The ‘pure’ songwriter is disappearing – and it’s everyone’s problem

The National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) annual meeting is known for making headlines. At last year’s event, CEO David Israelite used his state-of-the-union speech to announce a formal complaint against Spotify’s audiobook bundling, lodged with the Federal Trade Commission. The year before, it was a copyright infringement lawsuit against Twitter. So when industry players gathered in New York for the 2025 edition last week, many expected another bombshell.

Instead, Israelite closed on a subtler note: a call for unity around fairer songwriter compensation. He urged not just songwriters, but also artists and the recorded music sector to “stand together” for change. “There has never been a greater need to stand up for the value of songwriters,” he said, drawing an analogy to the way actors stood with screenwriters during Hollywood’s SAG-AFTRA strikes.

At MIDiA, we are deep in the production of our second annual songwriter report, based on a global survey of nearly 800 songwriters. For the follow-up to last year's 'Songwriters take the stage' report, we also conducted interviews with songwriters across income levels and career stages to deepen our insights. In light of what we have found, Israelite's call-to-action feels especially prescient. 

The “pure” songwriter is vanishing

Each NMPA event honors a “non-performing” songwriter – this year’s was country legend Rhett Akins. However, the next generation of honorees is in question, as the role of a “pure” songwriter seems to be fading.

In our survey, songwriters were asked to identify all their roles (e.g., producer, singer, musician) and then choose the one they identify with most. A minority primarily saw themselves as songwriters – and just 16% said they mainly write for others, with most writing mainly for themselves.

Music will always be a fiercely competitive industry, but songwriters face especially steep challenges. Their royalty rates in the US are fixed by the government. Not only do they earn a smaller share of the streaming pie than artists, but that share is often split among multiple co-writers. Unlike artists, songwriters rarely have alternative, fallback revenue streams like touring or merchandise. As a result, many are taking on artist-like roles by necessity. Those we interviewed described feeling pressured to perform to make ends meet, and the more financially secure ones all had side businesses, from podcasts to coffee shops.

Banding together is complicated

Another thing that the more successful interviewees had in common: they stood their ground.

One songwriter described how she simply refused to work without a per-diem fee, and eventually, her collaborators gave in. What if more songwriters pushed back this way?

Previous attempts at collective action have had mixed results. Take The Pact, an advocacy group formed in 2021 in which top writers pledged not to grant publishing credits to artists who do not contribute songwriting, as an example. The idea was noble, but many writers could not risk losing cuts – even unfair ones – should they refuse to grant credits.

Other asks, like giving songwriters master recording points and per diem fees for studio time, have received pushback – and not only from the artists and / or labels which would foot the bill. Some songwriters themselves have pushed back, worrying that these initiatives will make artists and labels even more risk-averse, especially when it comes to considering new talent. As Israelite put it in his speech, “We have a unique problem that plagues the songwriting industry – songwriters don’t stick together.” Nearly every songwriter we interviewed echoed this statement, describing today’s songwriting world as “more gate-kept” than ever. Making matters more difficult, because songwriters are classified as contractors, they are prevented from legally striking in the same way as other professional groups like the SAG-AFTRA.

These challenges are largely structural. Gains for songwriting often mean losses for artists and labels, pitting everyone against each other – another of the music industry’s many zero-sum games. Unless that dynamic shifts, songwriters will continue to face an uphill battle, often without the backing of the very industry they help build.

But unity matters more than ever for songwriters

At the heart of this issue is a fundamental disconnect: publishing and songwriters are viewed as separate from recording and artists. Yet these parts of the industry are interdependent: none can exist without the others. The continued lack of meaningful, industrywide support for songwriters will not just harm writers; eventually it impacts everyone. (And that lack of support is felt deeply –  throughout our interviews, songwriters expressed feeling that the wider industry does not care about them.)

As it becomes harder to make a living as a pure songwriter, more writers are becoming artists themselves. Cynically, this might worsen the recording side’s challenges by adding even more competition for listeners. With fewer dedicated songwriters, artists and producers also lose out on potential collaborators.

Meanwhile, a new class of songwriters is emerging outside the traditional royalty system altogether. Much like MIDiA’s bifurcation theory describes for artists, these writers are opting for upfront payments via creator marketplaces like Soundbetter instead of the slow trickle of royalty payouts. They are also building social media presences, monetising via merch and brand deals. This may empower individuals – but it means less songwriter revenue flowing through the traditional music business, and more fragmentation of the creator economy. 

“This is a tough conversation, because it requires us to change the way we do things,” Israelite noted. “It requires resolve for the greater good of the industry.” In a zero-sum environment, the greater good is a tough sell – but it is a critical one. If there is no viable path forward for pure songwriters, the next generation of pure songwriters may never arrive.

MIDiA’s songwriter survey report will be published in early July. If you are not a client but would like to find out how you can access this report, please reach out to enquiries@midiaresearch.com