The National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA), which represents U.S. music publishers and their songwriters, along with the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) are facing off against Google, Apple, Amazon, Spotify and Pandora as the Copyright Royalty Board meets this week to determine how songwriters are paid for the next five years.
“Songwriters must stand up to Big Tech and demand that they stop fighting to pay even lower royalties to the music creators who fuel their businesses" says the NMPA. “We must unite our voices by signing on to this letter."
Songwriters to Digital Services: Work With Us Not Against Us
Dear Apple, Amazon, Google, Spotify and Pandora:
As songwriters, we count on you to deliver our music to the fans who love it. We appreciate the innovative platforms you have developed to do this, however we must voice our outrage at the way you are devaluing our work in the process.
Currently you are fighting to pay us as little as possible in the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) proceedings. This is alarming not only because it threatens our livelihoods and ability to continue our craft, but also because it tells us that instead of being our business partners, you choose to be our adversaries.
The future of music will go one of two ways. We can work together to create an industry ecosystem that grows not just tech companies’ valuations, but also the diversity and quality of music. Or, you can work to reduce the rates paid to songwriters so much that you have nothing left to deliver the fans who subscribe to your services.
It's not too late to do the right thing. Stop litigating against songwriters and pay them a fair rate for their songs. It is in your best interest to do so instead of making it impossible for us to earn a living. The future of music, and your business, depends on it.
Sincerely, Songwriters
ADD YOUR NAME HERE
“Songwriters must stand up to Big Tech and demand that they stop fighting to pay even lower royalties to the music creators who fuel their businesses" says the NMPA. “We must unite our voices by signing on to this letter."
Songwriters to Digital Services: Work With Us Not Against Us
Dear Apple, Amazon, Google, Spotify and Pandora:
As songwriters, we count on you to deliver our music to the fans who love it. We appreciate the innovative platforms you have developed to do this, however we must voice our outrage at the way you are devaluing our work in the process.
Currently you are fighting to pay us as little as possible in the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) proceedings. This is alarming not only because it threatens our livelihoods and ability to continue our craft, but also because it tells us that instead of being our business partners, you choose to be our adversaries.
The future of music will go one of two ways. We can work together to create an industry ecosystem that grows not just tech companies’ valuations, but also the diversity and quality of music. Or, you can work to reduce the rates paid to songwriters so much that you have nothing left to deliver the fans who subscribe to your services.
It's not too late to do the right thing. Stop litigating against songwriters and pay them a fair rate for their songs. It is in your best interest to do so instead of making it impossible for us to earn a living. The future of music, and your business, depends on it.
Sincerely, Songwriters
ADD YOUR NAME HERE
