Many songwriters are asked to attend writing sessions without payment or any guarantee that their expenses will be covered.
Per diems are daily fees or allowances to cover expenses. We believe that if a songwriter is asked to attend or host a writing session with a recording artist they should be paid a per diem by the artist's record company, and this should not be recoupable from the artist.
Share your views and experiences through our short survey.
It will help our negotiations with the major music groups and discussions with the Government.
We want to understand the views of all our members, so please respond even if you don't describe yourself as a songwriter.
Responses are anonymous and the survey closes at 5pm on Monday 16 June.
Our campaiging
Despite a rise in percentage of total streaming service income 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.
That’s why the Ivors Academy has been meeting with the Government and calling on the major music groups and streaming services to make changes. A daily payment for songwriter sessions, points on the master, fairer rewards for long-form music, a stronger voice in negotiations: these are some of the steps needed to secure the future of songwriting.
