Authenticity in the digital age

Over 10 years ago, music copyright infringement on free music streaming apps spurred the "Listen Responsibly" campaign. 10 years later, this issue recurs, but in a different way.

Chaos involving "the rightful owner"

Recently, musician Nguyen Xinh Xo - the creator of hit songs like "De Danh" and "Giac Mo La" - posted on his personal page about his EP "Hanoi Waltz" ending up on an unofficial profile on the Spotify digital music platform more than a month after its release.

Many songs that were not performed by Hong Nhung are listed in her Spotify profile.

PHOTO: SCREENSHOT

Speaking specifically to Thanh Nien newspaper , musician Nguyen Xinh Xo said that initially, the product was officially released under a verified account. However, after a while, he discovered that there was an unverified account with the same name on Spotify, so he sent a synchronization request to avoid confusion not only for listeners but also in the distribution, statistics, and management of the work. Interestingly, after receiving the request, instead of keeping the original profile, the EP was... transferred to the aforementioned unverified account.

Below the post, singer Ha Tran also recounted her experience. According to her, when releasing her album "Những con sông ngón tay" (Rivers of Fingers ), she discovered there were two artist profiles on Spotify: Ha Tran (stage name, her real name) and Tran Thu Ha (her real name, created by someone else and profiting from it). Previously, the singer hadn't paid much attention to this, and by the time she discovered it, the "fake" account had already accumulated 100,000 followers. Thanks to the intervention of her distribution representative, she was eventually able to regain ownership of her real account.

Ten years ago, artists were plagued by the free distribution of their works without permission or payment. Now, copyright remains the same, but in a different form, raising questions about ownership, legitimacy, and proper recognition for creators.

Musician Nguyen Xinh Xo

Singer Hong Nhung also stated when launching the project "Simple Beauty and Who is Bong?" that: "My listeners will probably be surprised to learn that until now, all of Hong Nhung's music released on online platforms has been done without my consent, or even without asking for my permission. I used to think that after singing for so many years, recording countless songs, and reaching so many listeners, I was already very happy. However, I will officially comply with the law and request that online platforms that have been releasing my music, performed and produced by me, meet with my legal representatives to resolve the intellectual property business issue in accordance with the law."

Besides, when visiting the page of the singer of "Remembering Hanoi ," it's not difficult to find songs like " The Vast World We Won't Meet Again," "Ending Without Reason," "The Unsung Hero ," etc., which, although not performed by Hong Nhung, are still listed in her official profile.

Singer Hoang Dung also faced a similar situation. He stated that he had worked with the publisher and Spotify to remove his name from songs that were not his and had spoken out, because he did not want "audiences to misunderstand when listening to music, nor did he or his colleagues want to be exploited by individuals or entities that are not partners."

Lessons for becoming more professional.

Officially entering the Vietnamese market in 2018, Spotify's role in promoting copyrighted music streaming is undeniable. This has led many domestic platforms to become more aware of the issue, creating a transparent market that upholds the rule of law. However, unverified and unclear policies have led to numerous unfortunate incidents, leaving both audiences and artists facing challenges regarding the legitimacy of their work on digital music platforms.

Hoang Dung was "impersonated" with songs that were not his own.

PHOTO: SCREENSHOT

Speaking to Thanh Nien newspaper , musician Nguyen Xinh Xo shared: "Ten years ago, artists were troubled by their works being distributed for free, without permission or payment. Now, it's still copyright, but it has shifted to a different form, raising questions about ownership rights, legitimacy, and proper recognition for creators."

"My case illustrates a major problem: streaming platforms still lack a rigorous and transparent mechanism for verifying artist identities. In a global music market where millions of songs are released daily, protecting the true identity and ownership of works becomes even more crucial. I think platforms need clearer ownership verification processes, and artists should also proactively monitor and regularly check the appearance of their works on these platforms," ​​added musician Nguyen Xinh Xo.

A positive sign is that many specialized music distribution companies have entered the market, introducing artists to various release and tracking "packages" for uploading music products to domestic and international digital music platforms. Singer Dinh Bao – a former member of the group AC&M – recently introduced a comprehensive ecosystem that helps artists create, release, publish, and manage music copyrights in the digital age... all with a single account.

It is clear that many mechanisms and policies still need to be put in place to ensure the rights of both audiences and artists. In this process, the domestic music industry will also become more systematic, refined, and professional.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chinh-danh-trong-thoi-nhac-so-185250618222032862.htm