Musician Advocacy

It's an age-old question we musicians have been asking for decades, if not centuries:  Why is it that musicians and artists are not paid fairly, or even at all? Indeed since the internet has revolutionized the music industry, we musicians are forced into giving away that which we work hardest at (our recordings). Are you f'n kidding?!!

And I will argue that creative, free thinking people such as artists/poets/musicians are as important (if not more important) as any CEO, lawyer, political leader, etc., because they spend much of their time creating new realities and with the existential plight facing Mother Earth and all of her inhabitants, we very much need a new reality, a new way of thinking about why we humans exist and what is most healthy and aligned with supporting life, health, beauty.

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That said, as I prepare for the release of the new album, I'll be struggling with whether or not to put it up on Spotify, Apple Music, etc., struggling with the strangle hold these businesses have on independent (and even non independent) musicians.

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Here are four items that will help you understand the plight musicians face (especially in the USA) and will raise awareness among musicians and non musicians about the situation.

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1) Article in the January, 2025 edition of Harpers Magazine by Liz Pelly, "THE GHOSTS IN THE MACHINE - Spotify's plot against musicians." PDF download.

Summary: Spotify's "Perfect Fit Content" (PFC) program aims to inject cheap imitation music tracks into playlists to make more money, while passing over music made by passionate musical artists.

2) Article "CULTURE ISN'T FREE"by Miranda Campbell

Summary: This article tackles the long standing notion (...at least in the USA. It's different - better - in some other countries.) that being an artist is a privilege and not a legitimate job. It first speaks about the incredible amount of hours that musicians work and then argues that they need to be paid.

3) Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib's Living Wage for Musicians Act.

Summary: This is a bill introduced in the US congress on March 6, 2024 to require streaming platforms to pay a penny per stream (instead of .0003 cents so that streaming works better for the many, not just the few at the top.

4) Here is an article that says the above Living Wage for Musicians Act may not, or would not, work, yet agrees that the current set up is wrong. It's good to understand different sides of the situation.

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It's possible to most solutions are MUCH more simple than they need to be. Adding layers of complexity (be they legal, political, financial) may be a giant red flag that some kind of rip off is taking place.