent’s grant partners, who are creating necessary change on climate.”

The Earth as Co-writer will partner with the Sounds Right initiative, alongside Music Declares Emergency, UN Live and other music, environmental and philanthropic organisations, to raise awareness and generate funding for planetary protection and restoration.

For more information: 

For EarthPercent UK, please contact Cathy Runciman
Executive Director, +44 7977 568 221, cathy@earthpercent.org
For any UK media enquiries, please contact Sean O’Brien
+44 7771 892 95 , sean@aobpr.co.uk

For EarthPercent US, please contact: Laurie Martin
Executive Director, +1 802 779-8995, laurie@earthpercent.org
For any US media inquiries, please contact Perry Serpa/Vicious Kid PR
+1 917 660-4137, perry@viciouskidpr.com

For Unison, please contact: Jordi Puy, CEO, +34 662 368 490, jordip@unisonrights.com

Notes to Editors

What is EarthPercent?

EarthPercent is a charity providing a simple way for the music industry to support the most impactful organisations addressing the climate emergency. Our advisory panel brings together high-profile music industry executives and recognised climate science experts to ensure funds are used in the most efficient way possible.

The music industry is uniquely placed to influence culture, shape public conversation, raise funds and take action to address the climate crisis. EarthPercent believes philanthropy can play an important role in accelerating change and realising our vision of a healthy planet. By developing structures in which artists and music businesses can donate a small percentage of income to EarthPercent which we then direct to the most impactful organisations addressing climate change we can bring about the change that is necessary to realise a healthy planet for all.
https://earthpercent.org/

EarthPercent Publishing Advisory Board members:
Alice Greaves - Vice President, Global Brand, Universal Music Publishing Group
Crispin Hunt - Director & former Chair, The Ivors Academy, PRS Members Council Danielle Wade - Managing Director, Studio Richter Mahr
Dewayne Ector - Independent Music Industry Consultant
Kevin Bacon - Songwriter, Producer
Sarah Williams - CEO, IMPEL
Tony Moss - Consultant, Ex-MD, BMG

About Unison
Headquartered in Barcelona, Unison is the first private and for-profit music copyright management operator in Spain, one of the pioneers in Europe and one of the few private music rights management companies in the world accepted as Client RME in CISAC (International Confederation of Management Organizations). It already represents more than 600 clients (rights holders: authors, music publishers and other management entities and CMOs) from more than 30 countries, working collectively for tens of thousands of right holders and currently managing copyrights in almost 3m musical works. Unison collects copyrights from music users such as digital platforms, broadcasters and live events and distributes them to its clients based on the principles of efficiency and transparency through technology.
https://www.unisonrights.es/

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT ‘THE EARTH AS YOUR CO-WRITER’

Participating songwriters in The Earth as Your Co-writer pilot
Note: participating artists will release one track with The Earth as co-writer in the next six months; some track details are to be confirmed. 

Quotes from a selection of participating artists:

“EarthPercent is giving me, as an artist, an outlet to directly support a cause I’ve been passionate about for close to a decade. Collectively, the music industry can make a profound impact to those working on the frontlines of climate change."
- Andrea Corea

“The music industry creates an enormous carbon footprint. All creatives take resources from the Earth to make their work. The Earth is also where all possible inspiration comes from. I therefore feel it’s a bold and necessary step to give back to the Earth as a writer.”
- Anna Calvi

"This is a beautiful project - a piece of art in itself. Recognising that we owe everything to Mother Earth, we’ve now decided to help protect her by sharing our income with her."
- Brian Eno

"EarthPercent's 'The Earth As Your Co-writer' pilot is an exciting early step on the road to deepening and expanding our legal frameworks to acknowledge the many more-than-human lives unfolding around us. I often incorporate the songs and voices of animals, plants, and fungi into my music and it feels essential that I can also give these organisms credit and recognise their contribution."
- Cosmo Sheldrake

“Planetary health and environmental justice are inextricably linked to human health and social justice. As an EarthPercent artist, I gratefully credit ‘The Earth’ as a co-writer of music I create. Music can influence hearts and minds. Moreover, artists and the music industry can meaningfully contribute towards actualizing a healthy, equitable and livable planet for generations to come.”
- Donna Grantis

"I often write with the natural world as my collaborator, whether with the soil or the elements themselves, birdsong or simply a sense of place in mind. The Earth being credited as a co-writer and further still, as a producer of a new work, seems an entirely befitting courtesy to me. There is of course a poetic narrative here but it is coupled with an obligation, a sense of responsibility and ultimately an opportunity, to celebrate and cherish nature”
- Erland Cooper

“I'm honoured to be a part of The Earth As Your Co-writer by EarthPercent. As musicians, we have a unique platform to raise awareness and inspire change, and it's our responsibility to use that platform to support environmental causes. I encourage my fellow musicians to join this initiative and help positively impact our planet”.
- Fer

"I’ve been involved with EarthPercent from the beginning - it’s a brilliant initiative. The issue of climate change sadly isn’t going away, and so as creatives, to feel as though we’re able to give back, by adding Earth as a beneficiary on projects is not only a choice, but a necessity”.
- Fraser T Smith / FUTURE UTOPIA

“Being a musician amidst the climate crisis can feel paradoxical at times, particularly when the systems the music industry are built upon are no longer tenable. It is an honour to be part of this new EarthPercent initiative to centre and (literally) include the Earth in the music we make. No longer seen as an 'other' but as the sole reason we are here.”
- Helen Ganya 

“We are all one tiny part of this universe. Music is too. This planet has given us the gift of music - I'd like to do what we can to take notice and ensure we give back.”
- Ichiko Aoba

“As a singer and saxophone player I am continually aware of air as the source of my music creation, the Earth’s biosphere enables our music, sound can not exist in a vacuum.”
- Laura Misch

“These next few years are about finding the many ways to protect the planet, because as a species we have found even more ways to destroy it. Therefore, I am extremely excited to be part of this pilot for Earth as Your Co-writer to show that there are creative ways for musicians to support the planet and I’m glad EarthPercent is showing a way.”
- Love Ssega

“I am from Colombia, and here nature is a big presence. It inspires my life and my music. This initiative is a way of giving back to the earth in the most sincere and beautiful way, through the process of writing music and having her as a band member.”
- Monte (Simón Mejía)

 "Brian Eno has always charted new waters. I’ve had the honour of being compared to him, and now I have the honour of joining him in the launch of EarthPercent's 'The Earth as Your Co-writer' initiative. What an intelligent use of the income our intellectual property generates. Let it go to these five great causes, and let it do so forever."
- Rostam Batmanglij

"As an artist utterly inspired by the natural world I am deeply aware of the impact I have as an artist on the earth's resources. Collaborating with EarthPercent feels like one of the most honouring ways I can embed good planetary stewardship and a sense of reciprocity into my creativity beyond what my music speaks to.”
- Sam Lee

"Any opportunity to be part of an innovative project that is all about taking care of our planetary home excites me. I think the whole concept is amazing."
- Turtle

"The briefness of our time here doesn't absolve us of a consideration of what may happen after we are gone. As a person who would have no material or animation whatsoever without this mortal sphere, it was obvious to lay a seed here among these others as a small acknowledgement of the unpayable debt that I and we all owe to our collective parent. Thank you for asking me.”
- Westerman