Spotify & Co. Enough!

How about a massive publicity campaign that reaches into the population to say - “Our music is available only through Apple Music where they don’t bite the hand that feeds them”.

I have many songwriter colleagues / friends who like me, have chosen songwriting as their profession to which they dedicate their hearts, energy and every days to. And, through no lack of ability or opportunity or hard work on their part, they find themselves struggling to eek out a living.

The reality is, songwriters invest their talent, time and sweat equity to benefit the many who build livelihoods on the same songs that songwriters write and find very little, if no compensation for writing. Partially instigated by a world that has changed dramatically and further to antiquated systems. The net out is that it seems broadly acceptable to freely consume the fruits of songwriters labour while songwriters don’t make or struggle to make enough to feed and house their families, keep on the lights or sometimes even just buy a coffee with what it is they make … or don’t make.

Now recently, there has been changes implemented to update compensation percentages for songwriters (Music Modernization Act). This is the second meaningful increase in 100 years! Really? That’s the same time that the passenger airplane, the radio tuner and band-aids were invented. lol. Ok, well, yay for finally revisiting how songwriters are compensated. And along with this recent change, came the thought that this would signal a new day of improved relations between digital music services and songwriters. Yay, it’s looking like the beginnings of changing a severely broken system. 

But hold on. A recent turn about has Spotify, Google, Pandora and Amazon opposing the ruling. Unbelievable!!! Apple Music, who didn’t jump onto the opposition band wagon, must be shaking their heads in disbelief of their streaming adversaries thinking “hari kari anybody?”. To think that anyone would oppose updated compensation to Songwriters after 100 years is at best, short-sited. “Hey Spotify & Co. Have you looked in your warehouse to see who is providing you with the inventory you’re making billions of $ off of? Like seriously, wtf are you thinking?”  

So … here we are at a cross roads with the need for songwriters to join together, stand up and be heard with a voice that can’t be drowned out. And here is an opportunity for prominent artists / songwriters to support and advocate on behalf of their songwriting peers by publicly stating - Enough. Stop. No more. How about a massive publicity campaign that reaches into the population to say “Our music is available only through Apple Music where they don’t bite the hand that feeds them”. 

Just sayin’ … RBT

Read the article here: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/spotify-and-amazon-sue-songwriters-in-appeal-against-royalty-rise-in-the-united-states/ fbclid=IwAR0qJ2jaukjG8GNX1NkR31bP0cHlHkXcKWRpQcZ5RkGfbj-qrHYwVWMX9Fw