Spotify's payout to artists has been a hot topic over the years. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek places the blame on artists, saying you can't release music "every three to four years and think that’s going to be enough" (which didn't go over well), while folks like ex-The Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato said the conversation isn't so black and white. Then there are bands like Sumac that are just refusing to put their new record on Spotify in protest of the platform.
Now the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) are attempting to change how much artists are making off Spotify and make it a better arrangement for everyone.
"Spotify is the most dominant platform on the music streaming market," said UMAW in their Justice For Spotify petition. "The company behind the streaming platform continues to accrue value, yet music workers everywhere see little more than pennies in compensation for the work they make.
"With the entire live music ecosystem in jeopardy due to the coronavirus pandemic, music workers are more reliant on streaming income than ever. We are calling on Spotify to deliver increased royalty payments, transparency in their practices, and to stop fighting artists."
Spotify pays out an average of about $0.00437, meaning you'd need somewhere in the range of 337,000 streams per hour just to make minimum wage. Sign the petition here.
