What needs to change
We’re lobbying the music industry and UK government to introduce reforms to ensure fair pay and protections for music creators.
We’re calling for:
- Labels to introduce a minimum daily allowance (per diem) for songwriters’ expenses when working with artists.
- Labels to assign four points from the master/recording to songwriters.
- Streaming services to introduce mechanisms to reward composers who produce longer works.
- Streaming services to ensure the song is fairly valued by engaging in negotiations with publishers in parallel with labels.
- In line with EU law, for the government to introduce contract adjustment mechanisms.
Songwriters take a stand
Songwriters and artists, including Chappell Roan and RAYE, have spoken out about the urgent need for industry reform to ensure fair pay and protections for creatives. At The Ivors 2024, RAYE called on labels to allocate songwriters a share of master recording revenues and a minimum daily allowance to cover travel and expenses when working with artists.
Why we need change
Despite a rise in percentage rates paid to songwriters, revenues have declined by 20% in real terms from 2000 to 2019, according to research from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). In 2019, a songwriter generating one million streams per month, a milestone achieved by just 0.026% of tracks, could expect to earn only £15,288 per year. This is less than the UK’s minimum wage for full-time work.
More recent data paints an equally stark picture. A 2024 report by Midia Research revealed that songwriters and composers receive just 10% of the revenue a stream generates. Lack of meaningful streaming income remains the top concern for more than two-thirds of songwriters surveyed, regardless of their career stage or income level.
The public shares this concern. A 2020 YouGov survey found that 76% of respondents felt that songwriters and composers are underpaid, given the value of music subscription services.
As production costs shift further onto the shoulders of songwriters, barriers to entry are growing. Young and emerging songwriters, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, are being priced out of the industry. The Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s Economics of Streaming report acknowledged these challenges, calling for a “complete reset” of the streaming model.
