Without songwriters where would music be? They're vital, some are getting an incredibly rough deal in the industry.
One artist who's broken through to major success recently is using her platform to speak up on the issues facing writers. After calling for better treatment for songwriters uding a speech for one of her six Brit Award wins at 2024's ceremony, British singer Raye has expanded on why she thinks songwriters are being exploited in the industry.
"It's something I just feel really passionate about," she tells Rolling Stone in the video below filmed ahead of her appearance at the opening weekend of the Coachella Festival in California. "A good way to put it is that when the actors went on strike [in the US], you had faces, people you knew – people who you cared about a recognised, taking a stand and openly speaking about the incorrect treatment and incorrect pay of the creatives and how they're not being correctly compensated for their hard word. And to say that's the case in the songwriting industry as a whole is an understatement."
You have to wait two years to collect pennies, and you only make money off radio play? Wait, what!?
Raye can draw from her own experiences as a songwriter for artists including Beyoncé (for the song Bigger), Rihanna, Little Mix, John Legend and Ellie Goulding before she was successful as a solo artist. "It is so bad what is going on behind the scenes in the music game," she explains. "Having started as a songwriter professionally from ages of 14/15 when I'd started writing to experiencing, 'Wait, so you write the song but they don't pay you but they pay the producers? Then you have to wait two years to collect pennies, and you only make money off radio play? Wait, what!?'
She believes this treatment of songwriters in the industry is having a direct effect on the kind of music they are being forced to write to make a viable living.
"It means songwriters are like, 'We need to write a radio hit because it's the only way we're going to make money'. And it's dangerous – it's dangerous for the quality and the intention of what we're creating as songwriters. I think having worked so many years behind the scenes, you're like, this is so wrong and things do have to change."
it's got to start with the labels recognising the value of the songs
Inevitably Raye knows other artists need to take a stand alongside her to help fight for a better situation for songwriters.
"I'm just one little artist in a big sea of the music industry, but I'm aware that me on my own, I can't make the changes that we need but I can definitely try and do my bit. But there's a lot of work that needs to be done and it's got to start with the labels recognising the value of the songs.
"This is an industry based on songs – we're all here at Coachella essentially to watch songs we love – hear the lyrics and melodies that we love, and there are some incredibly, stupidly, ridiculously talented people who can't pay their rent who are writing these songs and it's incorrect – it's just wrong. It is just evil, if I'm gonna be transparent."
Raye's hope is that she's helping to open the door on the debate and others will follow her, as well as throwing the spotlight on a system where songwriters have to wait so long for any recompense for their work.
"We need to start having these conversations loudly – artists with big platforms and big songwriters to take a stand. Furthermore, what happens is songwriters are manipulated. So what happens is you'll wait to the last week, the labels will wait until the last week to tell the writers, 'We're going to use the song that you wrote,' and this has happened to me many times [the label will say], 'If you don't approve your 10% split right now and approve the fact you'll be getting no master royalty points, if you don't sign this agreement right now, the song's not gonna come out – we're not gonna use it.'
"All your hard work will go to waste. It's this narrative, and you've got songwriters competing with each other, trying to fight over silly little percentage splits. Meanwhile what should be happening is from the top; a respect payment. One, cover food and travel, please. If a songwriter is pulling up to write a song for your artist, with your artist or for a pitch session, food and travel… come on that's just mandatory."
With the current situation, there's no upfront payment for songs for many writers and some are waiting long periods of time after a song's release to see any money. Raye believes this means working-class voices could be shut out from being able to make a living from songwriting.
Some of the best songwriters we have come from real life – real working-class backgrounds. And that's where some of the best stories are
"What are we doing here?" she asks. "Are we saying now that if you're rich and come from wealth and from money you can be a songwriter because you can keep yourself afloat? You can do it for the passion, for the love. But I'm saying some of the best songwriters we have come from real life – real working-class backgrounds. And that's where some of the best stories are. We're listening to music as a commentary on the human experience. That's where the songs are and you're gonna treat those people like expendable parts?"
As she accepted her Brit award for Songwriter Of The Year in March, Raye called for the normalisation of songwriters receiving master royalty points for songs they are credited for writing, so they would include a percentage of record sales, downloads and streaming revenue.
"Evil, manipulative, nasty things are happening and I believe things need to change vehemently," Raye tells Rolling Stone. "I feel very passionately about that needing to be fixed and there's a very bad problem going on. Songwriters need to be correctly paid and respected, full stop."
