'All About That Bass' writer decries streaming revenue

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/industries/music/2015/09/22/all-bass-writer-decries-streaming-revenue/72570464/

Nate Rau
September 22, 2015

A co-writer behind the international smash hit "All About That Bass" said he was only paid $5,679 in streaming revenue, crystallizing the plight of songwriters as he spoke to key members of Congress during a roundtable discussion Tuesday about music copyright.

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Producer and songwriter Kevin Kadish, one of the first speakers, zeroed in on financial challenges songwriters face with music streaming services.

"I've never heard a songwriter complain about radio royalties as much as streaming royalties," Kadish said. "That was the real issue for us, like 1 million streams equals $90. For a song like 'All About That Bass,' that I wrote, which had 178 million streams. I mean $5,679? That's my share. That's as big a song as a songwriter can have in their career and No. 1 in 78 countries. But you're making $5,600. How do you feed your family?"

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Rep. Doug Collins, R-Georgia is the lead sponsor of the Songwriter Equity Act, legislation designed to improve royalty payouts to publishers and songwriters such as Kadish.

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http://www.musicrow.com/2015/09/nashville-to-judiciary-committee-were-going-out-of-business-on-the-backs-of-the-digital-services/

“It gave me hope to hear Chairman Goodlatte talk about Nashville as one of the fastest growing economies in the nation but he recognized there’s a depression in the middle of the city: the American songwriter,” said Ben Vaughn, Exec. VP, Warner/Chappell Nashville. “We have lost about 80 percent of professional songwriters creating new music. We are desperately asking for the committee to listen to needs of songwriters.”