Aloe Blacc doesn't need the dollar, but he's penned an article slamming streaming services and the laws under which they operate.
In a piece submitted to Wired, the songwriter, singer, musician and businessman pointed out it takes roughly one million plays on Pandora for a songwriter to earn a paltry $90.
The artist said, "Avicii’s release 'Wake Me Up!' that I co-wrote and sing, for example, was the most streamed song in Spotify history and the 13th most played song on Pandora since its release in 2013, with more than 168 million streams in the US. And yet, that yielded only $12,359 in Pandora domestic royalties — which were then split among three songwriters and our publishers. In return for co-writing a major hit song, I’ve earned less than $4,000 domestically from the largest digital music service.
"The abhorrently low rates songwriters are paid by streaming services - enabled by outdated [US] federal regulations - are yet another indication our work is being devalued in today’s marketplace.
"The reality is that people are consuming music in a completely different way today. Purchasing and downloading songs have given way to streaming, and as a result, the revenue streams that songwriters relied upon for years to make a living are now drying up.
"But the irony of the situation is that our music is actually being enjoyed by more people in more places and played across more platforms (largely now digital) than ever before. Our work clearly does have value, of course, or else it would not be in such high demand. So why aren’t songwriters compensated more fairly in the marketplace?
He goes on to say, "I, for one, can no longer stand on the sidelines and watch as the vast majority of songwriters are left out in the cold, while streaming company executives build their fortunes in stock options and bonuses on the back of our hard work."
He stops short of declaring that he'll take any action other than publicising the good fight — unlike Taylor Swift, who this week, removed her catalogue from Spotify in protest against inadequate compensation for artists.
This streaming controversy is the latest fight for musicians to harness their rights in the digital age. For the better part of the past decade, artists such as Prince have taken action against video sites such as YouTube which has generated countless millions of dollars in revenue from unauthorised video clip uploads.
