Algorithms are increasingly driving what music we listen to on streaming services. In this article, Tuomas Talonpoika, Director of Gramex, looks at how algorithms work, what kind of data they use and why understanding them is important for every music professional.

Gramex paid out €4.17 million in the summer distribution on 10 June. Over 9,000 domestic music performers and producers represented by Gramex receiving remunerations.

Among the latest standouts: the Hagström Megin guitar, Moog Messenger synthesizer, Tokai TST-101R electric guitar, and Zildjian Kerope cymbals.

For the independent label and publishing company Ranka Kustannus, Gramex remunerations are a key part of revenue. These copyright remunerations allow the company to keep investing in new music. CEO Riku Pääkkönen urges artists to care as much about remunerations as they do about their art.

Familiar guitar riffs can take us back to memories and a life lived, even to a particular year.

From the perspective of the creative sector, the EU AI Act is a good step in principle, but it risks being undermined by the weakness of the associated Code of Practice. The EU’s Culture Council should therefore call for continued work on the Code of Practice at its meeting on May 13th, to ensure the protection of copyright and the creative industries. We hope that Finland will actively push to place this issue on the meeting’s agenda.

The role of intangible factors in the economy is growing every year. It shows up in everything from luxury watches to icebreakers. In culture, Moomin Characters is a strong example of a company whose remarkable growth is rooted in the intangible.

Marie José Masena’s newly published thesis, “Artists of African and Mixed Heritage in the Finnish Music,” examines the position of brown artists in the Finnish music scene as part of a broader conversation. The thesis represents a step toward a more inclusive and transparent music industry that reflects the full spectrum of society.

For singer-songwriter Anni Pohto, making music is part of a larger battle for self-expression. The artist, who journeyed from Tampere to the iconic Abbey Road Studios, speaks about the revolutionary power of creativity and the deeper significance of copyright at a time when artists' income streams are changing rapidly.

Introducing innovations in sound technology, such as the Shure SM39 headset microphone, the SOMA Harvezi Hazze pedal, the SSL 18 audio adapter, and the Sonicware CyDrums drum machine.