John,

I’m committed to the fight for economic justice, including expanding workers’ rights. In partnership with workers, I recently created and introduced a bill to ensure musicians get compensated more fairly by major streaming services, which too often take advantage of artists’ labor.

While making record profits, streaming services and record labels aren’t sharing that prosperity with the artists who make the music we love. Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music pay artists fractions of a penny per stream, which isn’t nearly enough to make ends meet.

To change this disparity, Rep. Jamaal Bowman and I introduced the Living Wage for Musicians Act. If passed, this bill will directly compensate musicians with a fairer royalty payment of at least a penny per stream every time people listen to their music on a streaming music service like Spotify.

By creating a fund that directly compensates recording artists and musicians, this legislation will allow so many more artists to achieve a living wage from music and be able to pay their bills. It will reform the music industry by supporting more diverse and independent artists, and inject more money into local economies.

Can you sign on today to become a grassroots co-sponsor of our new bill, the Living Wage for Musicians Act? Your support matters.

Thank you. I promise to keep fighting for the fair wages we all deserve, as part of bringing about economic justice and dignity for all people.

In solidarity,

Rashida

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Rashida Tlaib
Date: Tue, Apr 2, 2024
Subject: Sign if you agree: streaming services must compensate musicians more fairly
To: [email protected]

John,

Detroit is one of the music capitals of the world, the birthplace of Motown and techno and so much more music that has changed our culture. My city and my district are home to thousands of musicians and artists who deserve fair compensation for their labor.

Across the country, musicians and artists are struggling to make ends meet while streaming services and record labels are seeing record profits.

Currently, Spotify pays artists an average per-stream royalty of $0.003, which means it takes artists more than 800,000 monthly streams to equal a full-time $15/hour job.

As part of our push for economic justice, Rep. Jamaal Bowman and I introduced new legislation to ensure streaming services compensate musicians more fairly—creating a new fund that would aim to pay artists at least one penny per stream.

In partnership with United Musicians and Allied Workers and local and national artists, we created the Living Wage for Musicians Act to help more artists achieve a living wage from music, enabling them to pay rent, raise a family, buy a home, and invest in their future—including by making more music and touring.

Please sign on as a grassroots co-sponsor in support of our new bill, the Living Wage for Musicians Act.

It’s only right that the people who create the music we love get their fair share, so that they can thrive, not just survive.

Throughout my life I’ve joined striking workers on countless picket lines, and I know that workers’ rights change lives. When my father joined a union, our family was able to get healthcare for the first time.

We all deserve to make a wage that truly values the work we put in for ourselves and our families.

Streaming now represents 84% of recorded music industry’s revenue in the US, but most of the artists who bring joy to our lives and culture aren’t seeing any of it. Instead of under-compensating artists for their art and labor, it’s time to pay artists a living wage.

Sign on to support my new bill demanding the fair pay that musicians deserve.

Thank you for continuing to push for justice and dignity for all people.

In solidarity,

Rashida