The Living Wage for Musicians Act: A Step Toward Fair Compensation

The music industry has long been a dynamic and influential part of our cultural landscape, shaping trends, inspiring movements, and bringing joy to millions. However, beneath the glitz and glamour lies a stark reality: many musicians struggle to make a living wage. The recent introduction of the Living Wage for Musicians Act aims to address this disparity by ensuring fair compensation for the creators who enrich our lives with their art.

What is the Living Wage for Musicians Act?

The Living Wage for Musicians Act is a legislative proposal designed to guarantee that musicians receive a minimum of 1 cent per stream on digital platforms. This act is a response to the growing concern over the inadequate compensation artists receive from streaming services, where fractions of a cent per stream often fail to translate into sustainable income.

The Current Landscape

In the age of digital streaming, the way we consume music has drastically changed. While platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music have made music more accessible than ever, they have also created a financial bottleneck for artists. Despite billions of streams, many musicians see only a minuscule portion of the revenue generated by their work. This imbalance not only undermines the value of their creativity but also jeopardizes their ability to continue producing music.

The Impact of the Act

If passed, the Living Wage for Musicians Act would revolutionize the music industry by ensuring that artists receive fair compensation for their contributions. A guaranteed minimum of 1 cent per stream might seem modest, but it represents a significant improvement over the current model. For many musicians, this change could mean the difference between pursuing their passion full-time and needing to supplement their income with other jobs.

Moreover, this act would set a precedent for other creative industries, advocating for the rights of artists and ensuring that their work is valued appropriately. By addressing the financial challenges faced by musicians, the act would foster a more sustainable and thriving artistic community.

How You Can Support the Living Wage for Musicians Act

Supporting the Living Wage for Musicians Act is crucial for bringing about this necessary change. Here are some ways you can get involved:

1. Raise Awareness: Share information about the act on social media, blogs, and other platforms. Use the hashtag #LivingWageForMusicians to join the conversation and amplify your voice.

2. Contact Your Representatives: Reach out to your local and national representatives to express your support for the act. Personal letters, emails, and phone calls can make a significant impact. Find your representatives here.

3. Sign Petitions: Look for online petitions advocating for the act and add your signature. Platforms like Change.org often host relevant petitions that need public support.

4. Support Musicians Directly: Whenever possible, purchase music directly from the artists, attend live performances, and buy merchandise. This direct support helps musicians earn more from their work.

5. Join Advocacy Groups: Organizations like the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) and Music Workers Alliance (MWA) are actively working to support this legislation. Joining these groups can provide additional ways to contribute to the cause.

FINAL THOUGHT

The Living Wage for Musicians Act represents a pivotal step towards ensuring that musicians receive fair compensation for their work. By advocating for a minimum of 1 cent per stream, the act acknowledges the value of artists' contributions and strives to create a more equitable industry. Your support can make a difference. Together, we can help build a future where musicians are fairly compensated and can continue to inspire us with their creativity.

For more information and to stay updated on the progress of the act, visit the official websites of advocacy groups like AFM and MWA. Let's stand together for a fairer music industry.

Latest Developments for Recording Artists on Spotify, Tidal, and Apple Music

PROMOTE YOUR MUSIC WHERE YOU WILL GET PAID THE MOST

Spotify

Spotify is preparing to implement a revamped royalties model, aiming for a launch in the first quarter of 2024. This "two-tier" system has been in discussions with major labels and is expected to change how artists are compensated. This move is part of Spotify’s effort to address longstanding criticisms regarding its payout structure, which currently sits at about $0.0032 per stream, significantly lower than its competitors.

On a more positive note, Spotify recently celebrated its Best New Artist nominees, highlighting emerging talents such as Gracie Abrams and Ice Spice. These artists have gained significant traction through Spotify’s platform, showcasing the company's role in propelling new artists into the spotlight.

Tidal

Tidal has made several artist-friendly moves recently. It offers one of the highest per-stream payouts in the industry, around $0.013 per stream, which is more than both Spotify and Apple Music. This higher payout rate is part of Tidal's broader commitment to being an "artist-first" platform, demonstrated through initiatives like the "Artist Home" portal and the "Tidal Rising" program, which support and promote emerging artists.

Additionally, Tidal has enhanced its music-sharing capabilities, making it platform-agnostic. This update allows artists to share their music more freely across various platforms, potentially increasing their reach and fan engagement. Tidal also continues to provide high-quality audio experiences through features like Exclusive Mode and Passthrough MQA, which are designed to deliver superior sound quality.

Apple Music

Apple Music continues to innovate with features that enhance the listening experience. It supports Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, offering a more immersive sound experience, which is especially beneficial for artists aiming to deliver a high-fidelity audio experience to their listeners. However, it requires specific equipment to fully utilize these features, which might be a limitation for some users.

In terms of artist support, Apple Music has been less aggressive than Tidal in terms of payout rates but remains competitive with its robust promotional tools and large user base. Apple Music's New Music Mix and artist stations help in discovering new music, though some users find Tidal’s curated playlists more accurate and useful.

FINAL THOUGHT

Each streaming service has its strengths and weaknesses in supporting recording artists. Spotify is making strides in adjusting its royalties model, which could lead to better compensation for artists in the future. Tidal stands out with its higher payout rates and artist-centric initiatives, making it a strong contender for artists focused on higher earnings and engagement. Apple Music continues to innovate with advanced audio features, although its artist support mechanisms are not as pronounced as Tidal's.

Artists should consider these factors when choosing platforms to release and promote their music. For those seeking higher payouts and strong artist support, Tidal might be the best option. For those looking for a broad audience and innovative audio experiences, Spotify and Apple Music remain solid choices.

5 Things to Do Before You Release Your Music

1)      Copyright Everything: This goes without saying, copyrighting your music is a MUST.  There is no reason why an artist should not copyright his or her music.  There is no excuse.  The copyright office has made the process super simple with an online submission site.  Simply register with ECO (Electronic Copyright Office) and submit your music.  There is a small fee to register your music. The most important part is reading through the instructions to make sure you are properly submitting all material.  If you don’t like to read, find an uncle that graduated from college with no less than a 2.5 grade point average and you will be fine.

2)      Lock in Your Distributor:  One great debate is what music distribution company an artist / musician should use to get their music to the masses.  Of course, do your research but I will draw a line in the sand for you if you’re an independent artist.  There are many music distribution companies like CDBaby, Songtradr, Landr, etc., BUT at the top of the list is TUNECORE and DISTROKID (I use both for various reasons).  After you have selected the distro company, add your projected SINGLE(s) and ALBUM(s) for the next sixth months to your discography. 

3)      Publishing Duh:  Register with a nationally recognized publishing company.  After registering with a publishing company, immediately register your music to ensure you are getting paid when your music is played/used.  There is an open discussion somewhere on the planet about which publishing company is the best: SESAC, ASCAP, BMI or Harry Fox Agency?  Personally, I am registered with ASCAP but I have heard great things about the opposing companies.  Bottom line, do your research.  Ask your artist friends, see what their thoughts are, and then go with your gut (hoping it’s not gas).

4)      Get Nielsen:  It’s a very interesting thing that many artist don’t know about Nielsen Sound scan.  Nielsen has a very powerful place in the music industry and I would love to explain what that is but for the sake of time, visit the website and see for yourself.  Register with Nielsen Virtual Encoding (may require sending an email to customer service to create a login) to ensure that your music has an identity when being played on the Radio and TV airways (a indolent explanation).  Upload every song in your catalog and make sure you have your UPC number and release date available for each song.

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5)      Sound Exchange:  Sound Exchange is a very unique entity controlled by the government oddly enough.  They collect royalties from internet radio stations and other internet media outlets.  Year after year, Sound Exchange collects millions of dollars that go unclaimed because many artist have no clue that they need to register their music with S.E...  Take the time out of your schedule to make sure that your music is registered with S.E. to collect optimal profits for your creativity.

How To Get 10 Million Streams

Let’s get things clear. If you’re an artist or musician looking for the easy way into developing a strong fanbase and getting a ton of streams with little effort then this is NOT the read for you.

WARNING: The Bots

As many artists have come to find out, there are plenty of services that offer STREAMS at a low cost using a BOT technology that automates streams from specific locations around the world. Now, in the beginning this might seem useful to inflate your numbers. Also, it may feel good to see some added coins in your account once the streams have been tallied up. The problem is, you put your hard work and music at risk because the music streaming companies are HIP to this kind of thing and your account can be disabled and your music taken down. Now, do you really want to take that chance. Probably not!

10,000,000 STREAMS: Made simple

1) Be your biggest fan: Get accounts to all the primary music platforms (APPLE, TIDAL, SPOTIFY, YOUTUBE) and STREAM YOUR OWN MUSIC 24/7… Sounds silly right but at the end of the day, you have to love what your create FIRST and show it by playing it as often as possible. You might be surprised who is listening.

2) Enlist your community: The grassroots approach will always be a winner when looking to build a fanbase and get your streams rolling. Text, Snap, Tweet & Instapost your direct artist link or music link to EVERYONE you know (except coworkers because the people at your job might get a little jealous). Your music is to be shared everyday all day to those closest to you and encourage them to share it as well.

3) Advertise on Social Media: My philosophy is $1 dollar a day for a year will build your following and create a consistent flow of streams. Its no longer about the BIG budget advertising. Instead its about consistent advertising. I find it interesting, that people I know will NOT click my advertised post until they have seen it about 3 to 5 times. Oddly enough its a known rule in advertising that people have to see things over and over and over again before their interest has peaked just enough to WANT whatever is being advertised. BE CONSISTENT.

4) Build Your Website: Yes, we are in the era of Instagram and Youtube being the primary source of many artist’s rise to fame but one thing that keeps music executives rich is they drive traffic to their own site (FYI, most music industry executives OWN or have OWNERSHIP in all the music streaming platforms). PLUS, when you have your own website you not only control the content, an artist can MERCHANDISE which creates an additional revenue stream for the artist. Okay, so lets stick to the script. Websites allow you to control your content and with SEO (search keywords), artist are able to pull in views from search engine results.

5) Content Content Content: Create as much music as possible and release it. Do as many videos as possible and release. If your serious about taking your career to the next level, never stop creating. Also, never limit yourself to one Genre. Create all kinds of music. Create music that could fill stadiums or pack elevators. Many years ago sticking to one specific genre was just the THING to do but in 2020 versatility is your friend and will get your streams to new heights.

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6) Playlists Are Your Friends: Create your own playlists with your music but also include the music of other talented artists you know. Share your playlists with those artist and encourage them to do the same. Create your own network of playlists. Become the curator of your sound or genre. Don’t let the music industry control who becomes the next big thing. Take control.

7) Wear Your Brand: As an artist, you must be a walking billboard for your music. Put your logo, artist name, website name, album artwork or something related to your brand on a T-shirt, hat, jacket, socks or whatever you can find. These days, people will google or search your name before you can utter a word.

I wish I had more to tell but that’s it. As I get hip to new and innovative ways to build the best artist journey, The Asmbly will share because leveling the playing fields is all about building a better artist community first.