The Other Songs first label to announce revenue share initiative to support songwriters

07 December 2020 - Press release

- The “TOS Writer Royalty” to be paid to all songwriters on every The Other Songs release

- Equal 3% share of the label’s streaming revenue will be allocated to boost the income of songwriters

London-based independent record label, management and publishing company The Other Songs, created with songwriters at its core, has announced that it will be the first label to offer a new revenue share initiative, on all its releases, to support songwriters.
An ex-gratia royalty pot, which forms the “TOS Writer Royalty” will be funded by a 3% contribution solely from the label’s share of streaming income. The writer royalty will apply to songwriters who do not already have a share in the master royalty pool as an artist or a producer. Should there be more than one songwriter on a track, each songwriter will be paid an equal share of the 3% royalty. This will come into effect from stream one, without the songwriter/s standing behind any costs.
Compositions only receive around 13% of streaming revenues, compared to the 57% master recordings receive. After further publishing commissions, songwriters are left with between 6.5% and 10%, often divided further between multiple writers.
The “TOS Writer Royalty” is an alternative solution to recent high-profile campaigns spotlighting this issue, such as Broken Record and the more general #FixStreaming.
Songwriters have been the core of The Other Songs since its inception. The original The Other Songs events showcased exciting, new talent, as well as legendary stars such as Nile Rodgers and Joan Armatrading, enabling them to connect with executives from film, TV, labels and collaborate with other writers.

Commenting on the initiative, Alastair Webber, co-founder of The Other Songs, said:
"In 2020, during a pandemic which has decimated our live industry, hundreds of millions of people around the world have still been able to enjoy near-unlimited music thanks to song creators and streaming services. It reminds us that streaming has without doubt saved the recorded music industry from the lows of piracy 10 years ago and music consumption globally is at an all-time high.
However, we are seeing first-hand the disproportionate payouts between label and publishing income and, unless something is done now, the job of a songwriter will become extinct. Unless something is done, professional songwriters, as opposed to those who also perform, will cease to exist.
Without great songs, you cannot have great recorded music. Therefore, it cannot be fair that songwriters receive such a small piece of the pie. The 'TOS Writer Royalty' alone won't be enough to move the dial, but with other likeminded people we can make a difference and, in the end, create a fairer playing field for songwriters."
 

The initiative has also garnered support from songwriters and industry figures.

Merck Mercuriadis, CEO Hipgnosis Songs:
“We have a close relationship with The Other Songs in our endeavour to change where the songwriter sits in the economic equation. Our aim is to move them from the bottom of the pile to the top and we applaud Alastair and Billy for this initiative.”

Helienne Lindvall, Chair of the Songwriter Committee & Board Director, The Ivors Academy of Music Creators
"Songwriters and composers are the engines of the music industry. Without great songs there would be no need for labels and streaming services – and yet those who create these soundtracks to people’s lives are massively undervalued in the streaming economy. The Ivors Academy has witnessed the record industry experiencing a huge upturn in revenues whilst songwriter profits have collapsed. There is now a sincere danger that we may lose a whole class of writers before people truly comprehend the desperate situation the majority of songwriters find themselves in and the model is fixed.
 We are therefore delighted and grateful to the The Other Songs for recognising the value we provide and for wanting to correct this inequity by spearheading vital change. We hope their positive initiative will be an inspiration for all and we urge other labels to follow suit in order to maintain a strong and healthy music industry for the future."

RuthAnne Cunningham, award winning songwriter & artist signed to The Other Songs:
“I've been a professional songwriter for so many years but unfortunately it is becoming a dying art. Songwriters are now feeling that the only way to earn money is to become an artist. This initiative by The Other Songs is amazing & I really hope others follow suit. Everyone should be able to make a living doing their job.”

Jin Jin, platinum selling songwriter for Jess Glynne, Jax Jones & Raye:
This is an important step forward in the right direction, to ensure fairness for not only myself but also for my colleagues in the industry. I am absolutely privileged that you have shared this news with me, as a Songwriter, Publisher and a Director on the Ivors Academy Board. I am also honoured to call The Other Songs a friend and would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support.

Shaurav D'Silva, CEO, 2-Tone Entertainment (2TE)
"Making songwriters feel both valued and incentivised is no longer optional in our opinion. They are the lifeblood of the creative process and invest so much energy and passion to create songs that last a lifetime and reach millions of people worldwide. The music business is so out of date in the way they are rewarded for their hard work- it's time for that to change. The initiative that "The Other Songs" are taking to make sure songwriters are now paid a royalty from masters is a huge step forward. It's long overdue and I'm hoping that it sets a precedent for how labels should be thinking when it comes to valuing the driving force behind their hit records and ever-growing catalogues. The fact that a small independent like "The Other Songs" are proactively offering songwriters a royalty share is fantastic and we at 2-Tone Entertainment have decided to echo and adopt this approach moving forward with our releases. If we as small independent labels can adopt this practice with our considerably smaller revenues and margins, I see no reason why the Major Labels can’t follow suit."

Jonny Hockings, songwriter who written on many The Other Songs releases:
“My 33.3% royalties from a song with 10m streams released 1 year ago has so far earned me £124.92. In total I expect to earn £700-£1000 on it - barely one month’s rent. Something has to change if we want songwriting to be a diverse and viable career route.