Ivors Academy supports Chappell Roan and Raye’s call for sustainable artist income
Chappell Roan's statement at the Grammys, she requested that the label should provide artists with “living and health insurance” and that remains a topic of heated debate.
The latest news comes from Ivors Academy, a London-based nonprofit that supports music writers and their rights. Ivors Academy also hosted an annual awards ceremony that recognises the contributions of songwriters and composers, with British singer-songwriter Raye winning multiple Ivor Novello awards in 2024, including Songwriter of the Year and Best Modern songs.
After fighting ruthlessly with her record label to unleash her now acclaimed debut “My 21st Century Blues,” Raye songwriter and composer.
“Please give the British music industry – I want to have a lovely, short conversation to provide songwriter with normalization (business) of royal points,” she said in May. “That means, if the song wins huge The writer can win too. Please allow this to happen – please.”
Before meeting with the UK government and Minister of Creative Industry and Arts Chris Bryant, Ivors Academy highlighted the challenges music creators face in earning sustainable income.
Ivors Academy Chairman Tom Gray and CEO Roberto Neri spoke at the government chair meeting of the Creator’s Compensation Working Group on Monday, calling for systemicity to influence songwriters and composers Failure, from falling income to increasing daily life.
“We have heard from songwriters who own the National Radio station that they still have a hard time making a living, relying on income outside of music to achieve. The reforms we propose provide practical solutions to correct this historic imbalance, which It's because of the economics of streaming that gets worse,” Neri said. “The daily allowance, the owner’s points, the rewards for long-term music, the stronger voice in negotiations, and the ability to adjust contracts from forced acquisitions: these are the steps needed to ensure the future of songwriting.”
During the meeting, Ivors Academy highlighted many potential legislator solutions:
- When working with artists, labels introduce minimum daily allowances for songwriters’ fees (per Diem)
- The tag assigns the main/record to the four dots of the songwriter.
- Streaming media services use introduction mechanisms to reward composers who produce longer works.
- Streaming services to ensure negotiations with publishers connected to the tags to ensure that the song is taken seriously.
- According to EU law, the government introduces a contract adjustment mechanism.
According to research from the Office of Intellectual Property (IPO), despite the increase in percentage growth rate of payments to songwriters, revenue actually fell 20% from 2000 to 2019. In 2019, a songwriter generated 1 million streams per month, a milestone for a track with only 0.026% expected to earn only £15,288 per year. This is less than the minimum wage for working full-time in the UK.
Grey added: “Without emergency reform, living with music will become a privilege for the rich, not the profession of all talented creators. This is a serious threat to the British music industry and the creative industry.”