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The Detroit City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution supporting the Living Wage for Musicians Act, a federal proposal introduced by U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Detroit Democrat, to overhaul the way artists are paid for digital streams.
Detroit is the latest major city to formally endorse the legislation. In May, New York City passed a similar resolution.
Today, streaming accounts for roughly 84% of all recorded music revenue in the U.S., but artists often earn just fractions of a cent per play, sometimes as little as $0.003 per stream. At that rate, a musician needs more than 800,000 monthly streams to earn the equivalent of a full-time, $15-an-hour job, according to Detroit’s resolution.
Supporters urged the council to join the push for higher streaming royalties, pointing to Detroit’s major influence on music.
Marcus Miller, co-founder of the Creative Union, a group that supports artists, innovators, and entrepreneurs, told council members that the legislation could help Detroit’s creative workforce stay in the city.
“With bills like this, we have the opportunity to keep our talent here for the future and actually make a change, so I’m just inspired,” Miller said. “We honestly can do anything. It’s the most important thing in the world that with every step forward, we make every step together because that’s the only way we’re going to make a difference — through our voice, our shared efforts, through knowing that the only real change comes from the people, for the people, and by the people. And we will see this through.”
Adrian Tonon, co-founder of the Creative Union and Detroit’s former 24-hour economy ambassador, says artists and organizers plan to travel to Washington, D.C., to advocate for the bill.
Tlaib reintroduced the legislation in September with support from working musicians and the United Musicians and Allied Workers union. The bill would create a new royalty stream paid directly to artists, separate from the industry’s existing pro-rata system that often funnels most streaming revenue to the biggest acts and major labels.
Under the proposal, a small surcharge would be added to streaming subscriptions — capped between $4 and $10 — and platforms would contribute a share of their advertising revenue. The money would go into a nonprofit Artist Compensation Royalty Fund, which would distribute payments directly to recording musicians. The fund would also include a monthly cap per track so that artists with massive hits don’t absorb a disproportionate share of the payouts.
Tlaib has said the goal is to ensure that musicians who drive the streaming economy can afford to build sustainable careers.
“It’s only right that the people who create the music we love are paid a living wage, so that they can thrive, not just survive,” she said when announcing the bill’s reintroduction last year.
Artists, including Detroit producer and WDET host Shigeto, have backed the plan, calling it a long-overdue correction to a system that has left many musicians struggling as streaming platforms report record profits.
Advocates say the bill would allow more artists to record, tour, and make themselves available to fans, while helping musicians make a living in cities like Detroit.
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Steve Neavling
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