UK watchdog to study music streaming amid claims of raw deal for artists and fans

Competition regulator acts after stinging criticism by MPs of record labels and platforms such as Spotify

The UK’s competition watchdog has launched an in-depth study into the booming music streaming market, to assess whether the big record labels and services such as Spotify hold “excessive power”, and whether artists and fans are getting a fair deal.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was asked to launch the study after a scathing report by a cross-party committee of MPs last year called for a “complete reset” of a streaming model it believed only benefited big labels and superstar acts.