**Guest post by WordPlay T. Jay, hip-hop artist and producer based in Tacoma, WA.

 

"Since the advent of music streaming, our careers have not been the same. Leave it to the victors and they will claim they saved the music economy. Yet, there are so many of us that have been left out of that equation. We are independent artists who spend hours on our craft, days promoting on social media, and weeks traveling the country without tour support.

+How To Be An Independent Artist Successfully

Streaming services partnered with the major labels to carve out exclusive rates in exchange for vast catalogs of music and market share. Meanwhile, artists like us sat on the sidelines wondering what piece of the pie we would receive.

Today, that piece is about $0.003 per stream on average for Spotify and it varies wildly for other platforms.

After performing, I can sell a T-shirt for $10. It would take over 3000 streams to earn the same amount. That is not sustainable for us and it’s not sustainable for fans who have diverse musical tastes.

It’s discouraging and that diversity is under threat. Fans want to see artists thrive and musicians are struggling to earn a living. Fortunately, you can do something to help musicians earn a living wage.
+Making a Living as an Independent Artist

In 2024, Representatives Jamaal Bowman and Rashida Tlaib introduced the Living Wage for Musicians Act. The bill has bipartisan support and is being reintroduced to the legislature.

This would add a small charge on the streaming service subscriptions and a 10% levy on non-subscription revenue. That revenue will be sent as royalty payments directly to the performers and featured artists, like how SoundExchange works today.

Right now, we are urging musicians to support the bill, share on social media, and help us cross the finish line by getting your fans involved.

Support the bill by adding your name to our petition at https://weareumaw.org/make-streaming-pay.

Also join UMAW to participate in the Streaming Committee!

Who am I?

I go by WordPlay T. Jay. I am a hip-hop artist and producer from Little Rock, AR based in Tacoma, WA. My life’s work is to make “Music for the Underdog” and inspire others to live out their passions. I am a proud husband, son, United Musicians and Allied Workers member, and middle school educator. Learn more about me at https://wordplaytjay.com."

 

 

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