MBW Views is a collection of op/eds from eminent music business folks… with one thing to say. The next comes from Merck Mercuriadis (pictured), the founder and CEO of Hipgnosis Music Administration. Mercuriadis’ phrases are printed on the morning of the day (Could 18) of the Ivor Novellos, the UK’s annual awards ceremony celebrating songwriters and their music.
I’m saddened to not be at The Ivors at present as I’ve been grounded in Los Angeles by the good Dr. Joe Sugarman resulting from a nasty ear an infection. It’s disappointing as that is a very powerful day of the 12 months (together with the Songwriters Corridor Of Fame) within the music calendar. It’s the day that we rejoice songwriters – the folks with out whom there is no such thing as a music enterprise.
Every little thing in our business begins with and revolves across the work of the songwriter. Most particularly, there is no such thing as a recorded music enterprise with out the songwriter delivering nice songs first.
Regardless of this, songwriters don’t get the popularity they deserve and stay the lowest-paid folks in music’s financial equation. Any alternative to shout about them from the rooftops and honour them have to be embraced – therefore this observe.
On this biggest of days (on par with Christmas and Arsenal – ultimately! – successful the league once more!) I’m delighted to rejoice these unimaginable songwriters and their iconic songs; Hipgnosis’ personal Nile Rodgers, Dave Stewart, Jack Antonoff et al will probably be lighting up my cellphone whereas I cheer everybody on from afar. 5 hours or so of well-deserved celebration, however then now we have to get again to the truth of an announcement that I’ve been making nearly on daily basis since I began Hipgnosis, “SONGWRITERS MUST GET PAID MORE”.
It’s an announcement that nobody in our business can argue with, an announcement that has resonated an increasing number of during the last 5 years, and an announcement that’s echoed throughout the music publishing and songwriting communities.
It has helped convey change and it has momentum.
Consequently we’ve made some very constructive motion each within the US – with CRB III and IV – and across the globe.
In the USA, now we have a place of stability for the following 5 years – on the highest charges paid to songwriters up to now – within the evolution of the streaming economic system. We at the moment are working in the direction of bettering the songwriters’ share of the streaming income ‘pie’ but additional and, ultimately, attending to a free market.
I consider even our buddies in recorded music finally agree that change is required. When Warner Music Group CEO, Robert Kyncl, fairly rightly says that “an Ed Sheeran stream just isn’t value the identical as a stream of rain falling on a roof“, I’m fairly certain he additionally signifies that an Ed Sheeran-written track – significantly these co-written with wonderful songwriters like Johnny McDaid, Amy Wadge, Benny Blanco and so many others – is value extra than simply every other track.
“We at the moment are working in the direction of bettering the songwriters’ share of the streaming income ‘pie’ but additional and, ultimately, attending to a free market.”
Nobody advantages extra from the work of nice songwriters and their hit songs than the recorded music firms who, due to the buoyant streaming economic system, have billions of {dollars} flooding via to them on a month-to-month foundation – and one of the best years of their histories in entrance of them. However now we have to work collectively in order that we are able to look ahead to a future that has not solely the DSPs and recorded music firms on the negotiating desk but additionally songwriters, publishers and artists to agree truthful and equitable phrases for all.
It shouldn’t be left to laws to resolve what crumbs from the ‘streaming pie’ go to the songwriter. If how a songwriter goes to receives a commission is decided by laws, then all the streaming economic system must be decided by laws.
Extra appropriately, if how recorded music firms are paid is decided by a free market then how songwriters are paid must also be additionally decided by the identical free market.
If you see current inconsiderate statements made by IMPALA it’s no marvel that one of many many legitimate causes the Writers Guild of America (WGA) is putting is that they don’t need their members to finish up like songwriters. Per the New York Times: “The very last thing we want is for movie and tv to develop into just like the music business, one other artistic subject disrupted by the web and tech cash, the place the center class has been hollowed out whereas danger has been pushed from the businesses onto the artists themselves. The WGA’s combat isn’t nearly holding writers employed however about sustaining the well being of all the ecosystem that makes our business run and retains the provision of high quality movie and tv flowing for viewers world wide.”
Within the UK’s Premier League, an estimated 71% of all revenues go to the gamers; within the NBA and MLB it’s 50%, and it’s 48% within the NFL. Stay Nation‘s Michael Rapino and AEG’s Jay Marciano are typically paying their main and famous person artists 100% of the gate.
Who can guess the proportion songwriters get from the general music enterprise?
“Finally the WGA strike isn’t just a combat for screenwriters; it’s a tone-setter for all writers, and foretells a prophecy of what’s to come back within the music enterprise.”
Finally the WGA strike isn’t just a combat for screenwriters; it’s a tone-setter for all writers, and foretells a prophecy of what’s to come back within the music enterprise as we attempt, for the primary time ever, to have a wholesome ecosystem of our personal that really displays and honours the function of the songwriter.
I do know that everybody will stroll away from at present’s Ivors feeling nice about being within the music enterprise, having celebrated these great those that write the songs that make our world go spherical.
It’s time we acknowledged that not simply with awards and platitudes however with more cash.
It’s time to do the write factor.Music Enterprise Worldwide
