Should musicians go on strike?

What we can learn from the actors/writers strike

After a series of failed negotiations between both writers and actors and the Hollywood film establishment, for the first time in over 6 decades, writers and actors will unite on the picket lines, in a unified striking effort against the Hollywood establishment over the lack of what they believe to be fair pay and compensation in the age of streaming as well as no job security in regards to AI. 

This is a historic moment that has major implications not only for the participants of the strike but for society as a whole. To understand why this is such a prevalent issue, let's first understand why both actors and writers feel the need to strike in the first place. 

Why are they striking?

One of the biggest reasons writers first started striking is due to the lack of compensation for their work as the studios grow their wealth exponentially. In the last 10 years, studio profits have increased by 39% and yet in the same period, writers have seen a 4% decrease in their earnings, which begs the question, where is the money going?

A large reason for this is the advent of streaming, which has led to the vast amount of shows being produced on these platforms, many of which don't get renewed past the first season. Thus work retention for writers has dropped significantly. As for actors, the impact of streaming is felt, a combination of outdated contract terms and a rapidly changing media landscape means shorter season orders and longer hiatuses between seasons. All of that “makes it increasingly difficult for our members to achieve and maintain a middle-class lifestyle working as a performer,” according to SAG-AFTRA’s website.

In addition to this, the threat of Artificial Intelligence (AI) looms over both parties. Writers are looking to limit the use of AI and artificial intelligence cannot be used to create uncompensated work based on the work of writers. “You can also expect to see the training of AI programs on older, hit TV series in order to create new seasons,” Filmmaker Justine Bateman states, highlighting how AI can be trained to create scripts based on work produced by writers. 

For actors, the stance on AI is similar, for them, there is a particular urge for protection against AI being used to recreate their likeness, voice and performances without their consent.

How does this relate to musicians?

The parallel between the actors'/writers' strike and the current state of the music industry is quite stark. I feel like the music industry is in a state of transition and where it's headed is being decided behind closed doors, in boardrooms with execs, social media CEOs and no artists in sight. I believe it is necessary for those of us in the industry to learn from the unity shown by actors and writers as they take on giants. 

“My view on the market is that its kinda a race towards zero… unfortunately” This a quote from Charlie Torrible Head of Data & Insight at Warner Records, in regards to streaming services and social media platforms such as TikTok’s movement in the direction of artist no longer making money from the work and effort they put into building their careers. “Where artists are having to give more of themselves for […] zero revenue” Charlie Torrible. In an attention economy where artists are having to give more of themselves in order to garner the attention of their fans, one must ask whether this attention is translating to monetary gain or are they just increasing the watch time for these social platforms and making them more money through advertising deals while the artist is being left to pick up crumbs?

When we look into this quote we can see why artists need to take a look at the current state of the music industry and ask themselves where the industry is headed. The rise of social media platforms like TikTok has provided artists with the gem that is virality through trends and portions of their music going viral, usually a sped-up version. This push for virality has pushed the industry to take a step back from the role of trendsetter and become a follower of algorithmic favorability. This in itself positions the music as secondary to the algorithm which lessens the leverage artists have when negotiating payouts for the use of music on these platforms. However, this issue goes deeper as threats of AI also add an existential element to this as social media platforms and other companies that operate outside the music industry have clocked on to the way in which music adds to gaining and holding attention from audiences and now with the rapid development of AI, are now able to produce music without a single artist involved and the required compensation that comes with artist participation. 

This is not a worry of the future as companies such as Anghami have stated that they will be the first platform to host 200,000 songs generated by artificial intelligence. Tencent Music Entertainment (TME) – the owner of China’s largest music streaming platforms have created and released 1,000 tracks with vocals generated by an AI that mimics human voices. 

This devaluation of music is also being escalated majorly by streaming companies. The price for a premium Spotify account has been consistent at £9.99, despite growing inflation. This decision to maintain the price consumers pay for music acts to condition audiences to not place significant value on the music they consume as for £9.99 they are able to listen to almost every song ever made in history. Like, let it make sense? If music streaming companies continue with this £9.99 business model despite that same £9.99 being worth less than it was 12 months ago due to inflation then music is being devalued. It just is. Now this is a decision being made by streaming companies, with artists having to take the brunt of this. 

I wrote this piece as I believe, for independent artists especially, who don't have the backing of major record labels, who are struggling to even afford to take advantage of the supposed ways artist make money like touring and merchandise, we see this with acts such as Little Simz having to cut tours short due to a lack of funds. There is a need for artists to be in the rooms when these types of decisions are being made on their behalf. In addition to the need for protection of their rights, likeness and regulated industry standards when it comes to the use of artificial intelligence in the industry. 

The creative spaces seem to be the guinea pigs of how far AI can be used to replace the work of real humans and I believe it is up to us to stand up for the world we want to live in. Where artists big and small are able to make a living doing the thing they love.

This article acts to ask the music industry the question of who is dictating the future of the industry, and are we ready for what is to come, are artists protected and is there space for artists to have more say in how the industry is run?

So do musicians need to strike? Well maybe, but I think that what is more important is that artists are aware of these challenges and look out for initiatives that are making a positive impact on artists such as the Musicians’ Union and MMF (Music Managers Forum). Platforms like Bandcamp and Serenade use technology to allow musicians to sell their music directly to their fans. AI is not inherently negative and can be used as a tool to aid in making an artist's life easier.

It is crucial to remember that music is more than just a way to make money, it’s a passion and artists do not need to sacrifice their integrity, mental health or love of the craft in order to find success.