Last month marked a significant shift in pop music crediting when Halsey and Khalid released “Eastside,” featuring a name that might be less familiar to casual listeners but is a powerhouse behind the scenes: Benny Blanco. Credited as a third lead artist, Blanco’s prominent billing, despite not singing on the track, signals a growing trend of songwriters and producers stepping into the limelight. For Blanco, a hitmaker with an impressive catalog spanning collaborations with Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Britney Spears, and countless others since 2008, chart-topping success is routine. However, “Eastside” placed him squarely in the foreground, a move reflecting the evolving dynamics of the music industry.
This producer-centric approach to artist credits, while seemingly novel in pop, has roots in hip-hop and dance music. Pioneers like Pete Rock in the 90s and contemporary figures such as Mike Will Made-It in hip-hop, alongside dance music innovators from Basement Jaxx to stadium-filling producers like Calvin Harris and Diplo in the 2010s, paved the way. Now, this model is firmly establishing itself in mainstream Top 40 pop. We see this with BloodPop’s featured credits on tracks by Justin Bieber and John Legend, and Andrew Watt’s presence on Hailee Steinfeld’s “Let Me Go.” This shift isn’t merely about recognition; it’s a strategic move for songwriters to tap into diverse income streams in an industry where traditional songwriting revenue is increasingly challenging to secure. Furthermore, this top billing acknowledges the amplified influence of elite songwriters whose creations generate billions of streams for major labels, highlighting their indispensable role in today’s music ecosystem.
Veteran songwriter Ross Golan, known for crafting hits for Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande, observes this evolving landscape. He points out that songwriters often contribute significantly beyond just lyrics and melodies, frequently singing demos and even providing background vocals that end up on final recordings. “The amount of times you hear our voices on records quite literally and we don’t get credit, don’t necessarily receive the fruits of our labor – it’s easier for songwriters now to take advantage of what they’re actually providing,” Golan explains. This push for artist credit is a natural progression, reflecting a desire for equitable recognition and compensation for their comprehensive contributions.
The economic realities for today’s pop songwriters are markedly different from a decade ago. Larry Miller, Director of the Music Business Program at New York University’s Steinhardt School, emphasizes this shift: “Now more than ever, it’s better to have hits than not have hits. Streaming is driving two-thirds of the revenue in recorded music, and it’s the most-listened to songs, the top few percent that are driving almost everything.” In a streaming-dominated world, the financial rewards are concentrated at the very top, making hit songs paramount for all stakeholders, including songwriters.
Historically, songwriters have relied on two primary income streams: mechanical royalties and performance royalties. Mechanical royalties are generated each time a song is reproduced, whether through physical sales or streaming. Performance royalties, as defined by BMI, accrue “when a song is sung or played, recorded or live, on radio and television, as well as through other media such as the Internet, live concerts and programmed music services.” These traditional royalty structures have formed the financial backbone for songwriters for decades.
However, the landscape of mechanical royalties has become less favorable for songwriters. During the CD era, a fixed rate of 9.1 cents per song per sale was allocated to all songwriters involved in an album. In this model, album sales volume was crucial, and a hit single, while beneficial, wasn’t the sole determinant of songwriting income. “If you were selling 10 million albums, that’s $910,000 in revenue split between writers for each song,” Golan illustrates. “If you got six songs on one of those albums, that was pretty valuable.” This album-centric model provided a degree of financial stability for songwriters, even for tracks that weren’t singles.
This safety net has largely disappeared in the streaming era. Streaming payouts are now directly tied to individual song performance. Unlike the CD era, where listeners might play through an entire album, streaming platforms track which songs are heavily repeated and which are skipped. Tracks that are frequently skipped generate minimal income. Andrew Watt, a songwriter behind major hits for DJ Snake, Justin Bieber, and Kygo with Selena Gomez, succinctly captures this new reality: “If you’re not writing the hit off the album, you’re fucked.” The streaming model has amplified the importance of hit singles, making them the primary driver of songwriter earnings.
While some industry experts argue that the picture isn’t entirely bleak, citing the growth in performance rights revenue, the overall trend points towards a challenging financial environment for songwriters. Barry Massarsky, president of Massarsky Consulting, notes, “Songwriters are earning robust increases in all sorts of licensing areas on top of streaming.” He also highlights the Copyright Royalty Board’s decision to raise royalty rates for songwriters by 43.8 percent over five years. However, even with these increases, the fundamental shift towards hit-driven, streaming-based income necessitates that songwriters explore new strategies to thrive.
Whether a songwriter is at the pinnacle of success or struggling to make ends meet, the current system demands creative approaches to income generation. Dae Bogan, Founder and CEO of TuneRegistry, a music-rights administration platform, emphasizes this need: “Songwriters need to think creatively about how to get more income streams.” In this context, pursuing artist credit becomes a logical and increasingly vital strategy.
Pushing for artist credit offers songwriters access to the master recording revenue stream, a significant shift from the traditional publishing-only model. Watt clarifies this distinction: “We get paid on publishing, the words, the lyrics, the melody, the staff music written on a page. The master is the physical recording: Justin Bieber’s voice and DJ Snake’s production on ‘Let Me Love You.’ The master is where the money is.” Historically, record labels acquire the master rights, and artists typically secure a portion of these rights. Now, songwriters are seeking their share of the master pie.
Bogan explains this power dynamic: “Songwriters can say, I write hits; this is gonna be a hit for you; I want a piece of the master’s side.” This leverage is particularly potent when working with emerging artists or established artists seeking a career resurgence. It’s a form of industry rebalancing, addressing historical imbalances where artists sometimes claimed publishing percentages without contributing to the songwriting itself. “I used to manage songwriters, and we’d write for a number of artists who would demand that they get 10 percent of the publishing even though they didn’t write a single lyric,” Bogan recalls. “For decades, artists would dip into publishing to diversify their income stream. So now it’s like, let’s take that model and flip it on its head.”
This reversal is facilitated by the hit-centric nature of the modern music industry. Streaming platforms inadvertently encourage this shift by creating avenues for songwriter visibility. Spotify’s “Secret Genius” playlists, for example, spotlight songwriters and producers like Blanco, acknowledging their crucial contributions. Richard Stumpf, CEO of Atlas Music Publishing, notes this positive development: “With streaming, you really can create a world around the songwriter – Spotify does a good job of this with their Secret Genius playlists.” Furthermore, YouTube is developing dedicated pages for songwriters to consolidate their songwriting credits, enhancing their discoverability and reach.
The ease of music production and distribution in the streaming era, coupled with the insatiable demand for new content, further supports this evolution. Artists are under pressure to consistently release music, leading to increased collaborations and featured artist appearances. Khalid’s seven collaborations in a single year, alongside “Eastside,” exemplify this trend. Watt, who co-wrote “Eastside,” observes, “It’s a really open time. People consume music so quickly. If they see one of their favorite artists is on a song, Halsey and Khalid fans, they don’t care that Benny’s on the song too.” The focus is increasingly on the overall song and star power, opening doors for producers to gain artist recognition.
The renewed profitability of labels in the streaming age also plays a role. Labels are more willing to invest in songwriter-artists, recognizing their hit-making potential. Golan suggests, “It’s so lucrative for labels, they’re willing to invest in a songwriter’s career in a way that they probably wouldn’t have before.” Even if a full-fledged solo artist career doesn’t materialize for every songwriter, gaining artist credit enhances their profile, leading to better opportunities and brand endorsements. BloodPop’s increased visibility after being credited on Justin Bieber’s tracks illustrates this career boost.
Currently, a wave of songwriters are strategically building their public profiles. Andrew Watt is working on a collaborative album, Ross Golan is finalizing his own long-awaited album, and Teddy Geiger has returned as a lead artist after years of songwriting success. Emily Warren, Sasha Sloan, and JHart are also leveraging their extensive songwriting credits to establish themselves as solo artists.
Golan concludes with a call to action and adaptation: “Songwriters can stomp and scream and yell about the way things are, and they should. But while they’re doing that, they should also figure out, what are other ways we can make a living using the tools that we have?” The rise of producer-artists like Benny Blanco and their songwriting partners represents a proactive and innovative response to the evolving music industry landscape, showcasing songwriters’ resilience and adaptability in the streaming era.
