Detroit City Council Backs Federal Push for Higher Musician Pay on Streaming Platforms, Citing Talent Retention and Fair Compensation.
The Detroit City Council has unanimously endorsed the Living Wage for Musicians Act, a federal proposal aimed at reforming the way artists are paid for digital streams. This move follows suit with New York City's recent approval of a similar resolution. Under this legislation, music streaming platforms would contribute a share of their advertising revenue to create a new royalty stream paid directly to artists.
Currently, streaming accounts for around 84% of all recorded music revenue in the US, yet artists often earn as little as $0.003 per stream. This has led to a situation where musicians need over 800,000 monthly streams to earn the equivalent of a full-time job at $15 an hour, according to Detroit's resolution.
Supporters argue that this legislation would help Detroit's creative workforce stay in the city and contribute to fair compensation for artists. "With bills like this, we have the opportunity to keep our talent here for the future and actually make a change," said Marcus Miller, co-founder of the Creative Union. The organization aims to support artists, innovators, and entrepreneurs.
The Living Wage for Musicians Act would create a nonprofit Artist Compensation Royalty Fund, which would distribute payments directly to recording musicians. A small surcharge on streaming subscriptions – capped between $4 and $10 – would be added, along with platforms' advertising revenue contributions. This fund would also include a monthly cap per track to prevent artists with massive hits from absorbing disproportionate shares of the payouts.
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib reintroduced this bill in September with support from working musicians and the United Musicians and Allied Workers union. The legislation aims to ensure that musicians who drive the streaming economy can afford sustainable careers, as stated by Representative Tlaib: "It's only right that the people who create the music we love are paid a living wage, so that they can thrive, not just survive."
Detroit producer and WDET host Shigeto has also backed this plan, labeling it a long-overdue correction to a system that has left many musicians struggling. With artists and organizers planning to travel to Washington, D.C., to advocate for the bill, Detroit's endorsement is seen as an essential step towards changing the status quo.
The Detroit City Council has unanimously endorsed the Living Wage for Musicians Act, a federal proposal aimed at reforming the way artists are paid for digital streams. This move follows suit with New York City's recent approval of a similar resolution. Under this legislation, music streaming platforms would contribute a share of their advertising revenue to create a new royalty stream paid directly to artists.
Currently, streaming accounts for around 84% of all recorded music revenue in the US, yet artists often earn as little as $0.003 per stream. This has led to a situation where musicians need over 800,000 monthly streams to earn the equivalent of a full-time job at $15 an hour, according to Detroit's resolution.
Supporters argue that this legislation would help Detroit's creative workforce stay in the city and contribute to fair compensation for artists. "With bills like this, we have the opportunity to keep our talent here for the future and actually make a change," said Marcus Miller, co-founder of the Creative Union. The organization aims to support artists, innovators, and entrepreneurs.
The Living Wage for Musicians Act would create a nonprofit Artist Compensation Royalty Fund, which would distribute payments directly to recording musicians. A small surcharge on streaming subscriptions – capped between $4 and $10 – would be added, along with platforms' advertising revenue contributions. This fund would also include a monthly cap per track to prevent artists with massive hits from absorbing disproportionate shares of the payouts.
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib reintroduced this bill in September with support from working musicians and the United Musicians and Allied Workers union. The legislation aims to ensure that musicians who drive the streaming economy can afford sustainable careers, as stated by Representative Tlaib: "It's only right that the people who create the music we love are paid a living wage, so that they can thrive, not just survive."
Detroit producer and WDET host Shigeto has also backed this plan, labeling it a long-overdue correction to a system that has left many musicians struggling. With artists and organizers planning to travel to Washington, D.C., to advocate for the bill, Detroit's endorsement is seen as an essential step towards changing the status quo.
I mean, can you imagine if every artist in the world got paid a fair wage for their music? It's crazy how much of a difference this small change could make in people's lives... like, over 800k streams just to earn minimum wage? That's wild! 
But seriously, it's not just about the money – it's about preserving talent and creativity. I love that the city council is backing this bill because it shows they care about Detroit's art scene and want to support its musicians. The idea of a nonprofit fund distributing payments directly to recording musicians sounds like a game-changer... it's time for these platforms to step up and take responsibility for their part in shaping the music industry! 
! 0.003 per stream is literally pennies compared to what we should be getting, you know? It's like they're taking our art and selling it for like, a bag of chips 
. I'm not surprised it took Detroit to step up, though - the rest of us have been screaming about this for years! 
The fact that they're even considering a cap on those payments is a start, but it's still gonna take some serious work to get those numbers up. Artists are already struggling to make ends meet, let alone "thrive" 
. Fingers crossed our politicians actually listen this time and pass something meaningful 
... I'm not saying they're evil or anything, but a measly $0.003 per stream? That's like paying me pennies for a viral TikTok video 
... And yeah, it's nice that Rep Tlaib is pushing for this change 
.
. Adding a tiny fee to our streaming subscriptions might make a difference but I think we need more than that. Artists like Shigeto are speaking out about this and I respect their voice 
. Maybe if we can get more cities like Detroit behind this legislation it'll actually lead to change? Fingers crossed 
! i mean, think about it, us musicians need like 800k monthly streams 2 earn a decent wage, thats crazy!!! 
. its not just about da money tho, its bout talent retention & fair compo. if we csn afford 2 live in da city, we'll b more inclid 2 contribute 2 da community. 
. we need 2 change da system, not jus survivin but thrivin 
It's no wonder many musicians are leaving the industry or relocating to other cities where they can get more support.
. Just hope they don't add too much to our streaming subs, I'm already feeling the pinch 
. But seriously, it's about time someone pushed for fair compensation for artists. They're the ones creating all that amazing music we enjoy, and they shouldn't be struggling to make ends meet 
. You know, they have this one spot downtown that makes these crazy flavorful tonkotsu broths... anyway, back to music. I mean, it's wild to think about how little artists actually get paid for their work. It's like, they're basically just giving away their art on streaming platforms 