If Passed, the Living Wage for Musicians Act Will Increase Streaming Royalty Payouts to Artists

US Representative Rashida Tlaib introduced the Living Wage for Musicians Act bill to the House, which could effect change in the streaming world.

As of right now, Spotify pays each uploader somewhere between $0.003 and $0.005 per stream. If a bill introduced by US Representative Rashida Tlaib passes, however, that amount will be raised to one cent across the board.

The Living Wage for Musicians Act takes aim not only at Spotify, but also at streaming services like Apple Music, TikTok Music, and YouTube Music. By imposing a tax on their non-subscription revenues, requiring companies to raise membership fees, and seeking federal funding, it seeks to establish the Artist Compensation Royalty Fund, which will distribute more generous royalty payments to eligible artists.

Tlaib introduced the bill on Wednesday in partnership with New York Congressman Jamaal Bowman. The legislation resulted from their collaboration with the United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) union.

“Detroit is one of the music capitals of the world, and our artists here have changed the music industry and our culture in so many incredible ways,” said Tlaib 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.”

“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,” said UMAW organizer Damon Krukowski of pop duo Damon and Naomi. “The Living Wage for Musicians Act presents a new, artist-centered solution to make streaming work for the many and not just the few. We need to return value to recordings by injecting more money into the system, and we need to pay artists and musicians directly for streaming their work.”

Read the Living Wage for Musicians Act in its entirety, and sign the petition on the UMAW website.

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