The opinions of publishers, producers and consumers concerning copyright in the digital era are fairly well-known. Relatively little is known, however, about the opinions and experiences of creators and performers. This report fills that gap. It turns out that most creators and performers abidingly value copyright, traditional business models and collecting societies.

Generally, digital distribution and commercialisation is perceived as a threat rather than an opportunity. Most respondents are fearful of unauthorised downloading of copyright protected works and think that action should be taken against both consumers and file sharing websites. Hardly any creator shares own work on file sharing websites. An equally small minority appreciates reuse (remixing and sampling) of their work by others. Reuse is by many even perceived as a potential threat of income. A considerable part of the respondents endorsed the use of digital rights management (DRM).

The respondents were also asked how they see their bargaining position towards clients and publishers. Most creators and performers do perceive their bargaining position to be weak and support measures to strengthen their position. Overall, respondents were positive about collecting societies (Buma/Stemra, Sena, Norma, Lira, Pictoright, and Vevam) and think that collecting societies arrange what they could not have organised by themselves. On average, collecting societies are positively seen in terms of transparency, participation and service in general. Buma/Stemra is least favourable judged on all these issues.