Is This What We Want?: Numbered Vinyl LP
1000ALPPre-Order Item. Release Date Subject to Change.
Label: The state51 Conspiracy
Release Date: 8th December
Music vs AI. We know which side we're on.
*discount not valid on this limited product
Limited to 1000 gold foil numbered copies
Silent album protesting the UK government’s planned changes to copyright law, previously released digitally, is now available for pre-order on vinyl
Sir Paul McCartney has added a bonus track
Draws attention to damning impact on artists’ livelihoods controversial government proposals could cause
All profits from sales of the album will be donated to the charity Help Musicians
In February 2025, more than 1,000 musicians came together to release a silent album protesting the UK government’s planned changes to copyright law, which would make it easier to train AI models on copyrighted work without a licence. The album, titled Is This What We Want?, featured recordings of empty studios and performance spaces, representing the impact on artists’ and music professionals’ livelihoods that is expected if the government does not change course.
The digital release in February 2025 reached no. 38 in the UK album charts. Now, it is being released on vinyl, with a bonus track - a recording of an empty studio - from Paul McCartney. The vinyl is being released by state51.
Under the heavily criticised proposals, UK copyright law would be upended to benefit global tech giants. AI companies would be free to use an artist’s work to train their AI models without permission or remuneration. The government’s proposed changes would require artists to proactively ‘opt-out’ from the theft of their work – reversing the very principle of copyright law. ‘Opt-out’ models are near impossible to enforce, have yet to be proven effective anywhere else in the world, and place enormous burdens on artists, particularly emerging talent.
Facing major backlash from the creative sector and beyond, the government has said its previous proposal is no longer its preferred option. However, it has not proposed an alternative, simply recommitting to its plan to “modernise the copyright legislation”. In the meantime, it has sent creatives a worrying signal, five times rejecting House of Lords amendments to the data bill that would have given rights holders visibility over when their work
was being used against their wishes by AI companies.
The album’s track listing spells out a simple message: “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.”
Ed Newton-Rex, the organiser of the album, said:
“The government must commit to not handing the life’s work of the country’s musicians to AI companies for free. Doing so would be hugely damaging to our world-leading creative industries, and is totally unnecessary, only benefiting overseas."
Paul Sanders, founder of The state51 Conspiracy, said:
"When tech companies lobby governments to give them songs for free, it’s not so they can cure diseases, feed the hungry, or provide clean water where it is needed. It’s simply so they can make millions of fake songs and keep all the profits for themselves. As a company with a lifelong commitment to musicians The state51 Conspiracy was honoured to be asked to help get this message out on vinyl. All profits go to Help Musicians, which is what our politicians should be doing instead of sucking up to tech bros."
The full list of musicians and groups involved can be seen athttps://www.isthiswhatwewant.com/
A1. The
A2. British
A3. Government
A4. Must
A5. Not
A6. Legalise
B1. Music
B2. theft
B3. To
B4. Benefit
B5. AI
B6. Companies
B7. (Bonus Track)