"Billie Marten criticizes the capitalist system, asserting that artists like Taylor Swift benefit while mid-range artists struggle"
British singer-songwriter Billie Marten, signed to Fiction Records, a subsidiary of Universal, has gone public with her struggles as a small to mid-range artist in the music industry. In an interview with the Independent, Marten expressed her concerns about the financial struggles that many artists at her level are facing, despite appearances of success.
Marten claimed that she is working harder and longer than ever, yet she is not doing well financially. She questioned whether artists should make peace with the current system or if they should strive to change it. Marten's comments echo those made by Kate Nash last year about the difficulties of making a living as a small to mid-range artist.
According to Marten, the current system is capitalist in nature and that artists like Taylor Swift are benefitting at the expense of mid-level and low-level artists. She stated that the money from her first two albums went to Sony, the label she was signed to at the time. Marten has not recouped her deals, meaning she has not earned back the money spent on her first two albums.
Marten did not suggest any specific actions to change the system, but she did suggest that a mid-range artist might need to take action, such as calling out Spotify for their stinginess and boycotting them. She also expressed frustration that while those around her are buying houses, having families, and going on holiday, she could never dream of doing the same.
Potential solutions to the financial struggles of mid and small range artists in the music industry, as highlighted by Marten and others, focus mainly on addressing the current structural inequities in how artists are compensated, particularly in streaming revenue. Key approaches include:
- Reforming streaming royalty distribution to be more equitable, as current models disproportionately reward top-tier stars while mid-level and low-level artists earn very little. A more balanced payout system could help smaller artists earn sustainable income from streaming.
- Supporting grassroots music venues to remain open, given their rapid closure severely limits opportunities for smaller artists to perform live and generate income. Sustained funding or intervention to preserve such venues would bolster earning potential.
- Increasing transparency and fairness in record deal recoupments, since artists often do not see earnings from streams and tours due to costs and label recoupments covering non-artist expenses like administrative overhead.
- Exploring alternative revenue streams such as direct fan funding, merchandise, licensing, or alternative platforms that better reward artist contributions, acknowledging that conventional capitalist streaming models currently concentrate wealth in a few hands.
In summary, solutions center on structural industry reforms to streaming payouts, grassroots venue preservation, contract fairness, and new revenue models to mitigate financial inequalities affecting mid and small range artists in the current music economy.
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Finances are a significant concern for many mid-range artists like Billie Marten, as they struggle despite appearances of success. Marten's comments regarding the capitalist nature of the music industry and the need for structural changes in streaming payouts, grassroots venue preservation, contract fairness, and new revenue models to mitigate financial inequalities seem to resonate with other artists in the industry, such as Kate Nash.
