Congress Wants to Help Musicians Make More Money Off Streaming

Musicians have long maintained that they don’t make enough money off music streaming, so a new bill wants to change that. Democratic representatives Rashida Tlaib and Jamaal Bowman introduced the Living Wage for Musicians Act on March 6, which would create an additional streaming royalty for musicians. They developed the bill with United Musicians and Allied Workers, a labor group for the music industry. “Streaming has changed the music industry, but it’s leaving countless artists struggling to make ends meet behind,” said Tlaib, whose district includes parts of Detroit, in a statement. “It’s only right that the people who create the music we love get their fair share, so that they can thrive, not just survive.”

The new royalty would be paid on top of existing royalties from streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. It would ensure artists make a total of one cent per stream, but tracks’ monthly royalties would be capped and the money would be paid proportionally from a fund. The royalty would be funded by a 10 percent levy on companies’ non-subscription revenue as well as an additional subscription fee for customers of 50 percent of their subscription cost, between $4–$10.

A press release says the royalty would help musicians pay rent, buy homes, and support their families, along with helping them sustain their careers by touring and recording more music. It would also help producers, engineers, and other performers. Damon Krukowski, a UMAW organizer and drummer who performs in Damon & Naomi (and formerly in Galaxie 500), praised the bill as a move that would value music. “There is a lot of talk in the industry about how to ‘fix’ streaming — but the streaming platforms and major labels have already had their say for more than a decade, and they have failed musicians,” he said in a statement. “The Living Wage for Musicians Act presents a new, artist-centered solution to make streaming work for the many and not just the few.”

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