Is AI Changing Who Gets Paid? ILO Exposes Hidden Work, Pay Gaps in Entertainment

The report highlights the need for better employment practices that recognize the full contribution of creative professionals and protect their health, financial stability and personal lives.

The entertainment industry brings music, films, television shows and live performances to audiences worldwide, but the people creating these experiences often face unpredictable earnings and demanding working schedules. A new report from the International Labour Organization (ILO) reveals that musicians, actors, technicians and production workers frequently spend considerable time preparing, travelling and completing behind-the-scenes tasks without consistent payment or recognition. The findings raise important questions about fair compensation, employment security and the growing influence of digital technology and artificial intelligence on creative professions.

The ILO study, titled Trends in Remuneration and Working Time: Recorded Media and Live Performance, examines employment conditions across recorded music, film, television, theatre, concerts and festivals. Drawing on labour market information, existing research and discussions with employers' and workers' organizations, the report explores how payment structures, working arrangements and production costs influence livelihoods across the entertainment sector. It also examines the difficulties of measuring total earnings when professionals depend on multiple jobs, irregular contracts and payments linked to the continued commercial use of their creative work.

Behind every concert, television programme or film production lies an extensive amount of preparation that audiences rarely see, including rehearsals, technical arrangements, travel and post-production activities. These responsibilities may be covered by separate payments, included within fixed contracts or excluded from formal records of working time, making it difficult to determine whether workers receive fair compensation. The report highlights the need for better employment practices that recognize the full contribution of creative professionals and protect their health, financial stability and personal lives.

Hidden Working Hours and Unequal Earnings Across Creative Professions

Entertainment professionals often depend on several income sources because individual projects may last only a few days, weeks or months, leaving gaps between employment opportunities. Musicians may combine live performances with recordings and teaching, and technicians may move between film productions, concerts and other temporary assignments to maintain their earnings. Payments can include regular salaries, engagement fees, royalties and residuals, making total income difficult to track through conventional labour market surveys.

ILO data reveal considerable differences in median monthly earnings across the countries examined, reflecting variations in employment arrangements and the economic conditions of creative industries. The organization cautions that available figures may not fully capture income from multiple jobs or royalties and residuals paid when creative works are reused commercially. Gender inequality remains another concern, with women working in cultural employment across the European Union earning an average of 13.5% less per hour than men in 2022.

Long rehearsals, unpredictable schedules and extensive travel can create demanding working conditions, particularly when performers and production teams must complete several projects within limited periods. Insufficient rest and recovery time may increase occupational health and safety risks and make it harder for professionals to balance employment with family responsibilities. Recognizing preparation and post-production as essential parts of creative work could help employers establish fairer payment arrangements and more realistic schedules.

Streaming Platforms and Payment Contracts Reshape Industry Earnings

The financial structure of entertainment production creates uncertainty for both creative workers and the businesses responsible for bringing projects to audiences. Independent producers, small performance venues and smaller enterprises often invest substantial resources before knowing whether a film, concert or recording will generate enough revenue to recover their costs. These commercial pressures influence how payment agreements are negotiated and how financial risks are distributed between employers, performers and other contributors.

Fixed fees and buyout agreements can provide workers with predictable payments at the beginning of a project, giving producers greater clarity about their financial commitments. Royalties and residual payments offer another approach by allowing eligible creators and performers to receive compensation when their work continues generating commercial value. Streaming services and digital distribution have expanded international opportunities, but complicated ownership rights and payment arrangements can make it difficult to determine how creative content is used and how revenue reaches contributors.

Artificial Intelligence Raises New Questions About Creative Workers' Rights

Artificial intelligence is changing entertainment production through tools that support video editing, subtitling, sound production and scheduling, potentially reducing the time needed for certain tasks. These technologies may also introduce new responsibilities involving supervision, quality checks and specialized technical skills, changing the nature of employment across creative industries. Using existing recordings, performances or human voices in AI systems raises concerns about consent, ownership, attribution and whether creators should receive payment when their work contributes to AI-enabled products.

Workers' organizations have emphasized the importance of transparent agreements, informed consent and appropriate compensation when creative contributions are used by emerging technologies. Employers and industry representatives have called for practical regulations that protect workers without creating unnecessary obstacles to innovation, investment and different production models. Dagmar Walter, Director of the ILO's Sectoral Policies Branch, stressed that fair earnings, well-managed working hours and financially sustainable creative businesses should be addressed together as technology changes the sector.

The ILO recommends improving information about actual earnings and working hours, establishing clearer contracts, introducing more predictable schedules and expanding opportunities for professional skills development. Cooperation between governments, employers and workers, supported by collective bargaining and regular dialogue, could help develop solutions suited to the different needs of music, film, television and live performance. Protecting the livelihoods of creative professionals will require greater recognition of the time, expertise and effort behind entertainment, ensuring that technological progress and industry growth deliver meaningful benefits to the people producing the work.