Despite improvements over the past two years, most music artists across Europe are still fairly dissatisfied with how little they’re paid for their songs on streaming platforms according to a massive new survey.
The International Artists Organization (IAO) questioned nearly 10,000 singers, songwriters, and musicians across the continent. A shocking 69% told the IAO they felt somewhat or very let down by what Spotify, Apple Music, and other streamers send their way each month.
Things have gotten marginally better, though. Two years ago, a whopping 87% complained about streaming slices of the pie. IAO credits higher prices and more listeners on platforms with fattening royalty pools slightly. Record labels are also distributing bigger cuts to creators.
Streaming money is definitely up overall. Recording industry revenues hit an all-time high of $28.6 billion last year. But demand for new tunes means many artists still struggle to get a fair share. Over 100,000 tracks flood streaming daily, outpacing royalty pool growth.
Most streamers stick with the same payment structure – labels and distros get 52-55% while creators and songwriters split the rest. To boost payouts, companies must either raise revenues or lower their cut.
A few services are tinkering with alternatives, like “user-centric” models. SoundCloud and Tidal pay based on each subscriber’s individual listening instead of overall streams. Deezer and Spotify also offer boosts for higher monthly listeners or playlists.
But controversy rages over whether new thresholds, like Spotify’s 1,000-play minimum, disadvantage indie acts just starting out. Long-term impacts remain unclear. Only 19% of Spotify artists hit that mark in 2023.
The IAO survey aimed to gauge the effectiveness of new EU digital copyright laws. While requirements for proportional, transparent pay and contract renegotiation took effect, two-thirds of respondents still lack payment clarity. Most adjustment or rights revocation requests also failed.
The IAO suggests artists need better knowledge of rights, and labels still exploit low bargaining power too often. As long as the money squeeze continues, streaming satisfaction will stay sour for many music makers. Faster royalty pool growth or fairer deals could finally turn those frowns upside down.
