Spotify, YouTube, Apple, TikTok. Which streaming services support songwriters and which fight for fair pay? NMPA president and CEO David Israelite explains.
Irving Azoff recently slammed YouTube as “by far the worst offender” when it comes to paying creators fairly. Songwriters specifically are paid through a complex, regulated environment, so digital services have myriad ways of manipulating the system. To make sense of who is friend or foe, here is a ranking based on what they’re doing for and against songwriters today.
One must start with Spotify. While Mr. Azoff ranks YouTube as enemy number one, when it comes to songwriters, no one comes close to Spotify. It added audiobooks to premium subscriptions to attempt to qualify for a lower royalty rate. This scheme is currently being challenged in court by the MLC, with an FTC investigation requested. Spotify fought to keep rates low and appealed the 2018 increase, delaying songwriter income. Its free tier allows millions to listen without paying, delivering minuscule royalties.
Mr. Azoff’s opinion about YouTube is shared by many. The service uses hardball tactics in negotiations and benefits more from music than it pays. Amazon has taken advantage of bundling but has been more concerned with its relationship with songwriters, with opportunities to improve.
TikTok leads the world in social music consumption and has pressured songwriters and artists in negotiations. Songwriters suffer disproportionately, as artists can monetize exposure while songwriters need direct compensation.
Apple Music did not appeal the 2018 royalty increase and will never give music away. “We’re the only service that doesn’t have a free service. We would never want to give away art for free.”
SiriusXM, which owns Pandora, has a history of paying extremely low rates. Songwriters now make less from AM/FM than artists make from satellite radio. The next Copyright Royalty Board proceeding will reveal how platforms plan to pay songwriters for 2028–2032.
Source: Billboard.com
